|
|
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uncommon prayer..., June 12, 2003
A bishop in the Episcopal church once said to me, 'We don't have a theology that we have to believe -- what we have is the prayerbook.' Please forgive the absence of context for this phrase -- while he would say that this statement in isolation is an exaggeration, and I would agree, nonetheless his statement serves to highlight both the importance of and the strength of the Book of Common Prayer. To be an Anglican (or Episcopalian), one does not have to subscribe to any particular systematic theological framework. One does not have to practice a particular brand of liturgical style. One does not have to have an approved politico-theological viewpoint. One can be a conservative, liberal or moderate; one can be high church, low church, or broad; one can be charismatic, evangelical, or mainline traditional -- one can be any number of things in a rich diversity of choices, and the Book of Common Prayer can still be the book upon which spirituality and worship is centred. Gerry Janzen, an Anglican professor at my seminary, said to me recently as we were lunching and having a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation (in a unique way that only Gerry Janzen is capable of doing) that he strives for that kind of memory and understanding that is so complete that one forgets what one has learned. He recounted to me his experience of working with his book on Job -- he had done a lot of research, development of ideas, writing, and organisation, and then set it aside for a time. When he picked up the topic later, he decided to begin by writing, and then go back to the research, other notes and writings he had done earlier. He was surprised to see, in comparing the work, that he had in fact duplicated much of the material -- he had internalised the information, incorporated it so well into his thinking and being, that it came forward without effort. It is this kind of relationship I feel I have developed with the Book of Common Prayer. The First English Prayer Book
There are many versions and varieties of the BCP. It has been revised many times in the past several centuries (with varying degrees of support and controversy); it has been revised for local application by different national churches. A list of some of these, in addition to some commentaries, is provided at the conclusion of this article. The tradition for all of these began with the first English Prayer Book, published by Thomas Cranmer in 1549. 'Based on medieval forms of worship, its language is both sublime and majestic. Later Prayer Books produced by the Anglican Communion are derived from it -- and in the eyes of many are inferior. All Christian denominations in England and America owe an incalculable debt to Cranmer's pioneering work.' Robert Van de Weyer edited this version of The First English Prayer Book, a compact edition of the 1549 version, laid out in an easily readable and usable format -- the BCP is always meant to be used, and, as the word common indicates, as something done in community -- common to all the people. The BCP can be adapted and very useful for private devotions, but the first and main intent is to gather, sustain and strengthen people in community. Spellings have be regularised for a modern audience, and some minor grammatical changes have also been incorporated. Van de Weyer has also incorporated a brief, six-page introduction, which is one of the better brief summaries of early prayer book development that I have come across. It addresses the politics and the theological issues in the various revisions with particular attention to the acceptance and usefulness of the Book of Common Prayer in its various forms, without getting too technical or too detailed as to become problematic for the casual reader to follow. The structure of first English Prayer Book varies from later versions, but the seed of the later versions is contained herein. Beginning with Matins and Evensong, two regular daily services, it then proceeds to Holy Communion, as one of the central services of the church (the centrality of communion/eucharist has varied over time in Anglican history). Following these primary services are other special services: orders for Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, Visitation of the Sick, and Burial of the Dead. Concluding the book are The Litany, The Catechism, and the listing of collects, epistle and gospel readings throughout the year. Being mindful of the situation of lack of clergy and questionable standards of practice in the churches, Cranmer developed this book with care. The only service that requires clergy is the Confirmation service; Holy Communion can be conducted and administered by laypersons with reserve sacrament. Cranmer distinguished in his terminology the words minister and priest, and the two should not be viewed as interchangeable. A priest is a minister, but a minister need not be a priest. This become part of the early development of the idea of all people being ministers to each other, which is also a concept that has varying acceptance and fulfillment in actual practice over the history of Anglicanism. ...
|
by John E. Booty
by C. Frederick Barbee
by Church Publishing
by Charles Taylor
