Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
Among the treasures of the Book of Common Prayer are several examples of a special kind of prayer form called a litany. This is a prayer shared with a leader and responders.
While the beautiful flow of words can be read or said by an individual alone, the true power of the litany form comes in the back and forth rhythm of shared thoughts, as they are brought to life. Whenever a litany is used as a private or communal prayer form, it must be recited aloud, even if it is prayed by a single individual. Litanies can be said or sung; in either presentation method, the words ebb-and-flow in a way that may come close to provoking participants to enter almost into a religious trance-like state. As such, they are not your run-of-the-mill type of daily prayer.
BCP Litany Examples
Although the litany form of prayer was used as early as the time of Pope Pelagius (492-496) in Rome, our 1979 BCP placement hints at the fact that “The Litany” was the very first English-language rite published in England in 1544 for common use. Note this, as “The Great Litany” follows “The Daily Office” content section. (See BCP, p. 147-155.) Originally, these words were used as a processional prayer during the time when Henry VIII was at war with Scotland and France. This meaning’s origin has become obscured over time, but by allowing your mind to savor the concepts included, you realize that the thoughts presented are not limited to only that one time and place.
While there are many litanies worth perusing in the 1979 BCP, take time to read two that follow the traditional formula used in “The Great Litany, ” which begins with a praising recognition of the Trinity followed by a prayerful petition directed to God’s understanding of human life as experienced by Jesus Christ. Both the “Litany at the Time of Death” (BCP, p. 462-465) and “The Litany for Ordinations” (BCP, p. 548-550) are two examples of traditional formula marking critical transition moments for persons living with the words of the BPC. Both speak of beginning new occasions within God’s everlasting, eternal world.
Timely BCP Litany
Now, as the Diocese of the Rio Grande anticipates the ordination of a new bishop, take time to prayerfully read aloud in full “The Litany for Ordinations.” The short excerpt here will help you note the traditional formula it contains. After opening with a trinitarian invocation, the actual litany prayers are addressed directly to the second person of the Trinity. Here our prayers are carried to God by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
God the Father,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
. . . . . . . . . .
We pray to you, Lord Christ,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the Day of your Coming,
we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all members of your Church in their vocation and ministry, that they may serve you in a true and godly life,
we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
. . . . . . . . . .
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves,
and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
Communal and Personal Use of the BCP
When you hold a copy of the BCP, you grasp a single book that gives you a variety of ways to connect with both God and the wholeness of eternal creation. Within the BCP contents are prayers for every possible occasion. On many pages, in the prayers and liturgies presented, you will find words or phrases printed in italics that are different from responses or rubrics. These italics are open invitations to you to personalize the printed language for communal or personal use.
The 1979 BCP editors hoped their work would be an evolving guidebook where appropriate changes and additions could bring every user into a close relationship with God. Last summer, the General Convention set a plan to revise the 1979 BCP. Now, explore and rediscover historical Christian worship. Now, celebrate the BCP every day. Soon, celebrate the ministry of our new bishop in the Diocese of the Rio Grande. God is listening and waiting to hear from us in prayer.
While the beautiful flow of words can be read or said by an individual alone, the true power of the litany form comes in the back and forth rhythm of shared thoughts, as they are brought to life. Whenever a litany is used as a private or communal prayer form, it must be recited aloud, even if it is prayed by a single individual. Litanies can be said or sung; in either presentation method, the words ebb-and-flow in a way that may come close to provoking participants to enter almost into a religious trance-like state. As such, they are not your run-of-the-mill type of daily prayer.
BCP Litany Examples
Although the litany form of prayer was used as early as the time of Pope Pelagius (492-496) in Rome, our 1979 BCP placement hints at the fact that “The Litany” was the very first English-language rite published in England in 1544 for common use. Note this, as “The Great Litany” follows “The Daily Office” content section. (See BCP, p. 147-155.) Originally, these words were used as a processional prayer during the time when Henry VIII was at war with Scotland and France. This meaning’s origin has become obscured over time, but by allowing your mind to savor the concepts included, you realize that the thoughts presented are not limited to only that one time and place.
While there are many litanies worth perusing in the 1979 BCP, take time to read two that follow the traditional formula used in “The Great Litany, ” which begins with a praising recognition of the Trinity followed by a prayerful petition directed to God’s understanding of human life as experienced by Jesus Christ. Both the “Litany at the Time of Death” (BCP, p. 462-465) and “The Litany for Ordinations” (BCP, p. 548-550) are two examples of traditional formula marking critical transition moments for persons living with the words of the BPC. Both speak of beginning new occasions within God’s everlasting, eternal world.
Timely BCP Litany
Now, as the Diocese of the Rio Grande anticipates the ordination of a new bishop, take time to prayerfully read aloud in full “The Litany for Ordinations.” The short excerpt here will help you note the traditional formula it contains. After opening with a trinitarian invocation, the actual litany prayers are addressed directly to the second person of the Trinity. Here our prayers are carried to God by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
God the Father,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
. . . . . . . . . .
We pray to you, Lord Christ,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the Day of your Coming,
we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all members of your Church in their vocation and ministry, that they may serve you in a true and godly life,
we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
. . . . . . . . . .
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves,
and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
Communal and Personal Use of the BCP
When you hold a copy of the BCP, you grasp a single book that gives you a variety of ways to connect with both God and the wholeness of eternal creation. Within the BCP contents are prayers for every possible occasion. On many pages, in the prayers and liturgies presented, you will find words or phrases printed in italics that are different from responses or rubrics. These italics are open invitations to you to personalize the printed language for communal or personal use.
The 1979 BCP editors hoped their work would be an evolving guidebook where appropriate changes and additions could bring every user into a close relationship with God. Last summer, the General Convention set a plan to revise the 1979 BCP. Now, explore and rediscover historical Christian worship. Now, celebrate the BCP every day. Soon, celebrate the ministry of our new bishop in the Diocese of the Rio Grande. God is listening and waiting to hear from us in prayer.
Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
As you peruse the Book of Common Prayer in this E-Study, you will discover just how versatile this compendium source of prayers really is. You will have explored the many ways to celebrate the “macro moments” of your life from your birth on earth through your birth into heaven.
Within that broad picture, the BCP also gives you a variety of ways to celebrate the “micro moments” of your life in the section called “The Daily Office.” (BCP, pp. 35-146). Daily is truly the operative word to describe this BCP content.
Historical Origin
Coming from the Jewish tradition rooted in the morning and evening sacrificial worship at the temple in Jerusalem, the earliest Christians began marking these transitional times of day with prayers and psalms. On occasion, scriptures were read, from Hebrew scrolls or from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew, which was the Old Testament Bible of the early Church, forming the basis of the writing included in the New Testament.
Christians soon developed additions to mark the hours of the day that were linked with the Passion story. A Collect in the 1979 BCP “An Order of Service for Noonday” reflects this:
Blessed Savior, at this hour you hung upon the cross, stretching out your loving arms: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look to you and be saved; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen. (BCP, p. 107).
As communities of monasteries were formed; and small, home-based congregations enlarged to building and cathedral status, the daily worship times became highly defined and were said or chanted in chapels and churches. Observed were Matins (midnight or cockcrow devotions), Lauds (the public morning service), Terce (the third hour), Sext (the sixth hour), None (the ninth hour), and Vespers (the public evening service). Monasteries added Prime (the first hour) at the beginning of the working day and Compline, at the bedtime end of the day.
Christians who were literate and could afford them, in the medieval period, possessed a valued “Book of Hours” for personal devotions. In creating the 1549 BCP, Thomas Cranmer followed this individual idea, using the contents of the Sarum service model practiced at Salisbury Cathedral. The major addition Cranmer made was to include a full lectionary of scriptural readings, an improvement continued in extended form in the 1979 BCP. (pp. 934-1001).
Universal Usage
Drawing on this background, the 1979 BCP offers a wonderful variety of ways for congregations and individuals to incorporate prayer into everyday life four times a day: Morning, Noon, Evening, and at the Close of Day. You can choose from the formal language of Rite One, close to that used in the 1928 BCP; or Rite Two, considered to bring more up-to-date meanings as the 1979 BCP was being drafted.
Harkening back to the “Book of Hours” tradition for personal use, the 1979 BCP has single page “Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families” (BCP, pp. 136-140). Here, as in all the Daily Office options, it is possible to add and subtract prayers and readings to meet personal or parish needs.
One of the joys of using the BCP is the connection you experience with being an active part in the whole history of Christianity. From the writings of Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) comes a Collect found in both Evening Prayer and Compline. Across the centuries, it remains a perfect way to end a day.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen. (BCP, pp. 71, 124, 134).
It is important to remember that anytime you are praying with the BCP, you are never alone. About twenty years ago, Bishop Desmond Tutu was picked up by car at a New York airport for a rush-hour trip to Boston. His driver suggested he postpone reading Evening Prayer until the traffic eased, so he could read it in quiet. By the time the road was clear, Bishop Tutu had finished his prayers. He told the group awaiting him that all had been well prayed for, as at any moment in any day, prayer voices all around the world are joining in praying from the BCP. With the BCP, the prayers of one become the prayers of many. With the BCP, you are always in the chorus of voices going to God.
Within that broad picture, the BCP also gives you a variety of ways to celebrate the “micro moments” of your life in the section called “The Daily Office.” (BCP, pp. 35-146). Daily is truly the operative word to describe this BCP content.
Historical Origin
Coming from the Jewish tradition rooted in the morning and evening sacrificial worship at the temple in Jerusalem, the earliest Christians began marking these transitional times of day with prayers and psalms. On occasion, scriptures were read, from Hebrew scrolls or from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew, which was the Old Testament Bible of the early Church, forming the basis of the writing included in the New Testament.
Christians soon developed additions to mark the hours of the day that were linked with the Passion story. A Collect in the 1979 BCP “An Order of Service for Noonday” reflects this:
Blessed Savior, at this hour you hung upon the cross, stretching out your loving arms: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look to you and be saved; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen. (BCP, p. 107).
As communities of monasteries were formed; and small, home-based congregations enlarged to building and cathedral status, the daily worship times became highly defined and were said or chanted in chapels and churches. Observed were Matins (midnight or cockcrow devotions), Lauds (the public morning service), Terce (the third hour), Sext (the sixth hour), None (the ninth hour), and Vespers (the public evening service). Monasteries added Prime (the first hour) at the beginning of the working day and Compline, at the bedtime end of the day.
Christians who were literate and could afford them, in the medieval period, possessed a valued “Book of Hours” for personal devotions. In creating the 1549 BCP, Thomas Cranmer followed this individual idea, using the contents of the Sarum service model practiced at Salisbury Cathedral. The major addition Cranmer made was to include a full lectionary of scriptural readings, an improvement continued in extended form in the 1979 BCP. (pp. 934-1001).
Universal Usage
Drawing on this background, the 1979 BCP offers a wonderful variety of ways for congregations and individuals to incorporate prayer into everyday life four times a day: Morning, Noon, Evening, and at the Close of Day. You can choose from the formal language of Rite One, close to that used in the 1928 BCP; or Rite Two, considered to bring more up-to-date meanings as the 1979 BCP was being drafted.
Harkening back to the “Book of Hours” tradition for personal use, the 1979 BCP has single page “Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families” (BCP, pp. 136-140). Here, as in all the Daily Office options, it is possible to add and subtract prayers and readings to meet personal or parish needs.
One of the joys of using the BCP is the connection you experience with being an active part in the whole history of Christianity. From the writings of Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) comes a Collect found in both Evening Prayer and Compline. Across the centuries, it remains a perfect way to end a day.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen. (BCP, pp. 71, 124, 134).
It is important to remember that anytime you are praying with the BCP, you are never alone. About twenty years ago, Bishop Desmond Tutu was picked up by car at a New York airport for a rush-hour trip to Boston. His driver suggested he postpone reading Evening Prayer until the traffic eased, so he could read it in quiet. By the time the road was clear, Bishop Tutu had finished his prayers. He told the group awaiting him that all had been well prayed for, as at any moment in any day, prayer voices all around the world are joining in praying from the BCP. With the BCP, the prayers of one become the prayers of many. With the BCP, you are always in the chorus of voices going to God.
Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
If you have wondered why the title Living the Book of Common Prayer was selected for this E-Study, perhaps you have begun to discover the motivation making the title become a reality in your life. Encapsulated in the single BCP volume is everything you need to cover your life from birth to death.
From 1549 onward, as the BCP has evolved, changes have been made in witness to all the moments in human lives. In our current time period of reflection and creative experimentation, preparing for a new BCP revision, it is wise to see how our present book actually celebrates the most important times of our lives. To do this, skim through the lifetime sections of the BCP, and take time to probe parts that are of interest to you. Don’t forget to check out the rubrics, as you move along.
Moving Through Life
With the very beginning of a human life at birth, the BCP is present. Wander through “A Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child” (BCP, pp. 439-445) for a new insight into celebrating the very beginning of a human life.
The 1549 BCP included “The Order of the Purification of Women” that became “The Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth, commonly called the Churching of Women” in the 1552 BCP. Over time, the emphasis has moved into the 1979 BCP focus on family responsibilities that must be assumed for the child after a joyous birth event.
Because it is so fundamental to our Christian identity, the next life celebration comes with “Holy Baptism” (BCP, pp. 300-314) for a child, although many people experience baptism as adults. Pause to think that in God’s eyes and heart, we are all children. In the days of formative Christianity, age did not matter, for then commitment to Christ often came with whole families or households being baptized at one time. Remember that the Nicene Creed speaks of “one baptism” that sets us apart, as a community of Christian believers, from the world at large.
The mature, personal commitment of individuals to Christianity comes in “Confirmation with forms for Reception and for the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows.” (BC, pp. 412-419) This occurs in the teenage years or beyond, when a personal action of commitment is made for a life knowledgeably chosen.
Writers of many a movie or television drama lift the words for wedding scenes from the familiar descriptive ones used by the BCP in the marriage rites. Although the 1979 BCP allows for weddings with several options (BCP, pp. 423-438), changes in societal perspectives since its publication have caused the present use of additional trial forms that will be considered during the creation of the newly revised BCP coming in the future.
In writing his 1980 Commentary on the American Prayer Book, Marion J. Hatchett, outstanding professor of liturgy at the University of the South, Sewanne, TN, muses that in the 1979 BCP “the phrase ‘the covenant of marriage’ has been substituted for ‘the state of matrimony.’ (BCP, p. 423) The word ‘state’ connoted an idea of ‘natural law’ in medieval theology, but has in modern use a secular connotation and no theological implications.” This awareness that historical times are a-changing is evidenced by our discussions as Episcopalians, now and as we move toward the future, about ways to honor human love in an appropriate celebratory way in our next BCP.
Toward a Birth into Heaven
Annually, with the imposition of the ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are to “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (BCP p. 265) In Christianity, each and every death is really a new birth in the cycle of human life. The 1979 BCP section on Death and Burial (BCP pp. 462-507) reminds us that because of the resurrection of Christ Jesus, we are a valued part of the continuum of God’s creation. Take the time to pause in the busyness of life to ponder the really important part you play. Some of the best thoughts about your life can come from the ideas presented in the BCP section on death.
Although the Table of Contents of the 1979 BCP does not chart out Christian lifetimes in an orderly way, everything all of us ever need to truly honor life is provided. We hope this brief survey will give you new comfort in Living the Book of Common Prayer in a way that lets you easily celebrate all the important times of your life.
Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
Let me introduce you to something known as a “rubric” in the Book of Common Prayer. You will find rubrics scattered throughout the BCP. They are fun to encounter, because rubrics give informative tidbits about the meaning and use of the words you read in the main text of the BCP.
Colorful Past and Undetermined Future
The word “rubric” comes from the Latin word “rubica” meaning “red,” and referring to the accenting use of ink that is red or red ochre. While providing a highlight or contrast to the black ink used throughout the body of the earlier printings of the BCP, the color differentiation allowed for setting out instructions or directions to explain the flow of the prayerful words of the text.
Historically, only expensive large-format books effectively used multicolor-printed embellishments. Mass-produced printing of small books, like the BCPs, used in bulk in churches and by individuals, were usually created using only a single ink color, most often basic black. Only in the last few decades has the process of printing allowed for less costly and, thanks to computer-created color separations, less complex multicolor book possibilities.
The challenge for any book designer is how to make the final book product truly useful for the reader. This is one aspect that must be considered in creating the BCP of the future. For now, in the all black text of the 1979 BCP, the former rubrics have been transformed into small italic type.
Background Information and Guidance
Browse through your BCP. Become aware of the creative challenge required to make sense of the varieties of information there presented, making it possible for the user to live the BCP.
For a quick overview of the challenges involved, meander through the section of The Daily Office. (BCP, pp. 36-146) Imagine the ink colors you would select to bring these everyday worship services to life. (You can even color pencil over the varieties of type to organize your own picture of the BCP.) In your mind, you can make the black-on-white text into your own color-coded actions that will deepen your daily worship experience.
What colors, in addition to the red rubric directions, will you select for general explanations, seasonal assignments, notations for biblical references, and sectional titles or headings? Thinking about the BCP in this artistic way will help you appreciate how the 1979 BCP designer has framed the printed words, making the worship texts more available for integration into your daily life.
Discovering and Absorbing
Because both the Bible and the BCP are regular parts of our lives, we often do not give ourselves the gift of merely rambling around in both books to explore unexpected treasures. Don’t postpone the pleasure of learning about the two books that bookend the true meaning of your direct relationship to God. Nothing beats first-hand contact. Do not put off becoming familiar friends with the two great books that will truly enrich your life. On your adventure of discovery, invite others to share it with you.
As you move beyond the history and use of rubrics in our BCP, don’t forget that this vivid ink color was printed on traditional black-and-white calendars to create red-letter days (those that had they own propers including a collect and lectionary) that stood out to be specially observed as distinct from ordinary time. Red-letter days in the 1979 BCP include the Confession of Saint Peter (January 18), Saint Joseph (March 19), the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31), Saint Mary Magdalene (July 22), Saint Mary the Virgin (August 15), Holy Cross Day (September 14), and Saint James of Jerusalem (October 23). (BCP, Calendar, pp. 15-33)
In the calendar of the Christian Church, for liturgical artists, red is the color of the Day of Pentecost and the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Red, whenever it is used in art for worship, is also the color for the active presence of God. By thinking red and being aware of rubrics, you are Living the Book of Common Prayer
Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing.
In a verdant place, there he made me encamp;
by water of rest he reared me;
my soul he restored.
He led me into paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
In God’s holy land that has the Rio Grande running through it, my family’s physical move this past week created new emphasis on living within the words of Psalm 23. In life’s disruption, pre-planned focusing on this psalm provided a constant refreshing reminder, that God is ever present.
Psalm 23 in the current BCP
A unique bit of BCP trivia happens with Psalm 23, probably the most beloved of all of the poetic hymns in the Bible. Tradition attributes this psalm to David, along with many other of the 150 psalms in our current book. (BCP, pp. 582-808)
What may be surprising to discover in the 1979 BCP is that there are three different translations of this ancient song. This unexpected richness offers every reader a thoughtful, prayerful opportunity to ponder separately and/or together, the usage in our private and public worship of each of these English language versions.
Ancient Origins of Psalm 23
The use of liturgical songs for worship is buried deep in the mists of early Hebrew history. Although David gets credited as the lyricist for many of the psalms, all of them contain the open cries of the human spirit. Through the ages, reading the psalms over and over has made them become songs to spring from our hearts, even in our lives today.
From the psalm experience rooted in the Palestinian Holy Land, the Hebrew singing worshipers carried these songs with them into exile in the ancient world. About 200 years before the Common Era, a Ptolemaic Pharaoh of Egypt pleased about 10,000 Hebrews living in Alexandria by inviting scholarly rabbis from their Holy Land homeland to translate biblical texts, including the Psalms, into the Greek they used in their everyday lives, so that their direct daily contact with God would not be lost. This Septuagint translation in Greek was used by the Christian Bible text writers.
Over many centuries, these Septuagint Psalms were translated into the Latin used by the Roman Church, and then, in 1535 into English by Miles Coverdale. His revision in 1539 for the Great Bible, a complete English version authorized by Parliament, provided the texts of the Psalms used in the original 1549 BCP. Coverdale’s Psalm translations are lovely to read and sing liturgically. This guaranteed that they would remain, with only a few archaic word replacements, in all subsequent BCP revisions.
Compare Coverdale’s Psalm 23 (BCP, pp. 612-613) with the lines quoted in the beginning and ending of this week’s E-Study. They are from A New English Translation of the Septuagint edited by Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Wright in 2007.
Different Origins of Psalm 23
If something seems amiss, at this point, in your reading of Psalm 23, it may be because we have all become accustomed to hearing the King James Version (BCP, pp.476-477) authorized by Parliament in 1611. However, the 1979 BCP is the first BCP to include the KJV Psalm 23. The additional option for Psalm 23 (BCP, p. 476) is a translation used in the 1928 BCP for the burial of a child.
These two Psalm 23 translations contain subtle differences from the songs flowing from the Septuagint, because they are grounded in what is called the Hebrew Canon, the OT collection of scrolls assembled in the Holy Land after the destruction of the second temple and the fall of Jerusalem in 71 CE. This line-of-thought is also evident in the variety of Psalm 23 translations, available in Bibles in print today.
Use of Psalm 23 Today and Tomorrow
Whereas God’s love is unchanging, human ways of expressing it are flexible. In our BCP and Bibles, every variation offers an invitation to enter into a singular or group conversation with God. Moving toward revision of the 1979 BCP, including Psalm 23, means being open to deepening our understanding and faith.
You prepared a table before me over against those that afflict me;
you anointed my head with oil,
and your cup was supremely intoxicating.
And your mercy shall pursue, me all the days of my life,
and my residing in the Lord’s house is for length of days.
With Psalm 23, you are Living the Book of Common Prayer.
The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing.
In a verdant place, there he made me encamp;
by water of rest he reared me;
my soul he restored.
He led me into paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
In God’s holy land that has the Rio Grande running through it, my family’s physical move this past week created new emphasis on living within the words of Psalm 23. In life’s disruption, pre-planned focusing on this psalm provided a constant refreshing reminder, that God is ever present.
Psalm 23 in the current BCP
A unique bit of BCP trivia happens with Psalm 23, probably the most beloved of all of the poetic hymns in the Bible. Tradition attributes this psalm to David, along with many other of the 150 psalms in our current book. (BCP, pp. 582-808)
What may be surprising to discover in the 1979 BCP is that there are three different translations of this ancient song. This unexpected richness offers every reader a thoughtful, prayerful opportunity to ponder separately and/or together, the usage in our private and public worship of each of these English language versions.
Ancient Origins of Psalm 23
The use of liturgical songs for worship is buried deep in the mists of early Hebrew history. Although David gets credited as the lyricist for many of the psalms, all of them contain the open cries of the human spirit. Through the ages, reading the psalms over and over has made them become songs to spring from our hearts, even in our lives today.
From the psalm experience rooted in the Palestinian Holy Land, the Hebrew singing worshipers carried these songs with them into exile in the ancient world. About 200 years before the Common Era, a Ptolemaic Pharaoh of Egypt pleased about 10,000 Hebrews living in Alexandria by inviting scholarly rabbis from their Holy Land homeland to translate biblical texts, including the Psalms, into the Greek they used in their everyday lives, so that their direct daily contact with God would not be lost. This Septuagint translation in Greek was used by the Christian Bible text writers.
Over many centuries, these Septuagint Psalms were translated into the Latin used by the Roman Church, and then, in 1535 into English by Miles Coverdale. His revision in 1539 for the Great Bible, a complete English version authorized by Parliament, provided the texts of the Psalms used in the original 1549 BCP. Coverdale’s Psalm translations are lovely to read and sing liturgically. This guaranteed that they would remain, with only a few archaic word replacements, in all subsequent BCP revisions.
Compare Coverdale’s Psalm 23 (BCP, pp. 612-613) with the lines quoted in the beginning and ending of this week’s E-Study. They are from A New English Translation of the Septuagint edited by Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Wright in 2007.
Different Origins of Psalm 23
If something seems amiss, at this point, in your reading of Psalm 23, it may be because we have all become accustomed to hearing the King James Version (BCP, pp.476-477) authorized by Parliament in 1611. However, the 1979 BCP is the first BCP to include the KJV Psalm 23. The additional option for Psalm 23 (BCP, p. 476) is a translation used in the 1928 BCP for the burial of a child.
These two Psalm 23 translations contain subtle differences from the songs flowing from the Septuagint, because they are grounded in what is called the Hebrew Canon, the OT collection of scrolls assembled in the Holy Land after the destruction of the second temple and the fall of Jerusalem in 71 CE. This line-of-thought is also evident in the variety of Psalm 23 translations, available in Bibles in print today.
Use of Psalm 23 Today and Tomorrow
Whereas God’s love is unchanging, human ways of expressing it are flexible. In our BCP and Bibles, every variation offers an invitation to enter into a singular or group conversation with God. Moving toward revision of the 1979 BCP, including Psalm 23, means being open to deepening our understanding and faith.
You prepared a table before me over against those that afflict me;
you anointed my head with oil,
and your cup was supremely intoxicating.
And your mercy shall pursue, me all the days of my life,
and my residing in the Lord’s house is for length of days.
With Psalm 23, you are Living the Book of Common Prayer.
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande E-Study! 9/10/18Living the Book of Common Prayer: Brief Pause
The ongoing study of the Book of Common Prayer will resume next week. This week, Elaine, our gallant author, is in the midst of moving from one apartment to another.
As anyone who has ever moved knows, this is ALWAYS a larger task than anticipated, even when it's just down the hall or around the corner.
Please keep Elaine and her husband in prayer for this much anticipated transition.
Next week, the study will begin to take a look at the Psalms.
Remember, this e-study is the perfect way to start a small study group. Just get together with some friends and discuss the weekly insights.
As anyone who has ever moved knows, this is ALWAYS a larger task than anticipated, even when it's just down the hall or around the corner.
Please keep Elaine and her husband in prayer for this much anticipated transition.
Next week, the study will begin to take a look at the Psalms.
Remember, this e-study is the perfect way to start a small study group. Just get together with some friends and discuss the weekly insights.
Note: As we continue our weekly examining of the Book of Common Prayer, occasionally BCP will be used instead of the full title. BCP page references may include section abbreviations.
Language is the communication basis of the Book of Common Prayer; and the meaning of words in language is the reason there have been many versions over the years since the first English Book of Common Prayer in 1549. Now known as the first Edwardian Book of Common Prayer, it was authorized by an act of Parliament and published shortly after young Edward VI followed his father Henry VIII, as king of England.
In 1552, the second Edwardian Book of Common Prayer was authorized. Again, its use came with an official act of Parliament, as did the finalization of all the major changes that had been brewing in a process covering several hundred years—years that separated the Church in England from the Roman Catholic Church, the original Christian entity centered in a far-off land using the Latin language for communication.
As expressed in the words of the Nicene Creed, for English speakers, nothing of the religious belief foundations actually changed in 1549, except the use of language. “We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.” (BCP, HE II, p. 359)
Common Language
The first changes in the BCP came with high speed during the English Reformation. In just three years, liturgical communication went from Latin to English and from Latin thought to more current English thought. The first Edwardian BCP is close to a literal translation of the original Latin. The second Edwardian BCP reset the word usage to include meanings that had come into use in the new understandings of religious thought spreading across Europe during Reformation times.
The impact of the power, of the resultant English language available to everyday people, set forth three major influences that are the roots of the beauty of the best of our English language today. From our Episcopal Church heritage comes not only our BCP, but also the works of William Shakespeare and the authorized by Parliament King James Version (KJV) of the Bible in 1611. All of these influences were shared in common by all English speakers.
English had become the common spoken and written language of the British Isles; and with English settlers colonizing other areas of the world, the language and religious thought was carried to other global lands. Thus was formed what we later call the Anglican Communion, linking together the belief structure of those connected by a common language.
Across the world and over the subsequent ages, the BCP, while remaining primarily the same in meaning, has been reset in words to reflect the time and place of its use.
Our first American version of the BCP came in 1789, after the Revolutionary War separated the direct connections of congregations in the newly independent republic from the Parliament-established Church of England. Documents concerning these changes are found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. (BCP, p. 8-11) Discover here our connection back, across history, to the “doctrine, discipline, or worship” of the formative, early Christian Church.
Holy Language
Contemplating the origins of the BCP enables us to understand a bit about how our personal thoughts concerning holy language occur. Last week, both the traditional and the modern words of the two forms of the Lord’s Prayer were noted. (BCP, HE II, p. 364)
When the traditional form of the Lord’s Prayer is used it is introduced with the phrase, “we are bold to say…”, and that should alert us to the powerful connection we each have as individuals in our personal relationship with God. Both forms begin with “Our Father” locking us tightly into a strong familial bond with God. Being “bold” reminds us that we are needy children of a loving, benevolent, parental figure.
Compare the two BCP forms of the Lord’s Prayer with the two texts (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4) in the King James (KJV) and a modern version of the Bible.
Wording differences may suggest that we might presume God to be separate, faraway, and untouchably supreme. However, for the English speaking common folk, at the time our 1549 BCP was first authorized, the words used, like “thy” and “thine,” actually had the most familiar, intimate meaning that could ever be spoken in a loving family situation. Our Father, our God is our compassionate daddy.
Boldly say the Lord’s Prayer every time you are Living the Book of Common Prayer. Have a conversation openly with your loving parent. God intimately cares for you on earth with a heavenly hug. Let us pray.
E-Study of the Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande (for men, too)
Does having a Book of Common Prayer really matter to you? Why? How? The Book of Common Prayer, that ordinary book nested in the pew-back holder in many Episcopal Churches, may seem unimportant and insignificant. Or, maybe it is resting on your bookcase, awaiting occasional use. Now is the time to grab a handy copy and really use it to begin Living the Book of Common Prayer.
Starting Common PrayerFrom the very first moments of human time, beings have been aware that there is something beyond themselves that touches every life and the surrounding world. Then and today, human beings can feel either controlled or abandoned by an unseen and incomprehensible power.
So what is an individual to do? From ancient ages, forms of religious belief began evolving. Early on, human beings united together in communities for their own safety and the common good, and they began creating ways to connect with the power that was beyond themselves. Our prehistoric ancestors, in their time and place, surely came up with the first examples of common prayer.
Biblical Common Prayer
While Old Testament Hebrew scriptures have accounts of group prayer, the most important example for Christians is the Lord's Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4) Jesus gives us these words to pray individually and to pray together. Spoken from the heart of Jesus, the Lord's Prayer directly the first community of followers to speak together directly to God. In joining together now in saying the Lord's Prayer, we gather our voices to speak in common to God, who birthed all of us, and is our spiritual Father.
The Lord's Prayer is usually the first generally-spoken, common prayer that most people commit to memory. Every service in the BCP includes the Lord's Prayer. Two forms, traditional and modern, of the Lord's Prayer are sprinkled throughout the current 1979 Book of Common Prayer. (BCP, HE II, p. 364)
Reading Common Prayer
While we take our ability to read for granted, such was not the case at the time of the first printed English prayer book. Over many centuries, worship involvement had become the controlled realm of specialized, professional religious persons. Most everyday people who massed in Medieval and Gothic churches only read the gospel message in sculpture, stained-glass windows, frescos, and other art objects, as the words of prayers were intoned by hierarchical worship leaders. Often, the only moment belonging to everyone, including the ordinary people, was he recited common Lord's Prayer.
Wealthy scholarly, priestly, and royal individuals, who could read, had personal prayer books. These highly decorated manuscripts of great value, held dear by their owners, were seldom encountered by everyday, common folk. Institutional sacred places had large service and gospel books to implement formal worship. However, all were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
With the invention of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439 it was possible to mass produce books, making them available to a far larger readership than was possible with hand-inscribed calligraphy or woodblock printing. Although still precious in the days of early printing, these began to become available to a growing mass of readers.
Then in 1549, ninety years after Gutenberg's invention, the first English Book of Common Prayer was authorized and published. In it, printed prayers and worship services became available to all. This was our first Book of Common Prayer.
Remembering Common Prayer
Centuries later, we take our English language BCP for granted, as we make our recitation, alone or in a group, of the Lord's Prayer as something expected in private and public worship. Be aware that religious expression across the Anglican Communion, springing from the Reformation's Church in England, has been modified to fit times and places. Now, Episcopalians are being challenged to determine how we will worship, using our English language in the years ahead. All of us, as ordinary people can participate in the creation of a new version of the BCP.
In the challenge ahead, it is important not to lose any of the strength that comes from mere remembrance of the Lord's Prayer and together parts of century-old liturgies. Words spoken over and over become imbedded in our human psyche and bring life to our being in times, when life is despondent and desolate.
Prayers uttered from memory were shared to become verbal common prayers by those who occupied the Hanoi Hilton. Indeed, we know that John McCain often led worship services there, based upon his recollections from the BCP, learned as he grew up and was schooled as an Episcopalian. The prisoners created their own intangible BCP, as ordinary folk surviving horrors by Living the Book of Common Prayer.
E-Study of the Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande (for men, too)
On entering an Episcopal Church, to know and follow what is going on, it is important to reach for the Book of Common Prayer. Regulars usually know where to flip the pages to keep up with the activity going on. Strangers, unaware of and confused by the liturgical order that is underway, are always delighted when a nearby person hands them a Book of Common Prayer and points out the proper place, so that they can join in and become a connected part of the worship already underway. That is the hospitable and welcoming thing to do.
Because the Book of Common Prayer is omnipresent and unpretentious, many Episcopalians take it for granted. Most Episcopalians have copies of the Book of Common Prayer at home. It is the gift traditionally received at confirmation. After new confirmands skim the total contents in early usage, familiarity over time may mean that only a small portion of the contents will actually get regular personal use.
Our modest Book of Common Prayer is actually a marvelous treasure trove just waiting to be discovered. In this WDRG Study, you will have the opportunity to examine it anew, learn the history behind it, ferret out powerful prayerful thoughts, and gain an overall understanding of your place in the formation of our Christian belief. Get ready for a lively adventure for your mind, soul, and heart.
Why now?
In July of 2018, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church voted to officially begin the formal process of revising the Book of Common Prayer for the American Church. This was far from a rash decision. The Episcopal Church is currently using the authorized 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The previously authorized version was the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. In the time between these two documents, much thought, research, and discussion took place at all levels of the Episcopal Church community.
For the preparation time from 1928 forward, in the well-organized tradition of the Church in England that birthed the American Episcopal Church, General Convention created an overseeing body, the Standing Liturgical Commission. Over the years, it was constituted of ordained clergy, scholarly academicians, and well-educated, thoughtful laity. As the revision of the Book of Common Prayer was evolving, the net that was cast to test it became expansive in time and contributors.
Our current Book of Common Prayer, authorized for use in 1979, from its adoption was seen as an evolving source for personal and communal worship. Whatever changes that were to be made had to bring the rock-solid features of our historical faith into the constantly changing vernacular of both the present time and the unknown future world only God can imagine. The Book of Common Prayer, in order to truly live, must be merely the transitory repository that contains the necessary data to strengthen the spiritual life of individuals and congregations. For all of us, we are challenged to be Living the Book of Common Prayer.
Why you?
Please be conscious that just by reading the beginning of this Study, you have already entered into an historical process that began five centuries ago, with roots going back several millennium to prerecorded time, when the awareness of God first became active in the lives of human beings. And your place in this historical chain will move you from today’s time into an unknown future, where your valuable, prayerful thoughts will make an important impact for you and others.
As Episcopalians, we are expected to draw our religious faith from the whole of our being, though scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. Our efforts in confronting the Book of Common Prayer must be firmly anchored in all four of these principles.
While the WDRG Study will have a broad horizon, how you use what is provided is 100 percent up to you. There will be no quiz to take or blog comment to write. If the WDRG Study provokes you to deepen your understanding of your personal faith by sharing it with others, you will be Living the Book of Common Prayer. Start a discussion group with friends or strangers. God “…hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst of them…”. (BCP, MP I, p. 59; MP II, p. 102)
You will only need your Book of Common Prayer and your Bible, as we travel through the WDRG Study. You may want to record your observations for reflection, and to mark your books with post-it-notes or a colored pencil for quick return reference. Personalize the WDRG Study to make it truly yours for you and your life. Discover the joy of Living the Book of Common Prayer.
8/20/2018 — Elaine Aniol Wilson