1 The Messenger June 2012 OF ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN PARISH SPIRITUAL GROWTH THE ANGLICAN WAY When I left for college, I was encouraged to have some sort of “quiet time,” a time of daily prayer and Bible reading. I really wasn’t sure how to do that or what it would look like, but I really wanted to grow spiritually. That’s when I dis- covered the great treasure of the Book of Common Prayer. I had always wondered what could be found outside of pages 323 to 393 (Holy Eucharist Rite I & II and Prayers of the People). I found exactly what I was looking for in the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. As it turns out, I shouldn’t have been surprised to find such treasure in the Book of Common Prayer. Our Anglican heri- tage draws upon the ancient Jewish and monastic rule of living that follows specific hours of prayer (seven of them) through the course of the day. During the Reformation in England, Thomas Cranmer condensed the seven hours into two services: Morning and Evening Prayer. They serve as the “official” prayers of the Church and provide a wonderful tool for personal spiritual growth. The Daily Office is wonderfully balanced with the reading of Scripture, the wisdom of written prayers, and room for free-form praying. By following the Daily Office, you engage in reading a large portion of the Bible in a two year rotation- a practice that does all of us great good! You will not only grow as an individual, though. Part of the wisdom of the Anglican Way is that by reading the same Scripture pas- sages as others, we build true fellowship as we all wrestle with the God’s Word together. Keeping the Daily Office also builds a beautiful rhythm into life, bringing balance, peace, and joy. You will find your days have more savor and that your Sundays have more power. You can actually learn how to do Morning or Evening Prayer simply by reading the italicized rubrics (rules) – that’s ex- actly how I learned. The easiest way to learn, though, is to participate in it, which is why we have encouraged our Disci- pleship Groups to use the Daily Office for their studies. The services are found beginning on page 37 (Morning Prayer Rite I), 61 (Evening Prayer Rite I), 75 (Morning Prayer Rite II), and 115 (Evening Prayer Rite II). You’ll have to follow the directions to find the readings, but if you’re patient, the directions are all there. Or, if you want your life to be a bit easier, you can make use of internet resources to find the service and readings: http://www.bookofcommonprayer.net/ lectionary.php for the Daily Office services with readings or http://satucket.com/lectionary/ for readings alone. So if you have ever wondered how to order your personal devotional life, I want to commend to you the official Angli- can tool: the Daily Office. Yours in Christ, Fr. Karl+
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1
The Messenger
June 2012
OF ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN PARISH
SPIRITUAL GROWTH THE ANGLICAN WAY
When I left for college, I was encouraged to have some sort of “quiet time,” a time of daily prayer and Bible reading. I
really wasn’t sure how to do that or what it would look like, but I really wanted to grow spiritually. That’s when I dis-
covered the great treasure of the Book of Common Prayer. I had always wondered what could be found outside of pages
323 to 393 (Holy Eucharist Rite I & II and Prayers of the People). I found exactly what I was looking for in the Daily
Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer.
As it turns out, I shouldn’t have been surprised to find such treasure in the Book of Common Prayer. Our Anglican heri-
tage draws upon the ancient Jewish and monastic rule of living that follows specific hours of prayer (seven of them)
through the course of the day. During the Reformation in England, Thomas Cranmer condensed the seven hours into
two services: Morning and Evening Prayer. They serve as the “official” prayers of the Church and provide
a wonderful tool for personal spiritual growth.
The Daily Office is wonderfully balanced with the reading of Scripture, the wisdom of written prayers,
and room for free-form praying. By following the Daily Office, you engage in reading a large portion of
the Bible in a two year rotation- a practice that does all of us great good! You will not only grow as an
individual, though. Part of the wisdom of the Anglican Way is that by reading the same Scripture pas-
sages as others, we build true fellowship as we all wrestle with the God’s Word together. Keeping the
Daily Office also builds a beautiful rhythm into life, bringing balance, peace, and joy. You will find your
days have more savor and that your Sundays have more power.
You can actually learn how to do Morning or Evening Prayer simply by reading the italicized rubrics (rules) – that’s ex-
actly how I learned. The easiest way to learn, though, is to participate in it, which is why we have encouraged our Disci-
pleship Groups to use the Daily Office for their studies. The services are found beginning on page 37 (Morning Prayer
Rite I), 61 (Evening Prayer Rite I), 75 (Morning Prayer Rite II), and 115 (Evening Prayer Rite II). You’ll have to follow
the directions to find the readings, but if you’re patient, the directions are all there. Or, if you want your life to be a bit
easier, you can make use of internet resources to find the service and readings: http://www.bookofcommonprayer.net/
lectionary.php for the Daily Office services with readings or http://satucket.com/lectionary/ for readings alone.
So if you have ever wondered how to order your personal devotional life, I want to commend to you the official Angli-
can tool: the Daily Office. Yours in Christ, Fr. Karl+