Praying the Daily Office

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

When I was attending a Presbyterian seminary in Charlotte, I stumbled across an old black book on prayer in the bookshop.  While I was not 100% certain how to use it, I found the prayers inside to be profound, moving, and inspiring.  They helped me better confess my sin, draw closer to Jesus, praise God, and pray for others. 

The book was the 1928 version of The Book of Common Prayer (BCP).  Although I didn’t use it as often as I should, God began using it to nudge me into the Episcopal Church that I now call home.

As I’ve learned more about how to use the BCP, I have come to cherish the daily office (i.e., Morning and Evening Prayer) and Thomas Cranmer’s brilliance in making accessible.  According to the Episcopal Church’s main website, “After the Anglican Reformation, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) reduced the eight monastic [services] to the two services of Morning and Evening Prayer. These services were printed in vernacular English and intended for use by all members of the church.” (source)

In both Morning and Evening Prayer we confess our sins; read and reflect on Sacred Scripture; recite the Apostles’ Creed; and offer prayers of mission, praise, thanksgiving, and help on behalf of ourselves, the people we love, and the whole Church.  It is at the heart of Anglican/Episcopal spirituality, connects us with our spiritual siblings around the world, and takes only about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

In the upcoming weeks, I will write some of my weekly reflections based on the daily office readings, and I plan to offer some opportunities for us to gather for the daily office beginning in the fall. 

If you would like to begin praying the daily office on your own, I would recommend these two great online resources:

·         Mission St. Clare – a beautiful resource that includes music with everything laid out for you.  No prior knowledge needed.

·         Venite.app – this is what I have on my phone.  It has various translations and options and thus is not as intuitive as Mission St. Clare.

God bless, and happy praying!