BCP Morning & Evening Prayer on your own

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by F. Bayer, Jun 8, 2015.

  1. F. Bayer

    F. Bayer New Member

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    I currently have the great fortune to live in a parish where my local church offers spoken BCP Evening Prayer every day. However, in autumn, I will be moving to Scotland (either Edinburgh or Aberdeen).

    Upon researching the Episcopalian churches in those places, I've found that none of them seem to offer this. St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh does offer choral evensong all days except Saturday and Thursday, but that isn't as much my cup of tea as the plain, spoken evening prayer.

    I shall greatly miss it. However, I would at least like to continue this devotional discipline in private. I'm also interested in taking up morning prayer, as well as the Sarum Rite Compline/Night Prayer endorsed by the Church of England.

    So, in short, I'd like to find out how to "properly" adapt the 1662 BCP orders for Morning and Evening Prayer, and the English-language Sarum Rite Compline, for individual use. Especially with regards to what I should do with the responsories (I mean, "The Lord be with me, and with my spirit" seems a bit silly to proclaim).
     
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  2. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    Hi FB, great question and a common predicament. I can't speak to the C foE prayerbook, but would like to recommend to sources based on American BCP offices that may help one in your situation. First ish ttp://commonprayer.org/ where you,can find links to both morning and evening prayers. There is a full version and brief version of each. The brief version cuts out a lot of those lines that seem awkward in the solitary setting.

    The second is morning and evening prayers for families which can be accessed at the same site under Family Prayers or by visiting http://pocketanglican.weebly.com

    I think the first choice will be closer to what your looking for. Hope this helps.

    Blessings and welcome!
     
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  3. F. Bayer

    F. Bayer New Member

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    Thank you, Layman! That's quite helpful, although the responsory ("The Lord be with you." - "And with thy spirit.") is still in there. I suppose I could just omit that.

    On a somewhat tangential note, you mention kneeling on your site. I generally find kneeling during prayer immensely helpful, but doing so straight on the floor, especially for prolonged periods, is distractingly uncomfortable. I've researched buying a prie-dieu from a church supply shop, but the decent ones (with actual upholstery rather than wooden kneelers) all seem to be in the £300+ range, which is much beyond my budget. Are there any alternatives?
     
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  4. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    I was taught at an early age to use a pillow and kneel at my bedside. I suppose thats a redneck prie-dieu. lol
     
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  5. Botolph

    Botolph Well-Known Member

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    Hi, I remembered this when I was reading today, and so I thought I should share this.

    "This is how you are to pray: Our Father"
    Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr
    The Lord’s Prayer, 8 (trans. cf breviary ; Monday of the 11th week)

    Before all else, Christ, the teacher of peace and of unity would not have us pray on our own and in private in such a manner that each prays only for himself. We do not say: “My Father, who art in heaven”, or, “Give me this day my bread.” Each person does not ask that his own sins only be forgiven, nor does he request for himself alone that he be not led into temptation and that he be delivered from evil. Our prayer is public and for all, and when we pray, we pray not for a single person, but for the whole people, because we are all one.The God of peace, the teacher of harmony, who taught us unity, willed that each one should pray for all, according as he carried us all in himself alone. The three youths enclosed in the furnace observed this law of prayer… “Then the three, as with one mouth, sang a hymn and blessed God” (Dn 3,51)… We find the apostles also prayed in the same manner after the ascension of the Lord. “With one accord they devoted! themselves to prayer together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1,14). They continue! with one accord in prayer, making clear both by the urgency and harmony of their prayer that God, “who makes men to dwell in concord in a house” (Ps 68[67],7), admits only those who pray with one accord into the divine and eternal house.

    ___________________

    That having been said I do wonder as we become increasingly isolated if there should not be some way of writing an office that was easier for a person to pray on their own.

    Perhaps rather than 'The Lord be with you And also with you' it might read 'The Lord surrounds us with his goodness and love'
     
  6. Scottish Knight

    Scottish Knight Well-Known Member

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    You may want to check out st cuthberts episcopal church, colinton if you are moving to edinburgh. Although I've never been there myself I'm sure they used to advertise morning and evening prayer most days when I lived there.