I'm beginning an in-depth look at the American Prayer Book tradition 1786-1979 and comparing that with the 1662 BCP. http://thehackneyhub.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-look-at-american-prayer-book.html Thoughts and comments are welcome.
Excellent! You said in your blog, "The latter work [BCP 1979] reflects largely the 1970's liberalism,...." I have heard this before -- that the 1979 BCP is a liberal BCP. How so? I can't see it myself.
Good point. It's very much evident in the over-emphasis of the social gospel. This is not to say that there isn't a social aspect of the Gospel but the message of Christianity is redemption and a restoration of right relationship with God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, not political or economic improvement. Compare the suffrages from the original prayer books to the 1979: Minister. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. Answer. And grant us thy salvation. Minister. O Lord, save the State. Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. Minister. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness. Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful. Minister. O Lord, save thy people. Answer. And bless thine inheritance. Minister. Give peace in our time, O Lord. Answer. For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety. Minister. O God, make clean our hearts within us. Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us; R. And grant us thy salvation. V. Endue thy ministers with righteousness; R. And make thy chosen people joyful. V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; R. For only in thee can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under thy care; R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth. V. Let thy way be known upon earth; R. Thy saving health among all nations. V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. V. Create in us clean hearts, O God; R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
I agree wholeheartedly with the part of your post that I put in bold. I do see a slight difference in the two examples you posted. But even in the first one, I can't say that the phrase, "O Lord, save the State" is appropriate, either.
The new suffrages A are definitely an improvement over the old suffrages, especially over the old quickie morning suffrages, which seemed to presuppose that the Litany would always follow. If you find anything wrong, evil, heretical, undignified, or inappropriate in the modification of "save the state" pair or in the two new pairs: then please point out where precisely you find such flaws. I say, If these additions are due to "'70s liberalism", then we have benefited from "70s liberalism" in this case. "And there is no health in us" reeks of the Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity. Good riddance to that phrase. I miss being a miserable offender, though. The new flexibility in choice of canticles, (which you explicitly refused to explore in your blog post linked above, I suppose because you think it deserves a separate post) is important. It allows those places that wish to do so to implement something like the medieval weekly rotation of canticles at Lauds, and it can be used to construct appropriate seasonal rotations as well. But many places will need to recover a place in their congregational life for Morning Prayer first, without losing any of the ground we've gained on frequent celebration of the Eucharist, before the new, wider, choice of canticles can be used, skilfully or otherwise.
Is there truth what I heard in my youth about America? - that the Episcopal church is the government at prayer? Contrasted with an alignment of the 1960s optimism with the thought that America could realize their 'shining city on a hill' thing? But any optimism was shaken severely, if not fully derailed, with the racism, related riots, and then anti-war protests as Americans felt betrayed by their successive governments from both sides of the spectrum. Thus, I'm thinking about the "save the state" thing being in response to the extreme social and political unrest. (I had a professor who left Kent State after National Guard slaughtered some students, and another who was a draft dodger in 1972.) I have the distinct impression that the "save the state" is rather a reactionary protectionist idea, and rather against the social unrest and change than hinting towards it.
1918 BCP of the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada ΒΆ Then the Priest standing up shall say, O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us. Answer. And grant us thy salvation. Priest. O Lord, save the King. Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness. Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful. Priest. O Lord, save thy people. Answer. And bless thine inheritance. Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord. Answer. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God. Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us. Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
"The Republican Party at prayer" is the wisecrack I have heard. Sociologically speaking the Episcopal Church's core membership has been educated middle-class folk. "Save the state" was simply the American version of "Save the King," Prayer for the nation, rather than just the state, is a generalization of that.