All posts filed under: Book of Common Prayer

A Valentine for Parents {From the Archives}

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One thing I love about the prayer book is that it gives direction that is simple, precise, and Christ-focused to my thoughts and inward groanings.  This is the prayer that I say the most, under my breath, in desperation, at the end of a long day as I fall asleep: Almighty God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. Click the image below to download a free printable of the  Parent’s Prayer  pdf from Esther Bley Designs.

The Churching of Women

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I gave birth to my second daughter a little over three weeks ago. So Sunday, as part of the celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration, our priest also wanted to include the Churching of Women. The Churching of Women liturgy is found after the Holy Matrimony section in the Prayer Book. It is headed “The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth, Commonly called the Churching of Women.” It consists primarily of the woman reciting Psalm 116 with the priest, along with a thanksgiving on behalf of the woman and a prayer that the new baby may grow in the love and service of God. One main reason my husband and I decided to become Anglicans is the arrangement of Scripture and prayers flowing out of Scripture in the Book of Common Prayer. Here, we have living words for practical church use that can hold all of life –  that are strong and rich enough to encompass both the joy and the sorrow of the human condition. So, I love that this short liturgy exists and …

Ascensiontide Novena

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A Novena is an act of devotion, consisting of nine successive days of prayer. The original novena is actually the nine days between Ascension and Pentecost. So, for that reason, we decided to share with you a printable for the Novena for the Gifts of the Spirit. Traditionally, you begin praying this Novena today (the Friday after Ascension Day) and continue until the Eve of Pentecost. Novena Printable This is a lovely rendition of the hymn to be sung before the prayers in the Novena, “Come, Holy Ghost” [Note that the hymn is in Long Meter (L.M.), so you do not have to sing this particular tune. Other familiar long meter tunes that could work with this hymn are the tunes for “Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts” (Abends), “What Star is This” (Puer Nobis),  and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (Hamburg).] Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire. Thou the anointing Spirit art, who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart. Thy blessed unction from above is comfort, life, and fire of …

Prayer Beads for Kids

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One of my goals this Lent is to spend more time in prayer.  My husband gifted me a beautiful set of Anglican prayer beads for Christmas, and the practice of using the beads and ages old prayers, in a rhythmic, defined manner, has made prayer more accessible to me.  And so I am much more inclined to spend time doing it! As I’ve been keeping them around on my desk areas for use, my charming and curious children have asked me what they are for, and so I decided to make them some of their own.  I was somewhat surprised that they were interested, but we ran with it, and came up with these simple circlets for their use. These can be made out of anything, and would be a fun Lenten family activity, or perhaps a surprise in their Easter basket?  Use what you have on hand; plastic pony beads in two colors on a piece of yarn would work just fine. The important thing is to place your beads in this form: For …

A Valentine for You, Mom and Dad

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One thing I love about the prayer book is that it gives direction that is simple, precise, and Christ-focused to my thoughts and inward groanings.  This is the prayer that I say the most, under my breath, in desperation, at the end of a long day as I fall asleep: Almighty God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. Click the image below to download a free printable of the  Parent’s Prayer  pdf from Esther Bley Designs.

Family Prayer Printable

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We are thankful to Dcn. Isaac Chavez for answering our questions on Family Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer. Here are the links to his posts: Family Prayer in the BCP, Part 1   Family Prayer in the BCP, Part 2 To aid your family’s endeavors to incorporate Family Prayer into your daily life, we created a printable with the “most convenient” (i.e. shortest) form of Family Prayer. It can be printed (and perhaps laminated), so that it can be easily picked up in the morning and evening.   Family Prayer Printable We would also love to know your thoughts on how to build regular prayer into the daily life of your family. Please comment below!

Family Prayer in the BCP, Part 2

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Dcn. Isaac Chavez, of Christ the King Anglican Church, graciously answered our questions for a two part series on Family Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer (found after the Catechism, on page 593 of the REC Prayer Book). Dcn. Isaac is married to Sarah and has four children. He was ordained as deacon in the Reformed Episcopal Church in June, 2015.  Read Part 1 of this series.  –How should families approach using the Book of Common Prayer for our daily prayers? Most families will not be able to observe both Morning and Evening prayers on a consistent basis. This is why there is even a provision in the Prayer Book which makes it clear that the Family Prayers are for times when it is convenient for the family to gather together for prayer. The English Church has more often than naught had a pastoral impulse at its heart, and the Church has consistently tried to leave freedom for family and lay persons to seek God in their lives outside of the Church. The Church is …

Family Prayer and the BCP, Part 1

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Dcn. Isaac Chavez, of Christ the King Anglican Church, graciously answered our questions for a two part series on Family Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer (found after the Catechism, on page 593 of the REC Prayer Book). Dcn. Isaac is married to Sarah and has four children. He was ordained as deacon in the Reformed Episcopal Church in June, 2015 When Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer, how do you think he envisioned families using it in daily life?  Cranmer, and many of the other English Reformers, believed that one of the problems that had occurred during the High Middle Ages was that the spiritual life of the Church had been cut off from the common lay person. They believed this had manifested itself in many ways, but one way that the English Reformers uniquely singled out, was the actual prayer life of the Church. Cranmer basically asked this question: “Why should the Daily Hours and the rich prayer life of the monasteries be kept only within the walls of the monasteries?” …