Archived Articles by Father Rob Smith

The Self-Help Book for Learning to Pray

When Christians from other denominations look at the Episcopal Church one of the most common questions they ask is: Why do we use a prayer book for prayers? The question is often asked in a way that presupposes that the use of a prayer book replaces private spontaneous prayer, which of course is not the case. Praying prayers from a prayer book is only one element of the classic structure of Anglican Spirituality. The second element is The Practice of the Presence of God and Informal Prayer. The third element is attendance at Eucharist, or Holy Communion.

Where common prayers are not prayed most of the praying is done by a pastor, or by a small circle that lead in the prayers. Prayers that are not shared and read in common, but are prayed free style, are not as spontaneous as they first appear. Many of us who come from traditions where common prayers are not shared know just how predictable the "Pastoral Prayer" of the Minister really can become. Even in congregations where prayers are led by more than one person, habit and custom often dominate without the benefit of allowing others to share in them as common prayers prayed by all.

When we pray shared common prayers that have been prayed for centuries, we are praying prayers that have been tested by a common faith. Praying common prayers manifests the unity of the body of Christ and allows for the maximum participation of each worshipper in the congregation. Where you share in common prayers, not only do all share in the prayers, but even the individual intercessions in the Prayers of the People have a high degree of participation. At Apostles the congregation participates in informal and spontaneous intercession more than in any Protestant style congregation that I have ever attended.

Do you wish that you knew how to pray? The Book of Common Prayer functions as an excellent self-help book. The prayers in the Book of Common Prayer will teach us how to pray, broaden our understanding of prayer itself, and touch a wider range of subjects than we would if left to our own devices. The Prayer Book provides us with a language of prayer and a balance that will enrich our times of informal prayer. Written prayers were not intended to replace, but enhance informal prayer.

In the Book of Common Prayer several guides are provided for prayer at various times of the day. The most important of these is Morning Prayer. You will find the contemporary version of Morning Prayer on page 61 and following in the Book of Common Prayer. The italicized words are stage directions that tell you how to use the service. The lectionary that gives you the readings starts on page 936. Your Sunday worship bulletin will tell you what week of readings we are in. Try using Morning Prayer during Lent to provide structure for your prayer time. You will be surprised how rich it is. Another very comforting service is the bedtime service, "Compline" on page 127. The word "Compline" comes from the Latin for "fill up" and it is the service that fills up, or completes our prayers for the day.

This Lent, along with any Lent discipline of fasting that you might elect, consider picking up The Book of Common Prayer and using it as a rich structure for your own times of personal prayer. ~ Father Rob +

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