The following assembled notes are from a beginning study of personal interest in the divine office using the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (1928), the Lectionary (1945), and the King James Bible with the Apocrypha. These notes are grouped by area of morning and evening prayer, scripture lessons, the Psalter, and various additional sections of historical and liturgical significance. These notes are meant to guide the user of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) through the daily divine office as a personal liturgy that complements weekly Anglican worship at a local congregation. The description of the BCP from the publisher:
“The 1928 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is in use among traditionalists throughout the United States. Unlike the 1979 book that was adopted by the Episcopal Church, the 1928 BCP stands in direct line of descent from Thomas Cranmer’s 1549 Book of Common Prayer, and as such, its Collects preserve the beauty of the Archbishop’s original prose. The Epistles and Gospels are taken from the Authorized Version, and the Psalter remains that which has been used by generations of Anglicans throughout the world, that of the Great Bible of 1539. This prayer book also includes the 1945 lectionary.”
Anglican Parishes Association Book Publisher (anglican-parishes-association.myshopify.com)
1928 BCP/KJV Bible – Anglican Parishes Association (anglican-parishes-association.myshopify.com)
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA
Book of Common Prayer, The Psalter, King James Bible, Apocrypha, Catechism, Articles of Religion
Notes pertaining to liturgy within and ACNA context.
The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Anglican Catholic Church. Together with The Psalter or Psalms of David.
DAILY LITURGY – MORNING AND EVENING
MORNING
- Determine what day of the week it is, by season, within the ecclesiastical year.
- Open to the page of “Psalms and Lessons for the Christian Year” (pgs. x – xlv) for the day found in step 1 above.
- Identify the day of the week that corresponds to the Psalms reading, First Lesson, and Second Lesson for the Morning Prayer period. Then, locate the Evening Prayer period of the same day for different Psalms and the first then second lessons. These are the proper for each day.
- Go to the Order for Daily Morning Prayer (pg.3). Choose one or more sentences of scripture to read. Recommended to read one for each day of the week to the extent available. Read sentences corresponding to season themes (e.g., Advent, Ascension, etc.). This is how you begin opening Morning Prayer, by saying a passage of scripture.
- Go to “O Lord, open thou our lips” (pg.7 bottom) to begin verbal prayer from there. At that time, use your thumb to make a small sign of the cross over your lips. Read the whole versicle and responses (pg.8 top).
- If necessary to begin with the Penitential for deeper confession and repentance (pg. 60), do so before proceeding.
- Go to the top of pg.9 to the Venite (ven-ee-tay) and read all of it each day except for the days in which other canticles are appointed (except when Psalm 95 is used in its place since it’s penitential and often at Lent– first rubric on pg.8).
- The Psalm grouping read in the prayer book ends with a separate reading of the Gloria Patri (pg.9 bottom). The Gloria Patri is only read and spoken after scripture, not human material such as a canticle or Apocrypha.
—- THIS ENDS THE OPENING PART OF MORNING PRAYER —-
Continue with the sequence of reading and prayer:
- Read the Psalm appointed for the ecclesiastical day identified in step 3 above.
- Read the first lesson appointed for the ecclesiastical day identified in step 3 above (see pg.9 bottom rubric).
- Follow the rubric at the top of pg.10. Choose from one of the two shorter canticles to say or sing. Te Deum laudamus or Benedictus es, Domine. Or the third larger Benedicite (ben-eh-dee-chih-tay), omnia opera Domini (bottom pg.11, two pages). During Lent, the Benedicite is read and spoken often.
- Read the second lesson appointed from the ecclesiastical day identified in step 3 above (pg.14 top rubric).
- Follow the second rubric at the top of pg.14. Choose from one of the two shorter canticles to say or sing. Benedictus or Jubilate Deo.
- Read the Apostle’s Creed (pg.15) on weekdays, the Nicene Creed (pg.71) on Saturday, and Church on Sunday. Or Athanasian Creed as desired. Apply the sign of the cross at the end of the recitation of the Creed.
- Recite the Lord’s Prayer on pg.7 bottom.
- Read the last verse and responses (pg.16 bottom).
- Read the Collect for the day beginning on pg.91 (which is the Collect of Sunday, the first day of the ecclesiastical week), then the Epistle and Gospel according to the ecclesiastical Sunday of the same week. Then, the same Collect is read each day of the week until the following Sunday Collect.
NOTE: Some Collect days will fall on a Fixed Holy Day (pg. xlv) and/or a commemoration day of a saint or occasion where there could be added reading (pg. xliv). You should be checking for a corresponding holy day on the calendar, and a commemoration day. Refer to an ordo calendar for supplemental reading on saints and occasions. The BCP only has biblical saints (apostles, prophets, etc.). - After the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel are read, the Collect for Grace or the Collect for Peace is read (pg.17).
- Morning Prayer is ended with General Thanksgiving, the Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom, and the 2 Cor 13:14 Benediction (pgs. 19-20).
—- THIS ENDS THE ORDER OF MORNING PRAYER —-
OPTIONAL
- Personal prayers (petitions, family, church, kingdom, world). To Prayers and Thanksgivings (pages 35 – 53), The Litany (pages 54 – 59), Decalogue (pg.68), and Penitential (pages 60-63).
- Additional prayers of Church Fathers, Desert Fathers, Cappadocian Fathers, Patristics, or Puritans.
- Additional Hymns, Antiphons, or Canon of Saints.
- Begin each prayer with the Trisagion Prayer, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” Or the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Or both.
EVENING
The evening prayer is read the same way as the morning prayer except for the Venite (excluded). The format is the same. Include Examen as desired.
GENERAL NOTES
1. Morning and Evening Prayer is to be read aloud (or whispered).
2. While reading morning and evening prayers, you say prayers and responses of both.
3. You can sit, stand, or kneel.
4. Lessons can be lengthened or shortened as desired.
5. Evening prayer follows the same pattern as morning prayer (except for the Venite, one less Psalm).
6. The key is to follow the rubrics.
7. Morning and evening prayers should take about 15 minutes but extend as desired.
8. We need to be immersed in the Word of God daily (through the lessons, at a minimum, including Psalter). The lessons in the lectionary align with the church’s seasonal calendar.
DESCRIPTION
ANGLICAN PARISHES ASSOCIATION
800 TIMOTHY ROAD
ATHENS, GEORGIA 30606 USA
Black Leather; lvii + 611 + 1778 pages
5 & 1/4 x 7 & 3/8 x 1 & 7/8 inches
Second Printing by APA (2015). This book consists of two parts: the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the Authorized Version of the Bible.
LEATHER BOUND ISBN 978-0-9777148-2-7
HARDBOUND ISBN 978-0-9777148-3-4
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer’s text font is 11-point Century Old Style, while the King James Version of the Bible’s font is 9-point Century Old Style.
The BCP/KJV is bound in black genuine leather. Each is bound with 6 colored ribbons for use as bookmarks. It is assembled by a library bindery, with a reinforced spine, Smyth sewn through the fold of each signature, and designed to stand up to heavy use.
