Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Prayerbook Rule

Derek Olsen has a great blog post about Percy Dearmer on the Prayer Book system.

For Dearmer the Prayer Book (in this case the Church of England Prayer Book of 1662) is a complete system that leads the christian into a full christian life.

The Churchman is helped by the grace of God all through his life, from the cradle to the grave. He is baptized as a little child, and thus brought into the [28/29] Holy Catholic Church and made a member of Christ. 

He goes on to talk about catechesis, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Holy Matrimony, Last Rites which brings one to the end of the human life.  Cradle to Grave as Dearmer says.

But besides these pivotal points in life the Prayer Book provides guidance for the daily life of a christian.

Every day of the week. Morning Prayer in the morning and Evening Prayer in the evening, “that the people (by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the church) might continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God.” 

The Calendar, the Lectionary, and The Daily Office are meant to form us by daily prayer and the reading of Holy Scriptures.  And they can do just that if we use them.

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