The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer from 1552
Since the time of King Edward VI of England, Anglicans and Episcopalians have grounded their worship upon a central book, called the Book of Common Prayer. The first one came out in 1549, but it has been revised numerous times since then, adapting to changing times and different cultures.
The advantage of having a Book of Common Prayer is that everyone is on the same page! Everybody in the service is reading the same prayers and texts, and has equal access to understanding what is going on and what is being said or sung during worship. And because all the congregations in the Episcopal Church are using the same Book of Common Prayer, we all share in the same prayer life of a church that goes far beyond the boundaries of our community. The same Sunday worship will be happening here in Middlesboro, and in Lexington, and in Haiti, Taiwan, and Germany!
The advantage of having a Book of Common Prayer is that everyone is on the same page! Everybody in the service is reading the same prayers and texts, and has equal access to understanding what is going on and what is being said or sung during worship. And because all the congregations in the Episcopal Church are using the same Book of Common Prayer, we all share in the same prayer life of a church that goes far beyond the boundaries of our community. The same Sunday worship will be happening here in Middlesboro, and in Lexington, and in Haiti, Taiwan, and Germany!
Can I read the Book of Common Prayer online?
In The Episcopal Church, we use The 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The 1979 BCP is online, so you can read through it and see what's inside at http://www.bcponline.org/.
Other churches in the Anglican Communion have adopted their own versions of the Book of Common Prayer. You can see many of them, and learn about the development of the BCP, on this website.
If you're interested in purchasing your own copy of the Book of Common Prayer, you can order one from Church Publishing.
Other churches in the Anglican Communion have adopted their own versions of the Book of Common Prayer. You can see many of them, and learn about the development of the BCP, on this website.
If you're interested in purchasing your own copy of the Book of Common Prayer, you can order one from Church Publishing.
