# Using Common Book of Prayer in Worship?



## thistle93 (Mar 10, 2014)

Have you ever used parts of the Common Book Of Prayer in worship? Do you think it is wise to use parts of it in worship. This may sound like a strange question coming from a baptist and obviously as a baptist, I do not agree with all of Common Book of Prayer but I do see some useful parts, especially many of the prayers. I would say the Common Book of Prayer comes from reformed background, even it be in the Anglican/Episcopalian form, which I know was very oppressive to those who were not Anglican /Episcopalian, such as Presbyterians and Baptist. Even so is there some not benefit to its occasional usage in worship? Thoughts? For His Glory- Matthew


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## Hamalas (Mar 10, 2014)

BTW it is actually "The Book of Common Prayer" and not the "Common Book of Prayer" just fyi.


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## CJW (Mar 11, 2014)

Having spent a good part of my Christian life in the Anglican communion, I find myself frequently using words and phrases, and often entire prayers from the BCP.

"Lighten my darkness, I beseech Thee, O Lord"
"Grant that I may hear them [the Holy Scriptures], read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them"
"I have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep"
"Keep me temperate in all things and diligent in my calling"

There are many excellently worded prayers written by Cranmer, and I see nothing wrong with making the occasional use of them, in either private or public worship.


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## JM (Mar 11, 2014)

"It directs to the observation of several fasts and festivals, which are no where enjoined in the word of God, and for which it provides collects, gospels and epistles to be read: the fasts are, Quadragesima or Lent, in imitation of Christ’s forty days fast in the wilderness, Ember weeks, Rogatian days, and all the Fridays in the year; in which men are commanded to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving. The festivals, besides, the principal ones, Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide, are the several saints days throughout the year; which are all of popish invention, and are either moveable or fixed, as the popish festivals be; and being the relics of popery makes us still more uneasy and dissatisfied with them."

John Gill, The DISSENTER’S REASONS FOR SEPARATING FROM The Church Of England, Occasioned By A Letter wrote by a Welch Clergyman on the Duty of Catechizing Children. Intended chiefly for the Dissenters of the Baptist Denomination in Wales


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## Philip (Mar 11, 2014)

I would agree that the collects are a treasure of Christian devotion and could certainly be used as _part_ of prayer in public worship. Cranmer's collects have deeply affected my own prayer life and helpfully nudged it in a more biblical direction.


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## Quatchu (Mar 11, 2014)

You might be interested to check out the Book of Common Worship, Its a book of historical Presbyterian liturgy.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 11, 2014)

I have used parts of the "Order for the Burial of the Dead" from the 1559 BCP in the graveside services I have done.


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## Hamalas (Mar 11, 2014)

I would give it the same attention that I would give works like "The Valley of Vision" or Terry Johnson's "Leading in Worship" or "The Westminster Directory for Public Worship". It is a resource to be used (with proper understanding and discernment, particularly in the realm of the church calendar etc...) and can be a wonderful tool (even as it would be a terrible master!)

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## yeutter (Mar 11, 2014)

Quatchu said:


> You might be interested to check out the Book of Common Worship, Its a book of historical Presbyterian liturgy.


As I looked through the Book of Common Worship I was struck by how similar it is to the old Methodist Episcopal liturgy; more similar to Methodist Episcopal liturgy then to the Church of England 1662 Book of Common Prayer, or the 1661 Presbyterian Book of Common Prayer, or the 1928 Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.


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## JM (Mar 12, 2014)

http://adaughterofthereformation.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/if-it-looks-like-rome/ 


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## yeutter (Mar 12, 2014)

JM said:


> If it looks like Rome … | A Daughter of the Reformation


Calvin who is cited in this link, and the Church of Geneva used a fixed liturgy. Calvin did not offer criticisms of Cranmer's liturgy


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## JM (Mar 12, 2014)

"Still a Protestant...still protesting." 


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## yeutter (Mar 12, 2014)

JM said:


> "Still a Protestant...still protesting."
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The denomination of Herman Hoeksema, the Protestant Reformed Churches have a fixed liturgy. Not the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer to be certain; but a fixed liturgy never-the-less. Liturgy like the one included in the Psalter the Protestant Reformed Churches use and the one one included in the Book of Common Prayer are helpful teaching tools, especially in the manner in which they define the sacraments.


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## jfschultz (Mar 12, 2014)

Tradition has it when the new service was read, one worshipper, Jenny Geddes stood up and threw her stool at the Dean's head shouting out "Wha daur say mass in ma lug". The congregation erupted and the service had to be abandoned.





Jenny Geddes provokes a riot


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## Hamalas (Mar 12, 2014)

Why Should Presbyterians Read the Book of Common Prayer? | Recycled Missionaries


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## NaphtaliPress (Mar 12, 2014)

Here is the preface to the original Westminster Directory for the Public Worship of God which explains their esteem for and recognition of the abuses of The Book of Common Prayer at the time it was replaced by continued reformation by said directory.
IN the beginning of the blessed Reformation, our wise and pious ancestors took care to set forth an order for redress of many things, which they then, by the word, discovered to be vain erroneous, superstitious, and idolatrous, in the publick worship of God. This occasioned many godly and learned men to rejoice much in the Book of Common Prayer, at that time set forth; because the mass, and the rest of the Latin service being removed, the publick worship was celebrated in our own tongue: many of the common people also receive benefit by hearing the scriptures read in their own language, which formerly were unto them as a book that is sealed.

Howbeit, long and sad experience hath made it manifest, that the Liturgy used in the Church of England, (notwithstanding all the pains and religious intentions of the Compilers of it,) hath proved an offence, not only to many of the godly at home, but also to the reformed Churches abroad. For, not to speak of urging the reading of all the prayers, which very greatly increased the burden of it, the many unprofitable and burdensome ceremonies contained in it have occasioned much mischief, as well by disquieting the consciences of many godly ministers and people, who could not yield unto them, as by depriving them of the ordinances of God, which they might not enjoy without conforming or subscribing to those ceremonies. Sundry good Christians have been, by means thereof, kept from the Lord's table; and divers able and faithful ministers debarred from the exercise of their ministry, (to the endangering of many thousand souls, in a time of such scarcity of faithful pastors,) and spoiled of their livelihood, to the undoing of them and their families. Prelates, and their faction, have laboured to raise the estimation of it to such a height, as if there were no other worship, or way of worship of God, amongst us, but only the Service-book; to the great hinderance of the preaching of the word, and (in some places, especially of late) to the justling of it out as unnecessary, or at best, as far inferior to the reading of common prayer; which was made no better than an idol by many ignorant and superstitious people, who, pleasing themselves in their presence at that service, and their lip-labour in bearing a part in it, have thereby hardened themselves in their ignorance and carelessness of saving knowledge and true piety.

In the meantime, Papists boasted that the book was a compliance with them in a great part of their service; and so were not a little confirmed in their superstition and idolatry, expecting rather our return to them, than endeavouring the reformation of themselves: in which expectation they were of late very much encouraged, when, upon the pretended warrantableness of imposing of the former ceremonies, new ones were daily obtruded upon the Church.

Add hereunto, (which was not foreseen, but since have come to pass,) that the Liturgy hath been a great means, as on the one hand to make and increase an idle and unedifying ministry, which contented itself with set forms made to their hands by others, without putting forth themselves to exercise the gift of prayer, with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants whom he calls to that office: so, on the other side, it hath been (and ever would be, if continued) a matter of endless strife and contention in the Church, and a snare both to many godly and faithful ministers, who have been persecuted and silenced upon that occasion, and to others of hopeful parts, many of which have been, and more still would be, diverted from all thoughts of the ministry to other studies; especially in these latter times, wherein God vouchsafeth to his people more and better means for the discovery of error and superstition, and for attaining of knowledge in the mysteries of godliness, and gifts in preaching and prayer.

Upon these, and many the like weighty considerations in reference to the whole book in general, and because of divers particulars contained in it; not from any love to novelty, or intention to disparage our first reformers, (of whom we are persuaded, that, were they now alive, they would join with us in this work, and whom we acknowledge as excellent instruments, raised by God, to begin the purging and building of his house, and desire they may be had of us and posterity in everlasting remembrance, with thankfulness and honour,) but that we may in some measure answer the gracious providence of God, which at this time calleth upon us for further reformation, and may satisfy our own consciences, and answer the expectation of other reformed churches, and the desires of many of the godly among ourselves, and withal give some publick testimony of our endeavours for uniformity in divine worship, which we have promised in our Solemn League and Covenant; we have, after earnest and frequent calling upon the name of God, and after much consultation, not with flesh and blood, but with his holy word, resolved to lay aside the former Liturgy, with the many rites and ceremonies formerly used in the worship of God; and have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of publick worship, at ordinary and extraordinary times. Wherein our care hath been to hold forth such things as are of divine institution in every ordinance; and other things we have endeavoured to set forth according to the rules of Christian prudence, agreeable to the general rules of the word of God; our meaning therein being only, that the general heads, the sense and scope of the prayers, and other parts of publick worship, being known to all, there may be a consent of all the churches in those things that contain the substance of the service and worship of God; and the ministers may be hereby directed, in their administrations, to keep like soundness in doctrine and prayer, and may, if need be, have some help and furniture, and yet so as they become not hereby slothful and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them; but that each one, by meditation, by taking heed to himself, and the flock of God committed to him, and by wise observing the ways of Divine Providence, may be careful to furnish his heart and tongue with further or other materials of prayer and exhortation, as shall be needful upon all occasions.​

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