Prayers for Sunday, September 18th

[bshpmark]

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted
high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto
himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery
of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and
follow him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love
things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among
things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall
abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

May everyone have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow and may our worship be acceptable in His sight.

+Mark

 

[Rufus]

Is that from the Book of Common Prayer?

 

[bshpmark]

Yes, from the 1979 BCP but from the traditional collects. The first prayer is from Holy Cross Day which was September 14th and the other is for the Sunday closest to September 21. Since tomorrow is smack in the middle I use both.

The Online Book of Common Prayer

 

[Rufus]

I don't believe I've read a single word of the BCP until now, thank you. I saw an edition of it next to the C.S. Lewis collection I bought.

 

[bshpmark]

There are several BCP's out there. The three most popular in this country are the 1662, 1928, and 1979. Of those three the 1928 and 1979 are the two most used in the U.S. My parish uses the 1979 because it is in modern day English and not King James as the 1928 is. However, the 1928 BCP is beautiful. It is what I started on and I still use it from time to time today. If my parish would go for it we would return to using the 1928 BCP. Here is alink for the online version of the 1928 BCP: 1928 BCP. The 1979 is not popular with a lot of the conservative Anglican groups because the Episcopal Church has gone off the deep end into heresy. But many of us still use the 1979 edition because so many of the Anglicans in this country were at one time Episopalians and were used to the 1979 version.

Being Reformed, you might like to read Article 17 of the 39 Articles of Religion which can be found in the BCP. Here is Article 17 which I love and which I love to show people when I preach on election, predestination, and the sovereignty of God. Many Anglicans are unaware of their Reformed heritage.


XVII. Of Predestination and Election.
Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: So, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture: and, in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the Word of God.

 

[Rufus]

I find a lot of things in Anglicanism appealing (C.S. Lewis, T.S. Elliot (I've hard him called a catholic but wikipedia says Anglican), J.C. Ryle, great hymnwriters), others not as much.

 

[bshpmark]

There were some great and godly men and women who were Anglicans.

 

[Rufus]

There were some great and godly men and women who were Anglicans. I am not here to try and convert anyone to become an Anglican. Its just who I am. But the more I studied Church history and the writings of the Early Church Fathers up to around the 6th century i knew that being Reformed in my theology and sacramental and liturgical in my form of worship was where I wanted to be. Like anywhere else, it has its problems and issues to deal with. The current Archbishop of Canterbury is a heretic in my opinion and the Anglican Communion is falling apart on his watch. But he is human and thankfully Christ is the head of the Church. It is really a blessing to my heart to see someone of your age taking such an interest in the things of Christ and being theologically inclined. May the Holy Spirit give you insight and wisdom beyond your years. I will remember you at the Eucharistic prayer tomorrow. +Mark

Thank you and God bless you for remembering me at the Eucharistic prayer tomorrow. I believe there is another Anglican here on the board in Canada. Many people become Roman Catholics by being convinced of the liturgies and such and abandon the vital Reformed doctrines while they don't realize Anglicanism as a viable option.

 

[bshpmark]

Is there anything I can pray with you about?

 

[py3ak]

Many people become Roman Catholics by being convinced of the liturgies and such and abandon the vital Reformed doctrines while they don't realize Anglicanism as a viable option.

If people are able to go to Rome for the liturgy, then there is a deeper problem than ignorance of Anglicanism.

 

[Rufus]

Is there anything I can pray with you about?

Yes, strength and the salvation of my family!

 

[bshpmark]

You got it, my Brother. Will do. Have a good night.

 

[bookslover]

There were some great and godly men and women who were Anglicans. I am not here to try and convert anyone to become an Anglican. Its just who I am. But the more I studied Church history and the writings of the Early Church Fathers up to around the 6th century i knew that being Reformed in my theology and sacramental and liturgical in my form of worship was where I wanted to be. Like anywhere else, it has its problems and issues to deal with. The current Archbishop of Canterbury is a heretic in my opinion and the Anglican Communion is falling apart on his watch. But he is human and thankfully Christ is the head of the Church. It is really a blessing to my heart to see someone of your age taking such an interest in the things of Christ and being theologically inclined. May the Holy Spirit give you insight and wisdom beyond your years. I will remember you at the Eucharistic prayer tomorrow. +Mark

Mark: J. I. Packer likes to teasingly point out to us Reformed that most of the Westminster divines in the 1640s were Anglicans...

Are you familiar with this book: The Principles of Theology: An Introduction to the Thirty-Nine Articles by W. H. Griffith Thomas (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1930)? It's been republished occasionally over the years. After a 59-page introduction, his explication covers 526 pages of text (plus indexes).

 

[Philip]

I use the 1662 BCP devotionally on occasion (particularly since spending a semester at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford). Thanks, brother.

 

[bookslover]

Another question: I have a BCP published by Cambridge University Press in 2004. On the copyright page, there is this text: "This edition includes the various amendments to the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 that are contained in the following measures: Clergy (Ordination and Miscellaneous Provisions), Measure 1964; Prayer Book (Miscellaneous Provisions), Measure 1965; Prayer Book (Further Provisions), Measure 1968."

Can you tell me what all that means?

 

[bshpmark]

Richard+, I confess ignorance on the copyright issue of the 1662 BCP. I will check into it though, get out my copy, and see if I can find out. The 1662 book is actually the unifying BCP for the Anglican Church of North America because of its theology and ordinal. It is also commonly used throughout Africa or as we say, the Global South.

bookslover, thank you so much for that book suggestion. I have not read it but will see if I can locate a copy for the library. Sounds like one I need to have.

 

[Philip]

The 1662 (like the King James Bible) is held under royal warrant (or something like that) in the UK and thus cannot be printed without royal permission. In the US, though, bith have fallen into the public domain.

That said, it's tricky to find an American edition of the 1662.

 

[JennyG]

Although it's the book of "common" prayer, I use it a lot privately. The BCP psalter is my psalter. I think it's the most beautiful version of all.
Mine's the same Cambridge edition of the 1662 as Richard's - I've just looked in the front and I see all that about amendments, which I'd never noticed before.

But Philip, I'm wondering what you mean about an American edition of the 1662. Where would it differ?

 

[a mere housewife]

There were some great and godly men and women who were Anglicans. I am not here to try and convert anyone to become an Anglican. Its just who I am. But the more I studied Church history and the writings of the Early Church Fathers up to around the 6th century i knew that being Reformed in my theology and sacramental and liturgical in my form of worship was where I wanted to be. Like anywhere else, it has its problems and issues to deal with. The current Archbishop of Canterbury is a heretic in my opinion and the Anglican Communion is falling apart on his watch. But he is human and thankfully Christ is the head of the Church. It is really a blessing to my heart to see someone of your age taking such an interest in the things of Christ and being theologically inclined. May the Holy Spirit give you insight and wisdom beyond your years. I will remember you at the Eucharistic prayer tomorrow. +Mark

Thank you and God bless you for remembering me at the Eucharistic prayer tomorrow. I believe there is another Anglican here on the board in Canada. Many people become Roman Catholics by being convinced of the liturgies and such and abandon the vital Reformed doctrines while they don't realize Anglicanism as a viable option.

There's a really good book B. B. Warfield entitled 'The Plan of Salvation' (PDF here). It explains very clearly the differences between various sacerdotal and non-sacerdotal systems, including the differences between Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Reformed beliefs.

I too have used the prayers in the BCP for private devotion. I also love the prayers from the Scottish Psalter of 1595. But I mostly like to use the Psalms themselves as prayers -- they have quite a long history of use by the church .

 

[bshpmark]

We used Warfield's "Plan of Salvation" in my Christ and Salvation class under Dr. David Jones at Covenant Seminary many years ago. I still have it today. Great book.

 

[bookslover]

Funny thing about W. H. Griffith Thomas - at the end of his life (he died in 1924), he was involved in starting the Evangelical Theological College, the school that would eventually be called Dallas Theological Seminary, which was (and still is, I guess) committed to classic dispensationalism. Yet, also by the end of his life, he had completed that manuscript exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles, which is a (mostly) Reformed document. Seems like he had one of those mix-and-match theologies...