Category: Book of Common Prayer

weeping, fasting, and praying …

Turn thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favourable, O Lord, Be favourable to thy people, Who turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, Full of compassion, long-suffering, and of great pity. Thou sparest when we deserve punishment, And in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy people, good Lord, Spare them, and let not thine heritage be brought to confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, And after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us; Through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Commination

pilgrimage of grace

Why is the Pilgrimage of Grace not remembered liturgically? (Why is there no feast?)

One of the outcomes is:

Four of the seven sacraments that were omitted from the Ten Articles were restored in the Bishop’s Book of 1537, which marked the end of the drift of official doctrine towards Protestantism. The Bishop’s Book was followed by the Six Articles of 1539.

Also: the flag is the Five Wounds!!!!!

litany

The Book of Common Prayer Litany ends with this Collect:

We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy Name turn from us all those evils that we most righteously have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany

I just wanted to share!

mortify the flesh

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:12-14

A Short Guide to the Duties of Church Membership

All baptized and confirmed members of the Church must play their full part in its life and witness. That you may fulfil this duty we call upon you:

  • To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life, and to bear personal witness to Him.
  • To be regular in private prayer day by day.
  • To read the Bible carefully.
  • To come to Church every Sunday.
  • To receive the Holy Communion faithfully and regularly.
  • To give personal service to Church, neighbours, and community.
  • To give money for the work of parish and diocese and for the work of the Church at home and overseas.
  • To uphold the standard of marriage entrusted by Christ to His Church.
  • To care that children are brought up to love and serve the Lord.

Psalm 38

This is the first Psalm from Morning Prayer.

Psalm 38. Domine, ne in furore

Put me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger : neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me : and thy hand presseth me sore.
3 There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure : neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin.
4 For my wickednesses are gone over my head : and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.
5 My wounds stink, and are corrupt : through my foolishness.
6 I am brought into so great trouble and misery : that I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a sore disease : and there is no whole part in my body.
8 I am feeble, and sore smitten : I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, thou knowest all my desire : and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me : and the sight of mine eyes is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble : and my kinsmen stood afar off.
12 They also that sought after my life laid snares for me : and they that went about to do me evil talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.
13 As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not: and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.
14 I became even as a man that heareth not : and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust : thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me : for when my foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.
17 And I, truly, am set in the plague : and my heaviness is ever in my sight.
18 For I will confess my wickedness : and be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies live, and are mighty : and they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.
20 They also that reward evil for good are against me : because I follow the thing that good is.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord my God : be not thou far from me.
22 Haste thee to help me : O Lord God of my salvation.

sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

The above is from Second Evensong for Candlemas. It reminded me of one of the post-communion prayers In the Second Order in APBA:

Father,
we offer ourselves to you
as a living sacrifice
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory.

What does “sacrifice” mean in these two texts? Not death. Perhaps we could define it as the surrender of a good (body in Romans) for a greater good (life in Jesus).

BTW: Augustine makes the opposite his definition of sin:

On account of all these, and such as these, is sin committed; while through an inordinate preference for these goods of a lower kind, the better and higher are neglected — even You, our Lord God, Your truth, and Your law.

Confessions 2:5:10

So, the choice between higher and lower goods is the root of sin and sacrifice.

Anyway …

sacrifice and blood

O Lord and heavenly Father, we thy humble servants entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.

And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee, that all we, who are partakers of this holy Communion, may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction.

And although we be unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service; not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.

Holy Communion

I love the traditional (1662) Prayer Book. Much upon which to meditate and reflect!

Psalm 100 – Jubilate Deo

O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands : serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

2 Be ye sure that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

3 O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

4 For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting : and his truth endureth from generation to generation.