In 1549, under the reign of Edward VI, successor to Henry VIII, the primary language of public worship in England and other areas ruled by Edward was changed from Latin to English, and the first Book of Common Prayer came into use. It was first used on Pentecost Sunday, 9 June 1549, and the occasion is now commemorated "on the first convenient day following Pentecost."
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All Christians who worship in English, from Roman Catholics to Southern Baptists and beyond, are in some measure influenced by it, and all to whom it is important that the people of God understand the worship of the Church and take an active part therein have cause to be grateful for the Book of Common Prayer.
PRAYER
Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, restored the language of the people in the prayers of your Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary.
One of my quirks is that the 1549 mass is pretty-well the only Anglican communion service with which I am really comfortable. How's that for conservatism?
ReplyDeleteWe have that prayer book. Actually, have copies of all the prayer books thru the current 1979 but including the green book and the zebra book.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I have never attended a service in which the 1549 PB was used. I'm a newbie to Anglicanism, only 15 years in the club.
ReplyDeleteFred, is it an old copy?
I didn't know. Thanks Mimi.
ReplyDeleteI dunno Mimi, ..if you push the ConEvs to remember, they will expect everyone else to convert to the 1549 Prayer Book.
ReplyDeleteYOU KNOW HOW THEY ARE!!
and if you don't, ...Shame On You!!!
{Listen Old Lady,.... I know what I'm talking about!!}
....don't make me become The Care Giver From Hades!?!
ConEvs who might be aware of the 1549 BCP would consider it flat-out Romanism.
ReplyDeleteFor a gift at my confirmation, my sponsor gave me the book "The Prayer Book Through the Ages." I liked its earlier title -- "The Real Prayer Book." Of course the point is all and none of them are the "real" book.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as a baby Episcopalian, it shall be my duty to go to the wall when the time comes to depart from the 1979 book, as it is obvious that it is the only edition to have received god's very own blessing.
KJ, ain't that the truth? I'm a newbie, too, at 15 years. 1979 is the only one I know.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with the 1928 BCP and went through the changes that came with the 1979 version before I married and left the church to join with my husband's church.
ReplyDeleteI never got to experience the really old version (His words!), but remember our priest mentioning how much he loved it since his parents had handed down a copy to him when he had been ordained that had come with them from England when they emigrated.
Ciss B, I'd probably love the 1662 BCP. The English language of the period was beautiful. If that's what I knew, I'd hate to give it up.
ReplyDelete