Why Anglicans Love Prayer Books: Our Worship, Theology, and Christian Formation

During the English Reformation, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (the closest thing we Anglicans have to a patriarch) sought to influence the common Englishman’s theology and spiritual formation through his daily act of worship. That’s right, Cranmer envisioned worship to be a daily act! Therefore, he spent much of his time pouring his energy and brilliance into a Book of Common Prayer that he hoped would be used corporately in church and individually in the home.

The Prayer Books we have today are descendants of his work. The 2019 Prayer Book committee aimed to remain “indisputably true to Cranmer’s originating vision of a form of prayers and praises that is thoroughly Biblical, catholic in the manner of the early centuries, highly participatory in delivery, peculiarly Anglican and English in its roots.” It’s a mouthful. I would summarize this by saying they endeavored to create an accessible, historical, and scripturally based prayer book.

The Book of Common Prayer is a powerful aid for us as believers. What follows are three reasons why the Book of Common Prayer is important for Anglicans.

The Prayer Book is the Bible set to worship.
Ann B. Davis, more famously known as Alice from the Brady Bunch T.V. show, attended the same seminary I did. She famously once blurted out in Prayer Book class, “There is so much of the Prayer Book in the Bible!” Of course, she had that backward. There is much of the Bible in the Prayer Book. John Wesley, a pioneer of evangelicalism, famously stated, “I believe there is no liturgy or prayer in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety, than the Common Prayer of the Church of England.” I have heard that the Prayer Book is composed of 70% Scripture. I have never mapped this out or found a way to fact-check this information. However, it is true that as you explore, you will find that much of the Prayer Book is Scripture set for use in worship. If the Bible is our leading source of authority, it makes sense to let it lead our worship.

The Prayer Book is theology lived out.
The liturgical expert, Clayton Morris, has pointed out, “Anglicans do their theology in the context of worship.” The implication is that one is not just memorizing liturgical form but also the Church’s theology. That is to say, while creating the Prayer Book, Thomas Cranmer was intentional in having our catechism or discipleship begin to take shape in us through our liturgical worship. For example, we can quickly learn that Jesus is our king in our heads. However, it becomes far more tangible for us when we proclaim Jesus as our king in worship while kneeling or bowing before His cross. This is one main reason I desire young children to join their families in worship. They are not just learning to sit still. Instead, just like us, they begin to learn what and why they believe!

The Prayer Book is the starting place for Christian formation.
I remember the first time my sister-in-law attended an Anglican service. Afterward, she asked me, “What’s with all of the bowing, kneeling, and crossing yourself?” It is a question many fellow Christians have often asked me. Many assume that Protestants protested these “superstitious” acts. However, Luther, Calvin, and our own Thomas Cranmer did not seek to throw the baby out with the bathwater. They aimed to restore proper worship and saw liturgical worship as the starting place for Christian formation. To answer my sister-in-law, I asked, “Would we not stand as a sign of respect if we met the president? Do we not cover our hearts when we say the pledge of allegiance to remind us of the pledge we are making? Do we not wave towels over our heads to cheer on the best NFL team in the history of this nation (it is a Pittsburgh tradition)?” The answer to all these questions is obviously, “yes!” So why would we not stand for worship, kneel when we offer God our prayers, cross ourselves when we need to remind ourselves that it is only by the grace provided through the cross that we can offer our prayers? The Prayer Book helps to shape our hearts and form us as God’s people.

The prayer book shapes our worship, theology, and formation. It is a powerful tool and companion on our Christian journey. It is not a “Sunday only” resource. The prayer book can be used for daily devotions and at-home worship. If you do not own a Prayer Book, I encourage you to purchase one. Any Christian will find it immensely valuable and remarkable.

In Christ,

Fr. Chase

 

Artwork: Thomas Cranmer – Gerlach Flicke, 1545. National Portrait Gallery. Public domain.