Saturday, June 4, 2011

New REC Prayer Book

David Virtue is reporting the following at: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=14446
Most oddly and with bizarreness, the 1549 BCP?  With invocations of the saints?  Richard the Bishop is, on belief, a former charismatic and Anglo-Catholic prior to entrance to the REC. 

SEATTLE, WA: Trial Prayer Book from the REC Diocese of the West
Submitted by Bishop Boyce
June 1, 2011

The Right Reverend Richard Boyce announced the release of a trial modern language Book of Common Prayer 2011 authorized for use in the Diocese of the West which has been made available to the bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC), part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

"The prayer book is a tool and embodies our theology and common life as Christians. There has been a need among new congregations for a prayer book which uses the 'language of the people' while keeping the ancient worship of our Christian origins. This does not replace the 1928 Book of Common Prayer used by most of our congregations or the REC Prayer Book. However, for many of our parishes, this revised Book of Common Prayer will assist the starting of additional congregation groups for whom the traditional language of the 17th century is a challenge," said Bishop Boyce who resides in Seattle.

The Book of Common Prayer 2011 (BCP2011) is a significant revision not in content but in a shift from the language of the Great Bible and the Authorized Version (commonly known as the King James Version) to the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). The BCP2011 uses the first Book of Common Prayer (1549) as its framework but incorporates material from other historic prayer books. The prayers have been translated from the early sources to conform to the scriptural phrasing of the ESV Bible®. The prayers are clearly of the ancient tradition of Anglican worship rather than new prayers and new theology. Most significant is its continuity with the Book of Common Prayer revisions through mid-twentieth century in the United States and Canada.

The BCP2011 includes a revised catechism and teaching sections as well as extensive biblical references. Anglicans have used the prayer book as an instructional text in addition to its primary role as a devotional manual. The BCP2011 has significant interest as the ACNA has been without an official prayer book since its historic reemergence of Anglicanism in North America in 2009 with the support of the majority of Anglicans worldwide.

In addition to the interest in the BCP2011 among those of the Anglican Church in North America and other Anglican groups, many Evangelicals in search of the ancient roots of Christian worship have been purchasing copies for private devotional use in a pre-release distribution during the past two weeks.

The BCP2011 has been published in 4 colors, hardbound, with marker ribbon. The BCP2011 can be purchased at bcp2011.info (Lava Rock Media) for $12 (+ s/h; PayPal invoice).

1 comment:

  1. Please note that this book has not been vetted through the Reformed Episcopal Church's prayer book revision process, and, as such, should be considered a private endeavor of the book's editor. The book has not be submitted for or approved for trial use in the REC.

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