Over the past few weeks, I have gathered on Wednesday afternoons with community members to take an intentional break from the hustle and bustle of life. We gather, pray, eat, and share. And no matter what we find ourselves talking about, our conversations are rich and meaningful. Over the last couple of weeks, we have spent time talking about the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and what it offers our personal prayers lives. So, I wanted to take a moment and share a bit of what we’ve talked about – some interesting and helpful nuggets to introduce and demystify the Daily Office. And to invite you into a small experiment. But more on that later.   

To talk about the Daily Office, we first need to go back to the first BCP of 1549 and its primary author, Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer wanted to create a spiritual resource that was open to all people and that provided them the opportunity to deeply engage their faith collectively and individually. One of the ways he did this was through condensing the Liturgy of the Hours, designated times for daily prayer typically done in monasteries, into the offices we encounter in the BCP – Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline (Night Prayers). A major message being that rhythmic daily prayer is not exclusive to religious professions. Rather it is part of all of our lives of faith. And through creating a simplified Daily Office, Cranmer made this type of rhythmic prayer accessible to all people. To us this might not seem like such a huzzah or revolutionary move. But that fact that the first BCP was written in the language of the people (and not in Latin), and that it invited all people to have agency to engage their faith in a deeply personal way was very revolutionary.  

The Daily Office is a spiritual rhythm that we are invited to tap into – as individuals or groups, in public or private, with clergy or without – to intentionally and prayerfully draw nearer to God. And as the only Protestant tradition that has retained the Daily Office, it represents a unique expression of Anglican identity. Getting ourselves into this kind of rhythm is not always easy and, particularly as a convert to the Episcopal Church, I know just how daunting the Daily Office can feel when you open a BCP and have no idea where to start.  

As I continue to more deeply incorporate the Daily Office into my own personal prayer life, I find the Daily Office Network to be a wonderful resource. Everything I need for Morning and Evening Prayer is provided daily. And there are usually also visuals, music, and sometimes the addition of special prayers for feast days, gun violence, racism, etc. One particular thing that I appreciate is there is also Daily Office Radio. In addition to Morning and Evening Prayer, there is also Noonday Prayer and Compline available. Sometimes it’s nice to just hear other voices in prayer with me and it’s perfect if I’m in the car or traveling – or, let’s be real, multi-tasking.  And to be honest, having the ability to listen to the Daily Office invites me to simply show up, giving me an opportunity to stay connected to that spiritual rhythm even when it’s difficult.   

So, back to that invitation into a small experiment. If you have one, grab your BCP. And if not, click here for a virtual PDF version. I invite you to explore pages 37-135 and pick an office that you might incorporate it into your daily rhythm. If it seems daunting, know that Daily Office Network is one of many resources that that can help us navigate and incorporate the Daily Office into our personal prayer lives. Also, if you’re a friend with smaller children and want to explore the Daily Office with them, there are also very short and accessible Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families found on pages 136-140. 

I look forward to continuing to explore the Daily Office with y’all and hearing what surprises you might find as you engage in the revolutionary act of praying the Daily Office.  

Be well, 
Deacon Megan

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