Daily Practices
What is prayer? What is it to pray daily? James Finley, faculty member of the Center for Action and Contemplation refers to prayer as our "daily rendezvous with God". Activist, Shane Claiborne writes, " The daily cycle of evening , morning and midday prayer is like a heartbeat for the global church, passing from one time zone to the next each day, so that we as a people can as the apostle Paul taught us, "pray without ceasing."
The Episcopal Church holds a strong tradition in Benedict's notion of prayer as our daily work, especially the daily work of our common life together.
Benedict said, “To pray is to work, to work is to pray.” Our modern word “office”, comes from this Latin word that means work. Essentially, praying the daily office as we refer to it in the Episcopal church then is to own it as our daily work. The work being, according to Benedict , remembering who we really are and to whom we truly belong.
What impact does daily prayer have as a spiritual practice? How does it help to guide us to a fully human life? How would remembering to whom we belong shape our purpose , meaning and acting in this life? How does a daily prayer practice keep us connected to God and to the world?
Just as our year has a rhythmic calendar ,so our personal lives, our day to day can hold "seasons"within 24 hours. While the church offers books of daily prayers and guides to times to stop and pray, there are times in our spiritual lives when words do not serve but can be flat or even distracting. So along with the tradition of said daily prayers, we'll explore praying without words known as the practice of Centering Prayer.
Additional Resources:
Book of Common Prayer
In the Anglican/Episcopalian Tradition we put the liturgies we pray together most often in a book called “The Book of Common Prayer.” Episcopalians do not have a shared "dogma." We stay instead that the rule of prayer is the measure of belief. We are united in prayer rather than by theology.
Check out especially the simplified “Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families” pp. 136-141
Celtic Prayer from Iona by J. Philip Newell
Based on the rhythms and images of Celtic oral tradition, these morning and evening prayers are a week's cycle of daily worship used by the ecumenical community of Iona, compiled by the poet and theologian J. Philip Newell
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
Based very much on the Anglican tradition of Common Prayer, Shane Claiborne (and others)’ book of liturgies offers a contemporary doorway into the tradition of regular prayer.
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Borgeault
A simple practical introduction to the work of Centering Prayer, with ways to connect inner work to your daily life. Cynthia Borgeault is an Episcopal priest, and a student of the leader of the Centering Prayer movement, Thomas Keating.
Daily Office on the Go: Mission St. Clare
This app puts the daily office of The Episcopal Church in your hand. All of the readings are pre-loaded as are cycles of prayer. You can make your way through every word, or simply scroll and pray the parts you need most.
Hour by Hour, Edited by Edward Gleason
This little book offers the four part office of daily prayer in an accessible and portable format. If you're looking for a regular companion for prayer, a great resource.
