4 Useful Features of the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer
(NOTE: Read our Rookie Anglican Guide to the ACNA’s 2019 BCP here.)
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has released its 2019 Book of Common Prayer!
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I asked Fr. Ben Jefferies (who worked on the Liturgy Task Force as has written about the 2019 BCP’s typography and Daily Office Lectionary) what features of the new Prayer Book were especially helpful. Here are the things he mentioned.
(Note: If you don’t have a physical BCP yet, you can follow along in the PDF available here.)
You can jump right in to the Daily Office without getting lost.
If you turn to page 11, the start of Daily Morning Prayer, you’ll notice that only 3 opening sentences of Scripture are given to choose from.
This is to prevent people from feeling overwhelmed with the number of options before they get to the start of the Daily Office service! Options for opening sentences and seasonal antiphons are saved for pages 27 to 29.
There’s a brief topical index to the (New Coverdale) Psalter.
On page 269, you’ll notice a one-page, topically-arranged selection of psalms from the New Coverdale Psalter.
This will hopefully help people benefit from increased familiarity with the psalms!
There are plenty of excellent Occasional Prayers!
If you turn to pages 642 to 645, you’ll notice an index of no less than 125 Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings!
I love the fact that there are so many, and that prayers from specific historical figures from Church history are noted. (See #74 by Francis Xavier, #85 by John Henry Newman, #94 by Thomas Aquinas, and #109 by Lancelot Andrewes.)
The Calendar contains brief historical information for the commemorated saints.
Turn to page 691, and you’ll see that the saints commemorated in the Calendar have been given brief italicized historical information for added context.
For example, you’ll find out that Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, who died in 1945, was a Bishop in South India and also an evangelist.
Take up and read!
This is just a taste of the many wonderful features of the ACNA’s 2019 BCP. Stay tuned for our Rookie Anglican Guide to the 2019 BCP!
You can order a copy of the ACNA’s new Prayer Book here.
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