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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Morning prayer - the basics
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recklessrat
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# 17243
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Posted
Hi all,
It has been suggested that I lead a morning prayer service.
It will only involve 2 people including me most likely but I still find the prospect of 'leading' terrifying!
I have been to different MP services and seen different things happen in terms of how much is said/omitted.
My plan is to take the day's order of service from the C of E website and basically plough through that, omitting the song at the beginning and picking one psalm and one reading, as this is what is usually done in this particular context.
Does that sound acceptable? And if I were to pick only one psalm and reading, how do I know which to pick from the two the C of E suggests? Whichever feels right? Or is there a rule?
Should there be a response after the reading? I have seen it done with and without.
Also, I might make a list of things/people to pray for to help my memory. Any other guidance or suggestions would be most welcome.
Sorry if this sounds ignorant but I have seen so many different variations, I want to make sure I'm doing it 'properly'.
Thanks for any advice.
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stay simple, remain whole
Posts: 80 | From: The Shires | Registered: Jul 2012
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
The Lectionary should give the single psalm in bold - so for tomorrow, Tuesday 13 November there are four options in two alternatives:
Ps 21, 24 alt Ps 48, 52*
Somewhere in the Common Worship: Daily Prayer rubrics it suggests you don't announce the reading or say anything specific afterwards, just silence. I've always gone for silence, not liking This is the word of God after a particularly gory bit of Joshua. Current readings are from Daniel and Revelation. No comment. I've always done both readings.
I have tended to find one of the prayers at the back of CW:DP and not make a list, but I know I miss things out if I make lists and personally find it more conducive to prayer to give a general bidding and silence - however, that depends on those present. Some people will regard that as an invitation to add their own prayers, and it depends if you're comfortable with that or not.
* assuming my SPCK Church Pocket Diary lectionary is correct
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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venbede
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# 16669
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Posted
I only read one reading when saying Daily Prayer - NT in the morning and OT in the evening (following Orthodox precedent).
Which one you choose is up to you, but if you are saying it a few days running, obviously keep to the same track.
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Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.
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Percy B
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# 17238
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Posted
There is a book which gives a reflection for everyday on a morning prayer reading, starting at Advent. It's a handy book.
On the inside covers it gives a very simple format, using CW options, for Morning Prayer. It is simple, easy to follow, flexible, and allows for a good pacing and careful use of silence.
I can't remember this books name, but I am sure some kindly soul here will help out.
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Mary, a priest??
Posts: 582 | From: Nudrug | Registered: Jul 2012
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Adeodatus
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# 4992
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Posted
Recklessrat, is this something you're going to be doing only once, or is it ongoing? Because if it's ongoing, you could choose one set of psalms and readings this year (and stick with it), and another set next year.
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"What is broken, repair with gold."
Posts: 9779 | From: Manchester | Registered: Sep 2003
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3rdFooter
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# 9751
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Posted
First things first.
Relax. Just let the words speak. This is part of the beauty of the offices and how the set liturgy 'works'. You are going to be the voice of the congregation in a wide sea of voices.
I recommend a little silence between each part of the liturgy.
The offices are the main times when a congregation intercesses on the part of its community. Could be the parish. I'm often at morning prayer with a work community. If there is a prayer list for your community, this is a good time to use it.
Acquire a rhythm over time (but be prepared to change). Think about how you will say each of the psalms and canticles (e.g. psalm responsorially, Benedictus together in unison).
Trust the Holy Spirit
Go well
3F
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3F - Shunter in the sidings of God's Kingdom
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Olaf
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# 11804
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Posted
Unless you are planning on making a custom leaflet for each and every office, you will need to announce what is happening next and how it is being done until the regular attendees get used to it, and even then you'll have to be conscious of newcomers who may need that as well.
"Psalm 22 on page 347, alternating by full verse." (pause...wait for page turning)
"Page 200, Song of Zechariah, in unison."
I hope those of weak constitution here hold onto their monocles before reading the following:
If you are dealing with people who are new to Morning Prayer, don't worry about sitting, standing, kneeling, bowing, and crossing oneself. Just sit. It will remove a great deal of stress.
Olaf picks up his own monocle.
Posts: 8953 | From: Ad Midwestem | Registered: Sep 2006
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venbede
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# 16669
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Olaf:
If you are dealing with people who are new to Morning Prayer, don't worry about sitting, standing, kneeling, bowing, and crossing oneself. Just sit. It will remove a great deal of stress.
That's probably good advice for people new to Morning Prayer. It is certainly better than this fiddly recent Anglican innovation of standing for the Glory to the Father...
When I've been to early Morning Prayer, everyone has stood for the responsary and the Old Testament canticle. Don't understand this. The canticle is part of the psalmody and the responsary part of the reading.
Sorry to sound fiddly.
And when saying psalms and canticles, adopt the same method, rather than Olaf's odd idea of saying the Gospel canticle together.
I have heard of evangelicals who find the idea of pausing at the middle of each verse very peculiar. It's not. Just say all the verse alternatly at a prayerful but regular pace, with a pause in the middle of each verse.
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Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.
Posts: 3201 | From: An historic market town nestling in the folds of Surrey's rolling North Downs, | Registered: Sep 2011
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venbede
Shipmate
# 16669
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by venbede:
Just say all the verse alternatly at a prayerful but regular pace, with a pause in the middle of each verse.
Or not if it's likely to be more confusing than helpful.
The main thing is to look and sound as though you believe it is a worthwhile thing to do. Repeatedly giving well meaning directions could just give the message "I'm sorry you have to put up with all the rigmarole and it's all very complicated and I don't understand it myself." Just do it with conviction.
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Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.
Posts: 3201 | From: An historic market town nestling in the folds of Surrey's rolling North Downs, | Registered: Sep 2011
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Bishops Finger
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# 5430
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Posted
Wot we do (using the Franciscan Office for Morning Prayer - that form on which CW was based) is this:
By the book, using the C of E lectionary:
All sit for the whole service, except for the Benedictus and its appropriate antiphons:
Psalms read alternate verses by officiant and others, including the Gloria Patri, with a brief pause at the colon : or asterisk *:
Lections read by whoever at their place (no procession to the lectern):
Extempore prayers offered by the officiant, usually in this order (with Hear our prayer as the congo's response;
Collect for the week or day, as appropriate;
Church (national, Diocesan, local, etc.;
Our own parish;
The world;
Those in need of prayer (a list which is growing ever longer.....)
The departed (recent, or those whose anniversaries fall on that day);
Lord's Prayer + ending.
We then usually add the SSF Community Obedience time of prayer, unless there are no SSF members present!
All done, at a measured pace, in 20-25 minutes.
Works for us, and in our Lady Chapel with the morning sun pouring through the stained glass, quite a monastic atmosphere (especially as our usual weekday congo is mostly male........).
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
Wot we do (using the Franciscan Office for Morning Prayer - that form on which CW was based) is this:
By the book, using the C of E lectionary:
All sit for the whole service, except for the Benedictus and its appropriate antiphons:
Psalms read alternate verses by officiant and others, including the Gloria Patri, with a brief pause at the colon : or asterisk *:
Lections read by whoever at their place (no procession to the lectern):
Extempore prayers offered by the officiant, usually in this order (with Hear our prayer as the congo's response;
Collect for the week or day, as appropriate;
Church (national, Diocesan, local, etc.;
Our own parish;
The world;
Those in need of prayer (a list which is growing ever longer.....)
The departed (recent, or those whose anniversaries fall on that day);
Lord's Prayer + ending.
We then usually add the SSF Community Obedience time of prayer, unless there are no SSF members present!
All done, at a measured pace, in 20-25 minutes.
Works for us, and in our Lady Chapel with the morning sun pouring through the stained glass, quite a monastic atmosphere (especially as our usual weekday congo is mostly male........).
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
Not sure how that post got duplicated - apologies.
Just to add that on Saturdays we have a shortened form of 1662 BCP Matins i.e. from O Lord, open Thou our lips to the Third Collect, but with only one reading (from the NT). If I'm leading, I also omit the Te Deum, so that we have Venite - Psalm(s) - Reading - Benedictus. Tidier, IMHO.
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Adrian1
Shipmate
# 3994
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Posted
I'd base it on the Prayer Book order, beginning at 'O Lord open thou our lips.!
Then the Venite (you can omit the last four verses if you like, following 1928 precedent)
Choose one Psalm from those appointed for that day of the month.
Have a New Testament reading - possibly the Gospel from the daily eucharistic lectionary.
Choose a canticle. I'd go for Benedictus or Jubiate Deo on weekdays and Te Deum (or Benedicite) on Sundays and red letter festivals.
Then use everything from the Creed to the third collect.
After that, fit in your own extempore prayers.
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The Parson's Handbook contains much excellent advice, which, if it were more generally followed, would bring some order and reasonableness into the amazing vagaries of Anglican Ritualism. Adrian Fortescue
Posts: 1986 | From: UK | Registered: Jan 2003
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venbede
Shipmate
# 16669
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Posted
If you are using Common Worship: Daily Prayer, remember you only need used the bits with the red line down the side of the page, which reduces it to opening response, psalms, reading/s, Gospel canticle, prayers and blesssing.
For goodness' sake don't be tempted to use any other texts than the Benedictus in the morning and Magnificat in the evening for the gospel canticle.
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Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.
Posts: 3201 | From: An historic market town nestling in the folds of Surrey's rolling North Downs, | Registered: Sep 2011
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by venbede:
quote:
Originally posted by Olaf:
If you are dealing with people who are new to Morning Prayer, don't worry about sitting, standing, kneeling, bowing, and crossing oneself. Just sit. It will remove a great deal of stress.
That's probably good advice for people new to Morning Prayer. It is certainly better than this fiddly recent Anglican innovation of standing for the Glory to the Father...
When I've been to early Morning Prayer, everyone has stood for the responsary and the Old Testament canticle. Don't understand this. The canticle is part of the psalmody and the responsary part of the reading.
Sorry to sound fiddly.
And when saying psalms and canticles, adopt the same method, rather than Olaf's odd idea of saying the Gospel canticle together.
I have heard of evangelicals who find the idea of pausing at the middle of each verse very peculiar. It's not. Just say all the verse alternatly at a prayerful but regular pace, with a pause in the middle of each verse.
I'd probably suggest to recklessrat to pray the psalms and canticles as they normally pray them during the Eucharist. If they pause, then by all means, pause. If not, then don't.
Posts: 8953 | From: Ad Midwestem | Registered: Sep 2006
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Curious
Shipmate
# 93
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Posted
Percy B, I think the book your were referring to is Reflections for Daily Prayer which come in paper, Kindle and iPhone versions!
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Erin - you are missed more than you could know. Rest in peace and rise in glory - to provide unrest in the heavenly realms.
Posts: 1372 | From: Betwixt and between | Registered: May 2001
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recklessrat
Shipmate
# 17243
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Posted
Brilliant, thanks all of you so much for your advice. I'll likely be doing MP once a week. I will prepare a 'practice' service this evening and may very well come back with more questions after that!
Posts: 80 | From: The Shires | Registered: Jul 2012
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Percy B
Shipmate
# 17238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Curious:
Percy B, I think the book your were referring to is Reflections for Daily Prayer which come in paper, Kindle and iPhone versions!
Yes that's it, thanks. Anyone use it and care to comment.
I find such things helpful for a time, but then feel the need to move on. Maybe my mind isn't stable enough ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Mary, a priest??
Posts: 582 | From: Nudrug | Registered: Jul 2012
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
I have used Reflections for Daily Prayer for a number of years, back when it was quarterly booklets, then we had an enforced year off, then the full year's book. I haven't used it this (church) year and was wondering about restarting.
The other book I've used on and off for years is Words for Today, but again, not this past year. This is not so rigorously tied to the lectionary, varying between themes, reading whole books and the lectionary. So in a year, you'll read the gospel that the lectionary is following and at least one OT book, but also much wider than that.
For both of them I have sometimes found the way the churchmanship of the authors varies throughout the year challenging in a stimulating way, and sometimes in a frustrating way. I've been more stimulated by Words for Today because I've learned so much more from reading Jewish authors on OT texts or the leader of a Chinese house church on Deuteronomy, someone from the Philippines on wealth, Sheila Cassidy on imprisonment or Jan Sutch Pickard on prayer. Reading someone for a week or two gives a flavour of their writing for other books too.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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PD
Shipmate
# 12436
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Posted
The American BCP of 1928 allows an abbreviated office, and on Sundays this can be quite startling. In effect one could use:
Open sentence
O Lord, open thou our lips, and Gloria
Venite
Psalm
OT reading
Benedictus
Creed
Lord's Prayer
Preces
Collect of the Day
Fixed Collects
After a ause this is dollowed by the Eucharist.
In the evening I am bound to say EP but I can abbreviate it by leaving out the Penitential bits, one reading and one canticle.
PD
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Roadkill on the Information Super Highway!
My Assorted Rantings - http://www.theoldhighchurchman.blogspot.com
Posts: 4431 | From: Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Registered: Mar 2007
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Fr Weber
Shipmate
# 13472
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Posted
When I say Morning Prayer with the Mass immediately following, I start from the beginning (skipping the confession) and say the office through the second canticle (always the Benedictus, of course!). Then Mass/HC from the beginning.
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"The Eucharist is not a play, and you're not Jesus."
--Sr Theresa Koernke, IHM
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