A Year of Days with the Book of Common Prayer

Rating:
Summary: One day at a time...
Review: Edmond Lee Browning was presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, rather like being an archbishop (save that the church here doesn't have them), a spiritual leader and figurehead more than a controlling hierarch -- he had to lead by persuasion and consensus building. Fortunately, Browning had the gift for that.

This book of meditations demonstrates that gift full well. He has taken his lifetime of experiences and love and crafted them into meditations that explore the various avenues of the spirit. Sometimes happy, sometimes sombre, sometimes honestly painful and healing at the same time, Browning's book starts with the Book of Common Prayer, the foundational document for the Episcopal church, and uses various selected sayings from the liturgies and other contents to inspire daily readings.

Browning doesn't restrict his meditations to particular themes, save perhaps the overarching theme of grace and love from God. The inspiration for each particular day (and each day is a one-page entry in the text) is a line or two of text from the BCP -- these lines come frequently from prayers (Collects) and Psalms, but may also come from other liturgical pieces, or even historical documents. Browning's meditations start here, but they are not intended to be exclusive to Episcopalians or the wider body of Anglicans -- what is contained herein is accessible to Christians of any denominational background, and many meditations are written broadly enough that they can be used in interfaith settings, also. The breadth of the spirit of God can be found here.

Browning's book is a real blessing, one that is not tied to a particular year's calendar, so it may be used again and again. The book's use for lectio divina, a spiritual practice of meditative reading, is ideal; the pieces are short enough in length and weighty enough in content and substance that the thoughts and feelings generated can carry through the day.

There is another Episcopal resource this books reminds me of, and that is the Forward Day-by-Day offerings, small-format books with daily meditations. Undoubtedly Browning was familiar with these; the day-by-day meditation device is a common one in Christian writing past and present. Browning's book is a good entry into that tradition.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent aid to daily devotion and prayer life
Review: Many people want to become more involved in a daily spiritual endeavor, or simply want a way to spend a few extra minutes every day in prayer. But it can be difficult to start and sustain, or confusing if you're not familiar with lectionary readings, the church calendar, or just have never tried such a pursuit.

This book is a very good start!

Bishop Browning has compiled short personal devotions, reflections, excerpts from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer, and his own comments -- one devotion for each day of the year. Each day's devotions are short and sweet -- though they are the size of "appetizers," they will fill you as though they were full-course meals! The devotions cover a wide range of topics, but rather than seeming disjointed, it actually drives home the important underlying theme: God is with you every day! God loves you, no matter what! Trust Him, and invite Him into your daily life!

Regular prayer, and especially daily prayer, is so vitally important not only to individuals but to the church as a whole that anything we can do to advance it is valuable. Even if you're not an Episcopalian (I'm not) and are not familiar with the Book of Common Prayer, those seeking to enhance their daily prayer life will find this book to be a treasure. I do.

Most highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking and reverent
Review: The Book of Common Prayer contains the liturgy of the Episcopal Church for most occasions and the text of all the Psalms. Bishop Edmond Lee Browning, who has now retired as the presiding bishop of the United States, has taken brief phrases from here and there in the BCP and provided a thought-provoking meditation on each. His thoughts are as current as the Waco siege -- "we were haunted by the deaths of those little ones," he writes -- and how withdrawal from the world is not the way of Jesus. A passage about the weather reminds him that "We often have very little say over what will happen, but we have sole power over what we will do with it." Each BCP phrase has a page number with it, so you can look it up if you want to read more. Even if you are not familiar with the poetry of the Book of Common Prayer, Bishop Browning presents each passage without previous knowledge required. If you have a well-thumbed copy of the prayerbook, then you may be surprised at the meaning he brings to oft-said words.