A Note From Father Rob

This week our Church calendar honors a special event in the history of our Church; the use of the first Book of Common Prayer (BCP).

The date was June 9, 1549, and the place was London, England. Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was instrumental in publishing the first Book of Common Prayer written in English. Shortly after that, Bishop Cranmer oversaw revisions for the 1552 prayer book. Subsequent revisions were made in 1559, 1604, 1637 and 1662.

After the Revolutionary War ended, the new Episcopal Church of the United States of America created its own Book of Common Prayer, which came into use in 1789. Over the years, our own prayer book has gone through revisions and was reissued in 1892, 1928 and 1979. Today, though we use a bulletin for convenience, all of our services come from the 1979 BCP, which you can find located in pew book racks in the nave.

Our prayer book is the guide I use to keep myself grounded in the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. It serves as a contract between the Church, myself and you, that my leadership in the service of this parish will always be rooted in our Church’s teachings and understanding of the Episcopal faith, as it has been handed down to us over the centuries by our Church leadership.

I hope you will look through our BCP from time to time. If you do, I’m sure you will quickly appreciate the beauty of the liturgy and the prayers held within.

Go in peace, Rob+