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Theme 2: Loving A Prayer Book for Australia

In this theme…

1. Who was Archbishop Cranmer and what was the context of his time?

2. How did the Prayer Book come about and where did that lead?

3. Why was there a desire for a new Prayer Book after 300 years?

4. What is your approach to using the prayer book in worship?

5. Is there flexibility in using the prayer book to guide our worship? Can we use Prayer books from other provinces?

  1. The formation of the Anglican Church is so much more than a King wanting a divorce. What other forces made an impact on you as you heard/read this short history of the Anglican Church?

  2. The Reformation was an attempt to make the Church more authentically Christ like. If you want to explore more of this period, check out The Reformation: Faith and Flames by Andrew Atherstone (2011) available to borrow from the Roscoe Library at St Francis College.

  3. The Prayer Book came about so ordinary people could pray together. What is good about common prayer? What do we need to look out for and keep in mind?

  1. In your opinion and experience, how does having a common Prayer Book impact unity across the Anglican Communion? Is this something you think about?

  2. What surprises you about the history of the Prayer Book?

  3. Archbishop Cranmer saw the need to have worship in the language of the people, what can you see changing in the future?

  1. Growing as a church is like backing a trailer, sometimes the trailer swings too far one way and those at the wheel need to correct the direction. It’s a dynamic process and can cause heartache and joy. What have you noticed about the way the world works now, that the Church may need to respond to in the future?

  2. What does regular worship, common prayer and a reliance on tradition, scripture and reason have to offer contemporary Australian culture? Is there a general need that the Anglican Church can fill?

  3. In what ways do you see people participating in the life of a Church? The Prayer Books allow us to be literally on the same page during Holy Communion, how does this spill over into the weekday lives of people of faith?

  1. What do you value about using a form of the prayer book in worship?

  2. Gillian points out that the Prayer Books we use contain words honed and shaped over centuries. Next time you use a Prayer Book, take a moment and see yourself as the recipient of centuries of faith and wisdom, and a participant in the Christian story.

  3. In what circumstances have you experienced prayer without a script? Prayer groups with a free form prayer time perhaps, or silent prayer within a service. Describe how different forms of prayer can add to your faith.

  1. What surprises you about the process for approving new liturgies? Were you aware that so much thought and scholarship was involved?

  2. Next time you look through the Prayer Book, take note of the options available for different sections. Check out the options for Thanksgiving Prayers, for instance, or for movement at each part of the service.

  3. Describe a time when you experienced a new, or special service. What did you notice about the words, the actions and the theme of the service? What made it special?

 

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