Book of Common Prayer (1928, United States) facts for kids
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer was a very important book for the Episcopal Church in the United States. It was the official guide for their church services from 1928 to 1979. This book is part of a long tradition of Book of Common Prayer versions used by churches in the Anglican Communion around the world. It contained everything needed for church services, like the main worship service (called the Eucharist or Holy Communion) and daily prayers (called the Daily Office). It also had other public services and prayers for individuals. This 1928 edition was the third major update of the prayer book for the Episcopal Church, taking over from the 1892 version and later being replaced by the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
Contents
A Look Back: Prayer Books in History
After the English Reformation, when the Church of England separated from the Catholic Church, church services were written down in English. The first Book of Common Prayer came out in 1549. It was mostly put together by Thomas Cranmer. This new book replaced the old Latin service books used by Catholics.
It included services like the Communion service and daily prayers called Matins (Morning Prayer) and Evensong (Evening Prayer). In 1550, a section was added for ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons. Later versions, like the 1552 and 1559 editions, made even more changes to reflect Protestant ideas.
American Prayer Books: A New Start
Before the United States became independent, the Church of England used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer in what would become America. After the American Revolutionary War, the Episcopal Church became independent.
In 1786, two Episcopal priests from Pennsylvania, William Smith and William White, created the first widely used American prayer book. It was based on the 1662 English version. A new, more different version was approved in 1789 for regular use by the new Episcopal Church.
One important change in the 1789 book was in the prayers for the Eucharist (Holy Communion). They included a special prayer asking the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine. This was similar to prayers used in Eastern Christian churches. There were also discussions about removing some important statements of faith, like the Nicene Creed, but these ideas were stopped.
The 1789 edition was updated several times over the years. Then, in 1892, a new edition replaced it. The 1892 Book of Common Prayer was seen as a careful update. It was the first American prayer book to have a "standard edition" that all other printings had to match. It also emphasized that everyone present should be offered Communion. This showed that the prayer book could be changed and updated over time.
Making the 1928 Prayer Book
Even after the 1892 prayer book came out, people still wanted more changes. This led to a big effort that started in 1913. A special group of bishops, priests, and regular church members was formed to suggest changes.
This group suggested many changes, including some that affected church teachings. For example, they removed a prayer that said bad weather was a punishment from God for sins. These changes were approved by the church's main meeting, the General Convention.
The group presented their ideas at several more General Conventions. By 1925, the revision process was mostly finished. The final approval for the 1928 prayer book came in 1928.
Some important changes in the 1928 prayer book included:
- Removing some very strict ideas from Calvinism.
- Putting less emphasis on how sinful humans are.
- Making the marriage service pledges more similar for both the husband and wife.
The 1928 prayer book also started to change how the "Visitation of the Sick" service was done. Older versions often saw sickness as a punishment and incurable. The new book began to offer more hope, though it didn't completely remove the older prayers. A prayer for Good Friday was also changed to remove a phrase that was seen as unfair to Jewish people.
How the 1928 Prayer Book Was Used and Replaced
The 1928 prayer book was used until 1979, when the Episcopal Church approved a new 1979 prayer book. However, the church still allowed bishops to let parishes use the 1928 prayer book if they wanted to. If they did, they had to use the readings from the 1979 book.
Later, in 2000, the rules changed again. The 1928 prayer book was put in the same category as other special services approved after 1979. Some churches, like the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pennsylvania, even published a book called the Anglican Service Book. This book combined parts of the 1979 prayer book with traditional language, and it included the psalms from the 1928 prayer book.
What Was Inside the 1928 Prayer Book?
The 1928 prayer book was organized in a specific way.
- The front of the book had the Daily Offices, which included Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.
- The middle section contained the service for Holy Communion, along with special prayers (called collects) and Bible readings.
- The back of the book was for "Occasional Offices." These were services used for special events like baptism, marriage, and funerals.
Like other Books of Common Prayer and the King James Bible, the 1928 prayer book did not capitalize pronouns when talking about God. A scholar named Massey H. Shepherd, who helped create the 1979 prayer book, said that the Thirty-nine Articles (a set of statements about Anglican beliefs) in the 1928 book should be understood in light of the whole prayer book, not as a separate rulebook.
Daily Prayers (Daily Office)
The 1928 prayer book removed the long opening sentences about sin that were at the beginning of the Daily Offices in the 1892 book. Instead, it focused on different themes for different church seasons. Even though sermons were popular during daily prayers, the 1928 book, like earlier ones, didn't add specific rules (called rubrics) for them.
The way Bible readings were organized in the 1928 prayer book was quite different from older versions. It encouraged reading books of the Bible from beginning to end on weekdays, with some parts left out. The readings were also chosen to fit the different seasons of the church year.
Holy Communion Service
The 1928 prayer book placed the Holy Communion service, titled Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper or the Holy Communion, before the collects and Bible readings. A new rule was added that allowed a deacon (a church helper) to lead part of the Communion service if a priest wasn't there. Like other English prayer books, the 1928 book allowed sermons to be given during the Eucharist service.
There was growing disagreement about including the Ten Commandments in the Communion service, as some felt they weren't as relevant anymore. So, the 1928 book allowed significant parts of the Commandments to be left out. The parts that could be skipped were printed indented from the rest.
Unlike other prayer book updates that added few new collects, the 1928 edition added 15 new ones for various services, including Holy Communion.
The 1789 prayer book allowed a hymn after the Consecration (when the bread and wine are blessed). The 1928 prayer book placed this hymn after the Prayer of Humble Access and during the Breaking of Bread and Communion. Although a proposal to bring back the Agnus Dei (a specific hymn) failed, it was still often sung because it was considered a "hymn."
Special Services (Occasional Offices)
The 1928 prayer book included services for important life events like baptism, confirmation, marriage, illness, and funerals. The funeral service added a new prayer asking for more knowledge and love of God. This prayer was kept in the 1979 prayer book.
The 1928 prayer book also brought back several prayers for the dead. These types of prayers had been missing since the 1552 prayer book. They were added back especially after World War I, when remembering those who had died was very important to people.
The "Visitation of the Sick" service was greatly changed from the 1892 version. The goal was to remove old, "gloomy" ideas about sickness that made people not want to use the service. The new service aimed to give hope to the sick, adding joyful psalms. Shorter forms of confession and forgiveness were also included.
