The Book of Common Prayer (a.k.a. "the Prayer Book" or "the BCP") has, indeed, been a central part of Anglicanism since the Protestant Reformation (AD 1500's). It has been second only to the Bible in influencing Anglican (Episcopal) beliefs, morality, spirituality, ethics, and culture. One reason is that the Prayer Book was devised as an intricate recipe to bring various and seemingly contradictory factions into the union of worshiping God together. In the beginning these opposing factions were Protestanct and Roman Catholic. Later, other oposing factions emerged, such as Anglo-catholic and Evangelical. In these cases the Book of Common Prayer was instrumental in bringing about a Middle Way - a way of including both groups into one church.Today we still have opposing perspectives: Global vs. local, liberal/moderate/conservative, progressive vs. traditional, ritualistic vs. freeform, etc. The Prayer Book remains for us a way of drawing apparently opposing perspectives toward Christ and toward unity. Our Prayer Book connects us with our Christian family globally and locally, whether liberal or conservative, progressive or traditional, etc. When we disregard the Prayer Book as having no importance or authority, when we pay it no attention or ignore it in favor of our own personal preferences (even if it's for the sake of inclusion), we ultimately undermine one of the chief ways Anglicans have been unified one to another throughout time and across the entire globe. In otherwords we exclude others and exclude ourselves from the vast community it represents.
Why is the Book of Common Prayer important? Because it represents our best and most careful efforts to be united to God and to one another throughout time and space in prayer and in belief. It is our living and evolving creed.
