Too much prayerbook and not enough Bible?

"Why do we emphasize the Book of Common Prayer so much and not the Bible?" It was a question raised in a recent Bible study, and a good one. What is the importance of the Book of Common Prayer and shouldn't we just focus on the Bible?

Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
The Bible is one of three traditional sources of authority in the Anglican (ie Episcopal) tradition. The other two are (Holy) Tradition and Reason (including Experience). According to Anglicanism, Christianity is best understood by using all three - Scripture, Reason, and Tradition. So perhaps one answer to this question is that we sometimes differ from other Christian traditions in that we hold the Bible in one hand (Scripture), the Prayerbook in another (Tradition), and bring also our experiences and intellect to the dialogue (Reason).



The Bible at St. Peter's
I also think we are remiss if we say we do not emphasize the Bible at St. Peter's. And here's why...

• Free Bibles - Bibles are made available for free to keep or give away to others. (See Fr. James if you would like one!)
• Biblical Worship - We offer worship that is very similar to what is described in the Bible, including reading a significant portion of the Scriptures aloud together every time we gather (and Old Testament reading, New Testament reading, a Psalm, and a Gospel Reading.)
• Reading the Bible daily - The Book of Common Prayer sets forth the pattern that Scripture is to be read daily in the morning and evening AND it gives a two year plan that covers most of the Bible in that period. For the last two years we have also been publicizing this in our weekly bulletins on the back page.
• Read the Bible in a Year - This past Lent, St. Peter's was encouraged to join the Diocese and the entire Episcopal Church in reading the Bible through in a year. It's not to late to start this marvelous spiritual practice, either! You can find the schedule of reading in the church entryway (i.e.narthex) or at http://thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/ .    

Prescription and Medication
We concluded our discussion about the prayerbook and the Bible by using a metaphor. The Bible can be compared to a medication. It's powerful, useful, helpful, and needed when used well. It can also be damaging when we use it poorly or neglect it. The Book of Common Prayer is very much like a prescription. A prescription helps us know how to use medication well. But a prescription alone, without medication, is just a piece of paper - pretty much useless. Likewise, the prayerbook without the Bible is impotent. When, however, we use the Bible and prayerbook together, as our ancient tradition intends, we find a very trustworthy pathway leading us to experience God in our everyday lives - an experience that is deep, broad, life-giving and healing.


May you find God in new and in old ways, in Scripture and in prayer, and in each and every day.