Grace at This Time: Praying the Daily Office - Softcover

McPherson, C. W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0819217840 ISBN 13: 9780819217844

Publisher: Morehouse Pub Co, 1999

Synopsis

"As far as the Daily Office is concerned, the current edition of the American Book of Common Prayer is underemployed. Most faithful church people seem to know and use only certain limited portions of it or assume it is the special domain of clergy and monastics. This is not the original intent of the Office. Using it in this way is like using a new automobile exclusively as a water heater. It can be used this way, but it would be a bizarre restriction. Very few Christians seem to think of the Daily Office as something intended for all baptized persons, but this is actually its nature and purpose." - from the Introduction

The discipline of praying the Daily Office has fallen out of practice in recent years, even while many Americans seek to deepen their spiritual lives. The Discipline of the Daily Office is for all Christians, Episcopalian or otherwise, who seek a deeper relationship with God and scripture through a regular daily practice. In accessible language, C.W. McPherson explores the history, theology, and spirituality inherent in Morning and Evening Prayer, as well as the Minor Offices. He also provides practical instructions about the Office to help those who wish to use these prayers thoughtfully. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to understand this ancient tradition more completely.

The Rev. C.W. McPherson has spent twenty years in parish ministry and is also a spiritual director, retreat leader, and a mentor for deacons and priests in formation. He teaches theology and church history. He is a published poet and the author of Understanding Faith: An Exploration of Christian Theology. He lives in New Rochelle, New York.

About this title

Review:

... an informative and very useful commentary, instruction manual, and devotional guide to praying the Daily Office... -- Values and Visions

... one of the best kept secrets of the Church and McPherson has done... us a service in uncovering its treasures. -- Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, author of Passion for Pilgrimage and the Soul's Jouney

... valuable resource... leads us through the Daily Office making it more accessible to the reader unaccustomed to... these services. -- The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church USA

An informative and very useful commentary, instruction manual, and devotional guide to praying the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer. -- Values and Visions, January 2000

The book awakens us to the importance of daily reflection and prayer and gives very useful paths into helpful traditions and liturgies that will expand our horizon and deepen our awareness. The book will serve wlll for individual study, but also for group spirituality. An excellent teaching and historic resource. -- Resources Hotline

From The New Yorker:

The great virtue of (McPherson's) writing is his clarity. He has a knack for writing as one would want a good teacher to teach. In this book he explains what the Daily Office is, how to use it, how to understand it as part of Anglican tradition, and how to interpret it theologically. McPherson takes the Office a part, looks at the pieces, and then puts it back together. The book is full of observations that are richly evocative and reveal a deep understanding of the way liturgy can work in our life.

McPherson is also concrete. He is as clear about how to pray as he is about the meaning of prayer. Daily prayer is as important to Christian life as the Eucharist. This book shows us how to use the tools we have - the Book of Common Prayer and the Bible - to make prayer in its many forms an integral part of our lives.

About this edition

• Publisher: Morehouse Pub Co
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0819217840
• ISBN 13: 9780819217844
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 147