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Something to read...

'Company of Voices' by George Guiver CR; Canterbury Press rev 2001 ISBN 1-85311-394-8
Many people of all traditions and denominations have read 'The Fire and the Clay' by Fr. George Guiver of the Anglican Order of the Community of the Resurrection. 'Company of Voices' is another superb book written by him. Its appeal across all Christian traditions is illustrated by the blurb on the cover which quotes the Baptist Times calling it "the best work of scholarship on the subject."
The book is a comprehensive review of Daily Prayer in the life of the People of God. It starts with the Post-Resurrection Church of the New Testament, and in a broad sweep covers all the developments of the Daily Office, and the role of the Cathedral (or People's) Office as well as the Monastic Office. It is a work of scholarship, but it also well-written and easily read. It is the sort of book you can dip into. I was especially and not surprisingly fascinated by the history of the Anglican Office of Morning and Evening Prayer. Many of us may be familiar with the injunction in the BCP in the preface on page x viz: "All Priests and Deacons are to say daily Morning and Evening Prayer" and if in a parish "shall say the same in the Parish-Church where he ministereth, and shall cause a Bell to be tolled thereuntothat the people may cometo pray with him.". When did Archdeacon's Visitations last pursue this injunction? If Priest and People have no time these days to pray for the world, the parish and themselves what are we about? And yet there was a time when the daily office really was part of the life of thousands of people in England. For Guiver makes it quite clear that this is the Spirituality that formed Anglicanism ­ lex credendi, lex orandi- our law of belief is found in our law of prayer. In 1714 there were still 53 churches in London that celebrated the daily office of Morning and Evening Prayer. And furthermore they were well attended. So much so that Mattins was celebrated twice each day in many places; at 6am for the workers and later on for the leisured classes of society. At fashionable Bath, non-attendance at the Daily Offices was considered scandalous. Assumptions that the Daily Office was neglected until the Oxford Movement of the 19th century are far from the truth. Bequests in wills were made to ensure that there was a curate to lead the office. Guiver concludes his book by examining the Offices today and making some suggestions on how we might recapture the Spirituality of the Anglican Offices. He is critical of the appropriateness of the Lectionary, and I agree with him. Many of the Bible readings are too long, and some of them frankly of interest only to scholars. We need the courage to take what is appropriate to public worship from the psalms and confine some of them to use only in the study (eg psalm 58). He also recommends that more of the office be sung on weekdays. This is a fascinating book and reminds us that the faithful and loyal priest and laity who gather early on cold mornings to do their duty (Latin:officium hence the word office) in praying for the world and themselves are even today not alone. For we worship with the Angels, Archangels and the Whole Company of Heaven. It is time that some of the Company on earth found time to join them.
Offices was considered scandalous. Assumptions that the Daily Office was neglected until the Oxford Movement of the 19th century are far from the truth. Bequests in wills were made to ensure that there was a curate to lead the office. Guiver concludes his book by examining the Offices today and making some suggestions on how we might recapture the Spirituality of the Anglican Offices. He is critical of the appropriateness of the Lectionary, and I agree with him. Many of the Bible readings are too long, and some of them frankly of interest only to scholars. We need the courage to take what is appropriate to public worship from the psalms and confine some of them to use only in the study (eg Psalm 58). He also recommends that more of the office be sung on weekdays.
This is a fascinating book and reminds us that the faithful and loyal priest and laity who gather early on cold mornings to do their duty (Latin: 'officium' hence the word 'office') in praying for the world and themselves are even today not alone. For we worship with the Angels, Archangels and the Whole Company of Heaven. It is time that some of the Company on earth found time to join them.
- Fr. William Burke, St Kyneburgha, Castor