What is Morning Prayer?
In many times and places, daybreak has been a time of prayer. Jews prayed in their synagogues at sunrise as well as at other times each day. This Jewish pattern of prayer formed the basis of the Christian monastic Daily Office, with its prayers or “hours” at seven times in each day. Thomas Cranmer’s revision of the Daily Office for the first English Prayer Book (1549) reduced the number of services to two-one for morning (Matins) and one for evening (Evensong or vespers). In the Second English Prayer Book (1552), the morning service was given its present name, Morning Prayer.
Morning Prayer once was the chief Sunday service in most Anglican churches on three out of four Sundays, the First Sunday usually being a celebration of Holy Communion. St. Jude’s will be–for the summer only–coming together to worship using this ancient schedule instead of celebrating the Eucharist each Sunday.
The Order of Service
A trained lay leader will be the officiant for each Morning Prayer Service, along with our Deacon, Rev. Robin Poppoff.
Each of the services will have the same elements:
- An opening “call to prayer”
- One to three psalms
- One or two readings from scripture
- Canticles (which are songs from the Bible that aren’t psalms)
- The Apostles’ Creed
- Lord’s Prayer
- A sermon
- Some prayers for our needs and the needs of the world
We will also enjoy live music and singing, a time to share our celebrations and announcements, and a time to greet one another.
Morning Prayer Service at St. Jude’s
We will hold our summer services at St. Jude’s outdoors in our shady courtyard. This year, we will hold our summer services “in the round” with all of us facing each other, and the preacher and officiant in the center. As always, there will be a bulletin to follow along in the service, and coffee and snacks afterward. Children are very welcome in the service, and we have a special carpeted area with toys just for them.
