Here's a novel idea. Why not encourage the faithful to actually read and pray the daily office? I know that it's asking an awful lot of them, to treat their faith seriously rather than maintain it as a Sunday only activity, but isn't that the whole idea? Or are we as clergy, more interested in being the only folks who actually know anything?

- Charlie Perrin

I entirely agree--about both the Daily Office and the saints. In fact, regular use of the Daily Office will, in fact, provide the ordinary Episcopalian a chance to learn about the saints.

Personally, I find great value in praying continuously through the psalms without the bouncing around that the current Office lectionary gives; as I result, I use Cranmer's thirty-day cycle which is helpfully built into our BCP Psalter.

I like the Gospel of Bartholomew--but I'd suggest a different approach. I do worry about us reading non-canonical Scripture in place of actual Scripture--especially since so many of our people (particularly of my generation) know so little genuine Scripture to begin with. I'd recommend turnign to one of the practices of our ancestors. Several of the apocryphal texts that have survived the centuries have done so as sermons (in the Old English vernacular homilies [ca. 10th century] I can think of the Apocalypse of Thomas, the Vision of St. Paul, and the Gospel of Nicodemus). Perhaps if we wanted to include those portions of apocryphal works that are both doctrinally sound and edifying, embedding them in the sermon would be a good way to do it.

A couple of thoughts: first, I certainly miss the Daily Office on Sundays sometimes, even as I value the New Testament model of Eucharist every "eighth day." We always have the option of using the Daily Office as the Proanaphora for the Eucharist, and perhaps should do so on a regular basis. It would reintroduce the Office, and might inspire some, or at least educate them, about using them privately.

Second, I wonder whether churches in an area might publish a joint calendar of mid-week services. That would provide opportunity for some who wish to participate somewhere when their own congregation doesn't have a service scheduled. For example, a local congregation publishes my regular Tuesday Eucharist at the hospital as available to parishioners, and highlights it during Holy Week.

Marshall Scott

Go, Dierdre!

What I can't understand is why everyone skirts around PUBLIC Daily Office IN THE CHURCH -- and, to my mind, daily Eucharist, as well.

In the 8 years in my last parish, there were only 6 days when no one was there for daily Eucharist, and two elderly parishioners made it a point to be at Evening Prayer at the church every day (and to recite it without me when I had to be away).

A wonderful ministry for the elderly and retired: on behalf of the whole parish, make DAILY Office and Eucharist possible by just being there!!!!

And for heaven's sake don't use those silly little page-flipping snippets of Psalms from the BCP Lectionary: go with Cranmer's thirty-day cycle at least!

I am always happy when people promote the Daily Office. But I am less impressed with complaints ("why don't more churches do this?") than I am with action plans ("we're going to start doing this!").

I agree with Deacon Charlie, the faithful should be encouraged (and trained) to read the Office. Thousands of people are doing it already. The most popular Church website isn't Fr. Jake or Stand Firm (or even Episcopal Café) — it's Mission St. Clare. Dailyoffice.org gets additional thousands and brought Davis Mac-Iyalla to the U.S. for a speaking tour this summer.

There's a reason the priest is always the last one in the procession: a lot of clergy excel at bringing up the rear.

During the year that I've been serving in Jordan in the Peace Corps, through this web site, I've come to do MP on-line with the links from Mission St. Clare. To my total surprise, I am caught up in the OT readings. What we get on Sunday is disjointed by comparison. The Acts of the Apostles is partly an adventure tale. Each morning I look forward to the new installment. A number of years ago, I happened to be at the National Cathedral. The gospeler, a woman, read the gospel with the most narrative power I have ever heard. It was a completely familiar reading, but without being histrionic, she invested it with a quality that made it wholly new. Reading all the readings out loud every morning gives them a different feel. And it is very fitting here, in Jordan, which is part of the Holy Lands. I recommend reading out loud and chanting as much as you can. It goes into and comes out of the body with every breath and I think makes for some subtle vibrational changes in the energy aura. Sorry if that seems too New Agey, but the best of that label I think is recapturing some ancient ways of perceiving. I think it has always been supposed to be this way, but has been lost.

- Miller Coulters

Josh,
I agree with you 100%. It's not enough to talk about it--though I think that's a starting point--doing the Office and educating others is key. I have some resources for learning and chanting the Office on my site but they probably deserve their own discrete page for the sake of clarity.