This ongoing series explores the Anglican Standard Text of the 2019 Book of Common Prayer (BCP). In this series, we walk through the liturgy step-by-step to understand how our prayers, postures, and patterns shape our life in Christ. By examining the biblical roots and intentional structure of these services, we invite you to discover how this “ancient-future” rhythm provides a beautiful framework for encountering God in our Sunday Worship.
The Book of Common Prayer 2019
C.S. Lewis described the Christian faith as a journey—and indeed, we are on this journey together toward God. While there are many expressions of Christianity, one of the most beautiful, faithful, and ancient is the Anglican way of being Christian.
The Jerusalem Cross
Within our Anglican tradition, and particularly within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the Jerusalem Cross holds a place of profound meaning. You may have noticed its striking gold form embossed on the cover of our 2019 red prayer books.
The Opening Acclamation
Each Sunday, our service commences with a seasonal opening acclamation. Most Sundays we hear “Blessed be God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And Blessed be his kingdom how and for ever.”
The Collect of Purity: An Anglican Treasure
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Summery of the Law
You may have noticed that every Eucharistic liturgy in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer includes the Summary of the Law—words spoken by Jesus in Matthew 22:37–40. This is no small detail; it’s a meaningful restoration of a centuries-old Anglican tradition.
The Kyrie and The Trisagion: Ancient Cries for Mercy
When Jesus summarized the law, He told us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind—and to love your neighbor as yourself. This calling is beautiful, but let’s be honest—it’s overwhelming. Who among us can love so completely?
The Gloria in Excelsis: A Song of Heavenly Joy
Each Sunday, as we lift our voices in worship, we join a chorus that began on a Judean hillside over two thousand years ago. “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth!” These words from Luke 2:14 are the opening lines of the Gloria in Excelsis, sung first by the angels to shepherds on the night of Christ’s birth. Today, we still echo their joy, proclaiming the good news of the incarnation with the same awe and celebration.
The Collect of the Christian Year
The ancient salutation of “The Lord be with you” marks this as a beginning of a new section of the liturgy with a shift in emphasis. We move from a time of gathering and praise into a time focused on a biblical theme. This theme is brought out by the Collect of the Day and the scriptures prescribed by the lectionary.
Liturgy of the word and the ACNA Lectionary
Each Sunday at Christ Church, we hear a series of readings from Scripture. What Anglicans traditionally call the Lessons. These readings aren’t chosen at random; they come from a carefully structured plan called the Lectionary, which guides the Church through most of the Bible over a three-year cycle.
The Sermon: Becoming Windows of God’s Light
Preaching is more than instruction. It is a place where God meets His people through His living Word. Few have expressed this mystery more beautifully than the Anglican priest and poet George Herbert (1593–1633) in his poem “The Windows.” Herbert’s words speak deeply to the purpose, weight, and grace of preaching in the Christian life.
Why We Say the Nicene Creed in Worship
After the lessons are read and the sermon is preached, the congregation is invited to stand and recite the Nicene Creed together. This moment continues the back-and-forth rhythm of the liturgy. The Creed functions as a response—our spoken “Amen” to the Word proclaimed in Scripture and sermon. It is the people of God joining the ongoing conversation with God.
The Prayers of the People: Joining the Work of God
In the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, we are given two beautiful options for the Prayers of the People. The first is found in the Anglican Standard Text, and the second is in the Renewed Ancient Text.