The Book of ​Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the official book of worship in the Episcopal Church, providing liturgical forms, prayers, and instructions so that all members and orders of the Episcopal Church may share in common worship. Common prayer for liturgical and sacramental worship in Anglican Churches finds its tradition in the publication of the first English Prayer Book in 1549. The first Book of Common Prayer for The Episcopal Church in the United States was produced by General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 1789. The first BCP was based on the English Prayer Book (1662 edition) and the Scottish Eucharistic Rite (1764). The BCP has since gone through three revisions. The BCP currently in use was produced in 1979, though revisions are made periodically.

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Online Resources

The BCP (Online)

The BCP notes that Holy Eucharist is "the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord’s Day and other major Feasts" (BCP, 13). Further, as set forth in the BCP, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer (called the Daily Office) are meant to be regular services of public worship. Aside from the Holy Eucharist and the Daily Office, the BCP also includes the calendar of the Church year, proper liturgical rites for the sacraments and other pastoral offices (e.g. Burial of the Dead), and the Psalter, as well various forms of other prayers. Though not strictly forms for worship, an Outline of the Faith (Catechism) and the Historical Documents of the Church can be found at the end of the BCP.

As it is described on the Episcopal Church's website, "The Book of Common Prayer is a treasure chest full of devotional and teaching resources for individuals and congregations, but it is also the primary symbol of our unity."