The Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 133:1

How good and pleasant it is 

    when brothers live together in unity!

Back in England in the 1500s, the nation and the church were in a time of uncertainty.  The church had begun to split across the continent of Europe.  Many were disillusioned with the power that the church in Rome tried to exert over the people.  Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door, the 95 things he felt the church had done wrong and needed to change.  In some instances this produced good dialogue, in other instances it produced factions and splinter groups that would go so far as to kill one another.

The British Isles, while slightly disconnected from the continent in geography, were not disconnected from the nature of religious conflict.  King Henry VIII was the ruler of England.  Inspired by the fresh thinking of Martin Luther, he decided that he could take things into his own hands and break away from Rome, declaring himself to be the sole spiritual guardian for the nation.  He wasn't inspired by his interpretation of Scripture, he just wanted to make it legal to divorce his wife.

This set off a century of England swinging back and forth in religious allegiance.  The heir to the throne after Henry attempted to bring more Protestant reformation, creating the Anglican church, but the Queen who came after him turned the nation to be zealous for the Roman Catholic church.  On it went, again getting bloody and violent to the shame of the gospel of Christ.  

In the midst of the swinging back and forth, there was a tool that was brought forth at various times to reunite a nation.  The Book of Common Prayer, put together by Thomas Cranmer, built off the most common themes in both the Roman tradition and the new Anglican reformation, with many Bible passages throughout.  While different kings and queens and peasants could not agree on methods of worship, they could agree on two things: Jesus is Lord and we need to seek Him in prayer.  Over a century later, when the nation went into civil war, The Book of Common Prayer was where they turned to bring restoration.

Outside of England, the Anglican Church is referred to as the Episcopalian Church.  How fitting it is that a fresh wave of prayer and unity at Iowa State would find its home at St. John's Episcopal church by the campus.  As the people who want to follow Jesus, we all have in common this need for prayer.

If you come to the prayer room here at Iowa State, you'll find copies of The Book of Common Prayer scattered throughout the room.  You'll probably also find people from other ministries scattered throughout the room as well.  Feel free to introduce yourself, get to know them, and join them in the cry to the Lord to move in our midst.

Come, Father, continue to work here.  Thank you for those that have gone before to pave the way for us.  May you once again unite a campus, a city, a state, a nation in the common need of prayer and the touch of Your Son.