my Daily Office
At seminary we are encouraged, even directed, to acquire the spiritual practice of "reading the Daily Office", which originally would have meant Morning Prayer, but might be any of those in that section of the Book of Common Prayer:
The Daily Office
Concerning the Service - Morning Prayer & Evening Prayer: Rite One
Daily Morning Prayer: Rite One
Daily Evening Prayer: Rite One
Concerning the Service - Morning Prayer & Evening Prayer: Rite Two
Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two
Daily Evening Prayer: Rite Two
An Order of Service for Noonday
Concerning the Service - An Order of Worship for the Evening
An Order of Worship for the Evening
An Order for Compline
Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families
Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families (with the Lord's Prayer inline)
Additional Directions
Table of Suggested Canticles
A quick and easy read would be this, from Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families:
In the Morning
From Psalm 51
Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3
A period of silence may follow.
A hymn or canticle may be used; the Apostles' Creed may be said.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord's Prayer
The Collect
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought
us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty
power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by
adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your
purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
But I never did even this. Not even after graduating seminary with its daily chapel, and later spiritual retreats with the Hours and daily Mass. Although from early childhood I had the regularly used liturgies of the BCP committed to memory, and it never would have been a problem, being required to read the Daily Office never worked for me.
Not that this is my age of confession and resolution, but of course I know why, and seventy and more years on I'm still working through it, with myself as my counselor. Throughout my growing up years, and my brother and sister would be alone with me in understanding this, I developed a strong aversion to being told what to do. It was resistance unto hostility, although Gina was the most courageous, defiant, butt-headed one.
Believe it or not, for many reasons of circumstance, that antipathy worked out okay for me those Navy years, though I did have one duty assignment in Japan, in the mid-1960s, as a lieutenant under a commander who was a detestable a.h., and I managed to wangle a transfer to a different command instead of resigning, as I had decided to do; otherwise pretty much okay those years. But retiring from the Navy, I resolved never to let myself get into a position of having to take orders from anybody, and I have not done!
Moreover, except for the first little bit, which I alluded to recently, all my church years have been with priests and bishops very dear to me.
But back to the subject, when "reading the Daily Office" became a requirement at seminary, even with the worthy goal of acquiring a lifelong prayer habit, my back was up: I do as I DWP. I may have to salute, mind, but no one tells me what must go on inside my head.
Not good for spiritual development in molding oneself to be a clergyman. And certainly not as a way to learning the spiritual discipline of obedience. Yet self-discipline can be helpful in life; and after all, I'd said my bedtime prayers all my growing up years, even after I was past being a little boy and my mother guiding me nightly. And murmured prayer making my way through daily life. And my Breath Prayer as needed. But not a discipline like Reading the Daily Office.
So when some years ago, reading about Jewish devotional practices, I came across the laws of honoring the right side, which seems like such an ancient thing, I thought, I can do that! It'll require effort, but that's good, it'll mean I'm focusing and doing it intentionally as an act of devotion and worship, and I can do it! I'll change my lifelong mindless habit of putting on my left shoe first. I'll put on my right shoe first and as I'm doing it I'll say Praise the Lord. That will be my equivalent of saying the Venite or the Jubilate Deo.
It did require determination and focus, but I only messed up and reverted once or twice in all my years of RSF&PTL. An important part of it has been refusing to let it become such rote that it's not really worship. I have to keep my mind on it that I'm in the presence of God as I put on my shoes.
By no means do I have it perfect by standards of Jewish law or practice, but it works for me and it has started my day on holy ground for many years.
RSF&PTL
T
The Laws of Using The Right Side
• We find in Leviticus in a number of verses the Torah gives preference to the right side of the body. We find similar preference in the laws dealing with the laws of Chalitzah. Therefore it is proper that the right side of the body be given honor and preferential treatment.
Dressing
• Thus, when one gets dressed one puts on the right sleeve first. Similarly, one puts on his right sock and the right foot is put in his pants first. Likewise the right shoe should be put on first. Additionally when one is washing, soaping, putting on lotions, etc. to both hands, preference is given to the right side. However, when we remove our shirts, shoes, socks, etc.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/260661/jewish/The-Laws-of-Using-The-Right-Side.htm
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about the art. this was my second choice, not my first choice among many works of Jewish abstract art I browsed online; but I picked it because it had people, Volk. as with any of the art or photos I post on +Time, its relationship to my blogpost for the day need only be clear to me: if my selection makes no sense to you, mission accomplished.