Private Devotions
Gallovidian
Shipmate
Back in my student C.U. days, we used to talk a lot about Quiet Times, which were meant to focus on inductive reading of the Bible and informal prayer. Later I realised a lot of people follow a more structured discipline of saying a Daily Office in some form. I was taught to start the day in prayer/study, but some people prefer to close the day reflecting on what they have done and the people they have met.
I would be interested to hear what other folk find useful/inspiring by way of personal prayer and study - how you came to use that pattern and why, and what you find meaningful.
My own practice has varied and evolved over the years and will, I suspect, continue to do so.
Currently I start the day with a short spell of yoga, moving into a time of prayer/meditation centred on short 'offices' - a different form for each day of the week, with special versions for different seasons/feast days - written by a vicar friend of mine (which draw from a variety of traditions, taking their shape from the outline of the Lord's Prayer, but with a definite focus on environmental issues and social justice), and concluding with a Taize chant or something similar.
I am just debating devising something similar myself, drawing on my own experiences and encounters with different traditions.
I would be interested to hear what other folk find useful/inspiring by way of personal prayer and study - how you came to use that pattern and why, and what you find meaningful.
My own practice has varied and evolved over the years and will, I suspect, continue to do so.
Currently I start the day with a short spell of yoga, moving into a time of prayer/meditation centred on short 'offices' - a different form for each day of the week, with special versions for different seasons/feast days - written by a vicar friend of mine (which draw from a variety of traditions, taking their shape from the outline of the Lord's Prayer, but with a definite focus on environmental issues and social justice), and concluding with a Taize chant or something similar.
I am just debating devising something similar myself, drawing on my own experiences and encounters with different traditions.
Comments
Currently I'm following the daily Colman readings in Celtic Daily Prayer Book Two - Farther Up and Farther In. I always read the Bible passages as well as the commentary, and also read the day's entry in The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie. It's often at that point I'll write in my own journal. Then I sit in contemplative prayer for a while.
I think 'a lot' may be somewhat of an overestimation when it comes to large amounts of 'structure, see:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/january/daily-quiet-time-god-prayer-bible-reading-lifeway-survey.html
I'm doing other things at the moment, but for some years have prayed through the morning prayers from Celebrating Common Prayer (generally the SSF version, though I have the other books and use them on occasion too), and use the readings and notes from the St James Devotional.
It would be interesting to see a similar survey for the UK... and a similar one for non-evangelicals.
I use a 'prayer rope' for the Jesus Prayer.
I will occasionally add a Western hymn or prayers such as the Anglican Compline - but not very often. This isn't because I have anything 'against' those but the Orthodox prayers tend to cover all the bases.
I do vary the pattern from time to time. Today for instance I didn't pray many of the morning prayers but the Midday ones at noon instead.
I'm not sure there's any fool-proof way of assessing how many evangelicals follow the old 'quiet-time' observance or how many Catholics or Orthodox say 'the Hours' and so on.
I know some Orthodox who only say the Lord's Prayer in the morning and that's it. I'm sure there are plenty who hardly pray outside the services at all.
I've heard Catholics say that the old patterns of domestic observance are on the wane.
We do pray with my son, away at college, over the phone.
There is also a shorter version available with one reading in stead of two.
Despite having said what I said about not being eclectic, I do occasionally dap into Pray as you go.
What I find these days is that if an Orthodox prayer or lectionary reading reminds me of a theme or hymn from my Protestant days, I'll follow my hump as it were and include that as well.
What I won't do is think, 'I'm bored with this, I'll use 'Common Worship' or 'The Roman Missal' or some URC material instead ...'
Although I must admit I have reached for the Anglican Compline service instead of following the Vespers in the hefty tome I have.
By and large the general morning, noon (at times) and evening prayers suit me fine but I gave up following the whopping great long versions they use in monasteries.
But yes what Enoch said.
It's no problem to skip one of the readings (or psalms, or whatever) if using the app: just scroll through.
Some people find any sort of structured office difficult, and I respect that. But I agree with Enoch that there is little point in casting around for an alternative structure if your own community/ ecclesial tradition provides one. Forms of the daily office, at least in Western Christendom (and though I don't know it, I imagine Orthodoxy too) are pretty similar to each other.
However some of them can be a bit wordy and you've just got to cut them down to a level that makes sense for you, bearing in mind your time available, your tolerance for wordiness, and the desire to balance the office against silent contemplation or forms such as the Rosary. The Community of the Resurrection (an Anglican order) encourages friends to join in their offices either directly online – they live stream four services a day, see their website – or by using the book A week of Simple Offices (and an additional one for festivals) which provides a much simplified version of the Community's office.
I found it helpful to pray it with others - we sometimes had 7 or 8 present - but since it ceased (and I no longer attend the church) my devotions are rather limited to *Please God, help me*, or *Thank you, God*, with occasional petitions on behalf of others in need...
Yes, Orthodox 'offices' don't vary a great deal. Some are simply longer than others.
I'm not familiar with all Western ones but those I've encountered seem to share a family resemblance. At one time I'd have disparaged all of them to some extent for an apparent lack of spontaneity.
There are times when my personal devotions are limited to 'Aaarrgh!' or 'Help!' or 'Sorry Lord, I've been and gone and done it again ...'
Those 'offices' seem to apply to all Christians regardless of ecclesial affiliation.
When I’m good and disciplined, I use Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer and/or Night Prayer from the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Book of Common Worship, which I have both in book form and as an app. (And the app helpfully includes the Scripture readings.) It’s a rare day indeed I manage all four; if I do, it’s a good get I’m on a personal retreat.
Indeed. I’m reminded of Anne Lamott’s book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers.
I didn't know there was one.
Please don't take this as a gripe but as an observation. I'm in a parish where there's no systematic catechesis and you're expected to muddle along. I get that in Orthodoxy the general expectation is for people to learn by osmosis or pick things up as they go along but sometimes a bit of help or instruction wouldn't go amiss.
The well-known quip by a convert that they were drawn to Orthodoxy because they were disillusioned with 'organised religion' is not wide of the mark.
Our Book of Hours doesn't exist yet in English, so these simple offices just give me what I need and are manageable for a monk who also has a full-time job.