Just received in the mail from InterVarsity Press, The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition. I came to order it after reading this by Alan Jacobs, author of The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography:
What they have done is something deceptively simple, with only a few elements:
- Take the 1662 Prayer Book;
- Replace the prayers for the British monarchy with more general prayers for political leaders;
- Replace a few terms that have become wholly archaic or have changed in meaning so much that they will not be understood;
- Add a brief glossary for the unusual terms that it would have been unwise to replace;
- Present the result in beautiful typography.
That’s it! The distinctive structure of the 1662 BCP — built around the rhythms of Morning and Evening Prayer, following the changing seasons of the church year, and centering always on Coverdale’s Psalter — remains, and it remains because it can’t be bettered.It is attractive, cloth-bound in green, compact, and with a red ribbon.
I haven't had time to examine it thoroughly but as I was opening it properly I came across the collects for today:
Buy your own: The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition