Christ the King Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
and Administration of the Sacraments
& Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church
The Book of Common Prayer
"The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church."
The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the central text that forms and expresses the worship, theology, and communal identity of The Episcopal Church. Its purpose is both practical and deeply formative: it provides a shared structure for worship so that Episcopalians across diverse contexts pray with a common voice, and it articulates the church’s core theological commitments through its liturgies. More than a compilation of services, the BCP serves as a guide for Christian life—shaping daily devotion, grounding sacramental practice, and offering prayers that accompany the Church through every season of human experience. Its unifying role is so foundational that Episcopalians often invoke the ancient principle lex orandi, lex credendi—the rule of prayer is the rule of belief—affirming that the Church’s faith is revealed, taught, and sustained through the very words it prays. In this way, the BCP not only orders our worship but also forms our understanding of God, the Church, and the life of discipleship.
In terms of form, the BCP is organized into several major sections. These include the Daily Office (morning and evening prayer), the Eucharist, pastoral offices such as marriage and burial, the Psalter, and the catechism. The language is crafted for public worship, balancing poetic expression with clarity. Even as modern revisions have updated the language, the BCP retains a cadence and structure that reflect its English liturgical heritage. Its form is intentionally repetitive and cyclical, guiding worshippers through seasons of the church year and rhythms of daily prayer.
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER-
SELECTED CONTENTS
15
75
103
115
127
148
299
351
355
383
413
423
447
453
491
512
585
810
845
The Calendar of the Church Year
Daily Morning Prayer, Rite Two
An Order of Service for Noonday
Daily Evening Prayer, Rite Two
An Order for Compline (Night Prayer)
The Great Litany
Holy Baptism
A Penitential Order, Rite Two
The Holy Eucharist, Rite Two
The Prayers of the People
Confirmation
Marriage
Reconciliation of a Penitent
Ministration to the Sick (Anointing)
Burial of the Dead, Rite Two
Ordination (Bishop, Priest, Deacon)
The Psalter
Prayers & Thanksgivings
An Outline of the Faith (Catechism)
The history of the BCP begins in the English Reformation. The first edition, produced in 1549 under Thomas Cranmer, consolidated various medieval liturgies into a single, vernacular volume. It was revised several times in England, with the 1662 edition becoming the enduring standard throughout the Anglican world. When the American Episcopal Church formed after the American Revolution, it created its own BCP in 1789, adapting the English text to reflect the new political and ecclesial reality. Subsequent American revisions in 1892, 1928, and especially 1979 reflected evolving theological emphases, liturgical scholarship, and pastoral needs. The 1979 BCP, still the official standard today, introduced a stronger focus on baptismal theology, expanded Eucharistic prayers, and restored ancient patterns of worship that earlier editions had streamlined or removed.
The content of the BCP reflects the breadth of Anglican spirituality. It includes rites for the sacraments—Baptism and Eucharist—as well as pastoral services such as confirmation, marriage, reconciliation, and burial. The Daily Office provides a framework for regular prayer grounded in Scripture. The Psalter, a complete translation of the Psalms, is designed for liturgical recitation. The catechism offers a concise outline of Episcopal teaching, emphasizing the covenantal nature of Christian life. Collects—short, thematically rich prayers—anchor the liturgical year and articulate the church’s theological imagination in miniature.
Taken together, the purpose, form, history, and content of the Book of Common Prayer reveal why it remains the heart of Episcopal identity. It is a living text, shaped by centuries of worship and continually shaping the spiritual life of the church.