THE LITANY: September 18, 2026

Here is the recorded service of The Litany for Ancient Paths Church of the Nazarene for Friday, September 18, 2026.  The service uses John Wesley's conservative revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which he named The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America).

A written copy of the British version of the service can be found, here.

MORNING PRAYER: September 15, 2026

 Here is the recorded service of Morning Prayer for Ancient Paths Church of the Nazarene for Tuesday, September 15, 2026.  The service uses John Wesley's conservative revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which he named The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America).

A written copy of the British version of the service can be found, here.

The Continued Value of Written Prayers

Today, I was searching my blog for a particular quote, when I ran across a post that I had made back in 2012.  It was a response to a colleague who, as a part of an assignment for a "Spiritual Formation" class, had interviewed me about my regular use of written prayers.  The specific question that he had asked was, "How does your use of written or rote prayers help you to know God and to grow in your faith?"  

Ironically, I am currently teaching a class on Spiritual Formation, and I recently recommended to my class their taking a look at the Book of Common Prayer.  It is likely that, if I were to be asked that same question today, my answer may include some additional elements, but I think that the original answer that I gave back in 2012 still rings true.  And, perhaps it may be helpful for some who, today, may have a similar question about the value of written prayers.  -  With that in mind, I have copied my original response, below:

I have, for the past 12 years [now 21 years], or so, prayed the Daily Office as a part of my spiritual disciplines.  At times, it has just been Morning Prayer.  At other times, I have prayed Morning and Evening Prayer.  I also pray the Litany on Wednesdays and Fridays.

In praying the Daily Office, I have most often used John Wesley’s The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, which was his (slight) revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer from the Church of England.  -  John Wesley faithfully prayed the Daily Office each day, and he passed on to the Methodists in North America a Prayer Book for their use each Lord’s Day.

In addition, I use other written prayers from the BCP and other sources in both corporate worship and personal devotions.

These prayers do not replace, but supplement my other prayers.

I find that God uses these prayers to help to shape me as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.  The prayers have been prayed by Christians back to the early Church all the way up to today from around the world.  In this regard, God reminds me that, while my relationship with the Lord is deeply personal, it is not at all isolated.  God has made us to be a people, not just individualistic, “Lone Ranger” Christians.  -  The prayers serve as a sort of catechism in molding me in the Christian faith and life.

God uses these prayers to help me to pray beyond myself, as well.  By that I mean that they keep me from focusing just on my own concerns and move me to pray for those things that God would have me be concerned about.  Thus, God shapes my outlook and shapes me in Christlikeness. 

The prayers give me words that better articulate my own prayers.  They help me say what needs to be said.

Through these prayers God teaches me about my relationship to God, in that they set my priorities in prayer.  They call me to confession, but also remind me of God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness.  They remind me that thanksgiving is more than with “our lips,” but “with our lives.”

One of the most important prayers, for me, is the Collect of Purity.  While it is not a part of the Daily Office, it is a part of the regular Sunday service of worship, and I have incorporated it as part of my personal disciplines.  It is prayed by Anglicans and others every Sunday.  It has been said that it summarizes well what Wesley was talking about when he spoke of Christian Perfection (or Entire Sanctification).  It is a part of the context in which Wesley developed and articulated this biblical doctrine.  -  As I recall, P.F. Bresee once responded to some Episcopalians by saying something like, Why do you consider it strange that Nazarenes claim that God answers the prayer that you pray every Sunday? 

Since we are called to live under God’s sanctifying grace each day, the Collect of Purity is a prayer that helps me to seek God’s face, each day to the end that God might “cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of [God’s] Holy Spirit that [I] might perfectly love [God] and worthily magnify [God’s] holy name through Christ our Lord.”

Through these prayers, God focuses my day.  God draws me to Himself.  And then, in Evening Prayer, God puts my day in perspective and review.  -  At this point, I simply could not conceive of not including written prayers as a part of my spiritual discipline.

The Collect for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy household the

Church in continual godliness; that through

thy protection it may be free from all adversities,

and devoutly given to serve thee in good works,

 to the glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

The Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace

to withstand the temptations of the world, the

flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and

minds to follow thee, the only God, through Jesus

Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Deus Misereatur

For those who pray Evening Prayer using John Wesley's The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, the response to the New Testament lesson is Psalm 67, also known as the Deus misereatur.  (For those who use other forms of the Book of Common Prayer, this is one of the choices for the New Testament response, but in Wesley's brevity, he did not provide multiple choices!)

Since my pattern has been to read through the Old and New Testaments, along with the Psalms, during Morning and Evening Prayer without following a lectionary, there have been times when I end up reading the very Psalm that I would otherwise use for a response to the Old or New Testament lesson.  This morning, however, I read the 67th Psalm (which I will read as a response in Evening Prayer).

One of the striking things, when this happens, is the difference in language between Wesley's Prayer Book and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (which is what I usually use).  And so, I thought I would post both versions on my blog.  -  For what it's worth, I would confess that, while I pray using Wesley's Prayer Book, if I were to hold a public service, I almost always would use a modern English version (e.g., the new ACNA texts).  The problem with that is the desire at a couple of points to make the kind of editing changes that Wesley made when providing The Sunday Service for the Methodist people.

Here are the two versions of the Psalm.  First will be the version as it appears in the Office of Evening Prayer in The Sunday Service:

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and shew us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us.
That thy way may be known upon earth; thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God: yea, let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be glad; for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
Let the people praise thee, O God: yea, let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth bring forth her increase; and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us: and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

And now, the version found in the NRSV.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.

 

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be:

world without end.

Amen.

The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

This past Sunday was the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  The Collect for the Sunday, according to John Wesley's version of the Book of Common Prayer (aka, The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America) is as follows:

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and love; and that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.That's a good prayer to pray!

During worship, I preached from the Gospel lesson for the day, Matthew 18:21-35.  The title of the sermon was, "Better Than Optima Tax Relief."  -  A special acknowledgement goes out to one of our General Superintendents, Bishop David Graves, for an adaptation of one of the illustrations that he gave out our recent District Pastors' Life Long Learning Retreat.  -  An audio recording of the sermon can be found on the Heartland website at this location.

I would also like to take this opportunity to point out Heartland's YouTube channel, where we have posted a number of videos of my preaching, along with other guest preachers.  Check back at the YouTube channel for periodic updates.

The Collect for Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

This Sunday's Collect is a great prayer!

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always

more ready to hear than we are to pray, and

art wont to give more than either we desire or

deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of thy

mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our

conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things

which we are not worthy to ask, but through the

merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our

Lord.  Amen.

 

(From the Book of Common Prayer, John Wesley's The Sunday Service)

Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare the way before thee, grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the word, we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.


(The Book of Common Prayer as given by John Wesley to the people Called Methodists)

Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou has given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer as given by John Wesley to the people called Methodists)

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever.  Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer as given by John Wesley to the people called Methodists)

Morning Prayer on Facebook Live

Following the lead of a few colleagues on Facebook, I am going to try something new! 

Tomorrow morning (Friday, Oct. 28), at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time), I will be leading the office of Morning Prayer on Facebook Live!  -  Or at least I'm going to attempt to.

I plan to use John Wesley's conservative revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, known as The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America.

If you do not have a copy of The Sunday Service, you should be able to follow along with the 1662 BCP.  Or, there is a link on the sidebar for The Sunday Service.  The link is to the British version, which is nearly identical.  The only time I think you will find a difference is toward the end, when we get to the prayers for the government.  -  We won't be praying for the Queen. (Though you can if you want!)

I hope you will look me up an Facebook and join me in Morning Prayer!

The Book of Common Prayer

I recently posted the following video on my Facebook profile page.  It comes from St. Peter's Anglican Church in Evans, Georgia.  Their descriptor reads, "The Anglican Book of Common Prayer that guides our worship and forms our belief."

This, too, is our heritage as Wesleyan Christians.  We are reminded that John Wesley gave to us a conservative version of the Book of Common Prayer to guide our worship and form our beliefs, as well.  He called it "The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America." 

For those Wesleyan/Methodist Christians who are unfamiliar with our Prayer Book heritage, I comment "The Sunday Service" to you.  -  May God truly shape our faith and life.

Post by St. Peter's Anglican Church Evans Georgia.

Praying the Litany

One of the spiritual disciplines that members of the Wesleyan-Anglican Society are encouraged to take on is the praying of the Litany each Wednesday and Friday.  -  The Litany is found in the Book of Common Prayer (in its various forms).  In the 1662 BCP of the Church of England, this "General Supplication" was said to be sung or said after Morning Prayer upon Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

John Wesley passed the Litany on to "the people called Methodists" in his conservative revision of the Prayer Book, which he titled, The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America.  The instruction that Wesley gives in The Sunday Service is that it should be prayed on Wednesdays and Fridays.

One of my colleagues and fellow WAS member, the Rev'd. Daniel McLain Hixon, has given a rendering of the Litany in modern language based on Wesley's version and compared with the 1662 & 1979 Books of Common Prayer.  He has posted this version on his blog, Gloria Deo.  -  I prayed this version, yesterday, and commend it for your consideration.

One Prayer Short

As most pastors who follow the lectionary know, this year Lent, and thus, Easter, is as late as it gets.  That means that, for some, over the last couple of weeks prior to Transfiguration Sunday, they have preached from lectionary passages that they have never preached from before.

Though I tend to be a lectionary preacher, I have also preached for Sunday night as well as Sunday morning services for the majority of my 17 years in full time pastoral ministry (as well as having taught/gave devotions on Wednesday evenings, during most of that time).  So, that was not really an issue for me.

However, as I was praying Morning Prayer last week, I did discover something, which, while not profoundly important, nevertheless was somewhat interesting.  Last week, I began to wonder if we were going to "run out of" prayers before Lent.  For those who are used to the Book of Common Prayer, you know that there is a Collect (or short prayer) for each of the Sundays in the year.  In John Wesley's version of the Book of Common Prayer, which he titled, The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, he numbers them according to the Sundays "after Christmas," until you get to "The Sunday Next Before Easter."

Anyway, the wondering got the best of me, so I counted them out.  Sure enough, Wesley is one prayer short this year.  I would guess that, perhaps the 1662 BCP, which Wesley would have used (if not some other versions of the BCP), may be short, as well.  (As I write this, I'm not in my study, so I do not have access to my other Prayer Books to check.)

Not only, so, but it became apparent that this past Sunday (viz. Transfiguration, or the Sunday leading up to Transfiguration) is where we are missing the prayer.  That is to say, the collect for "The Eleventh Sunday after Christmas" should obviously be prayed on the First Sunday in Lent.

That, of course, means that those using Wesley's The Sunday Service will need to pray the collect for "The Tenth Sunday after Christmas" for two weeks this year, rather than just one.  Or, if you already moved ahead, this past Sunday, you should pray that prayer (which speaks of the Lord fasting for forty days and forty nights) for next Sunday, the First Sunday in Lent, as well. 

It also means that those who use The Sunday Service should be aware that whenever Lent begins in other years, they ought to skip ahead to "The Eleventh Sunday after Christmas" for the First Sunday in Lent, and continue on from there until Easter.

As I said, it's nothing profoundly important, but I did find it interesting.  So, I thought I would share!