Just Curious

Canonical Hours

I realize that one reason I'm still stumbling in my daily life is because I don't pray enough. Thank God Dr. Snyder has given me a copy of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Now I could observe all the "canonical hours" of the Church even by myself in my own apartment.

Basically, there is a section for individual devotions, with prayers appointed for the different hours: Lauds (Morning prayer), None (Noonday prayer), Vespers/Evensongs (Evening prayer) and Compline (Late Evening prayer, before the closing of the day).

So far so good. I have somewhat successfully led a sanctified life for the past couple of days.

Dr. D. Elton Trueblood, the Quaker theologian, found an ecumenical movement, called the Yokefellow movement. Christians, Dr. Trueblood argued, should form themselves small devotional groups, and should agree among themselves to daily sanctify their lives by doing the following every day:
1) Praying
2) Studying the Scriptures and other religious books
3) Witnessing the saving power of Christ by our words and by our deeds
4) Offer ourselves in a particular service for God (e.g. working as a volunteer in an inner city school).

To these Dr. Richard John Foster, another Quaker theologian, added two more exercises/disciplines:
5) Fasting
6) Meditating

I am not good at meditations, so I guess I will start with the other disciplines, until I have finally found myself a way of meditation.

posted by James Chang @ 8:00 PM