Resources for Prayer, Study and Worship

Prayer is the work of the whole people of God.  When we share in the daily prayer of the Church, we are drawn into something which forms us, which deepens our communion with one another and with God, and which strengthens our hold on eternal life.  When we pray in the liturgy, the words we pray come from the Bible, and so we are drawn into God’s life-giving Word.

We never pray alone; even when we say our prayers by ourselves, we are always drawn into the prayer of the whole Church on earth, and in heaven. 

In the Church of England, clergy make a promise at their ordination to say Morning and Evening Prayer in Church every day, a commitment the clergy here try to keep.  But the prayer of the church belongs to all.  Even when we pray at home, and at a time that fits in with our own lives, we are still, by marking the days, the hours and the seasons, somehow all praying together in God’s time.  In this parish, it is also a way of acknowledging our solidarity with one another, and of praying for our world, our Diocese, deanery and neighbours.

Follow these links to find resources that will help you to pray and to worship, and alongside this, to study the richness of the Church’s tradition. 

Doxa

A course on Tuesday evenings in 2014 and 2015 at St Faith's

'Doxa’ means ‘glory,’ and this course starts with the belief that the glory of God is encountered in the ordinary, everyday experiences of Christian people. It is based in what its editor, John Thomson (who is Director of Ministry in the Sheffield Diocese) calls ‘bread and butter’ theology, or ‘the theology of the pew.’  Discipleship happens as ordinary Christian people discover more and more what it means to live as friends of Jesus Christ
For the full introduction and successive uploading of course notes, follow the link

doxa.html

Joining in Daily Prayer

It is our custom at St Faith's, as in many Anglo-Catholic parishes, to say a Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer) in Church. This is an important part of our catholic discipline, and clergy are obliged by canon law to say the Daily Office. It is however, not the prayer of the clergy but belongs to the whole people of God. If it is your practice to say Morning and/or Evening Prayer, and you can't get to church, the Church of England now publishes the Office for each day, complete with readings and psalms, on the web.  If you go to the site - 'Join us in Daily Prayer' - the calendar should show the right day and time of day - just choose 'traditional language' or 'contemporary language,' click 'select this service' and it is all there for you!  Follow the link here

 http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer.aspx

Contemplative Prayer

A form of silent prayer which focuses us on being still in the presence of God and listening for his word:

http://www.contemplative-prayer.org.uk/

The Benedictine Tradition

A link to the Order of St Benedict, containing Benedict’s Rule – one of most systematic monastic rules which, whilst intended for those living in community, has much wisdom for daily living of a Christian life in the world.

http://www.osb.org/gen/rule.html
 

The Ignatian Tradition:

A flexible yet systematic way of both praying and connecting prayer and life, based on the Spiritual Exercises devised by the founder of the Jesuits, St Ignatius Loyola:

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/

The Society of St Francis

The website of the European Province of the Anglican Franciscan Brothers and Sisters, this contains a wealth of material about Francis and Clare, about Franciscan prayer, and about the work of the Society.

http://www.franciscans.org.uk/

Gospel Imprint

A joint initiative of Affirming Catholicism and the Society of Catholic Priests, Gospel Imprint provides free resources and aims to support catechesis, liturgy and pastoral care, rooted in an Anglican tradition that is at once orthodox and liberal, open and catholic, positive, inclusive and joyful.

http://www.gospelimprint.com/

Servants of the Sanctuary

A guide for altar servers at St Faith's, added September 2015

http://www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk/servershandbook2015.pdf

Worshipping with St Faith's

The week by week Sunday liturgy at St Faith's, together with special prayer intentions for the week ahead, is uploaded a few days before each Sunday.

http://www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk/bulletin.pdf

Follow this link for the liturgy for 'ordinary time' eucharist, with an explanatory running commentary on what is happening, and an appendix in greater detail explaining the signfificance of this central act of Christian worhip.

http://www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk/eucharistordinarytimecommentated.pdf