The Prayer Book Society in Victoria is based at All Saints’ Church, 2 Chapel Street, East St Kilda, Melbourne. Meetings are held quarterly, following a service of the Eucharist from the Book of Common Prayer, with traditional hymns, at 11.00am. Notice of meetings is sent to those on the membership list, and can also be found below.
The aims of the Society are to encourage the use of the Book of Common Prayer in worship, to make it known to younger generations and new Anglicans, and to provide information about where and when it is continued to be used. A survey of usage of the BCP in the parishes of the Melbourne Diocese is currently underway: a list will be published here as soon as it becomes available.
All are welcome to join the Society and attend the meetings, at which there is usually an interesting address or paper given. Members are asked to bring their own lunch: tea and coffee are provided.
The Chairman is the Rev'd Tom Morgan and the Acting Secretary is Mrs Helen Farrer, 234 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North, VIC, 3068, from whom more information is available hfarrerarundel@gmail.com
The aims of the Society are to encourage the use of the Book of Common Prayer in worship, to make it known to younger generations and new Anglicans, and to provide information about where and when it is continued to be used. A survey of usage of the BCP in the parishes of the Melbourne Diocese is currently underway: a list will be published here as soon as it becomes available.
All are welcome to join the Society and attend the meetings, at which there is usually an interesting address or paper given. Members are asked to bring their own lunch: tea and coffee are provided.
The Chairman is the Rev'd Tom Morgan and the Acting Secretary is Mrs Helen Farrer, 234 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North, VIC, 3068, from whom more information is available hfarrerarundel@gmail.com
From the March 2021 Newsletter
Due to uncertainty as to COVID requirements at the time when it was necessary to organise the meeting it was decided to postpone the March 2021 AGM to a date to be determined.
Lord Jesus Christ
You taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name's sake,
Amen.
With acknowledgement to the Church of England liturgy and prayer resources.
Lord Jesus Christ
You taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name's sake,
Amen.
With acknowledgement to the Church of England liturgy and prayer resources.
From the Chairman
Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you all well and clear of the dreaded virus.
With the continual changes regarding being able to meet in any way, shape or form, so many organisations have had to cancel or postpone planned gatherings, and our Society is one such. So, once again, after due thought and consultation, our small Executive has thought it wise to cancel our March AGM and to look 'o a later date when the situation is clearer. The regulations regarding Church Services are too onerous, and changing up and down at Government decree; our age group is also one which dictates that we take extra care.
Change has been forced upon us but God can bring good out of this problematic era; and so it has been that by use of “Zoom” and other such techniques most parish Churches and Cathedrals have been able to maintain some semblances of Worship which have provided fellowship and continuity. One good thing is that it has been found to have helped some of the normally ‘Shut-in Folk’ who would not have been able to get to worship services and I have also heard of others who have been joining in on a Sunday, who would not otherwise have done so. It is an “ill-wind that blows nobody some good”.
It is in thinking about this situation that I am reminded of a piece of wisdom from “The Preface” of the BCP (so often never read by Anglicans) wherein the matter of changes to the “Publick Liturgy” is being discussed. It is stated that “it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important consideration, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in Authority should from time to time seem necessary or expedient.” So, we operate with Diocesan directions as is necessary in this situation.
However, in the general matter of “Prayer Books” we of the Society would be of the opinion that, especially in relation to the APBA, it was neither necessary nor expedient. The AAPB of 1978, it was assumed, was to have gone “Hand in hand with the BCP, and that the two would be used in unison according to the needs of different situations”, as our late founding Chairman, Henry Speagle OAM quoted in his address at the inaugural meeting of our Society in St. Mark’s Camberwell on the 28th March 1981. In the Preface of the APBA it is stated that as a result of the growth of a demand for “a more contemporary liturgy” the new book would be “significantly different in style from An Australian Prayer Book”. And indeed it is ! The same Preface also states “Adopting the directness of contemporary style is possible without losing the sense of the numinous”. Many of us disagree with that sentiment; indeed, the “sense of the numinous”, is, I think, sadly lost in this Book. So one could go on !
Many of us grew up with the good grounding of the BCP in our parish worship with its soundness of doctrine, beautiful cadences, and the generally sound commonsense setting of Public Worship. In this way, it taught the souls of so many of us in our walk with, and our worship of, God, and was appreciated by our Church membership for 400 years. Now we find ourselves looking at the sad situation that we are amongst the few left who know the Book and appreciate its value.
Being in the Season of Lent, we may well pray the Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, which says,
We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With Christian Greetings,
Yours sincerely,
Tom Morgan
Chairman
Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you all well and clear of the dreaded virus.
With the continual changes regarding being able to meet in any way, shape or form, so many organisations have had to cancel or postpone planned gatherings, and our Society is one such. So, once again, after due thought and consultation, our small Executive has thought it wise to cancel our March AGM and to look 'o a later date when the situation is clearer. The regulations regarding Church Services are too onerous, and changing up and down at Government decree; our age group is also one which dictates that we take extra care.
Change has been forced upon us but God can bring good out of this problematic era; and so it has been that by use of “Zoom” and other such techniques most parish Churches and Cathedrals have been able to maintain some semblances of Worship which have provided fellowship and continuity. One good thing is that it has been found to have helped some of the normally ‘Shut-in Folk’ who would not have been able to get to worship services and I have also heard of others who have been joining in on a Sunday, who would not otherwise have done so. It is an “ill-wind that blows nobody some good”.
It is in thinking about this situation that I am reminded of a piece of wisdom from “The Preface” of the BCP (so often never read by Anglicans) wherein the matter of changes to the “Publick Liturgy” is being discussed. It is stated that “it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important consideration, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in Authority should from time to time seem necessary or expedient.” So, we operate with Diocesan directions as is necessary in this situation.
However, in the general matter of “Prayer Books” we of the Society would be of the opinion that, especially in relation to the APBA, it was neither necessary nor expedient. The AAPB of 1978, it was assumed, was to have gone “Hand in hand with the BCP, and that the two would be used in unison according to the needs of different situations”, as our late founding Chairman, Henry Speagle OAM quoted in his address at the inaugural meeting of our Society in St. Mark’s Camberwell on the 28th March 1981. In the Preface of the APBA it is stated that as a result of the growth of a demand for “a more contemporary liturgy” the new book would be “significantly different in style from An Australian Prayer Book”. And indeed it is ! The same Preface also states “Adopting the directness of contemporary style is possible without losing the sense of the numinous”. Many of us disagree with that sentiment; indeed, the “sense of the numinous”, is, I think, sadly lost in this Book. So one could go on !
Many of us grew up with the good grounding of the BCP in our parish worship with its soundness of doctrine, beautiful cadences, and the generally sound commonsense setting of Public Worship. In this way, it taught the souls of so many of us in our walk with, and our worship of, God, and was appreciated by our Church membership for 400 years. Now we find ourselves looking at the sad situation that we are amongst the few left who know the Book and appreciate its value.
Being in the Season of Lent, we may well pray the Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, which says,
We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With Christian Greetings,
Yours sincerely,
Tom Morgan
Chairman
Melbourne Parishes currently known to be using Prayer Book Services
(This list is still being compiled. If you know of more, or wish to make corrections, please email details to hfarrerarundel@gmail.com)
Brunswick, Christ Church
Sunday 8.00am
Monday 7.00am
Wednesday 10.00am
Saturday 8.00am
Ph 9380 1064, www.christchurchbrunswick.org
Camberwell, St John’s
6.00pm Evensong, 2nd Sunday
Ph 9882 4851, www.stjohnscamberwell.org.au
Melbourne, St James Old Cathedral
10.00am, 2nd Sunday
Ph 9329 0903, www.sjoc.org
Melbourne, St Peter’s
Sunday 8.00am and Evensong 6.00pm
Ph 9662 2391, www.stpeters.org.au/index.shtml
St Kilda East, All Saints
Sunday 8.30am and 10.00am, all weekday and special services
Ph 9510 7689, www.allsaints.org.au
St Kilda East, St James the Great
Last Sunday of the month, 10.30am
Ph 9527 1017, stjamesthegeat@outlook.com
South Yarra, Christ Church
Every Sunday 8.00am, and 6.00pm Evensong, 4th Sunday
Ph 9866 4434, www.ccsy.org.au
Doncaster, St David's
Sunday 8.00am
Ph 9842 9127, www.eastdoncaster.melbourneanglican.org.au