Book of Common Prayer

Book of Common Prayer services

Each week, there are two services at St Mary’s that use The Book of Common Prayer.

8 am on Sunday

Our early morning service is for those who prefer a quiet, reflective but also very traditional service of Holy Communion.

The 8 am service uses The Book of Common Prayer for Holy Communion. The language is traditional (lots of thee’s and thou’s) and it’s also poetic. Many people value it for its rich theology and worshipful cadence.

There is no hymn singing, very little instruction (we just open the book and begin) and space is sometimes left for quiet reflection and prayer within the service. Overall, the service lasts just over 30 minutes.

9.30 am on Wednesday

A small number of people gather every Wednesday morning at 9.30 a.m. for a service of Holy Communion using The Book of Common Prayer. As with the Sunday 8 o’clock service, there is no hymn singing, and the focus is on prayer and allowing the words of the liturgy to speak for themselves.

The service originally began during the Pandemic when we weren’t capable of having two services on the same day in the same church. However, it has now continued and developed into its own community. Overall, the service lasts around 30 minutes.

If you want to find out about any of services, feel free to come along, or if you want more information, then please contact us.