The Daily Office: 2 Experiences
Friday, June 28, 2019 at 9:11AM 
I had two experiences yesterday having to do with the Office.
The first was in the enewsletter of the Church of the Atonement, Chicago. Meghan Murphy-Gill wrote a short piece, “Let us Pray.” It was her story of how she came to pray the Daily Office. I want to share one part of it -
When the rector of my nominating parish, St. Augustine’s in Wilmette, created and handed out a daily prayer booklet for the parish, the timing couldn’t have been better. The booklets were in the shape of noontime individual and family devotion found in the prayer book, only she’d provided a psalm, scripture, and collect for each day.
My family gave it a try during dinner one night. And I do mean during dinner. Not before with candles lit, but truly during, with grilled cheese sandwiches literally in our mouths along with the prayers. Between sips of wine (it pairs remarkably well with the humble grilled cheese), my husband, Andrew, and I would trade off between the scripture reading and the psalm. We’d then say the Lord’s Prayer together, and I’d finish with the collect.
I figured that this ritual of ours would eventually lead to questions from Albie and some good discussions as he began to understand the words of scripture. I did not expect that in just a few months, at 2 years old, he would begin to recite the Lord’s Prayer from memory. Then, he started to extending his arms and facing his palms up in the orans posture while praying! And if we didn’t pull out the prayer booklet, he’d go and fish it out of the kitchen drawer for us and demand it.
When we’d promised to raise and form our kid in a life of Christ at his baptism, we had no idea that he’d also be leading and forming us.
Lovely! Here’s a PDF of the whole article.
The second experience was as I arrived to participate in the Office at a nearby church. I’ve been recovering from minor surgery. It’s been slow. I’ve been slow. Tomorrow I go in for more. Usually by late afternoon I am too tired to get off the couch. But I had more energy (maybe generate by anxiety about today’s procedure) and I decided to go to Evening Prayer.
The place was sealed. I waited around until the appointed hour – no officiant. I was disappointed. Disappointed in not being able to offer praise with others. Also, disappointed in the parish. This is something that happens too frequently. I’ve heard others who had the same experience.
If we offer acts of public worship during the week – treat it as public worship. Do everything possible to see that it happens. Even if it is just two or three gathered; maybe especially then. And if it just can’t happen that evening. Post a notice on the door. Post it on the front page of the website. Send an email to everyone who even occasionally attends. Okay, enough ranting. I said the Office using an app on my phone.
On making a public Daily Office work
One final offering. Some years ago Amy Hunter wrote a poem on the Daily Office. Meghan’s article brought it to mind.
daily office
three days on the Cape
sharing the sacrament of coffee
doing morning prayer on a porch
from which I could see the ocean
the morning office spoken and laughed
as we read one another’s lines
or added comments to the Scripture
until my husband said from the other room
“that was lovely
but I’ve never heard it done as stand-up before”
and you said
“we’ve been doing this a long time”
and now I’ve fallen among monks
five days retreat where I could see a river
were I to walk that far
we pray five times a day
and here no one laughs at the mis-said lines
when guest or brother misses a cue
reads loudly into the silence
then fades—embarrassed perhaps
smiling I hope
and no one begins the reading
“now here’s a surprise—
the people did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord”
and no one slurps coffee
in the midst of confession
yet both catch me and hold
because these prayers are not woven by angels
but are built
every day every office anew
by human voice and hunger
the work of a people
who have been doing this
a long time
~abh~
Transfiguration 2002 Emery House
for Tom Barrington for the Brothers at Emery House
From Fill All Things: The Dynamics of the Spiritual Life in the Parish Church, Robert A. Gallagher, Ascension Press, 2008
rag+