Prayer Book Anxiety

I’m a bit busy today. So I’m not going to post much right now about hearing the Rt. Rev. Daniel Morse speak at the Church of the Holy Communion Dallas (REC) for their Lent soup and speaker series. (Excellent potato soup by the way. Hmmm!) But there was an interesting dynamic I noticed during the Q and A time.

You see, he’s the chairman of the REC prayer book revision committee. And he mentioned the new prayer book is being used on a trial basis and is close to approval. And, sure enough, my REC prayer books are trial ones. I did not notice that before.

Anyway, Holy Communion is a 1928 prayer book parish. (REC parishes are allowed to use the 1928 BCP.) So when the people heard there was a new prayer book coming, there were two or three anxious questions about whether they could stick to the 1928 BCP. (They can.)

I don’t blame them for being anxious. If I have my history right, Holy Communion was an ECUSA parish. And having their 1928s taken away was a big reason they left.

Remember that in my ignorant (at least more ignorant than I am now) younger days, I wondered why people got so worked up over prayer books. But now that I’ve gotten attached to the 1928 BCP, I understand. ECUSA taking the 1928 BCP away still clearly leaves scars on some.

UPDATE: My apologies for earlier getting +Morse's name wrong. At the dinner I heard "Morris." But Morris is a cat, not a bishop. Thank you.