Advice on alternative to Daily Office

I'm posting because I need some advice on prayer options.

I have tried praying the Daily Office in various ways. I've prayed it from the 1559 Prayer Book, the 1928 Prayer Book, and Rites I and II from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. I succeed for a while, but it doesn't stick often because I don't have time, I go to school, I'm too tired, didn't get up early enough, that kind of thing. My 1979 prayer book doesn't even have the right lectionary in it, and the new lectionary is confusing, it has too many readings.

A member of my parish who is converting to Eastern Orthodoxy gave me a little book called A Manual of the Hours of the Orthodox Church, Compiled by Archimandrite Cherubim Monastery of the Paraclete, Attica, Greece.

It contains Vespers, Compline, Midnight Service, Matins, First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, and Ninth Hour along with additional prayers and hymns. These are in abbreviated form, I don't have to look up anything in the lectionary, and it is short enough for me to pray many if not all of them in a day. It's just a lot easier and breaks up my day better than the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer, but serves the same purpose.

Is it appropriate for me to pray this Orthodox manual of the Hours instead of the Daily Office in my personal prayer life since I actually pray it more and pray more often? I don't think it's a problem with the Eastern Orthodox since I attend my parish member's interest group meetings on Orthodoxy. A few Orthodox people attend, and we all pray Compline from this manual together before leaving.

Thank you, great advice.

Wigglesworth, yes, that is the one, exactly. What I like about it is that it somehow feels more "Anglican-friendly" than other options I tried with figuring out how to enhance my prayer life in some way. As an example, I tried praying a Compline service from a Roman Catholic prayer book and couldn't figure it out, and it involved lots of page-flipping, very different from the Book of Common Prayer, and that was supposed to be one of the more simple ones, too. (On the other hand, I also have a Manual of Anglo-Catholic devotion that's pretty much useless to me except for a couple of prayers and devotions because it is so complicated.) The Compline prayers from the Orthodox manual and the other hours, even in the abbreviated format, contain much more scripture, more like the Daily Office and other prayers of the Anglican prayer books.

Albion said:

I don't see anything wrong in doing that, but I can't imagine how it could be less time consuming than MP and EP in the BCP--which were intended to be used by laypersons for the purpose you intend and which incorporate several each of the hours of the Monastic offices.

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It is a lot shorter, it is in an abbreviated form, and it doesn't require lectionary readings. It does require more frequent prayer throughout the day depending on if one wants to do all seven readings. I rarely do all seven in a day, but even with more frequent prayer times, it is easier when they are shorter. For me, it works out best to have shorter prayers more frequently.

Other prayers and devotions I perform can be said while I am doing chores or in any spare time I have to spend at my home altar.

It's good to see there are so many options! Thanks again everyone.

Albion said:

Yes, I fully understand the lectionary issue.

I guess I just happen to have particular fondness for the BCP and always have; but if you use this alternative, I can't think of any reason for anyone to conclude that it could be wrong to do.

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Yes, I know what you mean. I love the BCP, too. Perhaps on days when I have more time I can still do the longer Morning and Evening prayer services from the BCP or some other Anglican alternative.