Been reading the Episcopal book of common prayer (has *plenty* of scripture) and praying. Advice?

[ChristIsSovereign]

Being a brand, brand, brand new Christian, (my previous interactions here I deem to be false and not in the spirit of me as a Christian now) I've been practicing severe caution as to not read books I find to have theological leanings in one direction or another, and the small Episcopal book of common prayer (found it at a thrift store I believe) has scripture and sayings of the Church fathers and I've found it to be a great peace resource to have in a pinch, as reciting the prayers in the book in my mind have been a great meditation to me. (I don't adhere to the specific times in the book as I use it in a devotional sense.)

Any advice on how to avoid teachers who lean in any certain direction? I want to know of God more but I don't want to be swayed into a theological paradigm. (Yet, that is, until I understand Scripture as a whole better.)

 

[anna ~ grace]

Sounds like you've found a safe and helpful place to start. Everyone, friend, every teacher, leans in some direction or another, but I can understand your desire to steer clear of anything that leans one way or another right now.

Take it slow.

I also use daily Scripture readings, pray the Our Father, and enjoy reading about the lives of the Saints very much. Take it slow. There are some guys I like to listen to. They're Catholic Franciscian Friars and have a kind, homey, loving, humble approach. Let me know if you'd like to hear their stuff. If not, that's ok, too.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

Sounds like you've found a safe and helpful place to start. Everyone, friend, every teacher, leans in some direction or another, but I can understand your desire to steer clear of anything that leans one way or another right now.

Take it slow.

I also use daily Scripture readings, pray the Our Father, and enjoy reading about the lives of the Saints very much. Take it slow. There are some guys I like to listen to. They're Catholic Franciscian Friars and have a kind, homey, loving, humble approach. Let me know if you'd like to hear their stuff. If not, that's ok, too.

Do they mostly quote Scripture?

 

[anna ~ grace]

They often do. They reference it often, as well as their own experiences, lives of the Saints, and things that have happened to them. But it's not exactly Scripture teaching, or verse by verse or anything.

 

[TuxAme]

Scripture and the Church Fathers are going to be your best friends if you want an "unbiased" approach.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

Scripture and the Church Fathers are going to be your best friends if you want an "unbiased" approach.

Indeed. Any links to Church fathers' teachings so I can observe? I'm not a Catholic by any definition of the word but the Church fathers are Christocentric and I really appreciate when their words come up in my Episcopal book of prayer.

 

[TuxAme]

Indeed. Any links to Church fathers' teachings so I can observe? I'm not a Catholic by any definition of the word but the Church fathers are Christocentric and I really appreciate when their words come up in my Episcopal book of prayer.

This site will be a great resource for you.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

This site will be a great resource for you.

Chuckled at the sheer mass* of material there. I'll definitely bookmark that.

*Pun originally not intended, but definitely found it funny.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Being a brand, brand, brand new Christian, (my previous interactions here I deem to be false and not in the spirit of me as a Christian now) I've been practicing severe caution as to not read books I find to have theological leanings in one direction or another, and the small Episcopal book of common prayer (found it at a thrift store I believe) has scripture and sayings of the Church fathers and I've found it to be a great peace resource to have in a pinch, as reciting the prayers in the book in my mind have been a great meditation to me. (I don't adhere to the specific times in the book as I use it in a devotional sense.)

Any advice on how to avoid teachers who lean in any certain direction? I want to know of God more but I don't want to be swayed into a theological paradigm. (Yet, that is, until I understand Scripture as a whole better.)

The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is a good book. And as in all forms of prayer you have great personal latitude in how you follow what that prayerbook has in it. If you are a priest, or you are praying in community then you have an obligation to follow it exactly. But for us as laymen we can be a bit more free-form in how we pray.

The BCP has been in large part brought into the form of worship of the Anglican Ordinariate of the Catholic Church. And it is used among other sorts of Anglicans. Then there is the Liturgy of the Hours as practiced by the Catholic Church, which can be found at Magnificat.com among other places. And the Orthodox do the Liturgy of the Hours as well.

To avoid teachers who lean too much, do keep in touch with a spectrum of different folks. There are some who should be avoided, but others we avoid when we shouldn't.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is a good book. And as in all forms of prayer you have great personal latitude in how you follow what that prayerbook has in it. If you are a priest, or you are praying in community then you have an obligation to follow it exactly. But for us as laymen we can be a bit more free-form in how we pray.

The BCP has been in large part brought into the form of worship of the Anglican Ordinariate of the Catholic Church. And it is used among other sorts of Anglicans. Then there is the Liturgy of the Hours as practiced by the Catholic Church, which can be found at Magnificat.com among other places. And the Orthodox do the Liturgy of the Hours as well.

To avoid teachers who lean too much, do keep in touch with a spectrum of different folks. There are some who should be avoided, but others we avoid when we shouldn't.

I'll avoid people who tip towards Charismatic or Calvinist theology for now, except if said book focuses solely on Christ's nature, for example.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I'll avoid people who tip towards Charismatic or Calvinist theology for now, except if said book focuses solely on Christ's nature, for example.

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not a Calvinist, but I have learned a lot from Calvinists over the years and even from Calvin. So you might want to keep them at arm's length, but while at arm's length do learn from them. They are in error in some places but they get some things right too. They so have a sense of the majesty of God.

As to the Charismatics, I am a cautious charismatic myself, and a Catholic. There are things within Pentecostalism that are crazy and that I avoid, the holy laughter stuff, the lack of critical thinking, the God told me so you have to believe it too stuff. What is real is that the Holy Spirit can be alive in us, particularly praying in us when our own words are inadequate. That said, there is too little caution used by many charismatics, who seem too open to things they should be wary of.

Don't be closed, as in a locked door and the key thrown away, to either of these. I would say you can learn a bit from Calvinists without becoming one. And you can become a charismatic without going off the deep end that some have jumped off. There is such a thing as good order. That's what I like about the Anglican Ordinariate, which has a sense of good order within a theological framework of traditional Catholicism. You have discovered Morning and Evening and Night Prayer, along with some of the Readings from the BCP. It's a good foundation for your spirituality, whether you follow the BCP, or the Catholic or Orthodox way of doing it. Settle into it. Make it something that gives rhythm to your life. It, this making holy the day, is the pattern of prayer used by original Christianity. While doing that, do look around among the varieties of Christianity, retaining what is good.

As to focusing on things which teach about Christ's nature, do read about the various councils of the Church. A good historical analysis of the councils has been done by Hubert Jedin. I hope it's still available. He was an excellent historian and faithful Christian.

 

[Orchardllc]

Great thread. Use these suggestions to build a daily routine of time spent approaching God and listening to what He has to say. With scripture as the backbone you can grow with excitement and confidence.

 

[Sketcher]

That book you are reading has an Episcopal bias. Lots of sources will have biases.

Back before the 2011 revision of the NIV, I would have recommended the NIV Study Bible for cases like this, its commentary notes actually have multiple views represented so the reader can prayerfully consider them. I haven't peeked inside a different translation's study Bible to know if the same is done with it. If you can find an NIV Study Bible that is the 1984 NIV rather than the 2011 NIV, I'd say pick one up.

 

[chevyontheriver]

That book has a bias.

What book are you referring to? It is helpful to backquote so readers can figure out what you are commenting on and who you are addressing.

 

[Sketcher]

What book are you referring to? It is helpful to backquote so readers can figure out what you are commenting on and who you are addressing.

Edited for clarity.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Edited for clarity.

Thank you. Now I know, or at least presume, you mean the BCP. Makes much more sense.

 

[hedrick]

It's essentially impossible to specific theological viewpoints, except for purely devotional resources. The Book of Common Prayer is that.

C S Lewis wrote a book called "Mere Christianity," in which he tried to avoid any particular viewpoint, although he didn't really succeed. He makes the point in the introduction that to really develop as a Christian, you pretty much have to do it within a specific tradition. There just isn't enough depth in "generic" Christianity. You're better off picking some reasonably moderate approach and exploring it. You can always explore other options later.

I'd be inclined to recommend a Bible study as the next approach. I like N T Wright's series "<name of book of the Bible> for everyone." I'd probably start with Luke, then Acts, then Romans. Wright is considered conservative in England and liberal in the US.

The reason I recommend a guide book when doing the Bible study is because knowing the historical background, and what the original readers would have understood is a real help.

 

[aiki]

Being a brand, brand, brand new Christian, (my previous interactions here I deem to be false and not in the spirit of me as a Christian now) I've been practicing severe caution as to not read books I find to have theological leanings in one direction or another, and the small Episcopal book of common prayer (found it at a thrift store I believe) has scripture and sayings of the Church fathers and I've found it to be a great peace resource to have in a pinch, as reciting the prayers in the book in my mind have been a great meditation to me. (I don't adhere to the specific times in the book as I use it in a devotional sense.)

Any advice on how to avoid teachers who lean in any certain direction? I want to know of God more but I don't want to be swayed into a theological paradigm. (Yet, that is, until I understand Scripture as a whole better.)

Toss the prayerbook, then. Study the Bible. As you know it better, you'll be better equipped to distinguish good doctrine from bad, true from false.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

See also Psalms 1.

 

[Newtheran]

Being a brand, brand, brand new Christian, (my previous interactions here I deem to be false and not in the spirit of me as a Christian now) I've been practicing severe caution as to not read books I find to have theological leanings in one direction or another, and the small Episcopal book of common prayer (found it at a thrift store I believe) has scripture and sayings of the Church fathers and I've found it to be a great peace resource to have in a pinch, as reciting the prayers in the book in my mind have been a great meditation to me. (I don't adhere to the specific times in the book as I use it in a devotional sense.)

Any advice on how to avoid teachers who lean in any certain direction? I want to know of God more but I don't want to be swayed into a theological paradigm. (Yet, that is, until I understand Scripture as a whole better.)

My personal advice would be not only to read scripture, but to familiarize yourself with church history to see how things came to be as they are today. This will help you understand your place in the faith once delivered to the saints with a long view of those believers and martyrs who have gone before you and those yet to come. It will help you develop an appreciation for Christian worship as something profound and timeless that is't merely something we make up in accordance with the cultural whims of the day but rather do so in accordance with what Jesus told and taught to the apostles and the generations of Christians which followed. It will help you to prevent getting locked into a specific theological paradigm while giving you a broader view about why those paradigms exist.

That having been said, you need to realize that over time different groups that claim the name of Christian have reformed themselves to grow closer to the faith or abandoned the teachings of their founders and grown further away from God. Just because you read something in a history book or prayer book doesn't mean that it is practiced by a group today in accordance with those who wrote it.

Oh, and spend a good amount of time in the Eastern Orthodox forum. If you have a question about something and are getting conflicting answers, assume their viewpoint to be correct.