Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life

by Derek Olsen

Have you ever wondered if there was some kind of guide to living a deeper, richer spiritual life that seamlessly incorporated scripture alongside the wisdom of the Church? There is--and you can find it in a pew rack near you! The Book of Common Prayer is more than a service book; it is a map to a deeper relationship with God, a framework for developing a more intentional and rewarding life of faith.

Scholar Derek Olsen explores liturgical spirituality and how the prayer book serves as a repository of Christian wisdom and spiritual practice stretching back to the beginnings of the Christian movement. Focusing on three key elements--the Calendar, the Daily Office, and the Eucharist--he discusses the spiritual principles behind them and provides clear, practical, easy-to-follow explanations of the services. These patterns of life laid out in The Book of Common Prayer serve as a guide to the spiritual life, so that we might connect back to the God who calls each of us by name and that we might love as God loves us.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Christian Living, Prayer, Nonfiction

326 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever thought of beginning a daily spiritual discipline, this is the place to start. Using the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, "Inwardly Digest" explains the WHY and the HOW of a daily spiritual discipline--as well as how to stick with it. Author Derek Olson likens it to the training a runner does for a race--be it a 5k or a marathon. There must be a plan. It must be done daily. There must be personal discipline. And when you mess up (and you will), you begin again. And while there is much joy in a daily spiritual discipline, don't fool yourself: It takes effort to do it and do it right. And this is where this book will help guide you.

On Advent I in 2012, I began reading/praying the Daily Office in the morning and evening and rarely miss doing so. After all these years, Olson helped me to define this special time in my day as consecrated time for God. I love that! Ideal for Episcopalians--but not exclusively so--this book will help you center your faith in a way that really matters. But be forewarned! If you take on and stick with a daily spiritual discipline, it will change your life.

In addition, this fascinating book explains the WHY and the HOW of each part of the Episcopal liturgy. I am a lifelong Episcopalian, faithful in my attendance at church, and I still learned so much from this book! The sections on the psalms and the collects were eye-opening. The book is written for the layman in easy-to-read, conversational language--so no one should feel intimidated.

If you're looking for an easy way to read/pray the Daily Office, get this for your Kindle from editor Eric Simmons: Daily Office Rite II Morning and Evening Prayers Advent Sunday 2016 to Advent Sunday 2017 ($2.99 for Kindle only).
https://www.amazon.com/Office-Morning...

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "user's guide" of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (excepting Pastoral Offices and Episcopal Services) that also provides a helpful history of the structure and choices in the various services. I thought the discussion Morning and Evening Prayer were especially illuminating and the heart of the book (insofar as the author promotes praying the Daily Office). The discussion of the Eucharistic liturgy was also interesting, even if I thought his discussion of eucharistic theology was a little hard to follow at times.

I especially appreciated the lack of polemics in the book - the author expressed his own opinions respectfully and without criticizing the choices made in the 1979 edition.

[David Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good primer to understanding the Book of Common Prayer

Being new to the Episcopal Church I struggled with understanding how to use the Book of Common Prayer during the week as a tool to grow my spirituality. This book has given me the tools I need. It should be required reading for anyone new to the Episcopal Church.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an early reader of Derek's blog, I thoroughly enjoyed _Inwardly Digest_ and am pleased to see him becoming one of the preeminent voices for liturgical renewal in our church. Most importantly, he argues for the Prayer Book as a doctrinal center and tool for spiritual discipline, NOT as a hook on which to hang his preferred aesthetic for worship. Parishes and individuals centering on the Prayer Book can look as different as humanly possible -- but in Derek's telling, they will be accomplishing incredible things from the perspective of catechesis, spirituality, and community no matter the aesthetic choices, Rite I vs Rite II, high church or low, etc.

I would particularly love to see a further revival of the Daily Office along the lines Derek lays out here. His treatment of the Office is admirable in its flexibility and sensitivity to real-world concerns. He is not arguing that all Episcopalians should pray like monastics. Instead, he offers a deep discussion of what each element of the Prayer Book Office can provide, with frequent asides about where our liturgies fit beside other Christian traditions.

Highly recommended, for liturgy nerds and the newly initiated alike!

[Riley Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a practicing Roman Catholic, not an Episcopalian, and I've been praying and using The Book of Common Prayer for over two years now. Dr. Olsen's "Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life," helped me love and appreciate the Daily Office and prayer book even more. It also helped me understand how the prayer book should be used and the correct way of using it.

Thank you Dr. Olsen for your wonderful scholarship!

[John Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some outside of the Episcopal church criticize this worship as lacking much scriptural foundation. Derek Olsen dispels this belief effectively showing that much of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) has its roots in the Bible. The author begins his discussion of the Book of Common Prayer with an overview of liturgical worship. He then transitions into a review of the daily offices, including morning and evening prayer, and the psalms. The book culminates in a fitting end with a focus on the Eucharist. This book should be in anyone's library seeking an understanding of Episcopal worship.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Protestant book on the BCP did more to help me grow in love and understanding of the Liturgy of the Hours/Divine Office than any Catholic resource ever has. It totally changed how I experience the Hours, which in turn has transformed my extemporaneous prayer life as well. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

[Savannah Merchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful to a new Episcopalian. Must read for anyone new to the faith. Only 4 stars bc I think it could use some editing for brevity/redundancy. But the great research, helpful structure, and mystical/down-to-earth theology behind this book more than make up for the parts that tend to drag on a bit.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful!

I recently started attending an Episcopal Church and found it so different from the Presbyterian Church. The morning service I attend uses the actual Prayer Book and Inwardly Digest has really helped me learn, grow and enhance my spirituality.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great resource to use for a course on the Book of Common Prayer. Many Episcopal Churches have moved to using service bulletins for Sunday worship, but the BCP is a wonderful instrument for use by the people.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thorough look at the BCP. It explores the history of the components and their theological significance. This book is probably best for more seasoned Episcopalians - it can get a bit technical.

[Tynan Brooks]

Very useful introduction to the BCP as it would actually be used on a regular basis. Particularly liked his focus on the ways in which the Office and the Eucharist build upon one another in shaping your spiritual life.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly great read if you are looking to improve your spiritual life, orthopraxy. The how and the why's are very helpful

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by Ann Glaser, the book is very helpful!

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a newcomer to The Book of Common Prayer, this was very helpful.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good guide to the book of common prayer as a source of spiritual development. Rather (understandably) American-focussed, but still useful to the English Christian looking to delve deeper into the spirituality of the liturgy.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is Episcopalian, especially in the US, should read this book. The BCP is one of the great treasures of the Anglican tradition - it ties us to all believers throughout the history of the Church and offers a wealth of scriptural and traditional pathways to a closer walk with Christ in the context of the Church. However, in this era of printed service bulletins, use of the Prayer Book in individuals' lives has become much less valued, and so when we approach it, its patterns can seem strange and confusing. In this book, Olsen takes the reader through the three major sections of the BCP, explaining their significance and guiding the reader in their use. I came away with a much greater understanding of how the prayer book can help structure my daily life in such a way that its focus is Christ. Highly recommended.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek Olsen's beautifully written, wonderfully accessible, and theologically astute guide to the Book of Common Prayer takes its rightful place on my bookshelf next to Hatchett's "A Commentary on the American Prayer Book," and Mitchell's "Praying Shapes Believing." I've been an Episcopalian all my life, and even as a priest, I fall victim to the trap of thinking the Prayer Book is a book of services primarily used on Sunday. Where Olsen leads us, however, is into the somewhat embassassingly obvious waters of looking at the Prayer Book as a tool, a program, a guide for spiritual growth and spiritual development. His writing is witty, smart, clear, and fun to read. Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians alike will get a lot out of this book. If you know someone looking for more in their life, someone who has expressed an interest or desire to know God and be known by God, get them a copy of the Book of Common Prayer and this book.