The Eucharist Altar Book, designed for 1662 service use with Western Rite devotions

Updated edition released the Commemoration of E. B. Pusey.

The Eucharist: An Anglican Liturgy, Altar Edition

For the commemoration of E. B. Pusey a substantial update to the The Eucharist is ready to be released!

The Eucharist: An Anglican Liturgy in the tradition of the Ecclesia Anglicana, originally released Fall 2021, is an edited liturgy following the historic Anglican Holy Communion order, using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer form with optional, devotional additions from the Sarum Rite. The former is the use of the church since the 16th century; the latter the centuries which preceded it.

The source material comes from 1892, 1928, 1662 Books of Common Prayer, as well as English translations of the Sarum Rite. Some of the renditions from Sarum are not available online elsewhere, and come from Bishop Frank Weston’s (Zanzibar) work on the rites of the Church in England, from Sarum to 1662. Illustrations come from my copy of Percy Dearmer’s The English Liturgy, which was also lent to the editor of the ACNA Altar Book to use for the official Altar Book, released mid-2022 (in case the art looks familiar!).

While this may be a very niche project, this fulfils several use-cases. It is hoped that the hard work on this project will help reduce the barrier to entry for these situations, which are commendable but not the mainstream of American Anglicanism.
The aim is to provide:

1. An Anglo-Catholic Altar Book for those churches who wish to try, where permitted, the 1662: International Edition, either in special services, mission / church planting, or full parish adoption. For those who want a strict BCP, no catholic devotional additions (or Appendix III options), etc, IVP offers a PDF of the Holy Communion.

2. A traditional prayer book service order using the 2019 Anglican Church in North America Book of Common Prayer. While this option is provided for in the 2019 Prayer Book,¹ there exists few resources to implement this should one want to lead a service in this way. This may be an occasional service, or potentially for those churches who want to (or are required to) use the 2019 book, but have come from a 1928 background or prefer the historic prayer book tradition.

3. A budget 1928 Holy Communion with Catholic Devotions. The Prayer Book Society Altar Book for 1928 is $150, and the American Missal is $200. This work is a free PDF or budget hard copy project. As such, it is hoped this might be useful in mission and church plant work in those jurisdictions that still use the 1928 as primary prayer book.

The 2021 Altar Book has been considerably revised to include options and multiple canons so that one can use a single, budget Altar Book for leading either the 1662 BCP: International Edition, the 2019 ACNA Traditional Language Edition (1662 form), or the 1928 American liturgies. This edition includes both the traditional, historic 1-year and contemporary lectionary collects. The included 1-year scripture lectionary includes a listing of the First Lessons from Morning and Evening Prayer, as well as abbreviated Old Testament lesson options, if a third lesson/Psalm is to be added to Holy Communion where Morning or Evening Prayer is not celebrated. A suggested Psalm for the Gradual or responsive reading is included.

In other respects it is the same as the 2021 edition, including Sarum portions. Other than turning to the back for collects, one turn pages forward (no flipping back and forth for options), whether a celebrant is using the 1662:IE, 2019TLE, or 1928 Holy Communion Service. Pages have been set, where possible, to expect page turning at appropriate points for pausing, similar to the typography of the 1928. Font size is intentionally variable, with some portions large print when a priest might be kneeling, and otherwise appropriately fitting the page. This variable size was inspired by a few Anglo-Catholic altar books of the early 20th Century. It has also been re-titled: The Eucharist: An Anglican Liturgy in the tradition of the Ecclesia Anglicana.

Print-on-demand spiral-bound 7” x 10” hard copies are available for purchase and will reflect the intended size, 80lb white paper and higher DPI. As PDFs, the 7 x 10 layout formed a good compromise for home printing: it is usable in 5.5 x 8.5 half-sheet for normal print, and 8.5 x 11 / A4 for large print.

ACNA Contemporary Language

Additionally, a contemporary language Altar Book edition for use with the ACNA 2019 is available for download, along with a word document reorganizing the sections according the the rubrically-allowed 1662 service order. The official prayer book allows for a Traditional 1928/1662 service order, but no official resources have been made available. These are being made available free (download), or at-cost-of-printing (print-on-demand).

For more information, please visit anglican.center#acna

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1. “The Anglican Standard Text may be conformed to its original content and ordering, as in the 1662 or subsequent books” p. 104
“The Anglican Standard Text may be re-arranged to reflect the 1662 ordering” p. 142