Publications

With The Prayer Book Psalter: History, Text and Commentary now complete and ready for distribution, Fr. Ron is busy with The Layman's Lexicon: A Handbook of Scriptural, Theological and Liturgical Terms.  This new work will offer an every day language explanation of important terms from daily readings, the Sunday liturgy, our teaching homilies, Scripture and the liturgies of the Church.  It is not intended to offer anything new but instead it seeks to revive the ancient understandings of the first millenium that were essential to the building Christ's universal catholic church.  Since the research is still under way, please send your requests for inclusion of terms to ron.anglicanchurch@earthlink.net.

In time for Advent season, we will publish a new edition of Prayers in the Christian Tradition. This will be offered in large print and regular print versions.  This second edition includes "new" material from the ancient church and also from the 19th Century publications of the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations; the writings of The Blessed Lancelot Andrewes, Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I and King James I and one of the most brilliant writers of the Anglican tradition; and additional catenas based on the Psalms.

Publications may be paid for by check payable to St. Chrysostom Anglican Church (U.S. funds only, U.S. residents only) or by Visa or MasterCard.  If using a credit card, please fax your name (as it appears on your card), shipping address, local telephone number, account number on the card, expiration date, and details of which publication and quantity desired.  Fax this information to (804) 559-1627.

Cover art copyright 2006 Corinne M. Shibley.  All rights reserved.
Text copyright 2007, 2008 St.John Chrysostom Anglican Church, Inc. All rights reserved.

The book will be available in two sizes.  The pocket-size edition (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches) and the large print edition (5.5 inches by 7.25 inches).  List prices are $20.00 for the pocket size and $25.00 for the large print edition.  Please add $2.50 for shipping and handling (USPS Media Mail).  Please make checks payable to St. Chrysostom Church and mail them with your name and shipping address to 7162 Soft Wind Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111-5623.  

We anticipate being able to ship books beginning November 15th.

Prayers in the Christian Tradition

Christians often have problems finding sources of traditional prayers.  We are preparing the Second Edition of our collection of prayers from the religious traditions of the Western and Eastern churches.  The first section of the 100-page book is divided into prayers to the Father, prayers to the Son, prayers to the Holy Spirit, and prayers to the Holy Trinity.  The second section is divided into Morning, Noonday, and Evening prayers.  The third section contains prayers for special seasons.  Many of the prayers use the ancient early Christian practice of making a catena, a term meaning a collection of prayers based on one or more verses of Scripture.  Here are some examples from the First Edition:

GUIDE us, O Lord our God, and teach us to walk in thy paths of righteousness; Keep our lives in peace, and our ways pleasing in thy sight; Guide thy servants on their earthly and heavenly course along thy paths of purity unto thine only-begotten son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who became our Prince of Life and the hope of our salvation; with whom thou art blesssed, O Father Almighty, together with thy life-giving and liberating Holy Spirit, now and for ever, world without end.  Amen.
   Armenian Orthodox Prayer

BLESSED be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit together reigneth, one God.  World without end.  Amen.
    A catena on 1 Corinthians 1:3-4

O LORD, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and of great mercy, give ear to our prayer and work upon us a sign for good; guide us every day and night in thy way that we may always walk in the light of thy truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
    A Catena on Psalm 85

HAVE mercy upon me, O  God, after thy great goodness; Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin: Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me;  Cast me not from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.  World without end.  Amen.
   A Catena on Psalm 51:1, 2, 10, 11, 15

Cover art copyright 2008.  St. Chrysostom Anglican Church, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Prayer Book Psalter:
History, Text & Commentary
Fr. Ronald E. Shibley, Editor

$35.00
(Plus $4.00 shipping & handling - USPS Media Mail)

For traditional Anglicans, the Psalter has played an integral part in the development of the liturgies of the church, as it did and still does in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.  Many Protestant denominations also read from or sing verses from the Psalms in their liturgies.  The Psalter has also influenced many hymn writers. 

The Prayer Book Psalter: History, Text & Commentary  edited by Father Ronald E. Shibley begins with a brief, layman's language intooductory history of the Psalms, the Prayer Book Psalter and its usage in the Anglican tradition.  The history is followed by the entire text of the Psalter according to the text of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, with the responsive portion (after the asterisk) in bold face type.  For each Psalm, there is a Commentary, drawing upon Western, Eastern and evangelical Protestant perspectives on the meaning and context and a mention of the major hymns inspired by the Psalm, with title, author's name and date.  At the bottom of the Commentary is a listing of how and when each Psalm appears in the Book of Common Prayer, including the Lectionary.  In several cases, where an alternate translations may provide a clearer meaning, a second text is provided.  Following the Bibliography is a Glossary of all the names of persons and places in the Prayer Book Psalter, including Scriptural cross-references.  

The book is designed for use in the study and reading of the Psalter.  It is available in regular print and large type versions (please specify when ordering). The lockable comb binding allows it to lay flat when fully open.  All net proceeds from the sale of the book will go to St. Chrysostom Anglican Church, which owns the copyright interest.

Please make your check for your contribution, including shipping and handling (USPS) to St. Chrysostom Anglican Church and mail it to 7162 Soft Wind Lane, Mechanicsville, VA. 23111-5623.  We do take Visa, and Mastercard.