Resources

General Information 

Online Resources include:

The Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church is a useful document for learning about your ministry. You are directed especially to review the following in the Canons:

Title II — Worship

Canon 1: Of the Due Celebration of Sundays

Canon 2: Of Translations of the Bible — 

Sec. 1 provides the list of Bible translations we may use in public worship.

Title III — Ministry

Canon 1, Sec. 1: Of the Ministry of All Baptized Persons

Canon 4: Of Licensed Ministries

Sec. 1. a. lists the various lay ministries that may be authorized.

Sec. 4 describes the ministry of a Lay Worship Leader.

In Mississippi, our Diocesan Constitution and Canons, Title I, Canon 18 discusses how lay ministries are licensed in our Diocese.

A variety of liturgical resources may be found here. These include:

The Book of Common Prayer;

Lesser Feasts and Fasts; and

An Online Calendar from The Episcopal Church.

The Lectionary of The Episcopal Church may be found here.

Need a sermon to read on Sunday morning? Visit Sermons that Work for weekly homilies you can share as well as other resources.

⚠️ Note: unless licensed as a Lay Preacher, lay persons are not authorized to draft and deliver sermons with few exceptions such as Youth Sunday or a Stewardship Sunday or other special occasion.

Printed Resources include:

Books offering good summaries of The Episcopal Church, including history, doctrine, liturgy, and more include:

Jesus Was An Episcopalian (And You Can Be One Too!) by the Rev. Chris Yaw.

Looking at the Episcopal Church by the Rev. William Sydnor.

1 — The Word of God

Online Resources include:

Episcopal 101 - Session 3, Scripture, offers a basic introduction to understanding the Bible from an Episcopal perspective in a brief, 44-minute video. 

Principles of Biblical Interpretation is a clear 7-page approach to reading, understanding, and applying the Bible.

Our 7 Principles for Interpreting the Scriptures 

The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation is a 383-page PDF for those who wish to do a scholarly deep dive into the history and principles of Biblical interpretation.

Top 10 rules for reading the Bible 

Printed Resources include:

Welcome to the Bible, by Vicki K. Black, is a good introduction not only to Scripture but also is offered from a particularly Episcopal perspective. A bit basic? Yes, but still useful.

2 — The Doctrine of the Church

Online Resources include:

This 12-minute video, What do Episcopalians Actually Believe?, offers a basic yet still useful overview of the doctrine of our church.

For a more detailed view invest 29 minutes in watching Episcopal Beliefs. 

Monarchianism is an article found on grokipedia.com that offers a pretty solid introduction to the heresies of the early church.

Printed Resources include:

Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices by the Rev. Scott Gunn & the Rev. Melody Wilson. These two Episcopal priests provide good information for all who want to know more about how we Episcopalians believe and worship.

3 — The History of the Church

Online Resources include:

Episcopal 101 - Session 4, Church History is a brief, 32-minute video providing a quick yet quite informative introduction to the history of The Episcopal Church. 

History of Anglicanism & the Episcopal Church, at 30 minutes long, covers similar territory but with a great emphasis on the early days of the Church of England from which our Episcopal Church emerged.

Printed Resources include:

A Brief History of the Episcopal Church by David L. Holmes is a useful text if you’d like to know more than a couple of brief videos can share.

4 — The Liturgy of the Church

Online Resources include:

The Book of Common Prayer is a half-hour long video introduction to the BCP. While you may already know much of what is covered, it is highly recommended.

Two online articles, The Daily Office Tutorial, part I – Morning Prayer Introduction, and
The Daily Office Tutorial, part II – Morning Prayer Introduction, are offered as guides for those praying the Daily Office privately, though it includes great information for those wanting to understand Morning Prayer.

Sunday Liturgy Without A Priest: Part Two is a short essay on the value of offering Morning Prayer in our churches.

An Instructed Service of Morning Prayer is a clear description of the service as it is offered at one Episcopal Church.

An Anatomy of a Collect introduces the structure of this common prayer.

Printed Resources include:

The Book of Common Prayer is our primary resource (well, other than the Bible, of course!). The following selections are recommended for study and reflection:

Pages 13–14: “Concerning the Service of the Church” provides valuable context.

Pages 15–18: “The Calendar of the Church Year” introduces the intricacies of our church year.

Page 36 and pages 141-145: “Concerning the Service” and “Additional Directions” are required reading for all officiants and include suggested Canticles for use in the Daily Offices.

Pages 157–261: “The Collects for the Church Year” are the source for the Collect of the Day included in Morning Prayer (though frankly it’s faster to click on the Lectionary Page link for the collect and lessons for Sundays and other occasions).

Pages 814–841: “Prayers and Thanksgivings” includes a variety of prayers you may find appropriate to include in the Daily Office, depending on what is happening in your church and in the world.

Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer by Vicki K. Black is an introductory book yet offers real insights into the BCP.

Another very basic introduction may be found in A User's Guide to the Book of Common Prayer: Morning and Evening Prayer by Christopher L. Webber.

And if you’re looking for a more detailed look at and guidance for leading the Daily Office, Prayer Book Rubrics Expanded by Byron D. Stuhlman is an excellent resource for all who plan and implement liturgy.