Customer Reviews
the best prayer you can buy - By: jesus' girl, 05 Nov 2008 
this is the most astounding daily prayer book & i would recommend to everyone - you have day breaking prayers, morning prayers,in the day prayers, evening prayer, compline...all beautifully set out with a range of options. A huge selection of collects & all the psalms at the back with a response & fitting prayer at the end...different prayers for different seasons...it is just perfect, i couldn't be without it.
An Outstanding New Breviary - By: The Rev. Emil Belsky, 09 Aug 2005 
The Church of England's Liturgical Commission & Church House Publishing are to be congratulated for the outstanding work donein producing the definitive edition of "Common Worship: Daily Prayer." This revision of the Church's daily round of prayer should set the standard for other revisions throughout the Anglican Communion. Particularly noteworthy is the overall structure of these offices, their flexibility, & the tone & mood set with each seasonal variation. You begin to wonder at how so much could be includedin so small a book! I especially appreciate the many scriptural canticles (pp. 548-644) & the options of beginning Morning Prayer with "The Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day" (p. 108) & Evening Prayer with the ancient ceremony of the "Blessing of Light" (p. 110).
While much that is good can be found here, there are also some things which, to my mind, require closer scrutiny. Verse 3 of Psalm 3 (p. 651) where God is referred to as "the lifter up of my head" & verse 2b of Psalm 115 (p. 823) "Where is now their God" seem awkward & unfortunate renderings. Because of their importance to these offices, a thorough review of the Psalms for translation & euphony isin order (while not perfect, the inclusive language version of the Grail Psalms might be considered). Most of the Forms of Intercession (pp. 366-399) are absolutely right on (see pp. 376, 394-395) while some need further work (see p. 374, which strikes me at least as too wordy & preachy).
These minor problems should not, however, detract from the great achievement overall of "Common Worship: Daily Prayer"--to make available to the ordained & non-ordained alike a round of daily prayer that is simple enough to be used widely, flexible enough to allow for local adaptation, & of ample inspiration & appeal as to invite usein daily prayer. I will continue to use it as part of my own daily spiritual discipline.
Roll Over Archbishop Cranmer - By: , 11 Jul 2005 
I would not consider myself as a reactionary Anglican, but this 'finished' edition of Daily Prayer makes me long for the straight forward & more accessible Book of Common Prayer usage. It suffers from the problems that the BCP sought to rectifyin 1549, namely;
" The manifold changes of the [pre-reformation] Service, was the cause, that to turn the Book only was so hard & intricate a matter, that many times there was more business to find out what should be read, than to read it when it was found out."
BCP 1662 CONCERNING THE USE OF THE CHURCH
The shorter edition - 'Celebrating Daily Prayer: A Version of Common Worship Daily Prayer' (ISBN No: 0819281344) - is more user-friendly & compact, with sufficient seasonal material to give variation without the complexity of the parent volume. Consider 'Celebrating Daily Prayer'as your office book before buying this expensive tome.
