The key to unity is unity in prayer.
But somehow, in the Church, we are so close and yet so far.
One of the great beauties of Anglicanism is the Book of Common Prayer — and, strangely, one of its failures too.
Rooted in the ancient prayers of the Church and structured much like the Jewish siddur, the Anglican prayer book was formally released in 1662. It was a gift of shared worship, daily prayer, and common life.
But since then?
We’ve created over 50 different versions.
Some are minor adaptations. Others are radically different.
Now contrast that with Judaism:
If I walk into a synagogue in China, Israel, England, or the U.S., I’ll hear the same prayers.
They may not agree on every detail of theology or observance — but they pray the same words to the same God.
Let me take it a step further.
I regularly use the 2019 Book of Common Prayer from the ACNA.
And I’ve had people question me:
“How can you use a prayer book from a church that’s no longer in the Anglican Communion?”
My answer?
First, because it’s one of the best modern versions available — beautifully written, pastorally shaped, and accessible to new believers.
Second, because it’s actually doing what a common prayer book should do — bringing people into daily worship with clarity and depth.
And to those who worry about its origins outside official structures, I say this:
Do Reformed and Orthodox Jews refuse to use the same siddur? No.
Do Catholics, Baptists, and Anglicans reject the NRSV just because it was translated by an ecumenical team? No.
Do KJV-only Baptists reject it because it was translated by Anglicans? Not at all.
So why can’t we, as Christians, get our act together and create a form of worship that transcends denomination — so that no matter where I am, or who I’m with, we can simply pray together?
No politics.
No tribalism.
Just the people of God, at prayer.
I have a vision —
That the Church would return to its roots.
I remember flying to Israel.
As the sun came up, a group of Jews gathered at the front of the plane to pray.
They didn’t know each other.
But they knew the same God, and they had the same words of worship.
Meanwhile, we’re still arguing whether it’s
“And with your spirit”
or
“And also with you.”
Church —
It’s time to grow up.
We are called to be mature children of God,
not squabbling over liturgical dialects while the world forgets how to pray at all.
Let’s reclaim common prayer.
Let’s reclaim unity in Christ.
Not through control, but through shared worship, humility, and love.
