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Prayer Beads an Anglican Way of Prayer

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Prayer Beads an Anglican Way of Prayer Prayer Beads An Anglican Way Of Prayer By Bud Davis, PhD It is clear from scripture that the most important activity we can do as a Christian is to spend time with the Lord in prayer. The Apostle Paul writes, “…pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) That being the case, the best thing to do is to schedule a daily prayer time. With a regular schedule your prayer time soon becomes a spiritual habit. Praying early morning works best for me and it makes for a positive beginning for each new day. A problem that seems to sneak into my prayer time is an unplanned interruption that is totally unrelated to prayer. I call it mental drifting. The interruptions may be due to my lack of focus. The problem is it causes a loss of prayer time. I have had times where I drifted and one or two hours later remembered that I had not finished my prayers. At that point I need to repent and finish my prayers in a manner that is rushed and thoughtless. I have in essence embarrassed myself in front of the Lord. What can I do to resolve this issue? As I started to think about a solution the word beads popped into my head. Why? Well, I collect old African trade beads and I was literally looking at some beads and I had the thought “why not use beads to help with prayer.” I wondered if Anglicans use or could use prayer beads. It was time to do some research and what I found was very interesting. In medieval English the word bede from which our word bead is derived, means “a prayer.” So it seems to use beads in prayer is most appropriate. For centuries people of all faith traditions have used some form or method to count the number of prayers offered to God. Second century hermit Abbot Paul is said to have prayed 300 ’Our Fathers’ while moving pebbles from one pile to another. By the 8th century penitents were instructed to recite a required number of prayers and wear a 1 prayer rosary as a sign of penitence. St. Dominic is credited with the widespread use of the rosary among Christians whom he encouraged to pray the rosary for the conversion of sinners and for those who had left the faith. During the 15th century rosaries became very popular amongst devout Christians. However, for the Church of England things began to change. The English Reformation involved a strong antipathy toward anything that had their origin in Papal teaching including the rosary. It was the boy king, Edward VI who wrote a decree banning rosary beads in 1547. Interesting to note that Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s dislike for prayer beads no doubt influenced Edward’s thinking. Elizabeth I in 1571 again banned rosary beads. It is clear the Church of England was not supportive of the use of a rosary to count prayers. The most important and exciting information I found was that an Episcopal priest in the mid 1980s introduced the concept of prayer beads for Anglicans. The purpose was to assist in helping an individual come into the presence of God for contemplative prayer. The relatively new Anglican Prayer Beads (APBs) are sort of a combination of the Christian Eastern Orthodox Prayer Rope and the Roman Catholic Rosary. In order to avoid confusion of purpose I will not be referring to the APBs as a rosary. Within Anglican tradition there is not a correct way or assigned method in which to use your prayer beads. You might say that Anglican Prayer Beads are sort of a do-it-yourself prayer project. Anglican Prayer Beads are packed with Biblically based symbolism. First, there is a cross, a reminder we are redeemed by Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Next is an Invitatory Bead, which calls us to prayer and to pray without ceasing. Then there is a Cruciform Bead. There are four Cruciform Beads and they form the shape of a cross reminding us of the centrality of Jesus in our lives. They also refer to the four cardinal points of the compass 2 and the four Gospels. Thus we recall our connection with God’s creation and Jesus’ great commission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:19) In addition they serve as a place of rest to recall the intention(s) of your prayer time. The four Cruciform Beads separate the four sets of seven Week Beads. These represent the seven days of creation, seven days of the week, and the seven Sacraments of the Anglican Church. In the gospel written by the Apostle John he writes the words of Jesus’ seven different “I Am” statements. (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7; 10:11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1) If we count Ordinary Time as a season of the Christian Church year we have seven seasons. (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and Ordinary Time). It can be noted that the number seven represents wholeness and completeness as in the seven days of creation. The total number of beads is 33 representing the time Jesus lived among us. Below is a diagram of Anglican Prayer Beads with 33 beads plus the cross or crucifix. It is the most widely used pattern or sequence in use by Anglicans today. The touching of each bead as we pray is an aid in keeping our minds from drifting. It also helps our mind, body and spirit to come into a time of closeness with God. 3 An important point to remember is the individual decides what prayers to use for each bead and for the cross. Select the prayers that work best for you. It is suggested that you consider the Bible for verses or prayers from the Book of Common Prayer if you choose to create your own prayers. Once you have your plan it is time to practice. You may decide to memorize the prayers you have selected for certain beads. Or your prayers may be spontaneous. Find your right time of day and ideally a quiet place for your prayer time. Allow enough time to pray through the beads at an unhurried and intentional pace. Leave worldly concerns outside your prayer location. Take a moment of silence to focus on being with the Lord. Then begin a time of focused prayer using your prayer beads. During your prayers you may find yourself moving into the presence of the Lord in a way you may not have expected. Simply enjoy the moment. 4 Outlined below is the procedure to use when using your prayer beads. Period of Silence 1. Hold the cross in one hand and say a prayer of your choice. 2. Move to the Invitatory Bead and say the prayer you have selected. 3. Move to the first Cruciform Bead. Say the prayer of your choice. 4. Moving to the right or counter clockwise, go through the first seven Week Beads and recite what you have assigned to each one. Each bead may have the same prayer or a different one. That is your decision. 5. Continue around the circle, saying prayers assigned for each Week Bead and each Cruciform Bead. 6. After the 4th Cruciform Bead exit to the Invitatory Bead and recite the prayer of your choice. 7. Finish with the cross and say the prayer you have selected. Period of Silence The period of silence is a time to rest with the Lord. This is a quiet time for you to listen to what the Lord may desire to say to you. Some folks choose to hold on to their prayer beads or the cross during this special time. You might end your prayer time by saying, “Thank you Lord.” Attached is an outline of what I currently use when using my prayer beads. In Philippians Paul writes, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:5,6) The prayer format of Adoration, Confession, 5 Thanksgiving, and Supplication (ACTS) seems to reflect Paul’s words, so I use ACTS with my prayer beads. You are free to create your own prayer sequence that meets your prayer needs. But do be careful that what you select does not violate scripture. After the first Cruciform Bead are seven Week Beads. This first group is for Adoration, seven ways I adore my Savior and Lord. The second Cruciform is followed with seven beads for Confession. The third set is for Thanksgiving and the last set of seven is for Supplication. Your prayers may change every day according to what is happening in your life, so remain flexible. To get started, try using the pattern of ACTS as outlined on the last page. If you need more Week Beads for a section simply repeat using the same beads. It has been suggested that going around your prayer beads three times signifies the Holy Trinity. Remember you decide what works for you. Anglican Prayer Beads (APBs) may be purchased online from a variety of places. But be careful when making a purchase that what you select has the correct bead pattern (see the diagram on page 4). Select the prayer beads that seem to fit your personal taste1. Enjoy your prayer time and your quiet time with the Lord. 1 Anglican Prayer Beads vary in length from 9” to 17” from the top of the loop to the bottom of the cross.
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