The Divine Hours

Unlike other reviewers of The Divine Hours: Pocket Edition, I did not come to this book from the larger, three volume set of The Divine Hours. I was unaware of those when I ran across this in a book store and just had a feeling that it might provide something I was needing. So, I'm not sure how this compares to the larger set, but I can certainly say that I have had a wonderful experience with it. It's a tremendous collection that's helped to revitalize my prayer life, and I suspect that this pocket edition might be a good way for people who've never prayed the hours (like myself before this book) to be introduced to that way of approaching prayer. I do think that Phyllis Tickle has done an outstanding job of adapting traditional prayers and biblical passages into each set of fixed-hour prayers. Even after having prayed through the book for months, I'm consistently surprised by the beauty of the words and selections and am challenged by them each day. Since I think that this is a good introduction to praying the hours, I would also add a note for those who come to the book from traditions who practice less formal, more extemporaneous prayer. I came from such a tradition, and I certainly see and know the necessity of such creatively engaged prayer in many situations. The value I find is such formal expression of prayer, as in this book, is in the way it decenters the individual's agency in prayer; God becomes the agent. As you find yourself adapting to the rhythms of the language and to the rhythms of the day, I think you can find yourself moved toward a very different attitude--of humility, listening rather than speaking, being shaped rather than trying to change everything. I recommend The Divine Hours as a way to add variety to prayer life and as a way to further develop that attitude of openness and humility.

I own Tickles 3 volume work The Divine Hours. The beauty of this little volume is the simplicity of it, one has only the days of the week rather than a years calendar for prayers. Obviously this leaves a lot of material out, but it is much more accessible and manageable. There are, as in the larger work, some real treasures in the daily prayers, such as hymns like Cowpers God Moves In Mysterious Ways, along with quotes from the great mystics. I also like very much the prayers included in the back, the Collect for Purity from the BCP, prayed daily by John Wesley, Anima Christi, the Prayer of Saint Francis, and many others. If you like liturgical prayer, or are simply curious about it, this would make a great beginning.

This is a great travel companion to the other prayer books by Phyllis Tickle. It is nice to have a place to go for prayer at any of the 7 times that are covered by this book. I am a pastor of an evangelical church and I have moved our church toward praying the "offices." The three seasonal books by Phyllis Tickle are the best, but this book allows much flexibility and is a good place for someone to start.

Once again, Phyllis Tickle does a superb job of adapting the traditional prayers of the hours to modern life. This very compact tome contains an excellent prayer set arranged for the traditional seven offices for each of the seven days in the week. This volume is excellent, not only for travel, but when time does not permit the use of the more extended hourly offices found in the larger prayer books by the same author. I own all of the Phyllis Tickle "The Divine Hours TM" and cherish each.

This little book is an alernative to the (two volume) larger set and is to be carried on trips etc. I use it often and am grateful to have it.