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The point is not a new works righteousness or meaningless formality. Rather, this practice can provide a way of prayer that will help some—perhaps many—pray. St. Benedict wrote of singing Psalms "in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices." The daily office can integrate life and prayer in just this way.

Or, to paraphrase a great old hymn, this might just be the way for God to "take our moments and our days; [and to] let them flow in ceaseless praise."

Arthur Paul Boers is pastor of the Bloomingdale (Ontario) Mennonite Church. His latest book is Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior (Alban). His research was made possible in part by a grant from the Louisville Institute (a Lilly Endowment program)

Be sure to read our related features, "The Rise and Fall of the Daily Office" and "A Vespers Office."

Learn more about the Taize community at its Web site.

Visit the 'Holy Isle' of Lindisfarne's homepage.

Read up on the Parish Church of St.Mary the Virgin—some of the church might date back to St Aidan's original wooden structure. It is very likely that St.Aidan worshipped on this site from arriving in 635AD.

Find out more about Lindisfarne's Christian Retreat Center.

The Iona community site allows readers to learn more about Iona's history, its abbey, and its publications.

There are numerous Internet sites offering varieties of the daily office including: MissionStClare.com, Inetport.com, Satucket.com, and St-James-Parish.org.

Don't miss Christianity Today's "Saving Celtic Christianity" and "Invoking the Celtic Saints."

Christianity Today also reviewed Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water in 1999.

Previous Christianity Today stories about prayer include:

Can Prayer Cut New Mexico's Crime? | A New Mexico county sheriff thinks so. (June 7, 2000)

Let's Pray, Then Play | Piety in public may help students understand America's religious diversity. (June 6, 2000)

Lord's Prayer a musical hit in United Kingdom | Cliff Richard's rejected recording reaches number one. (Dec. 6, 1999)

The Prayer Team Next Door | (Oct. 4, 1999)

Celebrate Jesus 2000 | Churches Join 'Prayer Evangelism' (Jan. 11, 1999)

The Myth of a Better Prayer Life | Bagfuls of books on this subject showed me I wasn't struggling alone. (April 27, 1998)

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January 8 2001, Vol. 45, No. 1