“The Book of Common Prayer is full of miserable sinning. When, from the 1960s on, use of Cranmer’s eucharistic rite began to fail, the reason often given was distaste at the way he went on about sin. What relevance could such gloom possibly have to a world that was not on the brink of damnation, but a cheerful future built of tower blocks, holidays on Mars and driving to work in your own personal hovercraft? Congregations did not care to think they were miserable sinners once they had twisted to the hit parade, tasted instant mash, feasted off Formica and actually seen Wombles and hot pants.”
— The joy of being a miserable sinner, part seven of Alan Wilson’s insightful series of columns on The Book of Common Prayer.
