Lenten Adult Formation Series:
Worship and the Architecture of Worship
This Sunday, March 29: From the Reformation to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer
Sundays at 9am | Hutton Hall
This course traces the evolution of Christian worship and its physical setting from the time of the apostles to the Book of Common Prayer. Beginning with the earliest Christians—originally a Jewish sect—we will explore worship in the Temple, synagogues, and homes, where the Eucharist was first shared, long before purpose-built churches emerged in the fourth century.
Rev. Bruce McNab brings a unique perspective to this Lenten adult formation series, drawing on his experience leading the construction or major renovation of church buildings in four of the five parishes he served as rector. This course was first developed during the rebuilding of his final parish in Aspen.
As that community reimagined its worship space, Rev. McNab explored the evolution of Anglican liturgical worship—from its Jewish roots to the Book of Common Prayer—alongside the history of Christian worship spaces. The series traces this journey from the Temple in Jerusalem through the centuries to churches in America today.
Sessions are primarily lecture-based, with opportunities for questions and discussion.
Bruce McNab became an Episcopal priest in 1972. Before retiring from full-time parish ministry in 2011, he served as rector of five different parishes, as well as being a guest preacher, teacher, workshop speaker, and retreat leader for congregations, dioceses, and organizations in the USA and overseas. Trained as a historian at Princeton University and the Institute of Historical Research in London, he taught church history as a seminary adjunct prof. He and his wife, Joan, first joined Saint Barnabas in 2017.