Remembering Knox

Jenny Geddes and all that! On July 23rd, 1637, the lady threw her stool at the minister in St. Giles, Edinburgh, for reading a liturgy from England. Earlier the same Sunday Patrick Henderson had read the service from John Knox’s liturgy without protest. Written and extempore prayer for Presbyterians goes back to Knox and Calvin. In this year when there are celebrations commemorating Knox’s 450th Scottish anniversary we might remember some of his written prayers. The first Prayer Book of Canadian Presbyterians was Social Worship (1900) prepared for lay folk conducting worship in pioneer western Canada. Secretary of the Committee which prepared the book was Sandford Fleming, better known by most of us as the inventor of Standard Time. Lay folk still need guides to help them leading worship in public.