The right Book of Common Worship depends on how you will use it. For planning Presbyterian congregational services, start with the full 2018 volume. For visits and occasional services, consider the smaller Pastoral Edition. For a regular practice of personal or group prayer, choose Daily Prayer. Match the edition and ISBN before ordering: similar titles can lead to a different church tradition or an older text.
This guide compares the contents and formats documented by the publisher and church. It does not rate anyone’s religious practice or claim that one book is the right choice for every congregation.
Which Book of Common Worship do you need?
- Planning Sunday worship and services across the church year: the full Book of Common Worship, 2018 edition.
- Carrying a service book to pastoral visits, weddings or funerals: Book of Common Worship, Pastoral Edition, 2018.
- Praying at home, in a small group or at a church meeting: Book of Common Worship, Daily Prayer, 2018.
- Following a course, congregation or historical study: buy the exact edition it specifies, even if a newer edition is available.
Three editions with different purposes
Book of Common Worship, 2018 edition: the broad service resource
Westminster John Knox Press Book of Common Worship, 2018 Hardback, One Volume
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The publisher identifies this as a 1,200-page hardback, ISBN 9780664503185. It covers Sunday worship, the Christian year, sacraments and pastoral and occasional services. The 2018 revision adds practical commentary and guidance for composing prayers, alongside revised marriage and funeral material.
This is the most sensible starting point when your job is to consult a wide range of services rather than carry a compact selection. Its 6-by-9-inch format is larger than the two companion editions. Check the publisher’s contents and sample for the specific services you need. A familiar cover alone is not enough to identify the edition.
Book of Common Worship, Pastoral Edition, 2018: a portable selection
The Pastoral Edition, ISBN 9780664503512, draws material from the full 2018 book. Its 464 pages include resources for baptisms, ordinations, weddings, house blessings, hospital visits, wholeness services and funerals. The publisher lists a 4.5-by-7.5-inch leatherette format with two sewn-in ribbon markers.
Choose it when portability and those particular services matter most. Before treating it as your only service book, compare its table of contents with your actual responsibilities. A compact selection should not be assumed to contain every section or page reference in the full volume.
Book of Common Worship, Daily Prayer, 2018: for a recurring prayer practice
Daily Prayer, ISBN 9780664503529, focuses on prayer in congregations, small groups, households and personal devotion. The publisher lists simple daily services, a complete psalter, other biblical songs, prayers for different occasions and lectionary material. It is a 592-page leatherette volume in the same nominal 4.5-by-7.5-inch size as the Pastoral Edition.
This is the relevant choice if your main goal is to establish a pattern of prayer rather than plan weddings or the full range of Sunday services. Read the sample to see whether its layout works for you. Do not assume a book containing lectionary material also supplies a complete Bible.
Avoid buying a similarly named book by mistake
The 2018 editions above belong to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) worship-book project. The church’s announcement of the three editions provides context for the revision.
Common Worship is also the name of a separate Church of England family of liturgical resources. The Book of Common Prayer is another distinct title. These can be valuable books for their intended settings, but they are not alternate bindings of the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship. A seminary reading list or parish instruction should settle the choice more reliably than a retailer’s “similar items” list.
Check these details before ordering
- Edition and year: confirm “2018” in the product details or copyright-page image. Older editions and historical reprints can have the same main title.
- ISBN: compare all 13 digits against the edition above. A print ISBN and an ebook identifier can differ.
- Binding: verify hardback versus leatherette and the selected print or digital format. Retailers sometimes group formats under one listing.
- Condition: for a used copy, ask about missing pages, loose binding, writing and ribbon markers. Those matter when navigating during a service.
- Required contents: use the publisher’s sample rather than assuming the shorter editions are complete reproductions of the main book.
Common questions
Do I need all three editions?
Usually you can start with the edition that matches your main use. Someone planning congregational worship and making pastoral visits may find two formats useful, but buying a set is not necessary simply because the titles are related.
Is the 1993 edition the same as the 2018 edition?
No. Treat them as separate editions when following page references, preparing a course assignment or coordinating a service with others. Keep an older copy if it is the text your community uses; do not assume a new purchase will preserve its pagination or wording.
Can material be copied into a bulletin or livestream?
Check the copyright notice and the publisher’s current permission guidance for the specific material and use. Ownership of a printed book does not automatically permit unrestricted copying, and individual contributions may carry separate credits.
