Building bridges, not walls
“Please pray that an accessible translation of this beautiful liturgical resource will deepen our Protestant theological convictions and furnish a bridge between us and our Catholic neighbours.”
You can help Aleksander Saško Nezamutdinov publish a Polish translation of The Book of Common Prayer.
I was raised by my mother and my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother took me to an Orthodox church. When she died, my mother and I started attending a Greek Catholic Church. When I was twelve, I was invited to movie nights and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Protestant churches. I started to read and study the Bible. In Acts chapter 17, I learned that religious images and objects can obscure the person of Jesus. I was shown the way of salvation and within a few weeks I trusted Jesus as my Sovereign Lord and Saviour.
My mother didn’t want me to join a “cult” and wouldn’t allow me to attend the services or meetings. But, thanks to God, after some time she stopped arguing with me. Jesus had changed me and my mother noticed the difference.
Words shape us
In my high school, I started an International Partnership evangelistic ESL ministry called Life in Christ. After graduating, I decided to go to university to study foreign languages. However, after passing the entrance exams, I realised that God wanted me to study at a Bible College.
My journey into Christian publishing began as I learned how literature shapes faith communities. As a church planter, I was frustrated by the lack of decent Christian books in the Polish language. Especially books that build bridges between different Christian traditions. We are currently translating The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) into Polish. This is the third attempt to publish the BCP in Polish.
The first full Polish translation was published in London in 1836. This was followed by an abridged edition produced in Warsaw in 1931. Given the growing interest in Anglican theology and liturgy in Poland, we believe the time is right for a modern translation of the complete text.
Words unite us
The Book of Common Prayer is a unique connection between Catholic and Protestant traditions. It offers a familiar yet refreshing approach to worship that honours tradition while embracing Reformation principles. This translation will give Polish-speaking Christians access to one of the most influential works of Protestant literature.
An accessible Polish edition of BCP will also serve as a valuable resource for theological education in seminaries and churches. It fosters meaningful dialogue between different Christian traditions, creating pathways toward greater unity in the body of Christ. I hope that it will provide a model for similar projects in other countries.
Please pray that this prayer book will find its way into the hands of those who are hungry to deepen their connection with God and their neighbour through the disciplines of prayer and praise.
Aleksander Saško Nezamutdinov is the founding editor of Wydawnictwo MW (MW Publishing House) in Kraków.