Vespers

Holy Transfiguration Skete at Jacob's Falls

"Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties."

                                                           (Psalm 141:1-4 KJV)

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." I have missed the Evening Prayers. I was able to attend the Vespers Service at the Holy Transfiguration Skete, a Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine Rite, last night. It has been a few years since I was able to be there. I miss the reverence of the service; the quietness of the sanctuary. The sincere sounds of confession, petititions, the affirmation of God's promises, and the melodious sound of scripture being chanted.

Simply put: I have missed the liturgy and it was a relief to be there. I have attended Vespers whenever I have been able to since 1996 when I served as a Vicar to Keweenaw Lutheran Ministries, a church without walls. At that time the sanctuary was still in the monks' living room in a little cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. With the direction and help of God, much has been accomplished over the years.  

Over the years; wherever I have lived, I have attempted to either implement a Vespers Service at congregations that I served or to find a Lutheran Vespers Service that I could attend to no avail. I miss the solemnity of the service; the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

"As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." 

                                                                             (Psalm 55:16-17)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Job's Sacrifice; Our Prayers

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. (Job 1:4-5 NIV)

Yesterday morning, as I was praying for a few generations of my family, it suddenly occurred to me that Job had done pretty much the same thing for his children. Of course, my prayers only included thanksgivings and petitions; whereas, Job's included sacrifices of burnt offerings.

It was Job's custom as is the custom of many parents and grandparents to worry about what kind of relationship their offspring have with God. Are they sinning against God? Are they cursing him in their hearts? And; if so, have they the wisdom to repent; to ask for forgiveness? Do they even recognize when they have sinned against God?

Considering that I might sound like Job praying for his offspring; it brought just a bit of fear into my heart, as for all of Job's praying his story was not a happy one. For all of his sacrificing, he lost everything that he owned. His children were all killed when a windstorm destroyed the house that they were partying in. 

We hear, in Job's story, only the outcome of his children's lives here on earth. We hear nothing about the fate of their immortal souls. Who can tell about that, other than God?

Job had worried about the relationship his children had with God. He had made sacrifices for them; just in case! The truth is that no matter how much we worry about our offspring we cannot do a thing to save them. Assuredly, we can pray  But, there is no offering; no sacrifice that we can make that will save them. The Good News is that God is concerned about the eternal fate of our children. He is so concerned that he sent his only begotten son to be the sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of our offspring.

May God bless our children and all the generations to come with the wisdom to seek him before all things so that they might live in peacefully in his presence for all of eternity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Deliver Us From Evil

THE LORD'S PRAYER
The Seventh Petition.

But deliver us from evil.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We pray in this petition, as in a summary, that our Father in heaven would deliver us from all manner of evil, of body and soul, property and honor, and at last, when our last hour shall come, grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself into heaven. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.
That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven and heard; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promised that He will hear us. Amen, Amen; that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

In this petition we pray that we be kept from all evils that plague this world. Martin Luther in the Large Catechism wrote: "But this petition he has put last, for if we are to be protected and delivered from all evil, his name must be hallowed in us, his kingdom come among us, and his will be done. Then he will preserve us from sin and shame and from everything else that harms or injures us."

 

Therefore; all of the petitions in the Lord's Prayer must be prayed with a sincere faith that God hears our prayers and answers. We cannot expect to be kept from evil if we do not revere God's name which is who and what He is; if we do not desire to live in his kingdom; or if we do not desire that his will be done among us here on earth. His will is for our good. If we do not desire his will to be done, how are we to expect that we are to kept safe from the evil one? It would be tantamount to jumping into a bonfire and expect not to get burned. Of course, all things are possible with God. But, it's probably not the best idea to be testing him. Jesus wouldn't, why would we think we can or should?

 

So we pray the Lord's prayer with faith and all God's people say Amen; that's the way it is. We give thanks for in His mercy He has heard our prayers and answered.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J