Tag Archives: liturgical prayer

when the day begins in biblical terms: evening and morning

Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and [God] will hear my voice.

Psalm 55:17; NRSVue

It was long held that in the reckoning of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament, a day begins at sunset. In recent times that has been challenged, but the traditional view still holds. In the first of the two Genesis creation accounts, the day begins with evening, and we see that in the above psalm as well. Being a modern and not tethered to any religious practice which might reckon such, I see the day ending when it’s time to get a good night’s sleep and beginning when one arises to start another day. Some like my wife tend to be night owls, while others like me are morning people.

That said, I’ve been finding in my own experience that how I end a day is important for the next day. The last things I do before going to bed at night impact my next day. And how I begin a new day is related to how I ended the previous day. In biblical terms, how I start a new day in the evening affects my morning. I have often thought that I’m a monastic at heart. Along with the spontaneity, I like set prayers. Arising at an early hour to chant psalms and recite prayers maybe with incense seems ideal to me. And having that interspersed throughout the day as in noon prayers, evening prayers and night prayers.

But to get to the point of this post. I’m finding that it’s crucial for me to begin a new day well in the evening before I go to bed. For me that means evening prayer which includes Scripture passages and hymns. And when I arise, I have morning prayer with the same. But I find that if I don’t end with strictly that practice except in my case with classical music in the background, if I clutter it up after evening prayer to read one article which might lead to another and another, or to check Facebook or whatever, I am setting myself up for a more difficult day.

This should never become legalistic so that one thinks their day is doomed if they play some favorite old music before going to bed, or whatever else. But I am finding it valuable to work at guarding that time, holding especially the beginning of the day in biblical reckoning sacred. And for me as a modern, I admittedly think more in terms of how I end a day and start a new day. Holding both as sacred to me has been helpful and I find out when I don’t do that, my experience is much more difficult. As I try to work on being more and more into a sacred rhythm of life.

why pray? what difference does it make?

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:2b-3

Prayer is interesting. Religious leaders, even (I say from my tradition and background) Christian pastors often are notorious for acknowledging that they pray little at all. But then you can find just any person in the pews or out somewhere else who have made prayer a habit. You get these religious leaders praying over government leaders as if they’re prayers have unusual power. Etc. Interesting, the collage that can come from the idea of prayer, really from all over the world.

I am a believer in all kinds of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, set. I love it when prayer is just a natural expression of my heart by the Spirit, but most of the time, that’s simply not the case. Oftentimes for me prayer is appealing to God, but in a way which is kind of like trying to feel my way toward what might be good to pray. I like prayer books, and in the back of our hymnal, Voices Together, there’s a morning and evening office to help us praise, give thanks, confess our sins, and pray for ourselves and others, along with a number of other prayers. All of that is good, and can potentially develop us to more and more become people of prayer both together in community and for each of us as we go about our lives.

James makes it plain that all the infighting and problems in community were related both to the cravings at war in them, and the failure to pray to God. Along with false prayers in that they were done not for the real good God wants to give, but to fulfill their own self-centered wishes not moored in love for God and for others as one’s self (click link above to see context, and if you do, note the rendering of The Message). It’s not at all like we shouldn’t cry out to God about our own troubles and problems, because indeed we should. Notice so many of the psalms. But we do so as people intent on finding God’s own good answer, according to God’s will, truly for our good and the good of all around us.

James’s words are both an encouragement to us, as well as a challenge. Pray, pray, and keep on praying. And don’t forget that a vital part of prayer is seeking to listen to God. To find God’s will, not our own. To live in God’s goodness, a goodness meant for others along with ourselves. Blessed to be a blessing. In and through Jesus.

The Lord is risen! (Easter prayer and Scripture)

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:1-18

the call to prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

In Scripture we’re told repeatedly about the necessity, yes necessity of ongoing persistent prayer. Yet it’s so easy for us to lapse into relative prayerlessness. At least I can speak for myself. If there’s one activity I want the rest of my life to be characterized by, it would be ongoing prayer. Of course it ought not to end there. Acts of love will accompany that, if real prayer is offered.

This is addressed to individuals, but in a community context. As the church we’re to pray together. I think there’s plenty of value in what I would suppose is the time honored tradition of churches saying liturgical prayers together at gatherings. As we sing together, we should also pray together, lifting up our voices to God.

I see the community aspect just mentioned as underrated and underplayed, and yet present in our circles. But I also think we need to persist as individuals in prayers day after day, and through everything, large and small concerns, for ourselves, our growth in grace and witness, and for others, their good and salvation.

This is something we’re called to do. It won’t be done for us, in other words there’s no substitute for us doing it ourselves. Others praying for us or for situations certainly brings life and help. But we’re responsible to be praying ourselves. And to stay at it, yes devoted to prayer, just as the Apostle Paul wrote in the quotation above. To grow in that and stay at it, in and through Jesus.

 

prayer for the sixth Sunday of Easter

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

prayer for the fifth Sunday of Easter

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

prayer for the second Sunday of Easter

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

prayer for Easter Day

 O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer