28 May 2007

Pentecost Ember Days

Just a reminder for those who wish to observe them that this Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are traditional ember days. It is appropriate to observe them with fasting (eating less) and abstinence (especially from richer fare) and to supplicate God's blessings upon the crops and especially His blessing upon the spiritual harvest from this world by the spread of His Gospel.

Here are the appropriate prayers from the Brotherhood Prayer Book (and the Bidding Prayer):

Wednesday

We beseech Thee, O Lord: that the Comforter which proceedeth from Thee may enlighten our minds, and lead us, as Thy Son hath promised, into all truth; through the same, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord...

Friday

Most merciful God, we beseech Thee, that Thy Church being joined together in the unity of the Holy Spirit, may be preserved evermore from all the assaults of the enemy; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord...

Saturday

O Lord, we pray Thee: that Thy Holy Spirit, who doth preserve us by His wisdom and govern us by His providence, may by Thy mercy be poured forth upon the hearts of us Thy servants; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord...

For the Crops

O Lord, Father Almighty, who by Thy Word hast created and dost bless and uphold all things, we pray Thee so to reveal unto us Thy Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, that, He dwelling in our hearts, we may by Thy grace be made meet to receive Thy blessing on all the fruits of the earth and whatsoever pertains to our bodily need; through Christ, our Lord...

23 comments:

Chaz said...

I have a friend getting ordained at Redeemer this Friday. Being an STM student, he has permission to get ordained earlier since his M.Div paperwork has been through for a year.

I missed the ember days by a week!

Rev. Paul T. McCain said...

Does the friend have a call?

Anonymous said...

What is the Brotherhood Prayer Book? Why don't you use or recommend the Lutheran Prayer Book?

Anonymous said...

I've heard from really old Lutherans (pre-Baby Boomers) that they used to fast the evening and morning before the Divine Supper (Mass) was offered. When did this disappear? Pietism?

Is it a practice to fast at harvest when there's plenty? How confusing...

William Weedon said...

Dear Terrible,

You can read about the marvelous Brotherhood Prayer Book here:

http://www.llpb.us/

Which Lutheran Prayer Book were you referring to? The Brotherhood Prayer Book is Lutheran, a very rich resource for daily prayer.

In my own personal prayer life I usually just pray Matins and Vespers out of Lutheran Service Book, but BPB definitely fills in LSB with some solid and great stuff.

William Weedon said...

Dear Lutefisk,

It never entirely disappeared. Fasting is a way of joining the body to the spirit's praying, focusing, as it were, upon the one thing needful. Think of how often in the Sacred Scriptures earnest intercession is joined to prayer and you get the picture of what Christians were doing for centuries when they fasted upon the ember days and besought God's blessing upon both the harvest of the fields and the harvest of souls for the Kingdom.

Chaz said...

In a way. He's called to be an admissions counselor at CTS.

William Weedon said...

Seems, odd, then that he is being ordained. But stranger things have happened... "Up up and away in my beautiful..." Oh, never mind.

William Weedon said...

Dear Lutefisk,

That should have read "earnest intercession is joined to fasting."

Chaz said...

Todd Peperkorn and Scott Stiegemeyer were ordained unto the same purpose in '96, I think.

It's weird, but at least Todd and Scott ended up in the parish (at least for a time... Scott's back). I'm sure Jason will too.

There's a former head of admissions, ordained, who has never served a parish. I am really annoyed by this for a number of reasons.

Chaz said...

Also, I'm sure that Jason is going to be helping out extensively at Redeemer. He won't be detached from real Word and Sacrament ministry.

He's a good man, but the practice of ordaining men into the office of admissions counselor when they've not even been a pastor will always strike me as off.

William Weedon said...

Tis of a kinship, though, with having men train pastors who have next to no pastoral experience themselves. That always struck me as a good way to perpetuate problems.

Chaz said...

Absolutely. That's why I largely chose to study with men who had as much pastoral experience as possible.

At Fort Wayne that gave me a lot of choices. As I count it in my mind, there are only three professors on the faculty with less than 3 years of real pastoral experience. After you count those men out, the least amount of experience is about eight years.

Most of my profs had 20+ years experience.

The anomaly at Fort Wayne was Weinrich. 0 years parish experience, but 30+ years as a USAF Reserve Chaplain (who is still missed by his squadron).

William Weedon said...

I wonder what the numbers would be at St. Louis? I think it's why Korby was so great. It wasn't "theoretical" while it was VERY theological and utterly practical. He LIVED it.

Rev. Paul Beisel said...

Admissions Counselors; we always joked about this when we were at sem. But Chaz is right in that Jason will no doubt exercise the functions of the Ministry at Redeemer.

Pastoral experience; Who says that dealing with students is not pastoral experience? Or the interaction that many of these profs have in their local parishes with lay people. I don't understand this dire necessity for sem profs to have x-number of years of experience in the parish. Some men are simply meant to teach theology. I do not think that requires pastoral experience. Now, I would say that those who teach in the Practical dept. would do well to have some experience in the parish since they are telling guys what to do in their parishes.

William Weedon said...

Paul,

You know, I'd go even further: I don't think the quasi-university setting of seminary has proven to be a profitable training ground for our pastors. Why? Well 1 Cor. 8:1-3.

I think of my horrific attitude as I graduated from seminary: I came out prepared to be the resident expert. But the Scriptures can never be known apart from prayer, humility, and putting them into practice. I knew nothing and I thought I knew everything! God have mercy on my flock!

The answer, I believe, honestly lies more with something between a monastery and a parish: a place where retreat for prayer and meditation is possible, but is made inseparable from the community of the Body of Christ - such as you get in a regular parish.

I have no idea HOW it would work, but I can't help but think I'd have been a better pastor had I spent a lot more time in prayer (I still remember telling the Dean of Students in my fourth year that I was not ready to graduate because I still did not know how to pray!), a lot more time in study of the Fathers (including the Lutheran Fathers, of course) to learn from those who had walked this way before, and a lot more time in actual service to people.

Seminaries as they now exist among us just simply seem to breed pride - and if there is one thing that stinks to high heaven among us, it is our wretched pride.

Thoughts?

Dcn Latif Haki Gaba SSP said...

I agree with you, Fr. Weedon. The seminary, at least the one I know, is realy nothing more than an academic institution, and a branch of a sick corporation. That may sound harsh, but I still love and respect that institution, and would love to see its reformation, which is going to take more than merely reorganizing the curriculum, and getting rid of those who appear too "momastic." For a brief thought on the great pastoral good that has been accomplished by monastic training, see my comment here: http://latifhakigaba.blogspot.com

Rev. Paul Beisel said...

Pastor Weedon, you do make some very valid points. I would add, however, that my years at the seminary actually did teach me how to pray, since when I began at CTS Fr. Reuning had just begun to offer the daily spoken Matins and Vespers services in the Chapel. I also learned how to pray from the Minister's Prayer Book, and reading several things concerning Luther's oratio, meditatio, and tentatio.

There was a great emphasis placed on this kind of prayer, and so I do think that the seeds for good habits of prayer were planted during those years. It has certainly developed, as all things spiritual ought, but I concur that I had the attitude of the "resident expert" coming out of seminary. I mean, there is a lot of truth to that, but along with knowledge often comes pride.

The thing is, future pastors need to be taught theology, given opportunities to learn how to conduct services, and learn how to cultivate (I hate that word, but I can't think of any other) a life of study and prayer that will last *after* they leave the seminary. Theology is a habitus practicus, as the late Robert Preus is known for saying. I think this was exemplified pretty well at the sem when I was there. I can't speak for it as it is now, but our lives truly were doxological during those years (except when we were sinning, of course). In our dorms, in our classrooms, at the lunch table, in the chapel, theology was being *done*. Praise to God was being given through our quest for Truth.

Anonymous said...

Are there not opportunities for seminary students to "get their feet wet" prior to vicarage? I thought there was time to practice what they'd learn in the classroom. Am I wrong? Is this mandated or recommended by our Lutheran seminaries?

Anonymous said...

You can read about the marvelous Brotherhood Prayer Book here:

http://www.llpb.us/

Which Lutheran Prayer Book were you referring to? The Brotherhood Prayer Book is Lutheran, a very rich resource for daily prayer.


I have seen that site before, possibly from Chaz or Sean the Kantor. Looks interesting and thank you.

I bought a Lutheran Prayerbook from CPH shortly before the close of last year. I guess I don't understand why that "Brotherhood Prayer Book" was not available at CPH?

William Weedon said...

Ron,

Good question! Especially since BPB's main editor happens to be an editor employed at CPH!

Rev. Paul Beisel said...

The original BPB is sold out. But we have a few of the text only editions left. They're selling like hot-cakes though, so you'll have to act fast. www.emmanuelpress.us

There is a 2nd (and final) edition of the original BPB coming out within this next year.

Concordia Theological Seminary bookstore carries Emmanuel Press materials such as the Brotherhood Prayer Book.

Rev. Paul T. McCain said...

"selling like hot-cakes...so you'll have to act fast"

I love it! Spoken like a true book seller.

: )