Reviewing the Challenge

I posted an invitation earlier that this year would be devoted to reading the Book of Concord according to the table for reading in the new Concordia (which differs slightly depending on which edition you are using, but either gets you through the whole year), praying the Psalms for Matins and Vespers for each day, and doing the daily Bible readings. I also suggested that this would be best done in the context of praying Matins and Vespers daily.

The question arises: if you've fallen off the bandwagon, as it were, is it best to try to catch up or just to pick up?

My counsel? Do NOT try to "make up." The goal is to make this a yearly habit. If you missed a given reading this year, maybe next year you'll hit that reading. Just "pick up" where you should be and proceed from there. That way the Office or the reading of the BOC never become the burden that poor Dr. Luther experienced the Daily Office to be where he had to read and read to catch up because other obligations pushed in.

The most challenging thing to me has been making the time for Sunday Matins. Our first Divine Service that day starts at 7:45 and instead of preparing myself for that Divine Service as I might by praying Matins, I end up putzing around, doing this or that, and then ambling over to Church. Now that the most hectic days of the Church year are behind me, I mean to make a concerted effort to remedy that.

Something I'm contemplating adding in to my weekly reading is to to find the passage in Law and Gospel that was read on the day nearest a given Friday and to read through that. I am always so very blessed by Walther's insights, and I remember my pastor telling me before I went off to Concordia Bronxville, that I needed to read this work at least once each year. Sad to say, I have not kept up with that as I should. I thought this might be a fun way to try. Thus, this week, with Friday coming up on April 20th, I want to read through the 25th Evening Lecture that Walther delivered on Apri 24, 1885 (Dau, p. 265ff.)