"Before the ending of the day..." Tonight Rebekah joined us for Compline. She'd never attended the service before (how on earth did that happen?), and she was very taken with the beauty of it. I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up again! Mary said on the way out that she would like to end every day like that. I know what she means. It astonishes me no end how it just wipes all the fretting and worrying of the day away in one clean sweep. "...and be our Guard and Keeper now."
What is the Compline service, exactly?
ReplyDeleteLook in LSB, p. 253 and following. It's the prayer office that St. Benedict wrote the day's close. In starts with confession, moves to psalms, hymn "Before the Ending of the Day", reading, responsory, prayers, Nunc Dimittis with antiphon and then benedicamus and benediction.
ReplyDelete"What is the Compline service, exactly?"
ReplyDelete*Gasp!*
Kidding, sort of. And hie thee hence to a piano/organ and play the music. I think it's prettier than Vespers and is nicely sung softly, appropriately for the time of day. After Matins and Vespers, it is something I'm familiarizing the girls with.
Our churches out here don't do any of this. We just have Sunday service.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I could see if it can happen.
Around here it is not common at all either. And it's really just the folks who were at Bible Class who join in the service usually. But those who do dearly love it - it has a way of smoothing the wrinkles away from the face of the day!
ReplyDeleteL.L.,
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't happen at my church either. I feel I've already made progress getting them to change from an improvised liturgy in the bulletin to actually singing the Matins Service that is in LSB. Wednesday nights are "contemporary worship" nights (I joke: "for those who don't know any better). No Vespers, and certainly no compline.
We have an opportunity as Christians with the introduction of the new hymnal to recover some of the worship opportunities taken for granted 500 years ago. I have started to suggest Vespers services during evenings for those people who can't make Sunday mornings. We can speak out and move the church from Pietism and small-group studies to regular and frequent corporate worship. If you must, start in the home, so that at least your friends and family know what you're talking about when you suggest something CRAZY like Vespers. :)