07 January 2010
Great Flood Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment You condemned the unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy You preserved believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet let Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Holy Baptism. Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin. We pray that You would behold us all according to Your boundless mercy and bless us with true faith by the Holy Spirit, that through this saving flood all sin in us which has been inherited from Adam and which we ourselves have committed since, would be drowned and die. Grant that we be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, we would be declared worthy of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. [Vigil of Easter, Lutheran Service Book: Altar Book, pp. 542, 543]
While in seminary in the late 1970s (prior to my escape from the ELCA) I was taking a class entitled "The Gospel as Oral Proclamation", an early attempt at using video recording equipment to help students with the mechanical aspects of leading worship. In one class we were required to lead a portion of the liturgy from the newly released LBW on camera. I choose the Flood Prayer. During the critique two of my classmates were puzzled at my seeming "enthusiasm". Well, if you're not enthused about THIS prayer you'd best check for a pulse.
ReplyDeleteChuck Sampson
Our Synod (a non-Lutheran body) uses a version of this prayer as well. While it is one of my favorite prayers, it took on a whole new meaning when it was my own child being baptized! I think I love this prayer more every time I hear it. So much truth, so rich in Gospel, so comforting...
ReplyDeleteWhy do those pastors who object to eucharistic prayer (not you, Fr. Weedon) promote such a prayer at Baptism? Wouldn't it too be "detrimental" to the Gospel?
ReplyDelete