Last night was supposed to be the Baccalaureate Vespers for our parish school; but we had some major storms in the area, and power was out from about 3:30 p.m. on. So, we held the awards ceremony as scheduled in the undercroft, where there was still some natural light, saying Responsive Prayer and awarding the diplomas. We were done before 7:30 p.m., the time of our usual Wednesday evening service (and the scheduled beginning of Vespers).
As we were about to leave, a number of people not connected with the school braved the severe weather warnings and gathered outside the darkened church. I began to apologize to people, saying, “It’s canceled, we have no power and we already prayed Responsive Prayer.” I’m not sure if someone hinted at this, or if I came to the realization myself – it had been a long day at the end of a very long, difficult year, and I was tired – but we ended up calling everybody back on the way to their cars and singing Compline anyway, in the now-very-dark undercroft. By the end, we could barely see, but it was a beautiful thing. We chanted Psalm 91, which promises the protection of the holy angels, and we prayed for the people whose lives were endangered by the loss of power and the storms, as well as those who would labor through the night to restore electricity and keep the peace.
The most striking thing, however, is praying the evening office while deprived of our ubiquitous artificial lights. The prayers come from a time when darkness brought very real threats; when doubtless the night brought great fear in a way we rarely experience today. At such a time, what could be better than praying Gerhardt’s great hymn, Now Rest beneath Night’s Shadow (LSB 880)?
Lord Jesus, since You love me, Now spread Your wings above me And shield me from alarm. Though Satan would devour me, Let angel guards sing o’er me: This child of God shall meet no harm.Or one of the verses LSB appoints to be read at Compline, Jer. 14.9: “You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by Your name; do not leave us.”
And finally, this beautiful collect: “Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in Your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
What a beautiful gift this order of service is. When all other lights go dark, Jesus Christ is still the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overcome.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, I was particularly struck by and appreciative of that collect as well. What a wonderful order of service
I wonder what the generation that moved None back to right after Sext in order to take fuller advantage of the afternoon light to work the fields would think of the generation that moves its secular holidays to create three-day week-ends and its liturgical ones to Saturday night to “get it out of the way” for Sunday’s activities, including sleeping in.
{ 1 trackback }