Readings for Compline on Wednesday in Holy Week
Liturgical Prayer
Prayer in the Christian Tradition is not something we simply do alone. We are also called to pray together, because the fundamental commandment of Jesus is that we should love one another, and we can't do that if we never gather together. We may not always agree with each other, or get along, but we are still members of one family.
Rather than posting suggestions for individual prayer through this week, I would like to invite you to find others to pray with, either at Seal or elsewhere this week.
There are services on every day through Holy Week in Seal Church.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday there is Compline - night prayer - lasting 15 minutes or so, at 8pm in the Lady Chapel, preceded by 10 minutes of quiet music as we gather.
On Thursday we observe Maundy Thursday with a service of Holy Communion at 8pm, followed by the service of Tenebrae, where we hear 12 readings taking us into the darkness of the night Jesus was arrested, extinguishing the candles that will light the church as we do so.
On Good Friday there will be a Messy Church session at 10 am, then the church will be set up with various focuses for self-guided reflection for you to drop in on throughout the rest of the day. From 2.30 - 3pm there will be a service of hymns, reading and prayer as we think together about the crucifixion and its meaning for us. The day will end with Compline at 8pm.
On Holy Saturday there will be Compline at 8pm.
On Easter Sunday we will celebrate the Resurrection with a joyful service of holy Communion and a Baptism too.
Come along and join in these acts of liturgical prayer, or, if you aren't in Seal, find a church near you to gather with others to pray. If you can't get to services, be aware that others both locally and around the world are praying along with you, even if you can't see them and they can't see you.
In order to help you journey through this week, I will post the readings for our services at Seal each day, so you can read them for yourself beforehand. You could use any of the techniques we have explored through Lent to help you contemplate them.
If you would like to use a liturgical framework for your prayer, you can find the Church of England's pattern of Daily Prayer here
or there is a simpler pattern for Daily Prayer in this leaflet
You can substitute the readings we will be using at our services during Holy Week at Seal if you would like to.
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