Thursday, September 14, 2017

Daily Prayer at St. Mark's



Sunrise in Wisconsin - photo by Laura Olson


For centuries Christians have gathered on Sunday mornings for worship, but they have also gathered during the week and at various times during the day for daily prayer.  The ages old pattern of praying at certain times of the day continues in monasteries and other religious institutions throughout the world.  Why should St. Mark’s be any different?


Monks Praying Vespers - Wikipedia


St. Mark’s now offers two opportunities for Daily Prayer at the Church: Evening Prayer on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. and Morning Prayer on Fridays at 11:15 a.m.  The services are brief (30 – 45 minutes) and are based on the services of daily prayer in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. They include readings, canticles, hymns, and prayers. There is no sermon or teaching.  The words from scripture and liturgy speak for themselves.





Looking for a quiet place during the week? These services include silence after readings, songs, and prayers.  Prayer can’t be a dialog if we do all the talking!

Readings are taken from the daily lectionary in ELW.  This lectionary is unique in that it is tied to the Sunday lectionary.  The readings for Monday – Wednesday comment and reflect on the readings from the previous Sunday.  Readings for Thursday – Saturday prepare us for the coming Sunday’s readings.  This lectionary is an excellent resource for your own private devotions.

Saint Mark’s Cantor, Tony Cruz, leads the services.  The services are not held in his absence.  If in doubt, check with the church office or contact Tony.

Would you like to be a reader and/or assist in leading the prayers?  Please let Tony know.


Come join us as we pray for the world, our community, ourselves, and the church.

The Moon of Florida - photo by Andre Cruz

1 comment:

Eric Olson said...

The Tuesday evening service this week was beautiful. The prayers had special meaning after we had all gone through hurricane Irma. Thanks Tony for beginning these new services at St. Mark's.