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A "Lutheran Rosary" for Lent:
CONCEPT:
Whether prayed using
prayer beads or not (one would have to make one's own*), the idea of
this "Lutheran Rosary" for Lent is to help people ease into
the spiritual discipline of prayer. We do suggest making a calendar to
keep track of individual prayers for each day. People who are not
in the habit of daily prayer may want to start with just one "daily
prayer" on Ash Wednesday, then expand by one each succeeding day;
others may prefer to pray the whole "rosary" every day during
the season.
PROCESS:
Cross
Following Martin
Luther's advice, in the morning, when you rise, make the sign of the
cross and say, "God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit watch over
me. Amen.
1st bead
The Apostle's Creed:
I believe in God, the
Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the
virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was
buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.
2nd bead
The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on
earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and
forever. Amen.
3rd bead
Luther's Morning or
Evening Prayer
I give thanks to you,
my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have
protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that
you would also protect me today from every sin and all evil, so that
my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I
commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your
holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over
me. Amen.
I give thanks to you,
my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you
have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all
my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me
tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and
all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked
foe may have no power over me. Amen.
*Around
the circle, then, are
beads for the days of Lent plus the Sundays of Lent (a little larger, a
different color to make them stand out), for, of course, the Sundays are
all celebrated as "little Easters" and thus are not counted
among the 40 days of Lent. First four Lent beads, then one Sunday,
then the rest in groups of six and one. The last bead is Easter
and may be larger and lighter in color than all.
Ash
Wednesday:
Pray for one's own
sinfulness, asking for forgiveness and renewal of one's heart.
1st
Sunday:
Give thanks for God's
guidance through the wilderness of this world.
2nd
Sunday:
Give thanks for the
gift of faith for one's self and for others.
3rd Sunday:
Give thanks for the
Word of God as printed and proclaimed.
4th
Sunday:
Give thanks for God's
healing and forgiveness.
5th
Sunday:
Give thanks for God's
love and for all who are able to share that love.
Sunday of
the Passion:
Give thanks for God's
greatest gift of all; the life, death and resurrection of his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Maundy
Thursday:
Pray for the ability to
follow Christ's command to love others as He loved us.
Good
Friday:
Pray for the ability to
forgive those who crucify others daily – in little ways or in large.
Holy
Saturday:
Pray for the help of
God, that we may have good intentions and be able to carry them out,
even as his Son fulfilled the punishments of the Law on our behalf.
The
Resurrection of our Lord:
Rejoice in the
fulfillment of the New Covenant as Christ rose from the dead, and
commit oneself to new life in his service.
SUGGESTIONS
FOR PETITIONS:
Weekdays:
- Peace in the world
and in our hearts
- People you know with
specific needs
- The lonely,
depressed, those with mental illnesses
- The physically ill
or handicapped, the dying
- The homeless, those
who have no employment
- Those burdened with
the cares of others
- People who are
grieving the loss of someone they loved
- Someone you heard
about in the news who needs help
- Someone who has hurt
you
Sundays:
Poem by E.E.
Cummings:
i thank You God for
most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am
alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and love and wings; and of the gay
great happening ilimitably earth)
how should tasting
touching hearing seeing
breathing any - lifted from the no
of all nothing - human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my
ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
Psalm 150:
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!*
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
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