His lovely bride Vee called me this afternoon, despite juggling children, to see if I was all right. Mostly, I just cried. So, her groom called on the way to work because she asked him to tag team me, I think Mostly, I just cried.
After a while, I gathered the pieces of myself so that I could finish some work I had to do so that I could truly have the week off. When I finished, I took my beloved Buttercup around the neighborhood for a walk, not caring that it was after midnight. I did call Pizza Man for I figured he was still at work. I was right, but he, too, was done for the day and was heading home.
I asked him if he would pray with me when we both got back home. He and his lovely bride did.
We read through the Responsive Prayer 2 (p. 285 of the Lutheran Service Book) and the Litany (p. 288). Pizza Man agreed to pray with me, but said I had to read the scriptures, so I chose an anguish psalm (77) and a praise passage (Isaiah 12)...mirroring how I felt and what I wish I were doing instead. Neither one commented on the selections, but I am sure they understood what I was doing. I savored the prayers. I am honored they were willing to pray with me.
But then Mr. Pizza Man started quipping how he was going to see me at bible study tomorrow, repeatedly, making me laugh out loud, so silly was he. At one point, he told me about Pastor's good news during the announcements that I had missed. He told me that Pastor announced that the weekly review of the service and devotions for the coming service were back in the bulletin in a new and improved form. [And I didn't even have to start my petition!] Then Pizza Man said that Pastor said he would only keep doing them if I came to the nooner. I laughed so hard it hurt. Then Vee must have said something because Pizza Man said that I owed them because last week we did not get to Psalm 26 because of my misstep with Law and Gospel so I had to be there to make up for them missing out on a perfectly good Psalm that day. I howled with laughter. It was stupid, Pizza Man teasing me like that...So, I'll see you tomorrow? Oh, it starts at 12:00. Yeah, it starts at noon and ends about 1:00. We'll get you out by then. Oh, I lied. We're singing happy birthday to my son, so it will be about 1:15. He had already lied saying that since Pastor and I sounded so good together on the psalm we recorded on Saturday that he was looking forward to the two of us singing together. Only I knew he had not yet listened to the psalm. He was not really lying, just casting about for anything and everything to guilt me into coming. Silly. So silly my guffaws tipped over into an asthma attack. Still, it was sweet.
I knew I was laughing too much and should just hang up on him, but after this week, after this day, I wanted to laugh more. I guess I got what I deserved.
Of course, the last thing he said was that he and Vee were going to go listen to the psalm right away and if it sounded good then that meant I had to come to bible study and sing happy birthday with Pastor instead of just singing when I came over for dinner. He said he was going to hang up and listen and then send an email right away letting me know if I had to come or not.
No email is in my inbox....
Responsive Prayer 2
OPENING VERSICLES
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth will declare Your praise Ps. 51:15
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, i now, and will be forever. Amen. Ps. 70:1
[A psalm may be sung or spoken.]
READINGS
[After each reading:]
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
[A hymn or canticle may be sung.]
LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heave;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, or Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mar, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. he descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
VERSICLES
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let me cry out to You. Ps. 102:1
In the day of my trouble I call upon You,
for you answer me. Ps. 86:7
Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence,
and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. Ps. 51:9-12
Because Your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise You.
For You have been my help,
and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. Ps. 63:3,7
Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth'
unite my heat to fear Your name.
I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my howl heart,
and I will glorify Your name forever. Ps. 86:11-12
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, have mercy.
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, hear us.
God the Father in heaven, have mercy.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy.
Be gracious to us. Spare us, good Lord.
Be gracious to us. Help us, good Lord.
From all sin, from all error, from all evil;
From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death;
From pestilence and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and from rebellion;
From lightening and tempest; from all calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death: Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity;
By Your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial;
By Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: Help us, good Lord.
In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment: Help us, good Lord.
We poor sinners implore You to hear us, O Lord.
To rule and govern Your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of Your Church in the true knowledge and understanding of Your wholesome Word and to sustain them in holy living;
To put an end to all schism and causes of offense; to bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived;
To hear down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into Your harvest; and to accompany Your Word with Your grace and Spirit:
We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
To raise those who fall and to strengthen those who stand; and to comfort and help the weakhearted and the distressed: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
To give to all peoples concord and peace; to preserve our land from discord and strife; to give our country Your protection in every time of need;
To direct and defend (president/queen/king) and in all authority; to bless and protect our magistrates and all our people;
To watch over and help all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation; to protect and guide all who travel;
To grant all women with child, and all mothers with infant children, increasing happiness in their blessings; to defend all orphans and widows and provide for them;
To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children; to free those in bondage; and to have mercy on us all: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we implore you to hear us.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy.
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us your peace.
O Christ, hear us.
O Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, have mercy.
O Lord, have mercy. Amen.
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