Visit #190 ~ Late for Church but for a Good Reason!

The Christmas Tree in the Narthex

Liturgy was great, even if I did arrive ten minutes late...but more on that later.  I've been thinking lately on how Liturgy is not just a preparation for the future kingdom, but also a participation in it.  Yes, I believe that in Heaven we will be worshiping God and certainly the Psalms and Divine Hymns are but a foreshadow of what we will be doing. But, won't we be singing the actual trisagion Hymn in heaven? Why not get used to being in worship now? It gives me joy to know that the hymns and Psalms we are singing now, will also be sung in the coming Kingdom.

 Yet, attending Divine Liturgy IS a participation in the Kingdom. We sing the Psalms, along with the Saints and bodiless Powers.  One of my favorite parts of the Liturgy is the chanting of the Prokeimenon which is just the Psalms, really.  Below is a sample of Reader Tim chanting the Prokeimenon before the Epistle reading.

I enjoyed the whole liturgy. I was happy that I remembered to bring my service book so I wouldn't have to use the ones sitting in the Narthex.  I now have to figure out how to use the book more effectively. It has additional prayers in the back that coincide with the festal days and I have to learn how to flip back and forth so I can follow along better.  Sadly, because I had to go right to work, I could not stay for Coffee hour.  I told this to Tami as I was leaving and she gave me a warm greeting and blessing for a good day.

As I said, I was ten minutes late but that is because my wife woke up with a migraine headache and, besides strong aspirin, one thing that helps her in these times, is a massage, which I gave her. When I was almost at liturgy, she called me and thanked me for "ministering to her." I said, no problem and remembered how marriage is a means to Salvation. It would have been wrong for me to abandon her in her time of need. As you know, both the Priest and the Levite, walked passed the man laying on the side of the road. They would not help him because they were "rushing to church," i.e., the temple in Jerusalem. It was the Samaritan who turned out to be the good guy.

The good guy, that's what I want to be!

Christ is Born; Let us glorify Him!