Office Call

I love The Daily Office . It is not an exaggeration to say that following it on a daily basis has changed my life, and my faith, in a profound way.

For those of you who think of daily devotionals as the spiritual equivalent of flossing -- a healthy but onerous and easily forgettable discipline -- try the the Compline, the prayer service for the close of day. It is such a beautiful and healing way to end the evening. Here's a prayer from the Compline:

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here's another:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all your love's sake. Amen.

If you want to dip a toe into the Daily Office as a personal prayer discipline, start with the Compline. Or the Noon Prayer -- brief yet meaningful, a good reality check while you're sitting at your desk at work.

How it worked for me: After several weeks of praying the Compline, I felt that it might be nice to try the Noon Prayer. After a few weeks of that, I started wanting to read more Scripture, so I added the Evening Prayer. After a few weeks of that, the Morning Prayer felt like a good idea. I'd be fibbing to say that I pray every prayer every day, but I do like bookending my days with the Morning and Evening Prayer.

Try it. And if you have an LBW handy, and have more musical aptitude than LutheranChik (who sounds like a rusty hinge), sing it, even.