2009-02-05

Prayer to the Holy Ghost by Martin Luther


We now implore the Holy Ghost
For the true faith, which we need the most,
That in our last moments He may befriend us
And, as homeward we journey, attend us.
Lord, have mercy.

Shine in our hearts, O most precious Light,
That we Jesus Christ may know aright,
Clinging to our Savior, whose blood hath bought us.
Who again to our homeland hath brought us.
Lord, have mercy.

Thou sacred Love, grace on us bestow,
Set our hearts with heavenly fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Of one mind, in peace with every brother.
Lord, have mercy!

Thou highest Comfort in every need,
Grant that neither shame nor death we heed,
That e'en then our courage may never fail us
When the Foe shall accuse and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!

Do you pray to the third person of the Trinity at your church? Why or why not?

7 comments:

Unknown said...

We do, but not by visual means. Second Commandment, ya know. :p

Chris Larimer said...

I wish God the Holy Spirit would respect the Second Commandment and just remain a ghostly figure of words and vapor rather than descending bodily.

That just makes our cerebral theologizing messy. ;)

Unknown said...

Assuming he descended bodily...which, of course, the text does not demand. ;-)

Chris Larimer said...

Good grief...if I didn't know you better, I'd ask when you're going to say that the text only demands an absent body and a phenomenological experience of a reconstituted spiritual body for Jesus. ;)

Oh wait...that's my seminary.

And once you figure out what the text demands, you ask yourself "Yes...but what does 'justice' demand?"

Unknown said...

No, my seminary wouldn't say that. It would say that "as a dove" described the manner of the descent and not the form...that the only incarnated member of the Trinity is the Second.

I'm all for justice! :-)

Chris Larimer said...

Justitia Dei?

Or "Justice demands a handout and special privileges to redress past real and imagined grievances (and we'll assuage your guilt in the meantime...until we need it again)"?

Unknown said...

I'm going to go with door "A," Bob.