What are Lenten Vespers?
Posted by Pastor Hinkle on February 28, 2010
In the Lutheran church, Vespers is the traditional service for afternoon and evening prayer. It consists of selected Psalms and hymns, a scripture reading, a brief sermon, the Magnificate, and various prayers. Often, much of the service is sung. It usually lasts between a half hour and 45 minutes depending upon the length of the sermon.
It is customary for Lutheran congregations to meet on Wednesday evenings during the season of Lent to reflect upon Christ’s passion. Generally penitential Psalms are used and the lesson is drawn from a roughly chronological account of Christ’s last supper, arrest, and crucifixion that has been assembled from the four Gospels. This year at St. Paul’s the sermons are focusing on the seven things Christ said from the cross:
