Lutheran Evening Prayer 11-22-11

Reading:
Revelation 19:1-21

"Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb"

St. John was blessed to be given these visions of things to come.  Through a gift from God, he was able to see a time in heaven when the voice of the saints cry out to our God the praise that is due His Name.  What a sight this must have been to see.  To see the elders and the living creatures falling in worship before God.  This is the sign of true worship when you come before the Holy God and fall on your face in worship.

This is what our worship is to look like here on earth as well.  We meet weekly to come into the presence of God through Word and Sacrament.  We must remember that Jesus is present in a special way in both Word and Sacrament, so that His presence is real to offer us salvation, the forgiveness of sins.  He has invited you in the waters of Baptism to His feast.  He placed upon you the fine linen robe of His righteousness.  You are now seen as one of the invited.  Then He invites you to His feast, where you feed upon the Lamb Himself that comes to you under the veil of bread and wine. 

May as we approach our Lord in Word and Sacrament waiting for His final return, may we fall down and worship Him now and may we sing along with the voice of the great multitude:
   "Hallelujah!
    For the Lord our God
         the Almighty reigns.
    Let us rejoice and exult
         and give him the glory,
    for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
          and his Bride has made herself ready;
    it was granted to her to clothe herself
          with fine linen, bright and pure -"