Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15
Christ is Risen!
One of the most important ways that we pray is through the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Yet, many of us don’t get as much out of this service as we should. Many of us are uncertain how we are to pray the liturgy—what should we be thinking about during this weekly march through the service. I’m going to begin a series each Saturday and Sunday about praying the Liturgy. Some of you on our team are not Orthodox, but please keep reading. I think you’ll find this information helpful even if you are not Orthodox. In this series, I’ll be examining one or two lines of the service each time.
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
The MOST IMPORTANT word of the Divine Liturgy is found in the first line of the service. It is the word “Now.” Why is that so important? Because most people think of the Kingdom of God in either past or future tense, but not as a present reality. We think back to God creating the world and to the ministry of Christ 2,000 years ago. We think to the future and what it will be like when and if we will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God. We tend to not think of the Kingdom of God in the present. And yet, when Christ came to earth, He said in many places, “The Kingdom of Heaven IS at hand.” It was obviously present in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to earth 2,000 years ago. And it is continually present in the celebration of the Eucharist.
In instituting the Eucharist, Jesus took break and said, “This is my Body,” and He took the cup and said, “This is my Blood.” By receiving His Body and Blood, the Kingdom of God is united with us. Christ is present in our midst and in us. So, the beginning line of the Liturgy is an invitation to this banquet, it is an invitation to be present with Christ, right here and right now. We hope to enter His Kingdom and live there forever. But forever can seem like a long time from now. Through the Liturgy, we enter the Kingdom NOW.
The call to the liturgy is also a call to leave the world temporarily. Time stops in the liturgy—we do not measure it in minutes and seconds. We transcend time, and we transcend all the roles we have—we cease to be teachers or spouses or parents or doctors, and we stand as children in the presence of our Father.
We acknowledge the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge the Divinity of the Trinity, calling the Trinity “blessed.” We acknowledge the power of God when we refer to His Kingdom. We acknowledge that God is timeless, when we speak of His Kingdom now and forever and to the ages of ages. And we speak of the Kingdom as a present reality, through the word “now.” That’s why it’s important to come on time—because the first line is actually the most important one!
Lord, thank you for the privilege to pray the Liturgy so often. Thank you for allowing me to come into Your presence through worship. Make Your Kingdom come alive for me, not only during the Sunday Liturgy but each day of my life. In the difficult times in my life, help me to feel your presence, here and now. And inspire me to think often of the Kingdom to come. Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
