Night prayers

The pandemic hit people living on their own particularly hard. But gathering on Zoom provided a sense of community and continues to do so today. Recognising that at times I struggled to end the day well, I started to wonder if others had the same struggles - perhaps gathering via Zoom could be a positive way to draw our days to a close? And, so, Night Prayers was born just after the National Conference in 2021. 

Night Prayers have always been part of the rhythm of life for religious communities. They often call it Compline, which comes from the Latin “completorium” meaning completion, with the idea of drawing the threads of the day together with other members of the community. The writer of Hebrews sought to remind the Christians of the wonderful invitation to draw near to God in chapter 10: 
 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” vs 19-25

But the writer also invites us to draw near to each other in order to spur one another on. How else might we think about the idea of spurring one another on? What comes to my mind are the crowds who gather alongside a marathon, cheering weary runners along to the finish line. The writer here could have simply said consider how to love each other and do good deeds. That would be biblical and right. But he says something different: “Consider how to spur each other to love and good deeds.” Focus on helping others become loving people. Aim at stirring up others to do good deeds. And, of course, the implication would also be that if others need help and stirring, we do too. Therefore, we would be aiming at what sorts of ways we can think and feel and talk and act that will stir each other up to love and to do good deeds. 

So that’s what a few of us do, Monday to Friday at 9.30pm, just for 15 minutes. We don’t see it as a time for long conversations, but an opportunity to share a little of the day that we have had, engage with the Bible, perhaps share some simple liturgy and have a few minutes for prayer. It’s loosely led by different people, so we are blessed with a variety of styles and emphasis. You don’t have to join in every evening, people come and go, but we try to offer a gathering online each day midweek, apart from a break over Christmas time. 

In the liturgy of Compline, you often find the words of the Nunc Dimittis. It is a biblical canticle from the Gospel of Luke chapter 2, also known as the Song of Simeon, which means “…now you let your servant go in peace…”: 

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” vs 25-32

If you’re a member of TFT, why not give Night Prayers a try and join us sometime to experience a peaceful end to your day?

This article was originally published in the Winter 2025 edition of the TFT magazine, Ascend. Click the button below to download your copy.