Interpretations at Compline, October 6, William Tyndale

The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen
O God, Make speed to save us.
O Lord, Make haste to help us.

Psalm 4 & 31:1-5

Matthew 11:28-30

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit;
For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye;
Hide us under the shadow of your wings.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.


Guide us waking , O Lord, and guard us sleeping; That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Silence is something that hardly exists in our society. Their is noise all around us at all times. Even if we get away out in the middle of nowhere we can bring noise with us, either through satelite tv or portable music players. The internet is in many ways a cacophony of ideas and information, and we flit from web page to web page without rest.
Silence-
Holy silence, hesychia, is more and less than the absence of sound or spoken word. Compline is such silence though it is full of words. These words lead us into that place of silent awe before the holy, before God.
This silence can be found anywhere even in the midst of a noisy city that never sleeps. Though it means turning away from all the things that can grab our attention, laying asside our worries and the noises we make to silence them.
Waiting before God, to hear that still small voice. Come to me Jesus says and I will give you rest.
Silence-
We, perhaps, live in noise for fear of death. It is a calming aspect of Compline that it is structured arround the euphemism of death as sleep. In the silence of this prayer service we prepare for our death. We lay down our life for the day, letting all the cares and burdens die, resting in Christ, so that in the morning we may be raised up renewed.
May you find rest and silence in the midst of this noisy busy life and calm in the midst of the cacophony of the Net.