March 4, 2018
Kyrie Eleison
Lord, have mercy.
The wind blows hard against this mountain side, across the sea into my soul.
It reaches into where I cannot hide, setting my feet upon the road.
My heart is old; it holds my memories. My body burns a gemlike flame.
Somewhere between the soul and soft machine is where I find myself again.
Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel; Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night;
Kyrie eleison, where I’m going, will you follow? Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light
When I was young I thought of growing old, of what my life would mean to me.
Would I have followed down my chosen road, or only wished what I could be?
Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel; Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night;
Kyrie eleison, where I’m going, will you follow? Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light.
Writer(s): Richard James Page, Steven Park George, John Ross Lang
We sing Kyrie, “a prayer for God’s mercy to fill the church and the world” at the beginning of most worship services. I’m going to be honest. I never knew exactly what a Kyrie was before I looked it up. What I did know was that the words centered me for participation in worship.
So, I sat down with the red book of worship and skimmed through the eight settings of Holy Communion—these are the basic patterns of worship we follow for regular services. The first six settings have a responsive Kyrie : “In peace let us pray to the Lord … Lord have mercy.” The different settings for worship include a variety of prayers and songs, but the words for the Kyrie remain the same in all the settings we use most often.
Occasionally, we use the eighth setting. The Kyrie in that setting is totally different from the others, and includes these words: “Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way: Kyrie eleison … ev’ry day.”
A quick google search of “Kyrie” brings forward the thought that a Kyrie doesn’t focus on our sins but on Christ’s salvation (lcms.org). We are reminded that church isn’t about just our own community, but also about the worldwide church, and that we are empty without God (scotkinnaman.com). Frequently, we think of mercy and justness together; in the Kyrie, though, we are asking for comfort and compassion (aleteia.org).
Why does Kyrie strike a chord with me? Are the words an earworm taking me back to an 80s radio station and Mr. Mister singing “Kyrie?” This pop song has always brought joy to me. Now looking at the words and knowing that the Lord’s comfort is being sought as the songwriter is making his life choices, I understand why I connected to the song.
I know that I, too, seek the Lord’s mercy and presence in my life. My focus is usually toward serving—being a teacher, mom, wife, role model. Yet, I can’t do what I do alone. I need the comfort of knowing that God is with me to guide and comfort me. That knowledge is what allows me to move forward into the new day.
Karen Vlamis
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