Lutheran Prayer Beads

[ratchet30]

Do Lutherans use prayer beads? If so could someone explain why they are used and how? I'm interested in using them if its nothing like the RCC rosary.

 

[Bryne]

I use Rosary beads, but don't use the Hail Mary. So...I can't say that it is nothing like the Rosary...its pretty much exactly like the Rosary except for the Hail Mary.

I haven't come across any specifically Lutheran prayer beads.

 

[Studeclunker]

Well Byrne, you're a rare breed. I've never come across a Lutheran who uses prayer beads, outside of people on the net.

How can you do the Rosary without the Hail Mary? I mean, doesn't that bracket the prayer structure of it (speaking as an ignorant Lutheran)?

 

[Bryne]

I pray the Jesus Prayer instead. I really like that prayer. I can't help but cry a little every time I pray it, as it makes me so aware of God's mercy and my great need for it.

 

[Mark_Sam]

Here's a version I've seen. (I haven't actually used it; I tried to, but it just wasn't my "thing").

Start with the RC Rosary:
"Hail Mary" --> the Jesus prayer
"Hail Holy Queen" --> the Magnificat or pre-Trent "Hail Mary"
The 4th glorious mystery of the assumption of Mary --> the Communion of Saints/ the Bible/ Christ's second coming
The 5th glorious mystery of the coronation of Mary --> Christ's second coming/ the New Heaven and New Earth

 

[Zecryphon]

Well Byrne, you're a rare breed. I've never come across a Lutheran who uses prayer beads, outside of people on the net.

How can you do the Rosary without the Hail Mary? I mean, doesn't that bracket the prayer structure of it (speaking as an ignorant Lutheran)?

A rosary is really nothing more than a way of keeping track of the prayers you've prayed. It's basically a counting system. You don't need to use any formal prayers with it, like the RCC do. Here's another form of the Lutheran rosary.

How to Pray the Lutheran Rosary - wikiHow

Instead of saying a "Hail Mary" on every tenth bead, you say the Jesus Prayer instead. When you get to the medal, most systems have you say a Marian prayer, I just use a prayer of thanksgiving here instead. There's no right or wrong way to use a rosary. They're just prayer beads. Many religions use them, not the Catholic Christians and some nutty Lutherans.

 

[Studeclunker]

A rosary is really nothing more than a way of keeping track of the prayers you've prayed. It's basically a counting system. You don't need to use any formal prayers with it, like the RCC do. Here's another form of the Lutheran rosary.

How to Pray the Lutheran Rosary - wikiHow

Instead of saying a "Hail Mary" on every tenth bead, you say the Jesus Prayer instead. When you get to the medal, most systems have you say a Marian prayer, I just use a prayer of thanksgiving here instead. There's no right or wrong way to use a rosary. They're just prayer beads. Many religions use them, not the Catholic Christians and some nutty Lutherans.

I quite agree. My hat's off to whomever has this strong of a prayer life that they need to keep track of the number of prayers they say with a long string of beads. However, I also question the use of pre-written prayers in such a ritualistic manner. It's not that I descry the validity of a codified prayer, nor the veracity or sincerety. It's just that the Scriptures don't speak in a complementary manner toward this kind of repititious prayer.

 

[Zecryphon]

I quite agree. My hat's off to whomever has this strong of a prayer life that they need to keep track of the number of prayers they say with a long string of beads. However, I also question the use of pre-written prayers in such a ritualistic manner. It's not that I descry the validity of a codified prayer, nor the veracity or sincerety. It's just that the Scriptures don't speak in a complementary manner toward this kind of repititious prayer.

The reason I started using prayer beads was because my prayer life was not strong, but very weak. This gave me a tool to use to focus my prayers and got me into the habit of praying regularly. I understand that Scripture speaks against vain repetition of prayers, which is one reason a lot of people avoid rosaries, but it's a matter of the heart. Anybody can be accused of praying in vain, but that's just an outward appearance to people who don't know your heart. God knows your heart and if you're praying sincerely, what other people think or assume is really irrelevant. Your prayers are between you and God, no one else. And since I don't say my prayers in front of others, this is something I've never been accused of. Going through a rosary takes about 30 mins, depending on how many decades are on your set of prayer beads. I have 5 decades on mine.

 

[Mark_Sam]

There is also the "Pearls of Life" (called "Frälsarkransen" - "Saviour-wreath" - in Swedish), invented by the Swedish bishop Martin Lönnebo. It is made up of 18 pearls, where 12 of them have their own themes (the remaining 6 are for silent meditation and reflection).

There are the God-pearl (thank and praise Him), the self-pearl (reflecting on one's life - confessing sins and such ...), the Baptism-pearl, the desert-pearl (one's holy pilgrimage with God) and so on ...

It's quite free in form, but I also have pre-written prayers in case I don't feel creative It's a great help when I want to pray, but don't know what to pray.

But I think Zecryphon mentioned why I was a little skeptic about prayer beads to begin with; that many religions use them. And we, as Christians, are not "just another religion"!

We can either leave it a pagan tradition, and let them have their "vain repitition", or we can "hijack" it, and claim it as a our own. I don't know what is best; it's up to the individual ...