ABout your sayings.

[Blind As A Bat]

I've really only heard Orthodox people saying this but I have to ask! Why do you say "Lord have mercy!"?

 

[Gregorios]

The various litanies, frequent in the Orthodox Church, generally have Lord have mercy as their response, either singly or triply. Some petitions in these litanies will have twelve or even forty repetitions of the phrase as a response. The phrase is the origin of the Jesus Prayer, beloved by Christians of that rite and increasingly popular amongst Western Christians.
The biblical roots of this prayer first appear in 1 Chronicles 16:34:
...give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever...
The prayer is simultaneously a petition and a prayer of thanksgiving; an acknowledgment of what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will continue to do. It is refined in the Parable of The Publican (Luke 18:9-14), "God, have mercy on me, a sinner", which shows more clearly its connection with the Jesus Prayer.

 

[her2011]

We use it in the 'Church in Wales' (Anglican Protestant). I also use it when praying.. I presumed it was universal amongst Christians, and I am surprised to find that is not the case.

 

[Bryne]

We also use it in the Lutheran Church.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

It is also interesting to note that in English, "have mercy" has a sense of asking leniency from a judge. The Greek word for mercy - "eleison" - comes from the same word as for oil, and has the sense of healing (oil was used in healing wounds) and making whole, so when we pray "Lord, have mercy" we are asking for healing and all that is needed for our salvation.

Mary

 

[The Virginian]

I've really only heard Orthodox people saying this but I have to ask! Why do you say "Lord have mercy!"?

There are two reasons (which I know of), that Orthodox use this phrase:
1. It is part of the illustration Jesus used of the two men in the Temple praying." The other man would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, "Lord be merciful to me , the sinner."

2. We believe that apart from the mercy and grace of God, life as God commands us is impossible!


the sinful and unworthy servant

 

[Luther073082]

I would have thought that the RCC says "Lord have Mercy" too. I know Lutherans do.

Kyrie eleison

We use it in the 'Church in Wales' (Anglican Protestant). I also use it when praying.. I presumed it was universal amongst Christians, and I am surprised to find that is not the case.

Its probably pretty popular but I think you will find that there isn't a lot that is universal among Christians.

 

[buzuxi02]

The legendary blues musician T-Bone Walker would recite 'Lord have mercy' in his church, only problem is He doesnt tell us which church he bbelonged to. (Listen from 1:40-3:25)

YouTube - T-Bone Walker - Call It Stormy Monday

 

[MKJ]

We use it too.

But I think it has greater prominence in private use among the Orthodox because of the common use of the Jesus prayer.