First Reflection, on the Lord's prayer

I gave my first meditation (mini sermon) at Christ Church last night at the prayer and healing service. This service is a wonderful and meditative service. No more then 20 people were there. The music consisted of Lisa and me. PowerPoint was used, but only to project the words of the Lord's Prayer. In short, it was simple and that simplicity was wonderful.

We began by reciting the Lord's Prayer corporately. We then sung songs all of which had all of the major elements of the Lord's Prayer in them and in order of how they appear in the prayer. My meditation was brief (10-15 minutes). Then we took communion and moved into a time of extended prayer.

Not “Our God” or “God in heaven” but Our Father!

I shared how I think it can be really easy to pray just when we need something and were down and out, I know I'm that way. I shared that the beginning of the prayer in the just the first two words alone God's love is outrageously shown. It begins Our Father (better translation Abba=dad) It does not begin “our God”, not even “God in heaven”, but our father. It shows that God knows and loves and watches over us, we are his.

In this one phrase (Our Father) God shows his love. Picture this illustration. Think of someone who you think loves you (if your alone right now perhaps picture Richard Simmons) then add into that person, perfection, the fact that some how this person knew you before you were born and oh yeah also had his one and only son die for you and also that you were created in his image (imago Dei)! Wow and that being also calls you his child…that’s a pretty good deal. Then his son who also dies for you is teaching you how to pray, how to get have a deeper relationship with this same creator, Jesus is even teaching you things that he never has to do, like ask for forgiveness…..I can’t even handle how crazy that is.

Setting apart his holy name asking for his will and kingdom

I expressed the importance of setting apart his name, asking for his will and kingdom to be done, things that help align our prayers, things that make our superficial fluffy prayers disappear when we begin to ask for God's will and kingdom and power in out life’s and in our world.

Asking for our daily bread (quite possibly eschatological in undertone)

N.T. Wright states the only dangerous part of the prayer is that some times we ask for bread to early and when we do that we lose prospective. When we jump right to petitions we miss out on thanking God for what he is doing. When we ask for stuff to soon we don’t get a chance to put God’s priorities on our radar to center us. By asking for God's will we trust that in his will and kingdom he is looking out for us, and loves us and will make us whole weather it is instantaneous like in the case of miracles, over time with the aid of other humans and God's intervention or making us whole by bringing us home.

Forgiveness is a big deal

Apparently forgiveness is really important in prayer too. So important that Jesus (a perfect guy) prays for it for our benefit, not for his. Forgiveness is so important that themes of forgiveness are found all around the book of Matthew especially right before the Lord's prayer and immediately following it.

Forgiveness helps us align to God’s priorities. Forgiveness is another way we become the hands and feet and bring his kingdom to earth daily.

Lead us not into testing, but when the storms of life come deliver us

I like the word testing instead of temptation. God does not tempt us to sin but rather allows testing. Why this is I honestly don’t know exactly. I have spent alot of time on this one question especially given my history with my health and cancer. I have a view on this but at the end of the day, anyone who thinks they have the problem of evil figured out is probably lying to you. I mean, come on people be ok with searching but not finding were on a journey here we are never finished being transformed. I guess evil and testing is a part of the mystery of God and how God works and I have learned how to love and embrace the mystery of God even though my western mind does not want to rest in his arms of mystery.

I also mentioned that I think its ok to ask this question of why.

I know that at times we cannot always pray, we cannot be thankful in our prayers I had season in my life where prayer was hard, much less thankful prayers. But look at David (he wrote a ton of the Psalms) some of his prayers are the most honest and angry and needy prayers I ever heard.

Its interesting also how that line in the prayer is structured. It essentially says protect us from testing but we also know that testing is part of humanity. We also know even in the testing you are here and we ask that you will deliver us from these tests one way or another.

Jesus knows all about testing. He was tested, tempted, tried and eventually endured the suffering of the world for us. But even Jesus knew that God his father would deliver in the midst of the cross and sure enough three days later he rose again.

Its not all about you (or me) the only place you can have it your way may be burger King

But the prayer does not end with us, it ends again focusing on God, to bring us back, call us home. It ends saying that God the kingdom and power and glory belong to you, that our prayers that while God hears my prayers about corvettes ultimately I need to be concerned with God’s power glory and kingdom and that as a servant in that kingdom, God my abba father will care for me, love me, desire for me to grow, be made whole and to be a light and be the hands of feel of those who need to yet be in this kingdom.

I then re read the translation of the Lord’s prayer I feel to be the most accurate:

Our Father in Heaven set apart your holy name. Bring your kingdom. Cause your will to be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our bread that is a glimpse of that which will be ours in our future home. And forgive us our offenses as we ourselves also have forgiven those who offend us. And do not bring us into testing, but deliver us from evil (when that testing happens). For yours is the kingdom, power and glory forever amen.