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The Lord’s Prayer
Your Kingdom Come...
by Deborah Beach Giordano
© August 6, 2007
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
~ The Gospel according to Matthew 6:9-13
Last week we began at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer — with God: the Foundation and Source of our life. In all he did and everything he said, Jesus taught us that the Holy One is on our side: working with us, loving us, seeking to restore us and our world to health and happiness. Therefore, we should pray with courage and confidence.
The next line of the Lord’s Prayer is neither a plea nor praise, but a statement: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done." Because the first English translators had an ear for poetry, there is a cadence to the phrase; the words almost rhyme: "your kingdom come, your will be done..." It might also be said as, "You are sovereign over all the world, every ruler, every nation, and all people shall obey You."
Jesus isn’t asking for this to happen, he is declaring the way things are; and the way we are to live. The Lord’s prayer doesn’t say that one fine day this world will become God’s kingdom; it is a statement of what should be obvious to us: this is already God’s world.
"The kingdom of God is here in the midst of you." ~ Luke 17:21
All that is missing is for us to realize it, and to act accordingly.
That’s where the next part of the phrase comes in: "may Your will be done on earth."
When we pray that God's will be done — there is only one person we can speak for; only one whose "doings" we can guarantee. We can only speak for ourselves.
This isn’t a prayer about other people, but about us.
It isn’t a dream of the future, but a plan for today.
The Lord’s Prayer is beginning to sound pretty scary, isn’t it? It turns out that we’re not dumping a Wish List for the future into the Holy One’s lap, but committing ourselves to doing God’s will. Right here. Right now.
This is our vow that we’re on God’s side — just as God is on ours. We are promising to do our part: following the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are to be Light Bearers who bring mercy, kindness, and embodied compassion into our world.
We are to share in the holy work of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, caring for the aged and the ill, visiting the lonely and imprisoned, demanding justice, working for peace, protecting the earth. We are to love God and love our neighbors — all of our neighbors — as we love ourselves.
The Lord’s prayer reminds us that we are not victims of "this world," but citizens of heaven, who have been called to preach the good news — using words, if necessary. There is no god but God, there is no government or legislation that can overrule Christ’s Law of Love.
As the old hymn gives it, "This is my Father’s world," — yet we rarely behave as though we believe it. We treat the notion of "the kingdom of God" as a far-distant, largely unachievable goal: "pie in the sky, by and by," when all that is necessary is that we live as though the truth were true.
When we pray as Jesus taught us, we are confirming our participation in the work of making it "on earth as it is in heaven." We have the ability — the responsibility — to care for the Beloved’s holy creation tenderly.
When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we acknowledge that, now and eternally, this is God’s kingdom. Though we have been invited to be coworkers, the final outcome is not up to us. It has already been decided, a long time ago. Before the world came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
~ The Gospel according to John 1:4-5
Ultimately, Light and Life shall be victorious. Jesus’ prayer affirms that God is in charge; it reminds us that we need not be afraid of any earthly thing. Jesus’ name reminds us of the Easter promise: through the Lord Christ’s grace and mercy, we shall see the Kingdom which has no end.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: What in our world is not in keeping with Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God? Which aspect seems most pressing to you? Justice? Peace? Care for the poor or the sick? Stewardship of our resources? Protection of our furred, feathered and finned friends? What two things can you do to make a difference? (Hint: one of these things is prayer!)
What in our world is not in keeping with Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God? Which aspect seems most pressing to you? Justice? Peace? Care for the poor or the sick? Stewardship of our resources? Protection of our furred, feathered and finned friends? What two things can you do to make a difference? (Hint: one of these things is prayer!) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The Lord’s Prayer
by Deborah Beach Giordano
© July 30, 2007
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
~ The Gospel according to Matthew 6:9-13
Whenever I hear these words spoken by someone else, it is hard to resist joining in and saying them, too. After all, it is THE prayer of the Christian faith. I know the words really well.
Versions of what we call "the Lord’s prayer" appear in the gospels of Luke (11:2-4) and Matthew. The writer of Matthew frames it within a larger teaching which includes what not to do. Don’t let people know when you give alms; don't make a big deal out of your fasting and prayer; don’t fill your prayers with a lot of words you don’t mean. Luke’s version is shorter, and presents Jesus’ words as a response to the disciples’ request, "Lord, teach us to pray."
While we may not know exactly what Jesus said, we do know that he prayed. A lot. The gospels tell us, over and again, that the Lord prayed: we know there were times when he "went away by himself to pray," he prayed in private with his disciples, amid the worshippers in the temple, and as a part of his public ministry. Prayer was an essential part of who Jesus was, how he lived and what he did.
If we are to follow the Lord, then prayer must be central to our lives, and to our work in the world, too.
And who wouldn’t want to pray as Jesus did? His prayers resulted in the casting out of demons, the healing of the sick, the feeding the hungry; in causing the lame to walk and the blind to see, raising the dead...
Holy Toledo, where do I sign up?
That desire: to pray as Jesus did — to pray as effectively as Jesus did — is why "The Lord’s Prayer" has been a part of the Christian tradition from the very beginning. It is something we take very seriously: we teach it to our children in Sunday School, and we adults recite it during every worship event and church function. Most of us say it at least once a day in our private devotions.
I think it's safe to say that we all know the prayer pretty well.
At least we know the words.
But I wonder...
Do we say this prayer so often that we've forgotten what the words mean? Has it become such a regular part of our life that it almost passes by unnoticed? Do we really pray as Jesus did — with the same degree of earnestness and sincere belief?
Over the next few weeks I want to take a closer look at the words of this, our Number One prayer. And there is no better place to begin than at the beginning:
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."
The Lord begins his prayer with God, which is a good way to start. And I’m not trying to be funny by saying that.
It is important to remember that we are praying to Someone. These are not just random shouts at a unhearing, unthinking, unfeeling universe. Our prayers are heard, and they are heard by God: "the One who hears" (Genesis 21:17; 1 Sam 23:10; Psalms 6, 28, 66, 116, etc.).
Our Father, in heaven.
The word is "heaven" — not "cosmos," not "universe." It is associated with the sky, where the clouds are: the realm of the One who sits upon "the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). While God is as close to us as our breath, the Beloved is also "over all": the Ruler of heaven and earth: the One Who brought all things into being. It With God, all things are possible.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name.
"Hallowed" is an odd old word. It has been around since at least 1611, when it appeared in the English translation of the bible authorized by King James the First.
It has recently made a well-publicized appearance in the title of the final book in the Harry Potter series.
Though I’ve not read the book, the "Deathly Hallows" appears to refer to something hidden away: "down in the hallows" — in a dark and shadowy place.
In our case it holds a different meaning. And, although I’ve often fussed about the Church’s use of obscure and obsolete language, in the case of "hallowed" I’m willing to make an exception. That’s because the Greek word, agiastheto, is difficult to translate precisely. It does mean "holy," as most modern bibles render it. But it also means "to reverence"; it indicates that we come before the Beloved in holy awe and admiration. It describes both the holiness and our response to it.
Wonderful, glorious, holy and awe-inspiring is your Name,
O Eternal One, our God.
Now, the business about the "name" of God being holy is important. Jesus was a great one for giving people nicknames that described something about their character. He called Peter, "Rocky" — for reasons we will explore at a future date; and referred to James and John as "sons of thunder," perhaps because of their explosive temperaments (Mark 3:16-17).
The closest equivalent for us is when we say of someone: "He’s really ‘Mr. Personality.’" or "Her middle name should be ‘chocolate.’" It describes the essence the person.
Jesus tells us that God’s name is Holy. It is the essence of God: it is who God is, it is what God does, it is God’s desire and nature. If God is present, holiness is there. It is radiance, and awe, and wonder, power and glory — it is magnificent, and overwhelming and... it is something more.
In the same breath that he described God as holy: supremely divine and awe-ful — Jesus called the Beloved our father. God is our heavenly parent; the source of our life, the One who brought us safely here.
We can pray with absolute honesty and fearlessness — at any time, for any reason. For God is like a father who runs to meet his children as soon as we come into view, though we may be covered with pig slop and dressed in rags.
One who recognizes us beneath the dirt, grime, and despair — and embraces us with joy and love. God is One who throws a party just because we show up (Luke 15:11).
Perhaps that word: "father" — as understood by Jesus — is the definition of hallowed- ness: simple, unwavering, unconditional love. God is One we can rely on to understand us, to love us, to hear our prayers with compassion and concern. God is on our side.
Take a moment to imagine what that truly means; and how it feels to be loved so completely. That is holiness made real.
....
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way: Our Father,"
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way: Our Father,"
"Our father." Every time we say the Lord’s Prayer we affirm that we are all children of the one God; sisters and brothers of one another and of our Lord Christ. That’s quite a concept.
I wonder what it would be like if we took these teachings to heart.
If we were as confident of God’s love for us — and for all people — as Jesus was, then perhaps we could pray as Jesus did.
And if we really prayed as the Lord did, perhaps we would start to live as he lived. We would love God and love one another as Jesus taught us to do. We would feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit the lonely and imprisoned, and restore hope to the hopeless. We would be kind and forgiving to ourselves.
Perhaps, if we truly pray as Jesus did, we will begin to grow into the likeness of our Lord. Maybe we can become a people whose middle name is "holy" — which is just another word for love.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
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This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Pray the Lord’s Prayer each day with mindfulness; really pay attention to each word and phrase. Do you hear something you’ve never heard before, or that you hear "differently" from in the past?
Pray the Lord’s Prayer each day with mindfulness; really pay attention to each word and phrase. Do you hear something you’ve never heard before, or that you hear "differently" from in the past?
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The Lord’s Prayer
Forgive us ...
by Deborah Beach Giordano
© August 20, 2007
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
~ The Gospel according to Matthew 6:9-13
We have discussed the Lord's Prayer as a celebration of the power and glory of God: "hallowed — holy and awe-inspiring is Your Name." At the same Jesus insists upon God's nearness to us and affection for us; like a loving and forgiving father ("The Prodigal Son," in Luke 15:11-20).
This prayer is an affirmation of our Creator's authority over the earth. Our fragile blue-green world is God's kingdom, and we are merely its stewards. In saying these words we renew our commitment to serving the Beloved; to doing what God would have us do.
And bread, that simple yet essential part of our lives — and all of the other simple and essential parts of our lives — comes from Above. All that we have and enjoy is a gift from the Holy One; every meal, each flower and tree, our homes, our health, our families and our friends ... The whole world is a sign of God's generosity and abundant love. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to rejoice and give thanks.
This is great stuff. Is it any wonder that this is our Number One prayer? that we say it every chance we get? It is a celebration, an affirmation of the grace and goodness of our God, a reminder to be thankful. I'm all for it.
Now we come to the tricky bit: those words we cannot ignore even when our lips are on Automatic Pilot while our brains are planning where to go for Sunday Brunch. "Forgive us .... as we have forgiven."
Hold on a minute.... What did I just say?
Usually, by the time those words register — when we realize what we've just said; we're already asking to be protected from evil. Nobody would take issue with that request. So "amen" already and that's an end to it.
Yet the phrase lingers: a troubling echo in our hearts and minds. I don't know about you, but it certainly leaves me ... disconcerted, to put it mildly.
Of course I want to be forgiven. I want God to understand the mistakes I've made, to overlook my limitations, to be merciful and compassionate when I'm angry and tired and self-absorbed. When I'm just plain nasty. I have my reasons, or justifications, excuses — whatever they are. I need God to see things from my point of view.... to see that I stumble and fall, but that I do keep trying ... I need Someone who can see the good beneath the surface.
That's the kind of forgiveness I need. Perhaps it is the kind of forgiveness that you need, too.
That's the kind of forgiveness I believe God gives to us. Like the Prodigal Father, God sees beneath the surface of our sins and sorrows and recognizes us as His children. The Merciful One, compassionate and caring, sees our goodness and holy potential. Forgiven and renewed, we can dare to live up to that sacred calling: to behave as true heirs of the Promise.
That is the good news: right there, in a nutshell. You are forgiven, loved, and free. It's wonderful, isn't it?
And then Jesus has to go and connect this forgiveness to our forgiveness of others. Darn.
But wait a minute. We already know that we have been forgiven. If we start with that holy Truth, then we aren't negotiating with God for forgiveness — we are asking to be given a compassionate nature. We are asking for the grace to forgive as we have been forgiven. (Luke 7:41-43)
We forgive because we know what it feels like to need forgiveness, to need to be understood, to need Someone to see things from our point of view. We forgive because we are Christ-followers: people who are striving to be as loving, merciful, and compassionate as our Lord was.
We forgive because we want to do as Jesus did: we want to bring healing and hope and joy to the world.
And therein lies a holy miracle at the heart of this prayer. Forgiveness heals. It is a balm to the one who is forgiven and to the one who forgives. When we forgive others, we ourselves are healed.
We cannot change what has gone before. But we do not have to be bound to it. Our forgiveness of others releases us — we are no longer "tied" to our resentment, our anger, to whatever history or pattern they represent.
Forgiveness is not permission: it does not affix a stamp of approval on what occurred, it does not overlook the hurts or ignore the harm that was done. Forgiveness is a holy, freeing act of mercy. When we are forgiven — and when we forgive — we declare, "I will no longer allow my past to control my present life." To forgive is to embrace the holy opportunity that Christ revealed: it is to be born anew.
May we all receive the grace to forgive as we have been forgiven.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
This Week's Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Where is there a need for forgiveness in your life?
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The Lord’s Prayer
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done...
by Deborah Beach Giordano
© August 6, 2007 (text only)
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
~ The Gospel according to Matthew 6:9-13
Last week we began at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer — with God: the Foundation and Source of our life. In all he did and everything he said, Jesus taught us that the Holy One is on our side: working with us, loving us, seeking to restore us and our world to health and happiness. Therefore, we should pray with courage and confidence.
The next line of the Lord’s Prayer is neither a plea nor praise, but a statement: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done." Because the first English translators had an ear for poetry, there is a cadence to the phrase; the words almost rhyme: "your kingdom come, your will be done..." It might also be said as, "You are sovereign over all the world, every ruler, every nation, and all people shall obey You."
Jesus isn’t asking for this to happen, he is declaring the way things are; and the way we are to live. The Lord’s prayer doesn’t say that one fine day this world will become God’s kingdom; it is a statement of what should be obvious to us: this is already God’s world.
"The kingdom of God is here in the midst of you." ~ Luke 17:21
All that is missing is for us to realize it, and to act accordingly.
That’s where the next part of the phrase comes in: "may Your will be done on earth."
When we pray that God's will be done — there is only one person we can speak for; only one whose "doings" we can guarantee. We can only speak for ourselves.
This isn’t a prayer about other people, but about us.
It isn’t a dream of the future, but a plan for today.
The Lord’s Prayer is beginning to sound pretty scary, isn’t it? It turns out that we’re not dumping a Wish List for the future into the Holy One’s lap, but committing ourselves to doing God’s will. Right here. Right now.
This is our vow that we’re on God’s side — just as God is on ours. We are promising to do our part: following the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are to be Light Bearers who bring mercy, kindness, and embodied compassion into our world.
We are to share in the holy work of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, caring for the aged and the ill, visiting the lonely and imprisoned, demanding justice, working for peace, protecting the earth. We are to love God and love our neighbors — all of our neighbors — as we love ourselves.
The Lord’s prayer reminds us that we are not victims of "this world," but citizens of heaven, who have been called to preach the good news — using words, if necessary. There is no god but God, there is no government or legislation that can overrule Christ’s Law of Love.
As the old hymn gives it, "This is my Father’s world," — yet we rarely behave as though we believe it. We treat the notion of "the kingdom of God" as a far-distant, largely unachievable goal: "pie in the sky, by and by," when all that is necessary is that we live as though the truth were true.
When we pray as Jesus taught us, we are confirming our participation in the work of making it "on earth as it is in heaven." We have the ability — the responsibility — to care for the Beloved’s holy creation tenderly.
When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we acknowledge that, now and eternally, this is God’s kingdom. Though we have been invited to be coworkers, the final outcome is not up to us. It has already been decided, a long time ago. Before the world came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
~ The Gospel according to John 1:4-5
Ultimately, Light and Life shall be victorious. Jesus’ prayer affirms that God is in charge; it reminds us that we need not be afraid of any earthly thing. Jesus’ name reminds us of the Easter promise: through the Lord Christ’s grace and mercy, we shall see the Kingdom which has no end.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: What in our world is not in keeping with Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God? Which aspect seems most pressing to you? Justice? Peace? Care for the poor or the sick? Stewardship of our resources? Protection of our furred, feathered and finned friends? What two things can you do to make a difference? (Hint: one of these things is prayer!)
What in our world is not in keeping with Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God? Which aspect seems most pressing to you? Justice? Peace? Care for the poor or the sick? Stewardship of our resources? Protection of our furred, feathered and finned friends? What two things can you do to make a difference? (Hint: one of these things is prayer!)
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The Lord’s Prayer
Give us this day our daily bread...
by Deborah Beach Giordano
© August 13, 2007 (text only)
Jesus said, "Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
~ The Gospel according to Matthew 6:9-13
"Give us this day our daily bread" — the first request in the Lord’s Prayer.
Funny, isn’t it? So often we think of "prayer" as the process of asking for something from God. Yet it comes in a distant third in the Lord’s prayer; following giving glory to God, and our promise to do our part in making it "on earth as it is in heaven."
And then, when he does come to make a request to the Eternal, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Source of Life and Light, the One Who Can Do Anything — Jesus asks for bread....
Bread?? Not the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? Not justice for the innocent, comfort for the sorrowing? Not peace to the nations?
Bread?
It seems like such a small thing; insignificant, almost. Especially in this community, where few of us have ever "wanted" for bread. We’ve had enough to eat — usually more than enough to eat — all of our lives.
The same was true of the small community that clustered around Jesus: it seems that they had plenty to eat and drink. The Lord and his disciples apparently enjoyed hearty meals frequently — so much so, in fact, that Jesus was accused of being "a glutton and a drunkard" (Mt 11:19; Luke 7:34).
Why would Jesus teach us to pray for something that we already have?
......
Perhaps we pray for our daily bread because it has been provided for us. Perhaps it helps prevent us from taking such a "simple" thing for granted — and all of the other "simple things" that are a part of our lives.
When you partake of your "daily bread," what do you see? Is it nourishment for your body? A good-tasting treat? A necessary evil? Is it the thought-filled handiwork of a family member, a baker or a chef? A rest from your labors? Or do you even see it at all?
So often in my travels I see people eating as they drive; downing a hastily-grabbed sandwich, or burrito, or a bagel and coffee from Starbucks. We eat in our cars, at our desks, in meetings, during telephone calls. Even at home, food is just one item in our busy lives: while we eat we read, do crosswords, surf the internet, watch television, check-in with our housemates ... Very few of us truly appreciate our meals — we hardly recognize them as they fade into the blur of the tasks that fill our days.
I wonder. What would it be like if we saw all our meals — each mouthful, every bite of bread, spoon of soup, forkful of salad — as a heavenly gift?
Since that is the subject of the Lord’s prayer request, let’s begin with a simple loaf of bread. The wheat with which it is made came from the earth. In the soft magic of the soil, seeds sprouted and grew. The warmth of the sun lured them into the daylight, in the gentle darkness of night they rested and grew strong. Water’s sweet energy filled each plant with the power to lift its arms up to the sky.
Miracle after miracle.
And that’s just the wheat. There are other ingredients with equally amazing stories.
Each bite of our "daily bread" is a mouthful of miracles.
Every meal is a gift from heaven. Every meal is a sacrament: a holy sign of the Beloved’s care and concern for us.
May we always receive our daily bread — and all of the other "everyday miracles" — with grateful hearts and joyful spirits.
Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,
Deborah +
This Week’s Suggested Spiritual Exercise: Be mindful of the "mouthful of miracles" in each meal you eat this week.
Be mindful of the "mouthful of miracles" in each meal you eat this week.
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