The Lord's Prayer

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 -- Week of 5 Easter

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 963)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) 68:1-20(21-23)24-36 (evening)
Leviticus 16:20-34
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 6:7-15

The late Neville Ward, an English Methodist, was a formative influence in my early years. He said that one of his disciplines was to read a commentary about the Lord's Prayer every year. There are enough books published about the Lord's Prayer that one could read a different book annually and never cover the subject. Ward published his own reflections in his fine study "The Personal Faith of Jesus as Revealed in the Lord's Prayer." Wonderful book.

As I read the prayer again in its context right in the middle of Matthew's composition of the Sermon on the Mount, a few things strike me.

It is always significant to say "Our Father." There is something so universal and inclusive about that designation. In seminary, our spirituality professor Alan Jones invited us all to pray "Our Father" as a mantra as we rode the subway sometime. There are few venues so human as a subway train.

Jesus used the social and political image of the kingdom of God as a central desire of his faith. What would life be like if God were followed and obeyed? Christianity is essentially political. What is God's will for our corporate life? That's a focused political, social and economic question which is in the middle of Jesus concern.

Jesus goes on to describe some of the components of that concern.

Daily bread (or the alternative translation, bread for tomorrow). If God's will were done, no one would live with anxiety about where their next meal will come from.

Debts. Right at the center of Jesus' prayer is an economic concern over indebtedness. He lived in a culture where the powerful and wealthy sometimes used debts to foreclose on the property of peasants. Elsewhere Jesus articulates an ethic of willingness to give without expectation of return. How different is his kingdom from our economic norms.

Time of trial. There are moments that can break us. There are situations that can overwhelm. Jesus acknowledges their threat and seeks God's presence and rescue.

Forgiveness. There is something reciprocal about forgiveness. The measure you give will be the measure you get.

I need to survey the Prayer Book to make certain, but I think that virtually every service for public worship and prayer includes the recitation of the Lord's Prayer. I know it is a core part of every form of prayer of the hours such as Daily Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Noonday and Compline.

To pray the Lord's prayer with concentration, awareness and openness is a daunting and fulfilling exercise in and of itself. What might our lives and the expression of our faith be like if it were focused and concentrated upon living into the Lord's Prayer? How different might our churches be? How different might our society be? How central is the spirit of this prayer to our spirit?

Lowell

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Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas