exploring its meaning, line by line
This version of the Lord's Prayer, as found in The Book of Common Prayer, comes from the Gospel of Luke.
OUR
FATHER IN HEAVEN
Calling it The Lord's Prayer may lead us to
think the wrong thing. It's our prayer, given to us by the Lord. It's not his
prayer. He's not saying, "This is the one that I pray." He's saying, "This is
the one you should pray."
HALLOWED
BE YOUR NAME
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Father,
hallowed be your name," he suggested many things at once about us disciples and
our relationship to God.
YOUR KINGDOM COME
"Your Kingdom Come"—three short words,
which are undoubtedly familiar to you. You have probably said them a thousand
times. What I hope to offer today are some insights about why I believe the
Kingdom of God is a surprise.
YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN
God's will in heaven is love. God's will
on earth is Love. Love is God's very nature.
GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD
As we say, "Give us today our daily
bread," what we're asking is that God would enter each day into our very being,
giving us the Spirit of peace and power, without which there is no life worth
living.
FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US
Can/should you forgive me if I have
wronged you but I am unrepentant, if I am anything but contrite? Yes, because if
you don't forgive me we both are dragging those big awful weights around, but if
you do forgive me in your heart, at least you will be free of life-deadening
weight.
SAVE US FROM THE TIME OF TRIAL, AND DELIVER US FROM EVIL
"Save us from the time of trial, and
deliver us from evil." When we pray these words, we become bold enough to ask
God to give us, forgive us, and don't test us, deliver us. But I think we are
also saying, "We can do nothing without you God." In short, we are confessing
that without God we are nothing.
FOR THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY ARE YOURS, NOW AND FOR EVER
The phrase, "For yours is the Kingdom and
the power and glory forever and ever. Amen." is probably the oldest piece of
Christian writing after the New Testament itself.
