Some scholars suggest that the salutation at the end of the prayer, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen.” was not in the original text and was probably added later. I really do not care whether it was or not. I love the phrase and I need the phrase as a constant reminder of whose kingdom I serve, whose power I need and whose glory I must share.
Read MoreI almost skipped this part of the prayer. I have a hard time relating to the word temptation. Not that I am above being tempted nor strong enough to resist it on my own but at my age what temptations do I face every day?
I am far too old for most of the things we think of when we hear the word tempted. I don’t drink enough to even say I drink at all. Not because I face temptation, but I just don’t like the taste of most drinks. I don’t chase women because I can’t remember what to do if I caught one. I don’t steal money but then I am not near any money to steal.
Read MoreAs I have explained before, I have tried to make it a habit to think though the Lord’s Prayer word for word before I get out of bed some mornings. I wish I could say every morning, but I have never been that organized. As result I have worked through the prayer hundreds of mornings and found that far too often the words have become so familiar that I not only miss the meaning I often overlook the words themselves.
Read MoreThe Jews had long believed in what we now call “prosperity theology”. Their concept did not make God into some kind of deified vending machine. They just thought that wealth meant being blessed of God and poverty meant being cursed. There did not seem to be any set cause of this condition it was more or less God’s random pick. They did not have TV Evangelist they could plant a seed with, (write a check), and somehow force God to pay off. The evidence of God’s pleasure was land, cattle, camels and sons. Daughters, not so much.
Read MoreAn estuary is formed when fresh water and salt water join together as a river runs into the ocean. Some estuaries look barren on the surface while others are quite beautiful. In every case underneath the surface there are plants and animals that have learned to adapt to both salt and fresh and thrive in health and beauty. The nourishment from both salt and fresh strengthens and develops them.
Our world is an estuary of various colors, cultures, life styles and faiths and the vast majority of its inhabitants…
Read MoreI was getting my shoes shined in a barber shop. The person doing the shinning loved to talk and seemed to want everyone in the room to hear his words of wisdom and philosophy. The only problem was he could not say a sentence without a GD or so. It was GD this and GD that until it was grating on our ears. His shine chair was in the front window of the shop and the Baptist preacher walked by outside and waved at those of us in the shop. My very verbal shine master began telling us how stupid that preacher was about the Bible and how right his church was. I quietly asked him about
Read MoreOne of the most enjoyable things about my looking at each word or phrase in the Lord’s Prayer has been the sudden discovery of statements I have said thousands of times and never stopped to notice what I was saying or what the words meant. “Our Father who art in Heaven” became just one flowing jumble of words that seemed to go together quite well and flowed off the tongue with ease. Then it hit me that these words were more than just a description of which God I was speaking to; these words were a statement of faith. These words proclaim that I believe God is real and heaven is a place. They also bring me face to face with my doubts.
Read MoreI was a guest speaker in a church and was asked to speak about “The Lord’s Prayer.” In an effort to show how shocking Jesus’s opening remarks were I said, “He started His prayer by saying “Daddy” I lost the audience and never got them back. The next day the pastor was bombarded with calls telling him to never let me speak there again because I had blasphemed the name of God by calling Him daddy.
Read MoreSomething over fifteen years ago I started going through The Lord’s Prayer word for word in my mind during the few moments before I get out of bed. I am not organized enough to claim that it became a habit because I don’t always remember but I have continued the effort all these years and still find new meanings and appreciation for the words. I really want to share what these words mean to me.
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