Reflection on The Lord's Prayer

I had the opportunity to lead a retreat on Friday night and Saturday. Friday night was a worship service; Saturday was the teaching portion of the retreat. Day-retreats have a very different feel than weekend retreats, so though things went well (I think), I was EXHAUSTED by the time it was over.

The theme of the weekend was "Give Us This Day," and the content of the weekend was centered on The Lord's Prayer. While I led the music at a children's camp centered on The Lord's Prayer a couple of weeks ago, this experience was completely different in that I studied the Lord's Prayer for days in preparation for the event. As such, The Lord's Prayer remains on the forefront of my mind and heart; therefore, I wanted to share some of what I learned in this note:

While Jesus is usually portrayed as answering questions with a question or parable, Jesus directly answers his disciples' request to teach them to pray by teaching them to pray (in the Lukan account). The prayer that he models for them is very simple and symmetrical, easy to remember, and powerful in content.

There is a beginning (Our Father, in heaven--which, itself, is an awesome contradiction--approachable and loving God of compassion who is parent to all of us...yet fully other) and an ending (For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever--a doxology of praise which was added by the church for use in worship)...and two sets of three petitions in between.

The first set of petitions is about God--a countercultural notion--to BEGIN with God:

1) Hallowed (honored, revered, set apart, constantly recognized for what it is) be your Name (your character of justice and love)

2) Your Kingdom (of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, mercy, and grace) come (here and now, not just in the future)

3) Your will be done (your will of which I am praying to be a part) on earth as it is in heaven (where Love exists untainted)

The second set of petitions is about us--not singular ME but plural US--and it covers our most basic human needs:

1) Give us this day our daily bread (Creator God, Father, take care of us in the present--all of us--not just some)

2) Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us (Jesus God, Redeemer, help us to forgive all wrongs of the past)

3) Save us and deliver us from the times of trial (Spirit God, Sustainer, guide us through all future struggles)

The simplicity of this prayer, which, in so many ways, is a summation of the entire gospel message, is so beautifully complex that I am amazed.

You?