Grace & peace to you from God, who entrusts us to do Kingdom work, and from our Savior, Jesus, who is our Christ. Amen.
Have you ever thought about the first time you prayed the Lord’s Prayer? Perhaps it was together with your family, or beside your bed, ever since you can remember? Or maybe you learned it in Sunday School or during worship?
I know that I was praying the Lord’s Prayer long before I ever read the verses in Matthew that explain how this prayer came about: that Jesus was teaching his disciples HOW to pray – not that they were required to pray THIS specific prayer, in this way, every time. However, the disciples took Jesus literally and thought THIS was the exact way to pray, and Jesus’ followers all over the word have been praying the Lord’s Prayer ever since.
Perhaps the most interesting way I’ve ever heard the Lord’s Prayer was during the pandemic, attending LSTC seminary chapel services by Zoom. As you probably know, trying to do anything in unison over Zoom turns into complete audio disorder. (The only thing worse is trying to sing together on Zoom!). So, at that point in the service where we would say the Lord’s Prayer, the presider would tell us “Unmute yourselves and pray the prayer that our Lord taught us, in its many translations and versions.” What followed was 30 seconds of utter chaos as everyone worshipping prayed in their native tongue, or the English translation that was most familiar to them. Sort of like a Pentecost moment for our time: Germans and Salvadorans, Indonesians and TanzaNEans, People from India and the United States, all praying together in their own languages.
But that beautiful discord, or even our reciting of the Lord’s Prayer in one language and one version each Sunday in worship, really gives us no time to break down the significance of this prayer. It’s when I pray individually and meditate on the prayer, phrase by phrase, that I realize what we are asking in this prayer. Not just what we are asking God to do, but what we are asking God to do … to transform us.
Last week, Pastor Chris talked about what it means to live in relationship with God as Parent, as Father, and to understand the name of God as Holy. And that brings us to the second portion: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
A dozen words. They fly off your tongue in five seconds. And sometimes, I wonder, if people realized what they are asking, would they really dare to pray this?
In the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer in The Small Catechism, Martin Luther says that God’s kingdom and God’s will WILL come, regardless of our asking for it. However, in this prayer, we are asking that God’s kingdom would come ALSO to us, and that God’s will would ALSO become our will.
See what I mean? That’s a BIG ASK!! We are requesting God to transform us, to humble us, so that our will becomes God’s will, and that we work for the Kingdom God is already ushering in
What did Jesus tell us the kingdom would be like? This instruction on how to pray comes smack in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Jesus wasn’t just giving his disciples a beginning course on prayer, to be followed by a quiz at the end!
Jesus was teaching them the master course about how God’s kingdom was going to turn the world upside down. No longer would the world belong to the powerful, the rich, the inhumane, the evil, but in God’s kingdom, the tables would be turned, and now the meek, the poor, the merciful and the persecuted would be blessed. The first would be last, the last would be first. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn and give them the other cheek. If someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak as well. Treat others the way that you would want to be treated. That’s what it will look like in God’s kingdom.
And that’s what we’re praying – we’re asking that WE become part of that transformation.
Full Stop.
A month ago, three of our young people stood before us during their confirmation. And along with their stirring words of faith, they each picked hymns. Each one of them picked verses that talked about faith as a journey, as transformation. Our hymn of the day, Andre Johnson’s hymn, started with these words: “Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like you.”
That’s EXACTLY what we are praying today! Change us. Make our wills extensions of your will, God. Help us do everything in our power to bring in your kingdom throughout this broken world.
Some would ask: Is that even possible?
And I think the only faithful response is: Is it possible to follow Jesus and not try? Can we follow Jesus and not strive for justice and peace, can we see needs and not want to serve? Can we see evil and not want to counter it with love?
Fortunately, it’s not a question I’ve ever asked here.
What I see at Trinity is hundreds of people who have committed to those phrases in the Lord’s Prayer. To allow their own will to be shaped, little by little, to God’s will. People who gather to prepare a freezer full of meals regularly, so this corner of the world can be fed. People who give time and donations to Gateway 180 and Circle of Concern, so others have the necessities to live. And God’s kingdom expands, one action at a time.
People who support Trinity Preschool, so families have a safe place for their littles to come and learn about a God who loves them. Unconditionally! People who change the future for students and families near Ensenada, Mexico, by your accompaniment of the Lantern Hill Mission. And God’s kingdom expands, little by little. Family by family. Community by community.
And don’t forget, so many of you have your own ways of growing the kingdom, through whatever people and programs touch your hearts, using your own gifts. Some of you have the spiritual gift of generosity, and you give to other causes outside our five core missions. Some of you have the gift of helping and you care for your grandparents or your grandchildren. Some care for a neighbor, a friend, or a spouse. Maybe you volunteer hours at a school. Sit on the board of an agency. Walk shelter dogs. Cuddle premature infants. Give hugs to marchers in the Pride parade. Tend a community garden. Coach youth sports.
And God’s kingdom expands, one interaction at a time.
Have you ever thought about the first time you prayed the Lord’s Prayer? Perhaps it was together with your family, or beside your bed, ever since you can remember? Or maybe you learned it in Sunday School or during worship?
I know that I was praying the Lord’s Prayer long before I ever read the verses in Matthew that explain how this prayer came about: that Jesus was teaching his disciples HOW to pray – not that they were required to pray THIS specific prayer, in this way, every time. However, the disciples took Jesus literally and thought THIS was the exact way to pray, and Jesus’ followers all over the word have been praying the Lord’s Prayer ever since.
Perhaps the most interesting way I’ve ever heard the Lord’s Prayer was during the pandemic, attending LSTC seminary chapel services by Zoom. As you probably know, trying to do anything in unison over Zoom turns into complete audio disorder. (The only thing worse is trying to sing together on Zoom!). So, at that point in the service where we would say the Lord’s Prayer, the presider would tell us “Unmute yourselves and pray the prayer that our Lord taught us, in its many translations and versions.” What followed was 30 seconds of utter chaos as everyone worshipping prayed in their native tongue, or the English translation that was most familiar to them. Sort of like a Pentecost moment for our time: Germans and Salvadorans, Indonesians and TanzaNEans, People from India and the United States, all praying together in their own languages.
But that beautiful discord, or even our reciting of the Lord’s Prayer in one language and one version each Sunday in worship, really gives us no time to break down the significance of this prayer. It’s when I pray individually and meditate on the prayer, phrase by phrase, that I realize what we are asking in this prayer. Not just what we are asking God to do, but what we are asking God to do … to transform us.
Last week, Pastor Chris talked about what it means to live in relationship with God as Parent, as Father, and to understand the name of God as Holy. And that brings us to the second portion: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
A dozen words. They fly off your tongue in five seconds. And sometimes, I wonder, if people realized what they are asking, would they really dare to pray this?
In the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer in The Small Catechism, Martin Luther says that God’s kingdom and God’s will WILL come, regardless of our asking for it. However, in this prayer, we are asking that God’s kingdom would come ALSO to us, and that God’s will would ALSO become our will.
See what I mean? That’s a BIG ASK!! We are requesting God to transform us, to humble us, so that our will becomes God’s will, and that we work for the Kingdom God is already ushering in
What did Jesus tell us the kingdom would be like? This instruction on how to pray comes smack in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Jesus wasn’t just giving his disciples a beginning course on prayer, to be followed by a quiz at the end!
Jesus was teaching them the master course about how God’s kingdom was going to turn the world upside down. No longer would the world belong to the powerful, the rich, the inhumane, the evil, but in God’s kingdom, the tables would be turned, and now the meek, the poor, the merciful and the persecuted would be blessed. The first would be last, the last would be first. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn and give them the other cheek. If someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak as well. Treat others the way that you would want to be treated. That’s what it will look like in God’s kingdom.
And that’s what we’re praying – we’re asking that WE become part of that transformation.
Full Stop.
A month ago, three of our young people stood before us during their confirmation. And along with their stirring words of faith, they each picked hymns. Each one of them picked verses that talked about faith as a journey, as transformation. Our hymn of the day, Andre Johnson’s hymn, started with these words: “Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like you.”
That’s EXACTLY what we are praying today! Change us. Make our wills extensions of your will, God. Help us do everything in our power to bring in your kingdom throughout this broken world.
Some would ask: Is that even possible?
And I think the only faithful response is: Is it possible to follow Jesus and not try? Can we follow Jesus and not strive for justice and peace, can we see needs and not want to serve? Can we see evil and not want to counter it with love?
Fortunately, it’s not a question I’ve ever asked here.
What I see at Trinity is hundreds of people who have committed to those phrases in the Lord’s Prayer. To allow their own will to be shaped, little by little, to God’s will. People who gather to prepare a freezer full of meals regularly, so this corner of the world can be fed. People who give time and donations to Gateway 180 and Circle of Concern, so others have the necessities to live. And God’s kingdom expands, one action at a time.
People who support Trinity Preschool, so families have a safe place for their littles to come and learn about a God who loves them. Unconditionally! People who change the future for students and families near Ensenada, Mexico, by your accompaniment of the Lantern Hill Mission. And God’s kingdom expands, little by little. Family by family. Community by community.
And don’t forget, so many of you have your own ways of growing the kingdom, through whatever people and programs touch your hearts, using your own gifts. Some of you have the spiritual gift of generosity, and you give to other causes outside our five core missions. Some of you have the gift of helping and you care for your grandparents or your grandchildren. Some care for a neighbor, a friend, or a spouse. Maybe you volunteer hours at a school. Sit on the board of an agency. Walk shelter dogs. Cuddle premature infants. Give hugs to marchers in the Pride parade. Tend a community garden. Coach youth sports.
And God’s kingdom expands, one interaction at a time.
*****
And you know what gives me the most hope, my friends? That in the First Century, there were challenges that seemed insurmountable. In Jesus’ day, people lived under Roman occupation. Died in the midst of unnecessary violence. There were many people who didn’t have a decent place to live, didn’t have enough food, succumbed to treatable illnesses, were persecuted for being who they were. And Jesus didn’t say to his disciples, this is too much for you to ask. You can’t change this.
No. He said, pray like this: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as in heaven.”
Still today, people are dying in unnecessary violence. We still have people who don’t have decent places to live. Don’t have enough food. Are dying of treatable illnesses. Are persecuted for being who they are. And still, Jesus asks us to pray this prayer, to ask to be changed. To conform ourselves to God’s will and do whatever we can to bring God’s kingdom to the entire world.
So we continue to pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as in heaven.”
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment