And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…

“23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt... 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’… 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” – Mt. 18:23-35

This is probably the section of this prayer that is most often translated differently. In some versions it is translated as “debt/debtors,” others as “sins/sinners,” and still others as “trespasses/trespassers.” No matter how one translates this passage the focus is ultimately the same, the measure of mercy and grace we show and share is the measure we can expect from God.

To be honest, this is a tough lesson for us to learn. If the question was just forgiveness of sins/wrongs committed against us, it would seem easier. However, when we factor in the concept of the grace and mercy we show others, the issue seems tougher somehow. I know it is for me.

How many times have we heard or said, “I can never forgive so and so for that!” In essence we are asking that God show the same mercy to us. I don’t know about you, but that scares me and gives me reason to pause and reconsider how I relate to others. It also causes me to seriously think about why Christ lived and died for each of us.

The heart of Jesus’ earthly life was to assure us that God loves and cares for each and every one of us. He came to tell the Good News of forgiveness and reconciliation with God. In other words, he came to tell us that God has forgiven our sins and transgressions; shown us great mercy and grace, and we must likewise forgive those who have harmed us, demonstrating the grace and mercy we receive from God.

Gracious Lord, we are not worthy of your love or your kindness, yet you choose to forgive our debts. Help us to recognize the grace you show us and to share it with others as we forgive our debtors. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.

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Give Us This Day...

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread…

“22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you--you of little faith! 29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” – Luke 12:22-31

In my walk of faith, I have always trusted God. I knew without a doubt, that I would always have what I needed to succeed in life. I’ve tried to live and to walk with the passage above in mind each day. Each time I read the passage I am also reminded of an old Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” In both cases, I recall the difference between what I might want and what I truly need and require each day.

This is the same message and lesson that was taught to the people of Israel in the dessert. When they had no food and cried out to God, God provided manna. But it was just enough for each household for one day (except for the Sabbath).

Some of us have been fortunate and have leaned this lesson early on in life. Other people struggle to learn it and never seem to succeed. It is this struggle to get what one needs that has led Christianity to be called at the same time; an “Opiate to the masses,” and a promise of liberating hope for those who need it.

When we pray, “Give us this day…,” we seek enough for today and no more. This is completely contrary to all the conventional wisdom of the world. Society, teaches us from an early age to not be satisfied with what we need, instead to seek what we want. We are encouraged to be greedy little children who always want more and are never satisfied.

A Christ-like life focuses on trusting God for all we need in life. It helps us to realize that God gives us enough and then some. We have ample reason to rejoice in the gifts God has given us and the bounty we have. Our stewardship finds at its heart the realization that God has indeed given us our daily bread and dessert too!

Thank you Lord for our daily bread and for all the bounties we receive from you. May our trust and reliance on you deepen each day as we recognize the bounties you have given to us. This we ask in the name of your greatest gift, Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Thy Kingdom Come...

Thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven…

“1 The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world,

and those who live in it…

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts,

he is the King of glory.” – Psalm 24:1,10

The concept of living under a king is foreign to most of us in the U.S.. After all, isn’t that what the Revolutionary War was all about? Our political forefathers threw off the mantle of the monarchy in favor of a republic. I for one don’t know that I would want to go backwards.

However, our lack of understanding of the complete power and authority of a king (not just as a figurehead) makes it tough for us to comprehend what it means to pray. “thy kingdom come.” When we say these words, we are giving God complete control over all that we are and all we do. We are submitting, body and soul to God’s reign and working to further that reign in our lives.

In the Old Testament when a person came before the king, they assumed a physical position of obedience, falling face down on the floor. In essence, we are to practice the same behavior before God.

We are further swearing that there is no place on earth or in heaven that is beyond God’s rule. We admit that it is God we are here to serve and not the reverse, something that may seem out of character in this age of ‘entitlement.’

So then our attitude in prayer is one of obedience and subservience. We affirm it is God’s kingdom and God’s will we are hoping and praying to put in action on earth, just as it already is in heaven. This is revolutionary thinking in the 21^st century. But with God, all things are possible!

Lord, following you challenges much of what we learn in the world today. Help us, Lord. Give us hearts that long to follow your will, and lives that show your love for us all. This we ask in the name of your greatest gift, Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Hallowed Be Thy Name

Hallowed be thy name…

“7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.” -Exodus 20:7


“13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of
your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.” - Exodus 3:13-15

What’s in a name? For you and me our name is how others identify us. It is the way our parents chose to distinguish us from our siblings and all the other children of our age.

But what about God’s name? In Hebrew thought and in the Jewish faith, if you know the name of something, you have power and control over it. But it must not be so with the name of God. God’s name was revealed to Moses at the burning bush, but is never uttered or written. In fact, many translations of the Bible use the word “LORD” in capitals, when they refer to the divinely revealed name of God.

In the Lord’s Prayer when we say, “Hallowed be thy name…” we are praying that we would give the name of God the honor and respect it deserves. We pray and remind ourselves that God’s name is not to be misused or taken lightly.

We also recall that the God we worship is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses, who has done great things throughout human history and continues to write history today with our lives. This is God, who is, who was, and will be forever.

Every attempt we make to define God falls short, for we can never truly capture or comprehend all that God is and does. That is why we pray that God’s name is to be hallowed, or holy. We can never totally know God, but we can always know that God loves and hears us, totally. May God’s name be hallowed, forever.


God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hear our prayers this day. Point your ear in our direction as we call upon your hallowed name. May we never loose sight of all you are and may we know that you are listening to us always. This we ask in the confidence that comes from knowing you are God. Amen.

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Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven…

“22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD

in the presence of all the assembly of Israel,

and spread out his hands to heaven. 23 He said,

“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above

or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants

who walk before you with all their heart…” – 1Kings 8:22-23

The first challenge in praying the Lord’s Prayer is remembering who it is we are praying to. God, the Eternal Father, is the Creator of all that was, is, and will be. God’s realm is the entire universe, but God chooses heaven as his home. This is often confusing for many people.

We confess and profess that God is omnipresent, always with us. Yet God’s kingdom and throne is in heaven. The temple Solomon built was never enough to contain God. In essence what Solomon asked was that God’s name and presence reside there once in a while. He also asked that when Israel prayed at the temple God would listen and respond.

This is the God we pray to, God whose throne is in heaven, but is always with us. God, who created everything and whom Jesus called Abba (Papa) is the same God we pray to in the Lord’s Prayer. It is imperative that we remember who is in charge.

So then, when we say the Lord’s Prayer we begin by acknowledging that it is God who is in control of all of Creation. We reaffirm, with child-like innocence that it is God who we worship and praise and rely upon for all things. We also reaffirm that although God is with us, God’s realm is more than just the Earth, God’s realm is universal.

Heavenly Father, hear us today. Help us to recall exactly who you are and what you have done for us. Open our hearts and our lives to begin to understand your majesty and grace towards us. This we ask in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is one that is known by all Christians. It is essentially the same, across all denominations. It is found in two variations in the New Testament. The most common version is taken from Matthew 6:9-13. The less familiar rendition is in Luke 11:2-4.

Regardless of the version you prefer, it is still one of the best tools we have as Christians to understand the practice of prayer. It serves not just as a model for our own prayers, but as a window to the depth and intricacies of prayer.

Linguistically, the Lord’s Prayer in King James English demonstrates an intimacy with God that modern English fails to adequately express. Most languages use a familiar, or intimate, and a polite form of the word “you,” modern English does not. However, in the King James English of this prayer that intimate form of “you” finds expression in the word “thy.” Hence, the Lord’s Prayer is one of the most intimate expressions of prayer we can ever use.

Over the next period of time, I hope to publish a series of postings that explore this prayer. They will be structured on the petitions found in this prayer as identified in the Heidelberg Catechism (Q119-Q129). I approach this prayer, not just from my point of view, but as a study of the prayer that Martin Luther called; “the perfect prayer.” For as many believe it is the ideal way to begin and end each day of our walk with God.

Lord, as we explore the meaning of this prayer. Grant us the insight to grasp not just its surface meanings and words, but the deeper significance it has for our walk with you. Help us to make it not just “The Lord’s Prayer” but our prayer to you. This we ask in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

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