THE OUR FATHER

The ancient “Our Father” prayer has always struck me as powerful.  It seems so deep, so rich beyond our understanding.  It fascinates me.  So I thought I’d break it down and try to articulate what goes on in me when I hear or say this prayer.

OUR FATHER

Our Father – I almost feel like I’m doing an injustice by even trying to convey the scale and breadth of what I interpret “Our Father” to be. 

Jesus never spoke directly about the kingdom of God, he only used parables.  It’d be like explaining what the Sun is to someone by pointing them their shadow, or the warmth of their skin.  …Because you can’t look directly at the Sun,
only at its effects.  So too is the kingdom of God.  So too is the name of God.  So too is the nature of God.  I’ve always felt that projecting a mere name onto an eternal, infinite existence instantly limits and reduces “it”.  The name that's given is usually associated with a pre-derermined perception or conception of our creator.  And these perceptions vary widely among cultures and people.  Maybe there’s a connection between who we perceive God to be and the conflict and civil unrest that goes on in our world?

“What is your name?” Moses asked.  “I am that I am,” God said. 

“Our Father” – infinite, holy, revered, spirit of Love, the core of our very existence. 

“I simply am.”

WHO ART IN HEAVEN

I heard a sermon not long ago that talked about the kingdom of God as not being a physical form or place with a particular social structure, but rather as an internal state of beingness.

“The kingdom of God is within you.”

So too I believe is Heaven.  Heaven to me is only a place as in a place, or state of our Spirit.  Heaven is to be wholly unified with our Creator.  …God – who “art in Heaven”… who by his very nature, is a state of Heaven.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME

I think there are cultures who don’t even speak the name of God out of a sense of reverence.  “Hallowed” means “reserved for holy purposes”.  Revered.  Holy.  Sacred.  Cherished. Held close. Respected.  Loved.  So powerful and loving beyond our conception of love that when we speak it, we must humbly acknowledge that we don’t fully know it. 

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

What is the Kingdom of God like?  “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…”, Jesus said.  “It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed it into a large amount of flour…”

Jesus rode in on a donkey.  The “King of the Jews” was crucified… naked.  The “king” gave himself, was “overthrown”, and killed.  He was born in a manger.  He built his church on the rock where despicable acts were performed.  The mustard seed is the smallest seed; yet becomes a grand tree.  Yeast is a micro-organism that changes the form of whatever it penetrates.  It turns flower into bread… the “bread of Life”… “take and eat of it, for it is my body”.

Where is the kingdom of God?  In the quiet space between our perceptions.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD

Amidst our worry, confusion, desires, motivations, goals, achievements, fears, wants, needs… give us our daily bread, for today.  Give us only what will sustain us for today, so that our sight is clear so we can see you.  Give us only what we need for today, so that we can learn to trust that we have already been provided for. 

AND FORGIVE US OF OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US

Trespass means to unlawfully cross the boundaries of another.  When I hear this, I think of oppression.  Murder, rape, slavery, slander, physical abuse, etc.  But there are so many forms of oppression - verbal abuse, even the smallest verbal disrespect, belittling, condescending another, judging another.  This happens every day.

Forgiveness - one of the most profound phenomena on Earth.  Simply put, forgiveness transcends human nature.   It literally merges heaven with Earth.  How huge of a concept!  Forgiveness makes the kingdom reality.

Forgive those who trespass against us?  Are you nuts!?!?  Love your enemies? 

When we do this, we ride in on the same donkey that Jesus did. 

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

As humans we’ve all received damaging and untrue messages throughout our lives, from ourselves and others… about who we are/aren't, about God, and about the world we live in.  “I'm not good enough”, “I'm not smart enough” “I’m not loved”, "I don't have what it takes", “God will condemn me”, etc. 

Must we stay asleep and allow ourselves to be duped into believing lies about ourselves and God?  May we fully step into the power, glory, and beauty of who we were created to be; away from evil messages, beliefs, and judgments that limit us from realizing our fullest potential. 

May we walk the path of Truth.

FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER AND EVER.

The Truth will reign.  It is the only thing that will survive.  It will live forever, beyond our wildest capacity of thought and imagination.  May the power, the glory, and the kingdom of God live and reign for ever and ever.

So that’s what I think about the “Our Father”.  Another thing, though, that amazes me, is this:

I see 3 parts to the prayer:

1.  The first part – (“our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven"), is entirely focused on the Creator – who he is, where he is, and the power of his nature and kingdom. 

2.  Second – (“give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us”…. Thru “deliver us from evil.”)  This part is entirely focused on us.  Humans.  You and me. 

3.  Part 3 – (the rest of it), in a way acknowledges the eternal structure of God.  It affirms that God’s kingdom will live and reign forever. The third part is most intangible, most eternal. 

So, #1 – God, #2 – us, #3 – God's eternity.

What facinates me is that we are placed right between who God is and his eternal kingdom!  I just think that’s profound... that we have such a ‘main role’ in a prayer of such scope and breadth!  Saint Teresa of Avila said that Christ has no body, no hands, no feet... but ours.  We are responsible for the state of our existence.

      Every time I pray this prayer, it almost seems like my body chemistry is altered.  I can feel it in my bones.  It means something different to me every time, and I never fully understand it, but I feel it.  It’s beautiful.

      The time I remember reciting this prayer most clearly was during the seconds before my grandfather’s death.  As his heart rate almost stopped, my mom began reciting it and we all joined.  It felt so powerful, so right, almost as if our very words ushered him into the hands of the angels.  It actually seemed like the words had as much influence as if I was blowing a dry leaf out of my open hand.  The very second we said “Amen”, his heart stopped.  His Spirit had left.

I am fully convinced that the Our Father played a role in his transition.  I have no idea how, but that’s okay. 

Such is the Nature of God.