What we call “The Lord’s Prayer” or what we might call “The Kingdom Prayer” has this line: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done.” Soren Kierkegaard, who we have referenced the last two weeks, thought deeply about these words and felt that the more aware of God we become, the more humbly silent we will become before him.
He seems to be speaking to himself when says that the goal is “that you in silence might forget yourself, what your name is, your own name, the renowned name, the pitiful name, the insignificant name, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Hallowed be YOUR name!’ That you in silence might forget yourself, your plans, the great, the all-comprehensive plans, or the petty plans regarding your life and its future, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Your kingdom come!’ That you in silence might forget your will, your self-will, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Your will be done!’ Yes, if you could learn from the lilies and the birds to become perfectly silent before God, what might not the Gospel help you to accomplish, then nothing would be impossible for you.”
Seeking first the kingdom of God is certainly a whole lot more than making church work your top priority. If fact we can do that and not be seeking first the kingdom at all. Seeking the kingdom is to want that place where our name is nothing and God’s name is everything, where our plans are surrendered and God’s reign is everything, where our will yields and God’s will is everything.
Kierkegaard sees that these words are strong, but that’s because he had a childlike willingness to listen to Jesus.
Focus Scripture
Matthew 6:9-13
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
[10] your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
[11] Give us today our daily bread.
[12] Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
[13] And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
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ReplyDeleteThis comment was sent by Lucy from Knoxville:
ReplyDeleteDear Tom and Sheila,
Last week Eli and I spent a short time in the desert of Arizona. We hiked in the Superstition Mountains just east of Phoenix for nearly 7 hours and marveled at God's creation in stone and cactus. Eli responded to the overwhelming beauty of this desert garden with "God is a marvelous Exterior Decorator"! I agree - and the silence you speak of was there too - we were surrounded by God in all his glory - a sweet encounter with a small coyote pup - who later on howled and yelped - made us shiver - the only sound besides the hawk overhead - it was mile after mile of silent majesty. We passed a young couple hiking at one point - they both had on ear phones listening to who knows what - how could they possibly get what God was saying to them in the silence with their brains jammed full of noise.
We didn't want to leave and go back to the the noise of our world - but the sun goes down quickly in the desert and we needed to find our car just as the full melon colored moon sprang up from behind the red rock buttes - utterly spell binding.
God in the desert - no wonder Jesus felt comforted during his temptation - he knew his father in every rock, every plant, every star, every animal that took breath - he knew.
Thanks be to God,
Lucy
This comment from Diane in Daytona, FL:
ReplyDeletehi Tom, just a comment about the "Lord's Prayer". This prayer humbles us/ it humbles me. We are praying to God Almighty, who is our Loving and Powerful Father, its all his which takes the focus off us/me. We are still the sinners who need forgiveness and we need to have the heart to forgive others. And may we always pray that we will not sin and also pray for his guidance and protection from evil (in this sinful world) and our enemy.
Dianne- Daytona, FL