Dear Disciples of Christ,
I want you to pray the vast scope of The Lord’s Prayer.
I was raised in a Lutheran church, in Rockford, Illinois. We were a liturgical church. In our hymnbooks there was given the order, the format, of our Sunday worship services. There were responsive readings, and singing, in response to the pastor’s singing. This included saying, every Sunday, The Apostles’ Creed.
The liturgical songs included Psalm 51. “Create in me, a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, And renew a right spirit within me.” As I type these words, the melody of how we sang Psalm 51 is rock-solid in my soul. I have drawn upon it many times in my life.
And, we said The Lord’s Prayer. Every Sunday. I know it by heart. So do you. I used to think this prayer was entirely eschatological, wholly about a future kingdom, in heaven, to be experienced after I die. But as years passed, and I studied this, I came to see The Lord’s Prayer as referring both to eternal life in heaven, and to my life, and our lives, on earth.
The term “kingdom,” in the New Testament, refers to the rule, or reign, of God. Not only postmortem, but presently, as well. In Christ, the kingdom of heaven has invaded the kingdom of earth. New Testament scholar George Ladd says the “age to come” has penetrated this present, dark age. Thus, we followers of Jesus can expect to experience the rule and reign of God, now, wherever we are. (In theology, this is called "realized eschatology.") Even in Michigan. Even where you live. Even in your church family.
When I understood more about the kingdom of God, I began to pray The Lord's Prayer differently. Now, I pray like this, because I believe this is how the early Jesus-followers understood it.
God, let your kingdom come,
not only in the future,
but here, presently, in our experience.
God, reign over our hearts and minds, NOW.
As we are conscious of our surroundings,
as we take our next breath,
as we walk into whatever this day has for us.
Let things be here,
in our homes,
in our church families,
in our community,
in our hearts and minds,
on this earth,
as things are in heaven.
Let us see earth,
through the lens of heaven,
and respond accordingly.
Truly!
C. S. Lewis called it the “Great Invasion.”
Love,
PJ
ATTENTION
Spend time looking closely at the Lord’s Prayer.
What are the petitions, in this prayer?
Pray these petitions, with expectation.
Pray for heaven to invade your church family.
Pray for realities of the age to come and penetrate
and dispel this present darkness.
From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Praying.
