The Thinker's Lord's Prayer
I often catch myself praying in a really similar manner to this one. Good luck keeping up.
Our father, who art in heaven.
Our? why do we say our? isn't it just me praying? hmm... but maybe not, this could be prayed in a communal prayer type thing. okay.
Father. okay, father... why do we use father? Ah, okay, joint heirs with christ perhaps.
who art...
now, why is that verb conjugated that way? Shouldnt it be is, you know, singular? Father... is ... but maybe that is correct. I just learned it wrong. okay, okay...
Heaven. You are in heaven. But aren't you also everywhere...but your presence is concentrated there, fully known there. alright. Where is heaven anyway? If i went far enough could i find it? Is it in another dimension-type thingy? Ah! stop it! i'm praying...
Hallowed be thy name.
Hallowed. Now that just sounds creepy. Makes me think of halloween. Like jack-o-lanterns. Scary stuff my parents warned me about. but i know that's not what it means. Revered, glorified. okay.
Be thy name. Let's say YOUR name. Much better. Glorified be your name. What is your name? Don't you have a lot of those? Jesus, Yaweh, Jehovah, I AM? augh...sorry...
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Ah, this shouldnt be so bad. But wait? Kingdom? What is that? The physical kingdom you will have on earth? The attributes of you/ your kingship? Your kingdom...oh, gosh, well, it's got to be a good thing, so, yeah, may it come...
and your will?
don't get me started there... your will? What is that? that all men may know you? That you be worshipped by every nation, tribe and tongue? That you be glorified by all creation? But how can i even think about that, when i've got so many things and am often so worried about your will for me...today? Ah, golly, how selfish i am...your will? Well, may it be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
yes, heaven...wherever it is, i can get there through you. And i'm here on earth because of you. And there's a reason for that. Okay, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Yes, i think that means give us (hmm, that "us" again...) what we need. Yes... what do i need? I need food. I need sleep. I need love. I need you. I think it can stop there... wait... i need adventure, i need to learn, i need...no, stop... you know what i need...mostly for my brain to slow down... ah! help.
And day? what does day mean? I don't know greek...well, maybe a couple of things, but not biblical greek. And don't even get me started about that in the hebrew...
And bread...yeah, i like bread. Do we need to go into the body of christ and all the other metaphors for bread? No, i didnt think so.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Ah, this i can agree with. Wait. I have to forgive too...okay, well, that isn't so hard, i mean, forgiving is alright, but does that include the "forgetting" that we are often told goes with it? I don't remember "Forgive and Forget" anywhere in the bible. But maybe i'm wrong. Yes, please forgive me, and give me the strength to forgive, for i have been forgiven of so much.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Yes, please don't do that. Gosh. But i am told that you do not tempt...but you do test us... also that the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Deliver me...what does that mean? Does it NOT mean "give me the strength to hold out" and just straight-up "get me outta here"? but i know we are given the strength to endure...and Daniel was delivered from the lion's den, even though he had to stay in there all night, it did end... ah, gosh, again, deliver me from evil.
Evil..oh, yeah, evil. What is evil anyway? Are we talking about the devil here? or just evil? Do i need to get philosophical with this? I will anyway. What is it? Let's think in terms of Platonism. There can't be pure evil, because there is no form of evil. Evil must only be a deficient of the good. So it is weak. Ah, but it is not, we see it rampant everywhere we look.... deliver me, indeed.
For thine is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever...
kingdom again...and glory... glory... yes, i can agree, you are glorious. All that you have done is truly glorious...though i do not confess to understand. And power.. yes, perhaps it is not seen in all its fullness, but i acknowledge that you are most high, most powerful. Forever. Ah, does that mean for all of time or outside of time? Is time completely arbitrary? How do you see time? well, okay, forever. Ah Lord, help me.
Amen...um.. no, i'm done.
4 Comments:
Ooh! My turn!!
http://fadingdust.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/re-thinkers-lords-prayer/
;)
I think that is the most honest prayer that I have read in a long time. I don't expect you to know, nor should anyone, koine Greek or the historical background to all of the Bible or specifically the gospels.
What I do see is a hunger to learn what the text means, and a hunger to know the God you love and server better by examining His words. So rock on and keep examining and searching. Find a good friend who knows a bit of Koine and a bunch of historical background and ask him. There are answers to your questions, however the best thing in the world is that you are asking them and not apathetically ignoring them.
Yeah, I feel like that a little right now.
Refreshingly honest response to an accient prayer! Knowing the historical context really help in cracking open the meaning of these words and phrases. Here are just a few to think about...
Heaven: today we often think of it as "far away" or "up there" but Heaven back then was thought of the place God resides - just behind the veil of the visible, physical world (see Acts 9:3). Perhaps a better way to think of it is: "Our Father who is all around us" or "who is closer than our breath." I believe that is what it means.
Kingdom: Dallas Willard calls it the "sphere or range of God's effective will." It's the place where what God wants done is done.
Just some thoughts to fuel your study... Enjoy!
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