OUR Father???

Dear Trinity friends, 

For the past two weeks, and concluding tomorrow, the  “Sacred Sundays” class for Kindergarten through 5th graders has been learning the Lord’s Prayer.  What is the Lord’s Prayer?  Where does it come from? When do we say it in the service?  And most importantly, why do we call God “Our Father?” 

It is called the Lord's Prayer because Jesus himself tells his disciples and us to pray the prayer. We know this from two different plcs in the Bible: Matthew6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. The opening address to God as “Our Father” is a really important part of the prayer, perhaps the most important part.  Some people even call the prayer “The Our Father.”

To understand why we call God “Our Father” you need to remember the story of baptism:  Jesus came from God, was born as a human baby to Mary and Joseph, and lived a life as a human being with other human beings.  One of the things Jesus experienced was baptism by John in the Jordan River.  Although, Jesus himself was without sin, he did this so that he might have the full human experience AND so that all of us who are also baptized become brothers and sisters to Jesus. Baptism is a special way God made for all of us to be brothers and sisters to Jesus and to one another. We are joined with Christ in his baptism, and in his death and Resurrection.  

Usually we think of brothers and sisters as just the people in our family.  You call your Dad “Father” and so do your siblings; but in God’s view of the world we are all sisters and brothers to each other and God is Our Father. Jesus invites us to call God “Father” to remember this special way we are related to Jesus and to each other. 

This Sunday, we will baptize Jack and Davis Legg and welcome them into the Body of Christ. Every time we baptize someone and say our baptismal vows again, we are reminded of this special relationship we have to Jesus and to each other as one human family, beloved of God.  Redeemed by water and blood, hoping in the promise of new life for all through Christ, our brother. 

For an additional perspective on The Lord’s Prayer, Fred Buechner movingly writes in his July 15 Quote of the Day about the prayer HERE.

Peace and blessings, 

Nancy+