Why This Prayer?

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
July 25th 2010
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Luke 11:1-13
“Why This Prayer”


Prayer –
At the time of the reformation few people could read. As a result most were at the mercy of those who were educated and had power. Most religious education came through rote memory. The early reformers recognized that the church had moved away from what they understood as the basic message of the bible. As a result, the first order of business was to educate people so that they could have access to the teachings of the faith rather than rely on the word of someone else.
Part of the basic foundation of that education was indeed the bible. To teach the basic message of the bible often included the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. And, to teach people how to pray, the Lord’s Prayer was used. The use of this prayer with the reformers was about teaching the basics, the foundation for prayer. They were not interested in simple memorization. Given that most religious language was not in the common language of the area, the reformers were often concerned about words spoken in worship for which little thought was given.
As the Reformation spread, the Lord’s Prayer began to be translated in the common language wherever it travelled. As it spread the prayer took on many different forms and styles. However, the basic message remained the same. We are invited to pray to a God who wants to be in relationship with human beings. We are called to pray that the current arrangement of injustice of the world come to an end. We are called to pray for our basic needs and that we will travel the right way.
I have been looking at the many different forms of this prayer. Since the inception of the Anglican/Episcopal tradition there have been six English different versions, three since the founding of our country alone. While the language of the prayer has changed the basic message which Jesus shared with his disciples remains the same. And within the reform tradition the most important issue is that people come to understand the importance of and the ways in which we can pray.
Despite this essential message many of our churches continue to use the Kings James English. What we are now using in worship is a version of the prayer known as the ecumenical version. The purpose of this change is not simply for change sake or to change a prayer that has come to have deep meaning for many. However, as people of the reform faith, we must always be looking for ways to live out our calling to share the gospel so that all might hear in their own language.
For those in our midst for whom English is not the first language it is not uncommon to pray this prayer in their mother tongue. And while we use debts and debtors some people use sins and others trespass. What is the right way to pray this prayer? Well, if we begin to ossify our use of this prayer around language and not on message then we have missed the point. But seeking to use language that is common to our time we are living out the best of our reformed heritage.
In the search for more contemporary versions I was struck by two. The first one comes from Eugene Peterson’s the Message. It goes like this: “Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil." Another comes from the Good News bible which reads:
Father: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come. Give us day by day the food we need. Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who does us wrong. And do not bring us to hard testing.
Each of these prayers is rather basic and work well in versions from which they come. You might even find they would be a welcome addition to your own prayer life. Or, you may not like these versions at all. That is the beauty of personal prayer. If the use of thy and thou is an important part of your spiritual journey and if praying to God only as a Father is as well, let it continue to be so. However, in worship the printed version will continue with the ecumenical version and will be simply a guide to your prayer.
This fall we will have the opportunity to study prayer more deeply through a small group opportunity. Following the session retreat, there was a clear desire and need in the life of the church to encourage and to teach prayer. If you are interested in learning more or if you have a hunger to go deeper in your prayer life, or if you simply are unsure of the point of prayer at all, this opportunity is for you. If you enjoyed the fellowship and time of sharing of the small groups with our study of Unbinding the Gospel then you will really love this fall small group. Keep an eye out for more details in the next couple of weeks. And until then, continue to pray the prayer that Jesus taught. Amen.