The Lord's Prayer

Probably most of us can’t remember the first time we heard the Lord’s Prayer—or the Our Father, as many put it. That’s because this prayer seems to be almost everyone’s possession. Even in this time of so much biblical illiteracy, the Lord’s Prayer is still part of the common possession of several billion people. And for many of us, not only can’t we remember when we first heard this prayer, neither can we remember when we memorized it—because our memorizing was not a conscious effort; it was simply the process of hearing the words until they were part of our very being. Not that memorizing this prayer is a great feat. It is only a few dozen words, so few that even when we speak slowly we complete the prayer in thirty seconds.

But these few words may be the most familiar collection of words on our planet. They have been translated into roughly two thousand languages and dialects, including those for probably 98 percent of the world’s inhabitants. On any given weekend they will be spoken in unison in massive cathedral-like buildings and in mud huts and in open fields or worshipers. Every priest or pastor knows, as does many a nurse or hospice care specialist, that this prayer is one of the last statements made by those who are dying. All of which is to say that there is no prayer—indeed, no single collection of words—that can rightly be compared to this one.

For our Wednesday evening Lenten Study we will use The Lord’s Prayer for our springboard. We will explore our understanding of this age-old template for our prayer lives as we attempt to make some sense out of our commandment to follow Jesus’ prayer in our own lives. Various types of prayers—including prayers of confession, adoration, supplication, intersession, etc.—will be examined in depth to get at the power of prayer for our daily lives.

Plan now to be in attendance each Wednesday evening after the “simple meal” to study prayer and its overwhelming impact on our lives. No one will be asked to pray aloud or share anything he or she wishes to keep private. This class will be enlightening and uplifting, but not a “showcase” or a contest for the best prayer or the best pray-er.

I pray that you’ll see this as an opportunity to learn.