Dear friends in Christ,
This coming Sunday, the lectionary gives us the gift of Jesus teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. Sometimes when I pray this prayer, it occurs to me that I’m saying a prayer that Jesus himself taught, and it knocks me over.
I invite you to go look up Luke 11:1-13 in your favorite Bible. Or read the Sunday lessons on the Forward Movement prayer website.
The words of the Lord’s Prayer as we say it in liturgy can become so familiar, the deep meaning wears off. That’s why sometimes it’s good to go read the prayer in a translation that’s a bit less familiar. And it’s a good practice to see the context out of which it springs.
There’s a lot to take in as we reflect on this prayer. I don’t step through it all here, but I invite you to read it a dozen times or more and ponder why Jesus taught us to pray this way, as opposed to any other way.
No matter what, let’s all savor the gift of the Lord’s Prayer.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
P.S. You might like to get a copy of Forward Movement’s book of reflections on the Lord’s Prayer, Bold to Say.
More from our ministry:
A beautiful, portable way to pray: Hour by Hour
Open your eyes to a new scripture passage each day: Forward Day by Day
Now available: A Light Upon My Path devotions for Advent