Words 101

by | Apr 15, 2015 | Life & Faith | 4 comments

Our Father
              (my Father)
which art in Heaven
              (and everywhere on display)
Hallowed be thy name
               (kept holy and set apart is your name)
Thy kingdom come
               (right in the middle of where I am)
Thy will be done
               (Yes, Lord. Now.)
on earth
               (where we most need it)
as it is in Heaven.
               (a place of unity with you.)
Give us this day our daily bread
                (and keep me asking each new day)
And forgive us our debts
                 (as there will be many)
As we forgive our debtors
                  (along the way, every day).
And lead us not into temptation
                   (keep us safe from ourselves)
but deliver us from evil
                   (as you have done)
For thine is the kingdom
                   (the world belongs to you.)
and the glory
                    (let me shine for you)
and the power
                     (and yield to you)
Forever and ever.
                     (amen and)
Amen.
~~~~~

I’ve been reading through the Gospel of Matthew and sort of stopped and stilled by the words in Chapter 6 where Jesus tells his Disciples how to pray.
“Don’t be like the Pharisees, adding words upon words”, he says. “Pray like this.”
Kind of like the Basic Carwash at the drive through. I don’t need to spend the extra money to get a clean car–all that extra polish and shine, super duper washing cycle and all–my car still comes out clean.
The Basic works just fine…

4 Comments

  1. Jody Lee Collins on 04/17/2015 at

    Nancy, this was a very fun exercise, to take a familiar passage and make it mine. We read Psalm 51 together over the weekend at a writer's workshop and re-wrote our own 'repentant Psalm.' It was very enlightening and freeing.

    Reply
  2. www.nancyaruegg.com on 04/16/2015 at

    Indeed, Jody, your personal additions to the Lord's Prayer are powerful. I especially appreciated, “Thy kingdom come (right in the middle of where I am),” and “The glory and the power (Let me shine for you and yield to you).” Thank you for bringing freshness to these beloved, familiar words.

    Reply
  4. elizabeth on 04/16/2015 at

    There's power in simple prayer!

    Reply

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