Let All Who Pray the Prayer Christ Taught

Good Afternoon.  It’s a very hard day to sit indoors and write.  Both Karen and I have been blessed with a little time outside this afternoon, but about now she’s at RenVilla, and I’m sitting at the computer scribbling these notes.  According to weather.com, at 2:45 PM the temperature in Renville was 77 degrees heading for a high of 78.  Almost no wind and very little chance of rain until perhaps later tonight.  Tomorrow is more of the same!

With weather like this Karen’s thoughts turn to resurrecting the garden that should surround the parsonage.  She spent quite a few hours on that yesterday using a day off to engage in hard but rewarding labor! 

You may know that I’m moderating an adult study on the Lord’s Prayer.  We’re actually using the Lord’s Prayer as a way to talk about intentional prayer and our need to spend time with the Lord.  I believe that the need can only be met by regularly and intentionally setting aside the time and space to pray.  I’d like to share a poem/hymn with you about us  -  we who pray the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s titled “Let All Who Pray the Prayer Christ Taught,” by Tom Troeger.

Let all who pray the prayer Christ taught

First clear their cluttered heart.

Make room to breathe the living thought

Those well-worn words impart.

Dismiss the fear that this world drifts

With no one in command.

Your pulse and breath are signs and gifts

From God’s attentive hand.

Refine and test each passing aim

Against this final one:

Has your life hallowed heaven’s name

And has God’s will been done?

Discard each vengeful hope that’s fed

The dreams of wars you’ll win,

Then freely ask for daily bread

And pardon from your sin.

Examine how temptation breeds

Inside the mind’s dark maze,

Acknowledging that your life needs

Deliverance from its ways.

By faithful discipline prepare

An inward holy space

That when you offer Jesus’ prayer

Your heart may fill with grace.

Let us pray: 

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever. Amen.

Today’s readings are Exodus 33:1-23, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Matthew 5:17-20, Psalm 119:49-72, Psalm 49 & 53.

Blessings to you all.

Pastor Jim