Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.
The Lord’s Prayer
Words that we inscribe on our hearts and teach to our children.
What is it?
It seems to have been common for early rabbis to give their followers a prayer that summed up their teaching. As early as AD 400, this prayer attributed to such an interaction between Jesus and his disciples (Luke 11:1-4) was added to the church’s liturgy as a prayer to prepare to receive the Eucharist.
Why do we do it?
Our lives, worldly and spiritual, can feel isolated and isolating. Praying in words that we all share joins us and helps us to see that we are one in the Spirit, one in the Lord.
What it says about God
God gives us every spiritual resource, even the words of prayer.
Messages for how we live
Praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom puts our own needs in perspective.
In times of crisis, words we know by heart are a comfort.
For more – Compare Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13. How do the differing contexts “color” the Lord’s Prayer in different ways?