paravanes:meditations

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Today we take another look at the well known phrase "Hallowed be your name."  What does "hallowed" mean?  The English word hallowed comes to us from the Greek word "hagiazo." The most important thing to know here is that this word is a verb ( an action word), not an adjective (a descriptive word). This means hallowing God's name (or reputation, will and purpose, or presentation and character) is something we actually do. It's an action word, not an informational or descriptive word. There is a descriptive form of the word, but that form doesn't appear in this prayer. Hallowed means these things: consecrated, made holy, honored blessed sanctified admired respect...

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  "...in heaven" Why does it matter when we refer to God as "Our Father in heaven" ? God is present, powerful, and invisible. Should this make it harder for us to believe in a loving, present God, a God who is concerned and personally involved in what happens on this planet? Would it be easier to believe in a visible God? Maybe. But think of how often all of us have been deceived by what we saw.  Or what we thought we saw. Think about how often a job or business opportunity,  a relationship or marriage, a selection of a school or new home was based on what we could "see", on what could be measured. Then, think about how many times our senses have misled or deceived us. Think a...

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13, New International Version) Jesus told his disciples to begin their prayers by addressing God as "Our Father." Why might Jesus have said this?  The power of any prayer is based on the person to whom the prayer is addressed. Jesus teaches us to pray to God the Father: our orginator, our source, our sustainer, and eventually, our final and eternal home. God the Father provides everything we need. Often God works through other people, through events (planned and unplanned), or through circumstances. Everything in creation is at God's disposal. God created us to be vehicles, or demonstrators, of God's love, greatness, goodness, and power. In return, God wants our love, h...

The writer of these words, from a classic spiritual, sings the phrase "Ride on, King Jesus", followed by "no man can hinder me."  There many interpretations, but what can these words mean during the time of the novel coronavirus, of COVID19? Jesus continues his involvement in our lives. He is not distant. He is not absent. He is not unconcerned,  unable to act,  or lacking in ability to direct events. The Bible says Jesus now occupies a place of power and honor, in contrast to how he was perceived and treated during his visible earthly ministry. The metaphor used to explain his position says he is "seated at the right hand of God." God is a spirit, a non-physical being , and does not have a literal "right hand."  In the ancient world, to say that someone sat at a ruler's right hand meant that person held a position of power, trust, and authority. Jesus holds that position, and as we trust and follow him, we benefit from his advocacy o...