New Year's Eve
One of favorite my favorite things about coming to the close of a year is the new year's eve service at church. Our service is a mixture of contemporary praise songs, responsive worship and the Lord's supper. Every year one we participate in a responsive worship of the Lord's Prayer. Every year I am reminded of a number of things and I wanted to share it with you. Here is the responsive reading of the Lord's Prayer. I don't know where my father-in-law got it so I can't give credit....otherwise I would.
I confess...it's been a couple of hours since I started this post. It bothered me that I didn't know where the prayer came from so I spent a bit of time on Google to discover the author. I found several iterations of this prayer by various people/organizations. It appears that the origination may have been a Catholic association but really, who knows.
At any rate, without further ado, the prayer, then my thoughts to follow:
I cannot say OUR if I my faith has no room for other people and their needs.
I cannot say FATHER if I do not trust in His loving and complete concern for me, forgetting that He always answers prayers how and when He knows is best.
I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am so attached to the ways of this world that I neglect to seek God first in everything.
I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I, who am called by His Name, am not holy.
I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am unwilling to give up my selfishness and accept His rule in my life.
I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am unwilling or resentful of having Him in my life.
I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN Unless I am willing and ready to give myself to His service here and now.
I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am not willing to be generous with whatever God gives me.
I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES if I don’t want to put forth enough effort to change.
I cannot say AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US if I still hold a grudge, if I’m still angry, or if I still insist that other people change.
I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I’m not actively fighting against evil through deeds of love and service for everyone in my life, especially those who cause problems.
I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the kind of disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say THINE IS THE POWER if I fear what my neighbors may say or do.
I cannot say FOREVER if I am too anxious about each day's events.
I cannot say AMEN unless I can honestly say,"cost what it may, this is my prayer!"
When we say this prayer responsively, the Pastor says the first part, (i.e. I cannot say OUR) and the people respond with the rest. I love this as a responsive worship because it gives more meaning to the Lord's prayer. It gives us reason to pause and consider what it was exactly that Jesus was saying when he gave us the model to pray by. More importantly is causes to consider the condition of our hearts as we look toward the new year.
So as I look forward to this new year, I commit to living my life as a prayer. Cost what it may, this is my prayer!
I confess...it's been a couple of hours since I started this post. It bothered me that I didn't know where the prayer came from so I spent a bit of time on Google to discover the author. I found several iterations of this prayer by various people/organizations. It appears that the origination may have been a Catholic association but really, who knows.
At any rate, without further ado, the prayer, then my thoughts to follow:
I cannot say OUR if I my faith has no room for other people and their needs.
I cannot say FATHER if I do not trust in His loving and complete concern for me, forgetting that He always answers prayers how and when He knows is best.
I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am so attached to the ways of this world that I neglect to seek God first in everything.
I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I, who am called by His Name, am not holy.
I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am unwilling to give up my selfishness and accept His rule in my life.
I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am unwilling or resentful of having Him in my life.
I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN Unless I am willing and ready to give myself to His service here and now.
I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am not willing to be generous with whatever God gives me.
I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES if I don’t want to put forth enough effort to change.
I cannot say AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US if I still hold a grudge, if I’m still angry, or if I still insist that other people change.
I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I’m not actively fighting against evil through deeds of love and service for everyone in my life, especially those who cause problems.
I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the kind of disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say THINE IS THE POWER if I fear what my neighbors may say or do.
I cannot say FOREVER if I am too anxious about each day's events.
I cannot say AMEN unless I can honestly say,"cost what it may, this is my prayer!"
When we say this prayer responsively, the Pastor says the first part, (i.e. I cannot say OUR) and the people respond with the rest. I love this as a responsive worship because it gives more meaning to the Lord's prayer. It gives us reason to pause and consider what it was exactly that Jesus was saying when he gave us the model to pray by. More importantly is causes to consider the condition of our hearts as we look toward the new year.
So as I look forward to this new year, I commit to living my life as a prayer. Cost what it may, this is my prayer!
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