Teach us to Pray -- Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer

                                              Church of the Pater Noster (Our Father) Jerusalem 

[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say: 

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

 Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

 And do not bring us to the time of trial."    Luke 11:14 NRSVue

 On Sunday morning we went for a kayak paddle, then a swim, before arriving for worship at 10:00, just in the nick of time -- aren't we virtuous? It was a warm morning and it got even warmer because we were directed by the greeter into the balcony. Our two grandkids had decided this is where they wanted to perch, so up we climbed. 

The lectionary gospel reading for the day included Luke's brief version of what we call the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father, although Rev. Isaac (their father, our son) used another scriptural text as part of a summer preaching series. Just the same, we did recite the Lord's Prayer, as is the practice in many mainline denominations, and while it was on the screen I noticed that the nine-year-old I was sitting beside prayed with confidence, seemingly from memory.

This was a poignant moment for me. I grew up reciting the Lord's Prayer in school each morning, along with singing the national anthem.  Years later when our young family moved to Sudbury, Ontario there had just been a successful legal challenge to including prayer in schools by a local lawyer titles Zylberberg v. Sudbury Board of Education. Isaac, our oldest child was six at the time and entering Grade 1. He was at the vanguard of schoolchildren who no longer recited the prayer in that setting. I convinced our Worship Commitee to move the Lord's Prayer to a place in the worship service before the children exited for Sunday School so that they would learn it. Our children's choirs often led that congregation in a lovely sung version of the prayer, complete with actions. 

Even though many us may have droned our way through the Lord's Prayer mindlessly in school, it was a communal experience of prayer which I still consider important.

Here is the irony. Our Trenton grandchildren attend a French Catholic school where they regularly recite the Notre Pere, en Francais. Apparently what prays around comes around. 

I'm sure most of you have your recollections of reciting the Lord's Prayer in a variety of settings. 

The Lord’s Prayer (Alternate Version from the New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book)

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever.
Amen.