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 today our daily bread; And forgive us our sins As we forgive those who sin against us; And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power And the glory forever and ever. AMEN

Dear Friends,

The most familiar of prayers is the Lord’s Prayer. It is anchored in our hearts and minds at a level that endures. I have been with individuals seemingly lost in a cloud of illness or dementia who emerge from their silence to join me in reciting that prayer when I have offered it in their hearing.

It is recorded in the gospels that when Jesus was asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray, he taught them this concise prayer (see Matthew chapter 6 and Luke chapter 11). We know, of course, that Jesus did not teach this prayer in English, and so what we have learned is an English rendering of what is recorded in the Greek manuscripts.

Jesus did not speak English or Greek: he probably spoke most often in Aramaic, and less often in Hebrew. That being the case, another way to enter into the prayer life introduced to the disciples by Jesus is to get closer to the original Aramaic words that they heard and learned.

Exploring the Lord’s prayer in Aramaic will be an option at our “Wednesday Night Live” Advent series (which is the subject of another article in this month’s Communicant). To guide us in this exploration we will be reading from Prayers of the Cosmos, a book by Neil Douglas-Klotz that offers insights into the depth of meaning conveyed to Jesus’ disciples as they heard Jesus speak to them in their native language. One product of this study is the possibility that you will have a new “translation” of the Lord’s prayer that speaks more deeply to your life and circumstances, and connects you more profoundly to the living God.

A limited number of copies of this book are available through the church office at a cost of $13.00—and our adult education budget makes it possible for us to make these available without charge to those who cannot afford to pay. Used and new copies are available through Amazon.com and other online distributors at a reduced price as well. I commend “Wednesday Night Live in Advent” to you and pray that we will all be prepared in heart and soul and mind for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Peace.
David+

Note: Paperback or Kindle version from Amazon click here