“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

In the Lenten devotional, 40 Days with the Lord’s Prayer, Henry French reminds us of the importance of the little words that we find in the bible. Today, take a moment to ponder the important little word “our,” as in, "Our Father." French writes, “It implies something in common, as in, “We went to Europe for a week but our flight was delayed, our baggage got lost, our accommodations were terrible… Two or more people with a common experience, a common possession, a common hope, a common fear, a common joy, a common sorrow.” (p 23)

In my first call, I worked with single’s ministry, and I became keenly aware of the family orientation of the church. Many ministries are devoted to families, children and couples. There are lots of stories and descriptions of how “we” did this in “our” lives. For people who weren’t part of a couple, or didn’t live with a family, the church might become a painful and exclusive place.

My husband grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition and he calls the Lord’s Prayer “the Our Father.” It’s a good and descriptive name. It reminds us that whether or not we have a specific person to share our experiences, we are never alone. When we pray “the Our Father,” we are reminded that we share a parent with all of our brothers and sisters in the family of Christ. As we pray, we are praying together with those brothers and sisters, and they in turn, are praying with us.

[There is] one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:6


Prayer for Today
Lord God, open my eyes that I may see other people part of your family and so, part of the family to which I belong, all loved by you as much as I am loved by you. Amen.