Though I am infrequent blogger, I am trying to take on (as a Lenten discipline) writing more regularly as I do my morning prayers.
I am beginning with brief reflections on the wonderful paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer found in the Night Prayer service of the Prayer Book from the Anglican Church in New Zealand.
I believe that we all have found when we offer the prayers we know by heart, there is a danger of them becoming rote or mechanical.
The paraphrase below has brought new life and understanding to the Lord’s Prayer for me, both as I pray its words and when I return to the familiar versions.
The prayer begins with a restating of the very familiar phrase “Our Father who art in heaven” and is expanded as follows:
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
Eternal Spirit, Earth Maker: No words or thoughts by humans can articulate the depth and breadth of who God is. Most of us would articulate that God is eternal, existing from before the concept of human time.
Can we grasp the idea that God is our Pain-bearer; that there is no pain in all creation in which God is not present? Scripture tells us that God cares for the smallest sparrow and knows the numbers of the stars in the sky and the hairs on our head. Can we begin to conceive that God is and seeks to be intimately known to us in our deepest pain of body, mind or spirit?
Life-giver: Yes, we may articulate that God has given us life, but have we accepted that in Jesus the Christ, God incarnate, God has given us the opportunity for New Life every day? There is a wonderful phrase associated with the rule of St. Benedict: “always we being again.” Always. Every day is a new beginning, a fresh start for creation and for each of us.
Source of all that is and shall be: We can likely recognize, or at least articulate, that God created not just the Earth but all that is. Do we consider that God is still active? That God is continuing to create? That all that is yet to be created will be created by God? To quote one of our Eucharistic prayers: “past, present and yet to come,” God is and God will be!
Father and Mother of us all: Many find comfort in that God is not and never was a male! Our understanding of the created power, force, and nurturing love of one gender could never begin to encapsulate the creative will of God. I find this very important because many have not had the most positive experiences with an earthly father, mother, or both. God is our Creator! The one who gives birth and new birth continually.
In whom is heaven: Many of us were taught, or led to believe, that heaven is somewhere up on the clouds and/or is distant from our earthly existence. Heaven isn’t distant, it is not far away, heaven is wherever God is and God is everywhere. God is here. God is with you. God seeks to be known, bringing heaven on earth. The faith that we claim and the God whom we follow is not distant, is not a someday thing, but is present and real here today, with us and in us.
Let us not make our image of God too small. May we know God and new life today!
New Zealand Lord’s Prayer Paraphrase
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.
Great thoughts! Thanks for the post.