Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer

 The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus taught them the "Our Father" or what we often call The Lord's Prayer.  The petitions in the prayer are all encompassing and cover all of life.  

The petition "deliver us from evil.."  has always given me pause.  What is evil ?  

One definition of evil is "causing distress or harm."  Though we can make a good case against drugs, criminals and the boogey man, I  find that I am the biggest source of evil in my life.  I cause distress and harm to myself!  Yes, with ill chosen words and thoughtless deeds I manage quite nicely to create distress in my life.  

The Good News is that Jesus has come to bring transformation into my life!   He wants to work in my life and change ill chosen words to healthy, life-giving words and thoughtless deeds into deeds of thoughtfulness.  

To remind  me of this invitation to have Jesus live in my life, I have condensed the Lord's Prayer to this simple plea "Lord, deliver me from myself."  Short and sweet and sincere. 

The next time you pray the Lord's Prayer think about each petition and when you come to "but deliver us from evil," pause.  

Take that moment to confess and receive new life so " the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever," can reign in your life, too.  

Amen, come Lord Jesus, Amen.

(Pictured below is the view from an open-air chapel called "Pretty Place" at a YMCA camp in South Carolina. www.campgreenville.org   Only 45 minutes from our North Carolina home.)

The Light of Christmas Eve, 2016

"In Him was life and that life was the Light of all people.  The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:4-5)  

It was Christmas Eve 2016 at the First Congregational Church in Essex, Vermont.  Mark and I were attending the family service with our son Tony, daughter-in-law Laura and our two beautiful granddaughters, Betty (4 and three-quarters...as she will say) and Lily (2 1/2.)

It had been a busy day.  Mark and I were leaving on Christmas Day so Christmas Eve was the day to open presents, munch on goodies, read books, play with toys and savor every minute together.  The Family Service was at 5 pm designed especially for those with little kids.  The pews were filled to overflowing with moms and dads, grandparents and supportive parishioners and many, many kids of all ages and of every size.  The service was designed to be casual and interactive.  There were carols to sing and the pastors were dressed as storytellers to tell the Christmas story to the younger wiggling, wriggling congregational members.  It was joyous commotion.  Mark and I were very comfortable sitting in the back row taking it all in.

And as most Christmas Eve services go, whether 5 pm or midnight, it soon was time for the closing hymn - the ever popular and most holy of Christmas songs, "Silent Night" complete with the passing out of candles to be lit one by one as the sanctuary lights are systematically shut off.  The congregation is cast into darkness.  The wiggling, wriggling little ones freeze as if on cue looking about in wonderment.  What happened?  What's different?  What's going on?  What is going to happen next?  

Little necks crane to see over the pews.  Little ones snuggle up to moms and dads.  Heads swivel to and fro to make sense of the once brightly lit place now dark and different.  And there is silence.  Yes, silence.  All those loud whispers and chatty voices and crying babies are amazingly quieted..for a moment.  For a very short time.  Then our Lily announces in a crisp, clear voice for everyone to hear "It's dark!"

A wave of quiet chuckles ripples throughout the sanctuary as a ribbon of light begins to spread.  At the front of the darkened room one lit candle is shared.  Slowly and very carefully the candles up and down the pews are lit.  The flames begin to flicker and create dancing designs against the ceiling and the walls. Betty and Lily lean forward and then eagerly receive an unlit candle with an upside down plastic glass surrounding it.  Their faces are bright and expectant!   What is this?  What is next?

And then the light nears their pew.  Row after row has received the light and there is a nervous excitement permeating the very air!  As Tony holds Lily and Laura helps Betty, the girls receive the light.  Their candles are lit!  

The pianist softly plays a few introductory notes.  The singing begins 

"Silent Night, Holy Night, 

All is calm, all is bright...."

And it was.  It was just that.

Mark and I were so blessed to share this Christmas Eve with little girls that are growing into their gift of faith.  They are just little but they know when there is darkness and as they held their candles high, they know, too, what is light.  

"Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face.  With the dawn of redeeming Grace..."

Oh, the power of light.  The darkness is chased away.  The light brings the power of hope - hope that cannot be extinguished.  Hope that empowers, that enables, that grants dreams and wishes and prayers.  Hope that sustains and strengthens.  Hope that grows a faith with roots of great depth and branches of great reaching. 

"The people living in darkness have seen a great Light! (Isaiah 9:2, Matt 4:16)

"But you are a chosen people....that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light!   Once you were no people.  Now you are God's people!"  (1 Peter 2:9)

"Jesus said, I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life!"  (John 8:12) 

May the Light of Christmas be with you this new year.  May His redeeming Grace surround you and sustain you today and every day.