Our Father which art in heaven

"Our Father which art in heaven" - What an astonishing opening statement! God - our Father? But yes, here Jesus shows us our actual present relationship to God: He is our Father. He is not just Jesus' Father, but our Father also. Jesus is telling us we can pray to God just as He does: Our Father! Can you grasp what that means? Do you realize that God is actually your Father? your all-harmonious Father-Mother? Your actual Cause and Creator? Your Holy Spirit? Your divine Mind? the actual source of your very being?

What if you really grasped what this actually means? Grasped the implications of it? What if you started to live this out and act accordingly? What would that be like? What would your life be like? Doesn't the rest of the Lord's Prayer show you exactly what your life would be like if you accepted and genuinely lived this opening statement? if you lived this prayer "Our Father which art in heaven"?

Wouldn't you love and respect - hallow - your divine Father's name and nature? Wouldn't you be thrilled to be in His company, His presence, His kingdom? Wouldn't you appreciate and listen to His guidance, yield to, reflect, His all-loving will? And your famished affections would be so fed by His love for you. You would be so cared for, so forgiven (and forgiving), so led by his Love away from empty temptations, delivered from willful mistakes, ignorant mistakes, or even what might seem like fatal mistakes.

And why? Because your Father-Mother, God, is already present: here, right here, where you are. And His will for you is always a blessing, right now.

And how would you be fed, and forgiven, and led, and delivered? By His power: His Christ, your Saviour and by His glory: His Holy Spirit, calling you, comforting, and guiding you - and everyone -right here and right now.

Would you actually ever want to live anywhere apart from perfect Love? Would you ever knowingly choose to move out of your loving divine Father's care? No. And if we think we could, Jesus shows us exactly how to rethink that desire, to instead trust ourselves over to our Father, to turn our yearning, our unspoken heart's desire, our very life over to God through His Prayer - affirming what is actually already true: that divine Love, God, is our Father-Mother right now no matter what else seems like it's going on in our life. That we always have been and always will be His perfect child, inseparable from His warm embrace, held, even now, in His everlasting arms of Love.

This is how "The Message" (a Bible translation done by Eugene Peterson) shows us this in the 91st Psalm (excerpted):

"You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's
shadow, Say this, "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!"

"That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from
deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're
perfectly safe, his arms fend off all harm. ...

"Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can't get through the door.

"He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll
catch you, their job is to keep you from falling. ...

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any
trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then
throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of
salvation!"

...Our Father which art in heaven - yes!

I decided to start off my study of the Lord’s Prayer from scratch. So I am approaching this prayer as best I can as if for the first time. I am trying to understand the prayer’s deepest meanings without preconceptions.

To help me do that, I have decided approach it as if I know nothing about it and am learning it for the first time. So I have been looking up even the most familiar words of the prayer in the dictionary so that I can get a fresh perspective, and hopefully get a clearer idea of what Jesus wanted us to know.

I used my Mom's old 2nd Edition Websters (1927) but I've inserted links to two different online dictionaries and an online Bible (below) for your convenience (check out the Websters 1913 definitions; they're especially interesting). It still pays to look these words up yourself though - and look for the meanings that inspire you or give you new insights. That has really helped me understand the Prayer in a fresh new light.

Lastly, I’m working with the Lord's Prayer as found in the King James Version of the Bible. I know this may not be the most current or even most correct translation to use. But it was the one Mrs. Eddy had at hand the most (though she had other translations available, she didn’t have the wealth of versions we have now) so I thought I should start there also. Note that her spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer is included (in italics) below.

As you think about the Prayer's deep spiritual meaning, I think you’ll find new inspiration and insights as you consider the many dimensions of the definitions of so many of the familiar words of the prayer. I know I certainly have.

NOTE: Mrs. Eddy understood God as “The great I Am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence” (S&H p 587:) She considered these terms synonymous.

"Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious

"Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.

"Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.

"Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know,--as in heaven, so on earth,--God is omnipotent, supreme.

"Give us this day our daily bread.
Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.

"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All."

The Lord's Prayer with Mrs. Eddy's spiritual sense of its deepest meaning

"Our Master said, "After this manner therefore pray ye," and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs. ... Here let me give what I understand to be the spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven,
Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,

"Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.

"Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.

"Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know,--as in heaven, so on earth,--God is omnipotent, supreme.

"Give us this day our daily bread;
Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections;

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love;

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.

"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All."

From: http://www.spirituality.com/dt/book_lookup.jhtml?reference=SH%2B16&marks=false&baseURL=/dt/book_lookup.jhtml

Introduction

On May 24, 2007 I promised myself that I would set aside specific time every day to study and pray the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9 - 13) And because I am a Christian Scientist it has been natural for me to include Mary Baker Eddy's spiritual understanding of the Lord's Prayer in my study. This blog is the fruit of my daily communion with Lord's Prayer. I hope it brings you some new insights and blessings also. Sincerely, - Mark