By Rev. Canon Val Kenyon
Have you ever stopped to think just how many times you have recited the Lord’s Prayer during your lifetime?
Probably not – and don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to actually say the number out loud – but likely the well-known words of this prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples are very familiar to us all.
Whether you prefer the traditional version or the slightly more contemporary version of this prayer, as we recite these words every Sunday, and likely many times in between, we are connecting to the truths contained in them that have been recited by Jesus’ disciples down through the millennia.
Yet we also know that sometimes we can stop actually connecting with what has become very familiar to us, not hearing the words or allowing them to work in our hearts and in our lives. And so for Advent 2019 I am challenging myself each day of this season to listen afresh to the words of this prayer as if for the first time.
As I do this I will be asking, which lines of this prayer are calling out to me today.
Is there something of God’s name that has caught my attention?
Is it the call for God’s kingdom on earth?
Perhaps it is my own need or the need of others for the staples of life?
Do I need to offer forgiveness to someone? Do I need to be forgiven?
Am I mindful of the times of trial for so many all around me?
Have I noticed the specter of evil casting its ugly shadow?
Or is the final acclamation that all things whether kingdom, power, or glory all belong to God, calling out for me to pay attention today?
That’s it. In many ways this is a simple challenge, but one full of promise. So, will you join me in this practice? Let’s be expectant in this season of expectation!
Rev. Canon Val Kenyon is AFP Huron Executive.