Pilgrim - The Lord's Prayer: A Course for the Christian Journey

by Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Paula Gooder, Robert Atwell, Sharon Ely Pearson

Overview

Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ. A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point.

There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus’ summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It’s also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God’s vision for the Church and for the world.

Course 2. The Lord’s Prayer: How do Christians know and worship God? Explore the Lord’s Prayer in these sessions as a gateway to the Christian gospel, as a guide to our own prayers, and as a way of deepening our relationship with God. Here is a way of seeing God and the world and yourself which is profound and revolutionary and good news.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780898699418
Publisher:	Church Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/2016
Series:	Pilgrim
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	72
File size:	139 KB

About the Author

Stephen Cottrell is the Bishop of Reading in the Church of England. He has written or contributed to Reflections for Daily Prayer, the Emmaus discipleship course, Traveling Well, and Praying Through Life.

Steven Croft is the Bishop of Sheffield. From 2004 to 2009 he was Archbishops Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions. Former warden of Cranmer Hall, he spent 13 years in parish ministry.

Paula Gooderis a freelance writer and lecturer in biblical studies, a Reader in the Church of England, and a lay member of the General Synod. She is also a Trustee of SPCK and the Saltley Trust and an honorary Canon Theologian at Birmingham and Guildford Cathedrals. She is the author of A Way Through the Wilderness and the bestselling Lent course Lentwise, and co-author of the Pilgrim course and Love Life, Live Advent.

Robert Atwell was Vicar of Primrose Hill, London, from 1998 though 2008, when he joined the episcopate. Formerly a lecturer in patristics at Trinity College Cambridge, where he was Chaplain, for ten years. He maintains his link with the Order of St. Benedict.

Sharon Ely Pearson a retired Christian educator, editor, and author with 35-plus years of experience in Christian formation on the local, judicatory, and church-wide level. Known for her knowledge of published curricula across the church, she has written or edited numerous books. She is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and a lifelong Episcopalian. She lives in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Read an Excerpt

The Lord's Prayer

A Course for the Christian Journey

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By STEPHEN COTTRELL, Steven Croft, Paula Gooder, Robert Atwell, Sharon Ely Pearson

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 2016 Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Robert Atwell and Paula Gooder
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-89869-941-8

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CHAPTER 1

SESSION ONE:

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME

The aim of this session is to explore and experience the truth that Jesus invites us into a new relationship with God as our Father in prayer and we are sisters and brothers together.

Opening Prayers

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

As a father cares for his children,
so does the Lord care for those who fear him.
PSALM 103:13

O Lord, I am not proud;
I have no haughty looks.

I do not occupy myself with great matters,
or with things that are too hard for me.

But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother's breast;
my soul is quieted within me.

O Israel, wait upon the Lord,
from this time forth for evermore.
PSALM 131:1-4

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. MATTHEW 6:6

Loving Father,
strengthen our hearts by your Holy Spirit.
Grant us power with all the saints
to appreciate how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ.
Amen.

BASED ON EPHESIANS 3:16-19

Conversation

What is your earliest memory of saying the Lord's Prayer? How old were you? Who taught you to say the words?

Reflecting on Scripture

Reading

According to the gospels, Jesus himself gives the prayer to his disciples. We find the prayer in two different places. In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus gives the prayer when the disciples say to him: "Lord, teach us to pray." In Matthew's gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray in the central section of the Sermon on the Mount.

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

MATTHEW 6:5-15

Explanatory note

You will notice some differences between the wording of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew and in Luke and in the versions we use today (see p. 12). We will look at these in more detail in future weeks.

• Read the passage through once.

• Keep a few moments' silence.

• Read the passage a second time with different voices.

• Invite everyone to say aloud a word or phrase that strikes them.

• Read the passage a third time.

• Share together what this word or phrase might mean and what questions it raises.

Reflection

STEVEN CROFT

Finding our place in the Universe

The first line of the Lord's Prayer summons you to discover your place in the universe. The prayer begins with the essential kindness of God and captures a sense of the Christian family. In just eight words the prayer leads us into the cosmic struggle which is taking place on the earth.

How does this one line help me find my place in the universe?

Through the very first word, "Father," Jesus invites us to call the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth, Father. Jesus invites us into the same relationship with God which he himself enjoys.

We need to remember that in much of the Jewish tradition and in other religions, God is seen as all powerful and mighty. In Judaism, God is seen to be so holy that his name could not even be said out loud. But Jesus encourages his disciples to address God simply, in a familiar way, as part of his family, as Father. In doing that we find our place in the universe.

Where do we fit into the created order? Did this beautiful world come about by chance? Our place in the universe is as children of our Father in heaven. We are not atoms floating in a sea of chaos or chance. The universe is not about randomness but relationship. We are created in God's image and likeness. We are made to know God and enjoy God for ever. To say "Our Father in heaven" is to stand by faith in the whole of that world view.

Humanity has turned away from God our creator and we have not lived in relationship with God. But God has sent us his Son. Jesus comes to us so that we can call God "Father." Through the life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus we can know God as Father. The words of the prayer are only possible because of the one who gives us the prayer.

What difference does the "Our" make in "Our Father"? Again, it is about finding our place in the universe. Every time we say this prayer, we remember that we are connected not only vertically to God but horizontally to others.

If you pray this prayer, you are part of a family. Does Jesus mean us to pray as though we are part of one big family of the entire human race? Or does he mean us to pray as though we are part of his own family — the Christian Church — the family of the disciples.

It's the second of these more than the first. The Lord's Prayer is taught to the disciples not the crowds. This is the Christian family prayer. We are brothers and sisters together and we have brothers and sisters around the world, our fellow Christians. This creates a tremendous sense of solidarity. It also creates a tremendous sense of responsibility for one another.

Intimate — but not cozy

"In heaven" balances the intimacy of the word "Father" and reminds us who our Father is. There is, in Christian prayer, a balance between intimacy and reverence — between God with us and God the creator of the universe — far above us and beyond our comprehension. We hold both in our prayers. Our picture of God needs to be intimate but not cozy. It is possible to be too casual in our prayers and in our approach to God. We need reminding that God has larger concerns than our day-to-day anxieties, like whether we can find a parking space or not.

Finally, the first petition: "Hallowed be your name." The idea of God's name is a big idea in the Bible. God's name carries the idea of God's nature, identity, and love. The word "hallowed" means to make holy, to revere. So we are praying that God's very nature will be honored in every possible way in every part of the earth and for all time. We are praying that God's will be known and worshipped; that God's nature might be reflected in human society in justice, peace, and love, in joy, hope, healing, and tenderness.

The prayer takes us into the heart of the struggle of the universe. God's name and nature are not hallowed throughout the earth. In this prayer we place ourselves in that cosmic struggle. We place ourselves on God's side, for God, God's ways and God's nature. We offer ourselves in God's service and pledge ourselves to God's cause.

Concluding Prayers

As our Savior taught us, so we pray: Our Father ... (see p. 12)

We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as the Lord;
all creation worships you,
the Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
FROM TE DEUM LAUDAMUS

Let us bless the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Sending Out

During this coming week, reflect on the first eight words of the Lord's Prayer and what they mean.

Reflect as well on the different ways in which you have prayed throughout your life. What will it mean to grow and deepen your relationship with God?

These readings may help you in your reflections:

Just as the skill of a doctor is revealed in the care of his patients, so the nature of God is revealed through the way he relates to us.

IRENAEUS (C. 130–C.200)

Those who have been born again and restored to God through grace say "Father" at the beginning of all prayer because they are already beginning to be his sons and daughters ... None of us would presume to do this had not Christ himself taught us to pray in this way. And if we are to call God "Father," then we ought to behave like sons and daughters of God, so that just as we are delighted to have God as our Father, so equally he can take delight in us his children.

CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE (C. 200–58)'

Late have I loved you, O beauty so ancient and so new; late have I loved you! For you were within me and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they would have had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud to me and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now I pant after you. I tasted you and now I feel nothing but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and now I burn for your peace.

AUGUSTINE (354–430)

CHAPTER 2

SESSION TWO:

YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN

The aim of this session is to unpack the idea that the kingdom of God is central to Scripture, to Jesus' teaching, to the Lord's Prayer, and therefore to the Christian disciple.

Opening Prayers

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
PSALM 96:9

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,
the world and all who dwell therein.

For it is he who founded it upon the seas
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

"Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord
and who can stand in his holy place?"

"Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is fraud.

They shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
and a just reward from the God of their salvation."

Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
PSALM 24:1-6

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe the good news."

MARK 1:14-15

O Trinity of love,
forgive us that we may forgive one another
heal us that we may be a people of healing
and renew us that we also may be makers of peace.
Amen.

THE IONA COMMUNITY WORSHIP BOOK (ADAPTED)

Conversation

If you could put just one thing right in the world, what would it be?

Reflecting on Scripture

Reading

The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers. Psalm 99 is a hymn of praise which celebrates the truth that God is King and reigns over creation. God reigns eternally and Jesus came proclaiming the coming of his kingdom on earth.

The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy.

PSALM 99:1-9

Explanatory note

The cherubim in the Old Testament are angels whose wings hold up God's throne in heaven.

Zion refers to a mountain near Jerusalem, though it is often used, as here, as another term for Jerusalem, where the temple stood.

Jacob is another name for the nation of Israel.

Moses, Aaron, and Samuel are great figures from Israel's past. The story of the pillar of cloud is told in the book of Exodus, where it leads God's people through the Wilderness after their escape from Egypt.

• Read the passage through once.

• Keep a few moments' silence.

• Read the passage a second time with different voices.

• Invite everyone to say aloud a word or phrase that strikes them.

• Read the passage a third time.

• Share together what this word or phrase might mean and what questions it raises.

Reflection

LORETTA MINGHELLA

"The Lord is King"

The opening verses of Psalm 99 place faith firmly in the context of everyday life, claiming that God rules over the earth, both over the people of Zion and over all peoples. The Christian faith cannot, therefore, be relegated to the margins of society, or to some esoteric community. For the Lord's Prayer invites us to pray "your kingdom come" to acknowledge that God's reign over the universe is a reality but not yet fulfilled.

For a Christian to describe the Lord as king is to acknowledge the Church is part of something much larger. We are a community belonging to the kingdom of God. In the words of writer Brian McLaren, the Church is "a community that lives to see God's dream come true for the world." The Christian is a citizen and servant of the kingdom of God.

Life in the kingdom is one of personal and corporate responsibility; it is spiritual, and is highly practical. It focuses on who you are and how you live. Jesus came to announce that God's kingdom was near, but it is not yet here in all its fullness: it is something we long for and pray for and work for as Christian disciples. The question each of us must answer is "How can I live as a faithful member of God's kingdom?"

As well as describing God as "Mighty King," verse 4 declares that God is a "lover of justice"' who has "established equity." This powerful phrase tells us something of the character of God. To love someone, or something, is to be totally committed to them, it is to afford them priority in your life. It implies a willingness to give everything for them. That God loves justice elevates just acts, and just living, as an essential commitment.

Worship and service

The psalm also encourages us to worship God (in vv. 3, 5, and 9). Worship is offered to the One who is worthy. Worship is expressed in many ways, but not least through one's personal life choices. The greatest act of worship is to do that which pleases God; to reflect the character of God through obedient, loving service.

The Christian life is lived in a rhythm of worship and service. That service includes a love of justice and equity, and a commitment to work for these to be manifest throughout life globally. We cannot divorce faith from politics, or the local from the international. Justice must be applied universally, to everyone and by everyone.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Lord's Prayer by STEPHEN COTTRELL, Steven Croft, Paula Gooder, Robert Atwell, Sharon Ely Pearson. Copyright © 2016 Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Robert Atwell and Paula Gooder. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Welcome to Pilgrim,
Introduction to The Lord's Prayer,
The Lord's Prayer,
Session One: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name,
Session Two: Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, on Earth as in Heaven,
Session Three: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread,
Session Four: Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Those Who Sin Against Us,
Session Five: Lead us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil,
Session Six: For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Are Yours Now, and for Ever. Amen,
Notes,