Greetings to all!
"The Lord's Prayer" is perhaps the most familiar of all religious verses. We can
speak it in our sleep, and perhaps we are "asleep" most of the time when we
speak it. But what if, as John Dominic Crossan suggests, "The Lord's Prayer
is...both a revolutionary manifesto and a hymn of hope"? If so, in speaking the
prayer, we might be "asking" for much more than we imagine. As Crossan
describes it, the vision of the Lord's Prayer...
...derives from the common experience of a well-run home, household, or
family farm. If you walked into one, how would you judge the householder?
Are the fields well tended? Are the animals properly provisioned? Are the
buildings adequately maintained? Are the children and dependents well fed,
clothed, and sheltered? Are the sick given special care? Are responsibilities
and returns apportioned fairly? Do all have enough? Especially that: Do all
have enough? Or, to the contrary, do some have far too little while others
have far too much?
It is that vision of the well-run household...that the biblical tradition applies to
God. God is the Householder of the world house, and all those preceding
questions must be repeated on a global and cosmic scale. Do all God's
children have enough? If not - and the biblical answer is "not" - how must
things change here below so that all God's people have a fair, equitable, and
just proportion of God's world? The Lord's Prayer proclaims that necessary
change as both revolutionary manifesto and hymn of hope.
(from The Greatest Prayer)
The Scripture lessons for Sunday, October 9...
Exodus 32:1-14
Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14
Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, October 9, 10am, in Trinity
Hall. This Sunday's conversation will focus on the reflections of author and
educator Parker Palmer. Come enjoy a cup of coffee, join the conversation,
or just listen in.
Calling all Acolytes - This Sunday, October 9, immediately after worship will
be a brief, hands on, training for young people (particularly older elementary
age children) who are interested in serving as acoloytes. This training will
last no longer than 30 minutes, and will be repeated on Sunday, October 16.
Host Needed - A host(s) is needed for our afterworship refreshments this
Sunday, October 9. Use reply email to volunteer for this Sunday, or check
the sign up sheet in the Sanctuary foyer to sign up for a Sunday later in the
fall.
The Greatest Prayer is the title of a 4-session study of the Lord's Prayer to
be held on Sunday evenings (Oct 23 & 30, Nov 6 & 13), 4:30 - 6:00pm, at the
home of Mike & Barb Ward. Use reply email to sign up and/or to reserve a
copy of the study book, The Greatest Prayer, by John Dominic Crossan. Study
books may also be purchased individually, including electronic versions.
In the Community: Please Don't Call Me Homeless...I Don't Call You Homed
will be presented on Tuesday, October 11, 7:30pm, at the KY Theater (Main
Street). The production is written and performed by men and women who
have experienced homelessness in Lexington. Admission is free with seating
on a first come-first seated basis. Donations to the Catholic Action Center will
be accepted.
Peace to all.
Mike Ward
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