- As we moved our way through the prayer I remain struck by the real life nature of what it was were praying about despite the fact that the prayer has been for many years encased in the formality of antiquated language and liturgy. Jesus was giving us a prayer for the everyday, nitty-gritty aspects of the real life we were going to live. If we do not come to terms with this reality then I think that our Lord's Prayer will become a museum piece that is trotted out on Sundays rather than the everyday, everybody prayer that it was intended to be.
- I can't overemphasize the importance of Grace. In our discussion of "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" the sober reality hits us that if we indeed seek God to forgive us in accordance to how much forgiveness we are willing to show others then the vast majority of us are not living up to our end of the bargain. Then the question flows naturally: Am I being forgiven for my sins if I haven't been able to forgive the sins of others? Asking that question creates a crisis but it is here that we must remember the promise of Grace. Grace comes to us from God and it is in grace that we live our lives. We must strive to forgive in all things but the reality is that forgiveness is often easier talked about then actually done. As we work towards forgiving others we are overcome by the grace that supports us as we go.
- I wish that I was able to hear the conversation around the question of the things in life that are earned and the things that are given. I think that the question is an interesting one. Reflecting back on my life the earning of my degrees, the satisfaction of paying off my first car early, and times when hard work really paid off were sweet but they pale in comparison to the times in my life that so much was given to me so freely that it was humbling. The difference between earning and giving is so black and white in my mind that I would have liked to have heard your thoughts on the matter.
Peace,
Brett
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