July 2009

Well, Vacation Bible School is over and we sure had a bunch of fun.  We all went on an African Safari and raised a bunch of money for the Zimbabwe Mission Project.  If you were not able to be part of the VBS experience, clear your schedules for next year and be part of the blessing! 

Our Bible passage for the week was the Lord’s Prayer.  One of the most well known passages in Scripture, and yet perhaps not all that well understood.  Part of the problem is that we have memorized it in 16th century English, right out of the good old King James Bible.  I do believe that we like the King James English because we don’t understand it so well and so we don’t have to obey it. 
I would like to help change that.  Here is how I taught the Lord’s Prayer to my students this week:

Our Father who art in Heaven – Papa in heaven

Hallowed be Thy name – Hallowed means holy and holy means special.  When we pray, we ought to take a little time to think about how wonderful it is that that God of the universe is willing to listen to us.  Imagine the most famous of people waiting for us to call him.  And that is exactly what God is doing.  Not only is he willing to listen to us, he looks forward to hearing from us.  That is how much he loves us.

Thy Kingdom come – May your kingdom be established in this earth.  When Jesus came to earth, he proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven are at hand”.  Jesus started the revolution and has left the job for us to finish.  Through evangelism, and showing others the mercy, love and grace of God, we establish the kingdom of God here on earth.  When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”, we are really saying, “Help me to be faithful in showing others what your kingdom is like”.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven – How is God’s will done in Heaven?  Can you imagine God going to one of his angels with an assignment and have the angel complain, “I’m too tired, I am busy, can’t someone else do it”?  Of course not.  Angels rejoice to do the will of God; that is what they were made to do.  So were we.  Yet when God gives us a task, we are often very quick to object.  Moses did it, Gideon did it we do it.  When we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, we are saying, “Help me remember to be as quick to obey you as the angel obey you in Heaven”.

We are only through the first half of the Lord’s prayer.  Next month we will complete our look at this amazing prayer.