Some thoughts on Sunday January 25th's Sermon

Pastor Ron encouraged us this past Sunday to read and meditate on the Lord's Prayer this week. What follows is a paraphrase of that prayer by Dallas Willard.  After the prayer there is a link to a video by Dallas discussing seeking and knowing God's presence with us.  I found these helpful to me.

Dallas Willard’s Version of the Lord’s Prayer
When his disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray,” Jesus gave them what we affectionately call, “The Lord’s Prayer.”  Its words are both intimate and wide-reaching in their scope.  All of life is involved, and so is every relationship.  We can’t get away with loving God and living indifferently towards those around us.  Or vice versa for that matter. To live this prayer, is to live a robust life with God.  It helps enable us to pray into what we hope to live.

Sadly, though, the “overfamiliarity” we have with this prayer, can lead to its “unfamiliarity.”  This is why I’m grateful for Dallas Willard’s work in paraphrasing each line of this prayer.  I believe these words capture the feel and tone of how Jesus might teach us to pray if he spoke in our everyday, American-English vernacular.  I encourage you to read these words slowly, pausing after each line.  Let this prayer guide you to be with our God who is “always near us.”

Dear Father always near us,
may your name be treasured and loved,
may your rule be completed in us-
may your will be done here on earth in
just the way it is done in heaven.
Give us today the things we need today,
and forgive us our sins and impositions on you
as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.
Please don’t put us through trials,
but deliver us from everything bad.
Because you are the one who is in charge,
and you have all the power, and the glory too is all yours-forever-
which is just the way we want it!


Originally posted by Dave & Erin Ripper on Tumbler

---

The link below is to a video of a lecture given by Dallas Willard at Westmont college which discusses the topic that Pastor Ron has been preaching about.   The presence of God with us.

Lecture: Dr. Dallas Willard, "How is God with us? How can we know it?" May 26, 2011

Your comments are welcome.