Prayer postures

Recently, our church began a sermon series on the Lord's Prayer.  Since I have already posted with some thoughts on this central prayer, I will only add that this Prayer encapsulates a living faith that Jesus embodied in his life.  He sought a life-giving relationship with God.  He tried to live in this world, not according to human rules or laws or rulers, but according to God's wisdom and love (what he called the Kingdom of God).  He sought to break bread and share with others.  He sought to forgive others.  He sought to see each person as a beloved child of God.  Every Sunday we say these familiar words which have left a well-worn rut in our minds, like the tires of a truck leave in the mud.  Yet, how often do we let these words linger and even challenge the way we live our life?  

Part of what the Lord's Prayer reminds me of is that there are two dimensions to prayer.  There is a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension.  The vertical is what connects humans to God; the horizontal connects humans one to another.  We address this prayer to God.  Jesus used the word Abba, which really does not mean 'Father' as much as it means Daddy...and lets also remember that later in Matthew Jesus says God is like a Mother hen gathering her brood under her wing.  The prayer connects us to God.  But the prayer is not about us as individuals, it is about us together.  The prayer uses the plural pronouns: our, us, and we.  When you try to say the Lord's Prayer alone it does not always sound quite right.  We need others voices to add depth and diversity to what we are saying. We need others to help embody the communal or horizontal dimension of the prayer.

Moreover, I think the Lord's Prayer reminds us that when we connect with God it is not only about listing our petitions, or our needs/wants/desires to God; the Lord's Prayer invites us to patiently listen.  We pray for God's Kingdom (or realm or presence) to come.  We need to listen for the nudges of God in our life.  If we think that prayer is only us talking and we never let God get a word in edgewise, or simply sit in silence, we might miss an important part of the vertical dimension of prayer.

Likewise, the along the horizontal dimension of prayer there is both acceptance of what is and an invitation to agency on our prayer.  Prayer does things to us.  It calls us out of complacency and yet also reminds us that God's realm coming in our midst does not rest only on our shoulders.  As a kid growing up I remember Smoky the Bear saying in a deep, gruff voice, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."  Sometimes we think that we are the only agents of change in this world.  But some changes come in spite of us!  Some changes happen beyond our control.  Yet, we don't just sit around either.  Faith invites our human response to God and to those we brush up against.  

I invite you to spend some time this week with the Lord's Prayer.  What words or images capture you?  Which words or images leaving you questioning?  Do you sense the horizontal and vertical dimensions?  Think about the prayer in your voice and how others add a depth to the words.

And may the traces of God's grace move as you pray these words Jesus taught us!

Blessings and peace