A CLOSE LOOK AT THE ‘OUR’ IN “OUR FATHER”
Matthew 6:9; Colossians 3:12-15
Rev. Paul Wrightman 11/13/2022
WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT
BLOCK OF TEACHING THAT JESUS GAVE TO HIS DISCIPLES –
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
LAST WEEK WE STARTED LOOKING AT THAT PART
OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WHICH PROTESTANTS KNOW
AS “THE LORD’S PRAYER,” AND WHAT CATHOLICS CALL
“THE OUR FATHER.”
WE BEGAN OUR STUDY WITH THE FIRST WORD OF THIS PRAYER
IN THE GREEK ORIGINAL: “FATHER,” AND SAW HOW JESUS
TOTALLY TRANSFORMED THE MEANING OF THIS WORD.
RATHER THAN UNDERSTANDING “FATHER” THROUGH THE LENSES
OF POWER, HOLINESS, OR LAW, AS WAS THE LONG-STANDING
TRADITION OF HIS DAY, JESUS DEFINED THE MEANING OF “FATHER”
IN TERMS OF LOVE, AND NOT JUST ANY TYPE OF LOVE,
BUT SPECIFICALLY SACRIFICIAL LOVE.
IN ANCIENT LITERATURE, VERY MUCH INCLUDING THE BIBLE,
THE CENTRAL PART OF A WRITING WAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED TO BE
THE CRUCIAL PART OF THAT WRITING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS A WHOLE,
WE FIND THAT WHAT WE KNOW AS “THE LORD’S PRAYER”
OCCUPIES A POSITION DEAD-CENTER
WITH RESPECT TO THE ENTIRE SERMON.
THUS, IF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT CAN BE CONSIDERED
TO BE THE KEY TEACHING OF JESUS, THEN THE LORD’S PRAYER
IS THE KEY PART OF THIS KEY TEACHING.
IT’S THAT IMPORTANT.
UNFORTUNATELY THE LECTIONARY – THE LIST OF
ASSIGNED SUNDAY READINGS FOLLOWED BY MOST
MAINSTREAM CHRISTIAN CHURCHES –
ASSIGNS THE ENTIRE LORD’S PRAYER TO A MERE SINGLE SUNDAY,
ENSURING THAT MOST SERMONS ON IT ACCOMPLISH NO MORE
THAN A SUPERFICIAL GLOSS.
TODAY WE FOCUS ON THE OPENING WORD OF THE LORD’S PRAYER
IN ENGLISH: “OUR.” IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK,
THE OPENING PHRASE READS “FATHER OF US.”
I’LL STICK WITH THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION “OUR FATHER,”
BECAUSE IT’S SO FAMILIAR.
I SUSPECT THAT THIS LITTLE, BUT CRUCIAL, WORD “OUR,”
IS ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING TO A CHURCH LIKE OURS,
WHICH IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO DEEPLY VALUE
INDIVIDUALISM AND INDEPENDENCE.
OUR.
THIS SMALL WORD FORMS AN IMMEDIATE BRIDGE
BETWEEN THE WORDS YOU AND ME.
IT SPEAKS OF SHARED EXPERIENCE AND SHARED OWNERSHIP.
IT SPEAKS OF COMMUNITY.
ME AND MINE PRODUCES ISOLATION AND ALONENESS.
SO DOES YOU AND YOURS.
BUT THE UNIFYING OUR PRODUCES
AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.
JESUS BEGINS THIS PRAYER STRATEGICALLY,
BY CHOOSING THE WORD “US” OR “OUR”
INSTEAD OF “MY” OR “MINE.”
THE POSSESSIVENESS OF THE TWO-YEAR-OLD
TUGGING MIGHTILY ON HIS OR HER TOY
WHILE HIS OR HER FRIEND HOLDS ON
WITH EQUAL DETERMINATION
BECOMES A LIFELONG CHARACTERISTIC
FOR TOO MANY OF US.
HEREIN LIES THE WISDOM AND THE CHALLENGE OF JESUS.
SPIRITUAL WRITERS THROUGHOUT THE AGES
HAVE NOTED THAT THE JOURNEY TO A DEEPER WALK WITH GOD
CAN ONLY BE FULLY LIVED IN THE COMPANY OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
EARLY FOLLOWERS OF JESUS COULD NOT CONCEIVE
OF A PERSONAL CHRISTIAN FAITH IN TERMS OF
AN INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN FAITH.
FOR THEM, PERSONAL WAS ALWAYS
IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNAL.
FOR THE EARLIEST FOLLOWERS OF JESUS,
THE ONLY WAY TO THINK OF ONESELF
WAS IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHERS.
THIS COMMUNITY, OR BETTER YET, FAMILY MODEL
PREVAILED IN THE EARLIEST CHURCH.
INDEED, THE APOSTLE PAUL OVERWHELMINGLY USED
THE PLURAL FORM OF THE WORD “YOU” IN HIS LETTERS –
NOT AS THE MEANS TO ADDRESS MANY SEPARATE INDIVIDUALS,
BUT AS THE WAY TO EMPHASIZE THE UNITY –
A UNITY WITHIN DIVERSITY – OF THE BODY OF CHRIST,
THE TOGETHERNESS AND INCLUSIVENESS
OF EVERYONE IN THE NEW REALITY OF THE KINGDOM,
OR BETTER, “KIN-DOM,” OF GOD.
THE TEACHING OF JESUS, AND OF ST. PAUL ECHOING JESUS,
IS THAT WHENEVER WE ABANDON THE COMMUNITY,
WE UNDERMINE OURSELVES.
# # #
THE MONASTIC MOVEMENT CAN BEST BE UNDERSTOOD
AS THE FIRST REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH,
A REFORMATION MADE NECESSARY WHEN THE CHURCH
BECAME THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
AND LOST MUCH OF ITS ORIGINAL VISION.
SEEKING TO RECAPTURE THAT ORIGINAL VISION,
A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS
RETREATED TO THE DESERTS OF EGYPT, ISRAEL, AND SYRIA
AND LIVED IN COMMUNITY.
ST. BENEDICT, DESCRIBED AS THE FATHER
OF WESTERN MONASTICISM, LIVED IN THE EARLY 500’S,
A TIME WHEN MONKS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT EACH OTHER,
AND GROWING RESTLESS WITHING THEIR COMMUNITIES.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WOMEN LIVING IN COMMUNITY
AT THIS TIME WERE ABLE TO CREATE MUCH MORE PEACEFUL
AND NURTURING COMMUNITIES THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS.
THE BROTHERS FREQUENTLY FOUND THEMSELVES IN CONFLICT,
AND JUST AS FREQUENTLY TRAVELED IN SEARCH
OF NEW MONASTERIES SUPPOSEDLY MORE CONDUCIVE
TO THEIR OWN IDEAS OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION.
IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT, BENEDICT ADDED A NEW ELEMENT
TO THE TRADITIONAL VOWS OF POVERTY,
CHASTITY, AND OBEDIENCE.
HE INSISTED THAT THOSE WHO REALLY WANTED
TO GROW DEEPLY IN CHRIST
SHOULD ALSO TAKE A VOW OF STABILITY.
BY “STABILITY” HE MEANT THAT AFTER ONE JOINED
A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, ONE STUCK WITH THAT
PARTICULAR COMMUNITY THROUGH THICK AND THIN,
NOT GIVING IN TO ONE’S FEELINGS
ABOUT HAVING TO HAVE ONE’S OWN WAY –
OR HEADING FOR THE DOORWAY
WITH THIS VOW OF STABILITY, BENEDICT ATTEMPTED
TO REESTABLISH THE PRIORITY OF US OVER ME
IN SPIRITUAL FORMATION.
PARADOXICALLY, HE KNEW THAT GRACE CAN ONLY FLOURISH
WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS OFFENSE;
THAT FORGIVENESS REQUIRES CONFLICT;
THAT HEALING EMERGES FROM HURT;
AND THAT STRENGTH ARISES FROM STRUGGLE.
ACCORDING TO BENEDICT, THE PATHWAY
TO TRUE SPIRITUAL FORMATION DEMANDS
LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHERS IN COMMUNITY.
WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH, WE DON’T RUN.
NEITHER DO WE SIMPLY BATTLE-IT-OUT.
RATHER, WE LEARN THE ART OF RECONCILIATION,
THE FIRST STEP OF WHICH IS SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE GOLDEN RULE,
“DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.”
WAYS OF PARAPHRASING THE GOLDEN RULES WOULD BE:
“GIVE OTHERS THE SAME BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM GIVE TO YOU;”
“GIVE OTHERS THE SAME SPACE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM GIVE TO YOU;”
“BE OPEN TO RECONCILING DIFFERENCES WITH OTHERS
IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WOULD WANT THEM
TO BE OPEN TO RECONCILING WITH YOU.
I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AN ILLUSTRATION
TAKEN FROM YEARS OF MY LEADING THE TEEN LEADERS
OF A YOUTH GROUP ON WEEK-LONG BACKPACKING
LEADERSHIP-DEVELOPMENT TRIPS IN THE HIGH SIERRA.
THIS WAS WHEN I WAS DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
AT SACRED HEART PARISH IN MEDFORD, OREGON.
ONE OF THE KIDS KNEW THE RECIPE FOR “DAMPER” –
AN AUSTRALIAN BREAD – WHICH WE WOULD MAKE
AS A SPECIAL TREAT ON OUR LAST NIGHT IN THE WILDERNESS.
WE’D MIX FLOUR ,BUTTER, WATER, SUGAR, CINNAMON,
AND OTHER INGREDIENTS, AND LET THE DOUGH
SIT ON A ROCK NEAR THE FIRE SO IT WOULD RISE A LITTLE.
MEANWHILE, WE PULLED ASIDE A NUMBER OF INCANDESCENT
“COALS” FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRE
TO LET THEM COOL SOMEWHAT.
AFTER PERHAPS THIRTY MINUTES FOR THE DOUGH TO RISE,
WE’D DIG OPEN THE FIRE AND MAKE A HOLE IN THE CENTER OF IT
RIGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND.
WE’D WRAP THE DOUGH IN A PIECE OF ALUMINUM FOIL
AND PLOP IT INTO THE HOLE.
THEN WE’D PLACE THE SOMEWHAT COOLED “COALS”
DIRECTLY ON THE BREAD,
AND THEN COVER EVERYTHING
WITH THE HOT COALS THAT WERE LEFT.
THE BREAD WOULD STAY IN THAT LITTLE “OVEN”
FOR AN HOUR OR SO BEFORE WE ROLLED IT OUT WITH A STICK,
SCRAPED OFF THE EMBEDDED COALS AND ASHES,
RIPPED OFF THE ALUMINUM FOIL, AND FEASTED ON IT.
IT WAS A BACKPACKER’S DELIGHT!
BUT TO GET A GOOD DOUGH,
WE HAD TO KEEP ALL THE COALS TOGETHER.
ONE COAL COULD NOT COOK THE DOUGH,
NO MATTER HOW HOT THAT SINGLE COAL WAS.
IN ISOLATION, THE COALS LOST THEIR HEAT AND EFFECTIVENESS.
BUT TOGETHER THEY PRODUCED AN INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS BREAD.
WE, AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
OF COMMUNITY CHURCH, BEHAVE IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
ONE OF US CAN’T ACCOMPLISH VERY MUCH.
ONE OF US, IN ISOLATION, WILL QUICKLY LOSE
THE VITAL SPARK THAT KEEPS CONNECTED
TO COMMUNITY AND TO GOD.
BUT ALL OF US TOGETHER CAN ACCOMPLISH A GREAT DEAL.
NOT ONLY CAN WE PULL OFF MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS
OF MINISTRY WITH THE HOMELESS,
BUT JUST AS IMPORTANTLY,
WE CAN BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH
AND WE FIND THAT WE’RE BARELY MAKING IT.
WE CAN ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER.
WE CAN PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.
WE CAN ACTIVELY HELP EACH OTHER
WHEN WE CAN’T MAKE IT ON OUR OWN.
OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR TIMES
OF DISAGREEMENT AND CONFLICT.
WE WOULDN’T BE HUMAN IF WE DIDN’T.
BUT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT DISAGREEMENT AND CONFLICT
AS MINI-DISASTERS,
LET US LOOK AT THEM INSTEAD AS TIMES OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY –
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN SOME MORE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
IN THE ART OF RECONCILIATION,
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW SPIRITUALLY
THROUGH PRACTICING FORGIVENESS, PATIENCE,
COMPASSION, AND LOVE.
AND LOVE, AS TAUGHT BY JESUS,
IS NOT A FEELING BUT A COMMITMENT,
THE COMMITMENT TO STICK IT OUT
THROUGH BAD TIMES AS WELL AS GOOD,
THROUGH TIMES OF HEATED DISAGREEMENT
AS WELL AS TIMES OF SHARED VISION AND SHARED VALUES.
A COUPLE OF LESSONS FROM TREES MIGHT BE HELPFUL HERE.
THEY CAN BOTH BE METAPHORS FOR OUR LIFE TOGETHER
HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH.
THE HUGE SEQUOIA AND REDWOOD TREES
RIGHT HERE IN CALIFORNIA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
THE LARGEST LIVING ORGANISMS ON EARTH
AND ARE THE TALLEST TREES IN THE WORLD.
SOME OF THEM ARE THREE HUNDRED FEET HIGH
AND OVER 2,500 YEARS OLD.
ONE WOULD THINK THAT TREES SO LARGE
WOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS ROOT SYSTEM
REACHING DOWN HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE EARTH.
BUT THE REDWOODS AND SEQUOIAS ACTUALLY HAVE
A VERY SHALLOW SYSTEM OF ROOTS,
BUT THEY ALL INTERTWINE.
THEY ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER.
WHEN THE STORMS COME AND THE WINDS BLOW,
THE REDWOODS STAND.
THEY ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER,
AND THEY DON’T STAND ALONE,
FOR ALL THE TREES SUPPORT AND PROTECT EACH OTHER.
THIS IS A GOOD METAPHOR FOR THE CLOSE-KNIT COMMMUNITY
THAT WE ENJOY HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH.
BUT IT’S BASED ON A FOREST COMPRISED LARGELY
OF A SINGLE SPECIES, THE REDWOOD.
LET’S EXPAND OUR METAPHOR BY CONSIDERING A FOREST
MADE UP OF A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREES.
WHEN THE ROOTS OF TREES TOUCH,
THERE IS A SUBSTANCE PRESENT THAT REDUCES COMPETITION.
IN FACT, THIS FUNGUS HELPS LINK ROOTS OF DIFFERENT TREES –
EVEN OF DISSIMILAR SPECIES.
A WHOLE FOREST WITH MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES
CAN BE LINKED TOGETHER.
IF ONE TREE HAS ACCESS TO WATER, ANOTHER TO NUTRIENTS,
AND A THIRD TO SUNLIGHT, THE TREES HAVE THE MEANS
TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WHAT CONNECTS US ALL TO ONE ANOTHER
HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST
IN EACH OF US.
THAT SPIRIT SIMULTANEOUSLY RESPECTS
OUR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND TRANSCENDS THEM.
LET’S REMEMBER, THEN, THAT WHEN WE PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER
WE START WITH THE WORD OUR.
THE WORD OUR HELPS US TO FOCUS
ON THE SHARED EXPERIENCE,
NOT JUST MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE.
EACH TIME WE USE THE WORD OUR,
WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO REMAIN TOGETHER,
WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY,
AND WE CELEBRATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SPIRITUAL FORMATION.
THE WORD “OUR,” PRAYED SINCERELY, BINDS US TOGETHER.
IT BECOMES THE GLUE BETWEEN
ALL OF US AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.
IT ASKS US TO RECALL
THAT WE ALL STAND TOGETHER BEFORE GOD AS GOD’S CHILDREN –
EQUALLY, INTERDEPENDENTLY,
WITHOUT FAVORITISM OR EXCEPTION.
OUR LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD.
IT ERASES LABELS AND STATUS ISSUES.
MY EXCLUDES OTHERS.
OUR IS THE LANGUAGE OF INCLUSION.
THE LITTLE WORD “OUR” CALLS US BACK TO OTHERS.
IT PUSHES US TO CONSIDER US.
ME AND MY GOD CREATES A COCOON
THAT ISOLATES ME FROM OTHERS,
AND, IRONICALLY, FROM GOD.
JESUS’ OWN WORDS ARE “FATHER OF US,”
OR AS WE SAY IN ENGLISH, “OUR FATHER.”
OUR IS THE LANGUAGE OF INCLUSION.
OUR IS THE LANGUAGE OF GOD.
AMEN.