Dear Members, Friends, Siblings, All,

If you’ve ever heard me say, “I don’t pray nearly enough,” it’s only because it’s true. And that’s not because I don’t know prayers or how to pray. Sometimes I tell myself, “It’s all prayer.” And I do hope so. A consecutive dialogue with God is almost always going on in my head, a sort of “screen within a screen” voice doing commentary during the actual play on the field. Of course, I was thrilled to read that Luther Smith feels something like that, as he wrote in Hope is Here.

It’s an ongoing, learning practice. Pray for grace.

Our gospel reading for Sunday is Luke 11:1-13 where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Yes, the first verses there are The Lord’s Prayer that many of us know by heart in one version or another. Do you say “trespasses” or “debts”? I learned it first with debts and stumble over anything else, to this day. Coming to Central, I found “Our Common Prayer”—except that this version is most un-common to me. Maybe the stumbling is the best part; it makes me think about the praying instead of going to auto-pilot and all the way (way, way) back to my childhood.

How often do you think about these words? This is how Jesus answered when asked how to pray. I’m worried now that I didn’t teach it to my children. I think I did. I must have… Uh oh.

Have you ever heard The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, the language Jesus would have spoken to the disciples on that day? Have you ever heard any prayer in a language you don’t understand? When I worked as an interpreter, I was invited to withdraw at the time of prayer because he prayed in his “mother tongue;” God was addressed in language unknown to me, needing no translation. Search YouTube for “Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic” to hear any number of recordings. I am especially interested in the hour-long chant before sleeping (https://youtu.be/YzNONU6-kzo?si=WcI-BsOMPWaET9Bp). If you listen and have a story to tell, know that I will want to hear it.

Here’s poetic approach from Parker Palmer: 

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/07/lords-prayer-father-mother.html?m=1

Join us if you can for worship on Sunday where we will continue this exploration of The Prayer Jesus Taught Us and maybe learn yet another approach to share with All Ages. Streamers or Gatherers at the church, c’mon in the house of prayer. We’ve “always wanted to be in the neighborhood with you,” as Mr. Rogers would sing, and look forward to it.

On the following Sunday, August 3, we have a Service of Word and Table (Communion) and the Blessing of the Backpacks, because it’s first Sunday and school starts the next day. When it’s this hot and summer vacation is over (even if it doesn’t feel like it), we should double down on our prayers, all our prayers, any kind of prayer. Everyone will need it.

Love and hugs,

Rev. Liz