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BUMC Mini-Blast May 28, 2025
Joey's Tuesday Devotional

I apologize for being a day late. I will get better; I'm working on it. -Robin

Matthew 6: 9-13

 

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be revered as holy.
10     May your kingdom come.
    May your will be done
        on earth as it is in heaven.
11     Give us today our daily bread.
12     And forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13     And do not bring us to the time of trial,
        but rescue us from the evil one.

JesusTime, Tuesday, June 3 - From going through the motions to feeling the emotions

How many of us are creatures of habit? I know that I am (am I right, Andrea, Mom, and Dad? ) Is that a bad thing? Not always. There are some habits that are really great things - having good sleeping habits, maintaining good hygiene, eating a balanced diet, being physically active, going to our doctors regularly, going to work and school, calling or talking to our family members and friends, visiting family and friends, etc. The list goes on and on. 

The BEST habit as Christians that we have is coming together for Church and Prayer with our family and friends.  These actions give us opportunities for fellowship, to grow in our Faith, and to share that Faith with others - to be a living Church! But, sometimes, we perform these actions by habit, treating them as rituals, and even sometimes going through the motions. Many times, when we pray, the Prayers come out as words that we memorized by rote and could say without even thinking about their meaning.  This is not something that we should feel guilty about or to fret over - it’s just being human! However, when we recognize that we are sometimes praying out of habit, we are able to take a moment to reflect on the Words of what we are saying or listening to and to appreciate their meaning - to feel the emotions behind them! 

Let’s go through this little exercise together. I found this image on social media of the Lord’s Prayer, in a Celtic version. This provides us with a new perspective and translation of a Prayer that many of us began learning before we could even walk. I know that I sometimes say this most important Prayer habitually, without really thinking  about what I am saying. Reading this alternative version made me think about what the words mean and made me recognize the qualities of this Prayer that are always living, not just old words. 

It hits at all the most important parts of our Faith, just like the original version of the Lord’s Prayer - praise to God, living by and sharing Love, forgiving others and ourselves, and asking for help so that our spirits can be strengthened and that we can share God’s gifts of Love, meals to sustain us, forgiveness, and invitation and care for all people in the world without exception.  This last portion is vital. It made me realize that the Lord’s Prayer is more than just praising our Heavenly Father - it is also a calling! Especially in today’s most polarized world, where disagreements and hatred cloud our judgement and increase our chances of falling into the temptations of judgement, mean words and actions, not recognizing and loving the common humanity that we share with all people in the world, and even denying the rights of all people. This even leads us to avoid sharing the basic needs of our lives, something that we have in abundance being blessed to live in our free country, with those in need - for those living inside and outside of our country. But, when we read Newell’s translation of this Prayer, we can consider the Words anew, to hear our LIVING CALLING from our Father! (That is the first words of the Prayer, after all!) When I read it, it provides a lot of inspiration, and simply put, it makes me smile!  I hope that it does the same for you!

The amazing thing is that we can do this with all of the Prayers that we have learned in our Faith upbringing. It’s as easy as an Internet search. Type in “alternate version of . . .,” and then type in the name of the Prayer! It allows us to consider the Words from a new perspective, to really feel the emotions behind them, and to - most importantly - LIVE them in our world! 

Let’s progress from “going through the motions” to “feeling the emotions,” together!

Your’s in Christ’s Faith, Hope, and Love, 
Joey

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