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Our Father
This weekend many of us will take time to celebrate all those who have been father-figures to us throughout our lives - dads and stepdads, beloved uncles and grandpas, mentors and neighbors. While no human parent is perfect, many reflect God's care through their commitment to their families and communities.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a dinner where the Anglican Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, gave an inspiring talk on mission and unity. Christians, the Archbishop said, should feel a responsibility to every person on this planet because of the prayer that Jesus taught us (the one that begins, "Our Father in Heaven..." ). We don't say MY Father; we say OUR Father - the start of this prayer connects us to each other as family, not as strangers. We are meant to live in this community, country, and world as family.
The Archbishop in his book on the Lord's Prayer wrote, "The first two words of the Lord's Prayer are a revolution in the way we think about God and...about ourselves. To call God 'Father' in the same way Jesus called God 'Father' is to enter into a relationship with God where we have access to God, understanding of God, and where we find ourselves profoundly loved. We share God's fatherhood with Jesus."
This summer, I'd like us to read Archbishop Cottrell's book about the only prayer Jesus taught us and one that, if prayed fully with the heart wide open, can transform us. You can find Praying by Heart: The Lord's Prayer for Everyone on Bookshop.org and Amazon.com. Join me in the Battin Room on Sundays at 8:45 starting July 19th.
Happy Father's Day! May God's blessings be upon all fathers and families as we rejoice in the love of our Father in Heaven.
Blessings,
Rev Jill
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