Something I Don't Want to Forget

Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. -Matthew 6:11-13 (NIV)

My first Sunday as a United Methodist pastor, I was asked to lead a closing communion service for a Disciple Bible Study. I was given the liturgy minutes before the service started and didn't have a chance to look over it. As I stood before that group of complete strangers, leading liturgy for the first time as a newly appointed pastor, I came upon the line that said, "The Lord's Prayer." I was supposed to lead the group in this prayer that has become central to life and faith in the Christian community.

There was only one problem: I couldn't remember the Lord's Prayer. My mind went totally blank. The only thing that I could think of was The Apostles' Creed, which begins, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." After what felt like minutes (but was probably only seconds) of not being able to recall the Lord's Prayer, I said to the group, "And now let us pray the Lord's Prayer silently."

After the service, several people came up to me and said, "Wow. I've never prayed the Lord's Prayer silently before...that was awesome." If they only knew why they prayed it silently that night! (Some of you that were there that night are probably reading this, so now you know)

I now have a copy of the Lord's Prayer taped to the inside of my Bible in the hopes of avoiding another situation where I forget the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. And I hope I never forget. I also hope that I never forget the important theological statement that The Lord's Prayer makes about our past, present, and future. In The Lord's Prayer, we ask God to give us our daily bread (the present), to forgive our debts (the past), and to lead us not into temptation (the future). It reminds us that we can trust God with our past, our present, and our future. Oh that I never forget that!

May God grant you the grace to believe and never forget that you can trust God with your past, present, and future.



Tomorrow's readings are: 1 Samuel 23, Psalm 31, Psalm 54 and Matthew 7.