For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Lord s Prayer Series August 19, 2018

Transcription

1 For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Lord s Prayer Series August 19, 2018 Twice a year, on the last Sunday of Advent and Easter Sunday, it is a tradition at this church to sing the Hallelujah Chorus. Singers take to the choir loft as the congregation stands to face them. Phil warms up his fingers and Dean loosens his shoulders. In the brief silence that follows, you can hear and see the louvers opening in front of the pipes so that all the sound can come bellow through the wall. For the next four minutes power and glory fills this space. In the Lord s Prayer, we pray, Thy kingdom come, but in the Hallelujah chorus we announce its arrival. And he shall reign forever, and ever! Nothing says, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever, better than the Hallelujah chorus. It is glorious. And for a brief moment we almost believe its true. And then we step outside and start to wonder. Where is your kingdom, God? Where is your power, God? Where is your glory, God? Every Sunday, it is like a mini Hallelujah Chorus when we say together, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever. It s easy to say in here. But out there, where reality often slaps us in the face and knocks us to the ground, it s a little tougher. This sentence is not in the Bible. It is not in Luke s version of the Lord s Prayer. It is not in Matthew s version of the Lord s prayer. But it does sound Biblical. King David, at the end of his life said, Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11) It was not uncommon in the Jewish tradition to end prayers with a doxology. (That is what you call a liturgical expression of praise.) But the doxology we pray at the end of the Lord s Prayer is not in the Bible. Jesus ended his prayer with and deliver us from evil. The doxology was added sometime in the first century. We know this because it is in a document from that time called the Didache, which was a short book of instruction for Christians. I m guessing those early Christians didn t want to give evil the last word. So, they did what they were accustomed to doing they added words of praise to affirm where their allegiance lies with the God of love and justice. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are resisting the kind of power that built on the backs of suffering people. We are resisting the kind of power that threatens violence. We are resisting the kind of power that beats people down and tears people apart. We are resisting the narcissistic power of tyrants and dictators and emperors who reign in terror and serve the interests of an elite few. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are resisting glory that is fleeting and self-aggrandizing. We are resisting the kind of glory that promotes self above others. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are declaring that you are a citizen of God s kingdom and you are playing by God s rules. And those rules are

2 simple: love one another, even enemies; practice forgiveness, show compassion, be humble, serve others rather than expecting to be served, practice hospitality, be generous, be kind, pursue justice. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are placing our trust in a God who is bigger than this present moment, bigger than my pain and problems, bigger than the evils that threaten to undo us. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are strengthening our resolve to keep the faith, walk the talk, work for good, and reflect God s light into the darkest corners of our world. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we are uniting our voices as God s people, filled with God s spirit, radiant with God s light, and working together to do what we cannot do as individuals. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, it echoes the Hallelujah chorus of every age. And it is good for our souls. God doesn t need our praise. We are just better and richer and more grateful, when we praise. It is too easy to become miserable, self-centered, despairing and bitter. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, we lift our heads and open our eyes and we see God is with us still! We refuse the despair. We refuse the misery. We refuse the bitterness. Just like we do for the Hallelujah chorus, we rise to our feet, more certain than ever that our God is alive and well! Unlike the Hallelujah Chorus the Lord s Prayer is portable. We can take it to the mountain tops as we peer down upon the beautiful twinkling lights of a mash of humanity we call a city. We can take it to the beach and hear the crashing waves and their power to make the earth tremble. We can take it with us as we commute the miles to work, struggling to be patient, straining to be vigilant. We can take it to the appointment we have dreaded. We can take it to the bedside of a suffering friend. We can pray it with a whimper. We can belt it like Aretha. (God rest her soul.) We can take with us when we stand for justice and resist injustice. We can find it speaking in our darkest hour. When our minds betray us, and our bodies fail us, it is written on our heart. The Lord s Prayer reflects our desire to live the way of Jesus the way of love forgiveness justice. It reminds us that living this way is not easy. There will be trials and temptations. Evil is real. But the work of conquering evil, and peacemaking, and healing this broken world is not ours alone. There is something bigger than us and we call that something Creator, Giver of Life, Source of Love, Ground of our Being, Great Healer, Holy Wonder we call that something bigger God. When we pray, For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, we are connecting to a power greater than our own. Years ago, after a long week that included giving a Saturday keynote address at a conference, Dave and I hopped on the first plane we could get on after church and flew to Phoenix. We rented a car and drove like crazy people to Flagstaff trying to see if we could get to the Grand Canyon by sunset. It is 225 miles. I had this crazy feeling that I just needed to be there even though I had never been there before.

3 We got to the park entrance and for a brief second wondered about the money to get in the park just to watch what was left of the sun set on the canyon. We parked as quickly as we could near a lookout and we ran to the rim of the canyon and I just burst into tears which is not at all my usual MO. The sun was not visible, but it painted the canyon in purple, orange, and pink. I was awestruck. Everyone around us was silent in reverence to the glory. We savored it until the last streak of color was gone. I felt a deep sense of gratitude and I raised my arms as if to embrace it. It was a Hallelujah chorus moment. Sometimes we need those big moments to remind us that those moments are happening all around us, all the time. Love and beauty triumph all around us. Evil and darkness and awfulness do not get the last word. In the familiar sung version of the Lord s Prayer, the song swells to its conclusion as the great doxology of our faith is sung. In May, I sang the Lord s Prayer in front of the White House with 1,999 other ministers and followers of Jesus. It was amazing to sing this bold declaration of faith at the seat of power For thine, is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory.forever. Jesus may not have said this line, but I think those early Christians were wise to include it. Three times a day, they paused and prayed not only a prayer of faithfulness but a prayer of praise. Three times a day they had their Hallelujah Chorus moment. Moments like that make you believe that anything is possible even the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. glo ry noun high renown or honor won by notable achievements. "to fight and die for the glory of one's nation" synonyms: renown, fame, prestige, honor, distinction, kudos, eminence, acclaim, praise; More magnificence or great beauty.

4 "the train has been restored to all its former glory" synonyms: magnificence, splendor, resplendence, grandeur, majesty, greatness, nobility; Definition of power 1a (1) : ability to act or produce an effect (2) : ability to get extra-base hits (3) : capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect b : legal or official authority, capacity, or right 2a : possession of control, authority, or influence over others b : one having such power; specifically : a sovereign state c : a controlling group : establishment often used in the phrase the powers that be d archaic : a force of armed men e chiefly dialectal : a large number or quantity 3a : physical might b : mental or moral efficacy c : political control or influence For yours is the power and the glory and the mercy: Forever your name is All in One. by Parker Palmer For we are yours, endowed with your power to make our world whole. by Lala Winkley For all the tenderness, strength and love are yours, now and forever. by William Wallace In you is truth, meaning, glory and power, while worlds come and go. by Monica Furlong For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, Now and forever. " by Jim Cotter For your being is love, which comes with strength and with beauty. Throughout eternity. by Margaret Rolfe

5 And we celebrate the gifts you have given us: the rich kingdom of life s possibilities, the power to do good and the triumphs of good, and the moments when we have seen the glory and wonder of everything. You are life s richness. You are life s power. You are life s ultimate meaning. Always. And for everyone. And for evermore. by Francis Macnab Yours is the truth, the way, the life. by Silvia Purdie