Dcn Anne Strong

LORD TEACH US HOW TO PRAY

Hello sisters and brothers,

Praying the Lord’s prayer is perhaps the most radical thing a Christian can do. It reminds us of who we are and to whom we belong. It calls attention to the fact that we are not a collection of individuals, but a community of the redeemed.

Of all the prayers we pray, none is so universal, so loved and so familiar as the Lord’s prayer. As a Chaplain, I had the honor of visiting people who were in Memory Care. Conversation was limited, prayers were welcomed. Some of the people joined in when I prayed the Our Father. We may be divided by abilities, education, language and theology, BUT we are united when we pray this prayer.

I feel a sense of belonging…to God and one another. We say “our” in union with those like us, those who are similar and with fellow humans who are our polar opposites. We are affirming our common identity as God’s children. In this age of individualism, being in relationship with people who may not look or think like us is…radical.

We pray for our common needs : sustenance ( daily bread), forgiveness ( we are ALL sinners) and deliverance. Our Lord’s prayer unites and shapes us into community where…NONE are left out…we recognize that we belong to God and to each other : prayer warriors who pray this prayer.

In Christ,

—Dcn Anne+