“Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” -Matthew 6:9
The Lord’s Prayer is recited thousands, if not tens of thousands, of times a day around the world. This prayer, found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, is prayed by Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants alike. While Methodists refer to the prayer Jesus taught as “The Lord’s Prayer,” most members of the Catholic and Orthodox churches refer to it as the “Our Father,” based on the first two words of the prayer.
Both titles for this most important prayer are appropriate. One title refers to the One who taught us the prayer, while the other title refers to the One to whom the prayer is directed. When we pray this prayer, we join with the faithful around the world, directing our hearts and our minds to “Our Father who art in heaven.”
In the first phrase of this prayer is the line, “Hallowed be thy name.” We don’t frequently use the word “hallowed,” but it is one we should take some time to consider. Jesus first teaches us this phrase as a description of God. The word hallowed is an adjective describing God. It is derived from the noun “holy,” which means set apart or sacred. God is unlike any other and deserves our reverence, our undivided attention. When we pray as Jesus taught us to pray, we are first reminded that this is no ordinary moment, no commonplace conversation. We are about to speak to the One who created all things. Prayer is a holy conversation, unlike anything else we will do all day.
Not only does Jesus remind us that our Father is hallowed, but I believe Jesus is calling us to honor God actively in the midst of life. Each day is an opportunity to choose what value we place on different things: family, work, hobbies, friends, and more. Each area of our lives is important. However, we must remember that we are called to first, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) When we hold God as holy, we prioritize our time, thoughts, and actions with God.
This week, St. Luke’s began a new sermon series, The Most Important Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer. As part of this series, we are encouraging everyone to pray The Lord’s Prayer once a day. We will be doing this for the month of September. It is important to pray this prayer that Jesus taught us. It will help remind us that God is Holy and that we are to love God with our whole being. So, let us “Pray then like this:”
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
