01-22-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 22, 2021
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-10
Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean for us to pray that God’s kingdom comes to earth in such a way that it is a perfect reflection of heaven? The scholar N.T. Wright says that the Lord’s Prayer:

“…is, in fact, a prayer for the kingdom of God to become fully present; not for God’s people to be snatched away from earth to heaven, but for the glory and beauty of heaven to be turned into earthly reality as well.”

Do you look around and think to yourself, “We’ve got a lot of work to do”? I will be talking about this in my sermon Sunday, yet I do not want to give the impression it is easy. It must begin with us as individual members of the faith community, and that beginning place requires spiritual practices that embed the characteristics of the Kingdom into our lives. We cannot pretend the Kingdom of God is going to become fully present in this world if we continue to live as if we do not have any knowledge of the Kingdom.

Prayer: May the Kingdom made real in the life of Jesus continue to manifest itself more fully through my life and the life of your church, Merciful God. You set the stage in Jesus and invite us to continue the work. Amen.

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