Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done
Consider letting these words be the cry of a devoted lover separated from his beloved. “Come home soon!”
Welcome back! If you missed the first part of this series you can catch up here.
The Lord’s Prayer, said St. Cyprian, is a complete compendium (concise but complete summary) of everything Jesus taught. And he was right. Christian commentators have been plumbing the depths of the prayer since Jesus taught it to us, and the insights show no sign of slowing down. The more we look, the more connections we see between the prayer and the rest of scripture. Nothing, it seems, is left out of Jesus’ little prayer.
But the prayer is far more than fodder for theological comment and study. Unsurprisingly, its true depth can only be experienced when we pray it.
Thy kingdom come…
Consider letting these words be the cry of a devoted lover separated from his beloved. “Come home soon!”
Evil, pain, and grief are real. And it’s all too much for me. When I cry out for God’s kingdom, I want him to come back in glory, to wipe away all the tears, and end all the dying. There’s no use in rushing past the truth of this present life. Evil must be given its due of grief. But we never grieve as those without hope!
God’s final kingdom — his just and kind rule — will certainly come!
At the same time, we also pray for our present world and all people in it with compassion and loving-kindness. When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we ask that all human beings would know the love of Jesus and turn to him in joyful repentance. That no one would be left out!
Thy will be done…
And at the same time, should God choose to delay his return. Should he even choose to accompany us through the valley of the shadow of death… I will fear no evil. Because God only has goodwill toward me.
With these words I lay myself in God’s hands. I surrender myself to his care.
As Mary did when the angel announced to her that she would be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:38). And as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane when he said, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
Try it!
Find a quiet spot and take one slow breath. Rest your hands in your lap, palms up. Say the words aloud if you can, and put a real name wherever you see [Name]. If you feel nothing, it’s still prayer. He is here and glad you came, whether or not you feel it.
For yourself. Picture Jesus sitting next to you, looking at you with loving-kindness.
Lord, may your kingdom come to me.
Turn me to you in joyful repentance.
Help me know you more and trust you more.
For someone you love. Picture [Name] with Jesus beside them.
Lord, may your kingdom come to [Name].
May they know you, turn to you in joyful repentance, and trust you more.
For someone who is hard for you. Picture them the same way. If anger or tension rises, don’t push it down. Tell Jesus about it first, then pray:
Lord, may your kingdom come to [Name].
May they know you, turn to you in joyful repentance, and trust you.
Give me your heart for them.
For the whole world. Picture the globe, small and held by God.
Lord, may your kingdom come to everyone.
May all people know you, turn to you in joyful repentance, and trust you.
Leave no one out. Amen.
Pause: Which of the four was easiest to pray? Which was hardest? Talk to Jesus about it.
Provisions for the Road
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Food for Thought
Things the team found interesting this week, no endorsement implied.
I Walked Out of Church at Eighteen. Now I’m Sitting in a Pew Again.
By Kisha A. Goody on Substack
Hearing people's stories is one way we can develop compassion. Here's a snippet of Kisha's story for why she left:
“The first person I saw was an elder on the church steps, 3x my senior. She scolded me for what I was wearing. She told me it was not appropriate and that I should not have shown up to church dressed like that. She did not say ‘welcome home.’ She did not say it was good to see me, or ask how school was going. The first thing she did was pick me apart.”
‘Monster Mash’ still makes a bunch of $ each year
By Molly Liebergall at Morning Brew
A little seasonaly appropriate fun fact:
“Since Pickett and co-writer Leonard Capizzi have both died, their royalties have gone to their family members, who get more than just a big check with every Halloween season: ‘Every single year my entire life, I get to hear my grandfather’s voice for a month,’ Pickett’s grandson told Billboard.”
“Don’t You Care That We Are Perishing?”
By Erica Zerkle at Mockingbird
“When I feel the urge to beat the waves with my fist, I rest in his arms instead.” Erica Zerkle writes from inside a frightening season with her daughter, reading Jesus asleep in the boat (Mark 4:35-41) as trust, not indifference, and finding rest in him while the storm keeps raging.
