Our Father Who Art in Heaven

Last week our home group session focused on The Lord’s Prayer. We printed out a few different translations of the Matthew 6:9-13. Then we chopped them up and made sure that each verse was together in all the different versions. We shared out the verses among us, with each person or couple reading the verse they held in the different translations. Then we each had to personalise that particular verse, i.e. we had to use our own words and not quote a translation.

We took the opportunity of speaking about Godde as Father. Each person spoke a bit about their experience of Godde as Father and what the Fatherhood of Godde means to them. For many of us our own father’s provided a reference point affecting and shedding light on Godde as our Father. At least two people reflected on the fact that their father’s were bastards and hence the Fatherhood of Godde was a barrier to knowing Godde intimately. For some their experience of their fathers was good, but they nevertheless still stuggled to relate to Godde as father. A few had incredibly clear experiences of Godde as Father and, despite this, still faced a barrier toward embracing Godde as Father. For those of us with children our experience of Fathering shed light on what Godde feels and thinks as He relates to us.

We prayed our own version of the Lord’s Prayer. I can’t remember if we did this before or after communion? Either way, this proved to be awkward for each of us. Quoting “Our Father who art in heaven…” is very different to “My Father who lives far away…” or “My Father who lives in a different realm…” or “Dad in heaven”.

We shared communion. The wine took the form of grape juice and the bread took the form of fortune cookies – each of which had a promise from Godde to us in them. For me embracing Godde’s promises in that context took on a deeper and more personal meaning. It was more real, more present and more accessible.

We waited on Godde. Though we’d reflected on our relationship with Godde as Father we also gave time and space toward Godde being tangibly present as Father. We invited Godde to come, and He did. We heard from Godde for each other. Godde became personally present to us, speaking to some of us for others and entering tangibly into the emotions of others.