Worship Preview 5.31.26 "Lead us not... but deliver us..."

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY: 10:30am. “Lead us Not… But Deliver Us...”  Scriptures: Psalm 12, Deuteronomy 8:1-20, James 1:2-18

Last weekend I got to spend some precious time with my six month old grandson. I had not held him since he was about 6 weeks old. He has grown so much! He’s just about figured out sitting up, and he’s working on rolling over and starting to cut some teeth. Both these things cause him to be a bit cranky at times, yet he is a joy to hold and to comfort.

I wrote during Advent how his birth in November had brought all kinds of memories to the forefront and deepened my encounter with the stories of Mary, Joseph, Shepherds and Magi. In the month since, I have found myself remembering and reflecting on the struggles of parenthood, delighting in how our two sons have grown into fine adults, thinking about what I’ve taught them and what I’ve learned from them. Now we have moved through Lent, Easter and into Pentecost. Time flies! Our growth might not be quite as easily noticeable as a newborn’s, but it is still happening – and we are called to be intentional about it. And that brings me back to our focus on prayer as the “heart of the matter.”

After taking a break to celebrate Pentecost with a Hymn Sing – and create the space for me to be gone… this week we return to our study of prayer and the words of the Lord’s prayer. This week we reach the last stanza as recorded by Matthew and Luke. In 2017, Pope Francis made headlines by talking about the translation difficulties of these lines and how the common English translation “Lead us not into temptation” is a bit problematic. A comic I saw years ago quipped “Nah, I can find temptation quite well on my own! Don’t need no help!” Pope Francis emphasized that God is not a tempter and does not cause us to sin. He suggested “Do not let us fall into temptation” as a better understanding. One explanation highlighted that “by framing God as a guardian who helps believers avoid the pitfalls of sin, the prayer reinforces the concept of divine assistance and grace. It subtly shifts the focus from a deterministic view of God’s will to one that underscores human responsibility and the cooperative relationship between the divine and the faithful.”

Other’s have focused on the word translated as temptation perhaps more appropriately be seen as “testing” and Sunday we will think about both testing and temptation. Many places in Scripture depict God as testing, such as our Deuteronomy reading and highlight such trials as refining or purifying. Psalm 26 even has the speaker petition God, saying “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” Other challenges may be unwanted and yet spark growth and renewal, as 1 Peter 4 and our reading from James highlight. It is useful, in wrestling with all of this, to recognize how lament is a crucial part of prayer. About a third of the Psalms feature lament and we’ll encounter on as we use Psalm 12 as a call to worship.

In Matthew’s account, this line is then echoed and reframed with the words “but deliver us from evil.” Here again there is a translation issue – with some saying “evil” and others focusing on “the evil one.” I prefer the formal as I think the focus is best kept on our choices and responses in free will, rather than blaming our ‘sins, debts, and/or trespasses” on outside influence. Either way, what we see in these “words Jesus taught us” is “the education of human desire.” We see prayer as shaping us. We ask for what we need – and for wisdom in choosing our paths – that God’s will might be done, on earth as it is in heaven. That we my hallow God’s name. That we might truly be and become children of our loving father - learning and growing in grace!

I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. You are invited to come just as you are – with your doubts and questions, with your laments and fears, and with your deepest hopes and joys. Whether you are a longtime member, have never been to church at all, or find yourself needing a change - together we will find our paths and share our journeys. Thanks be to God!

UPCOMING EVENT: FEEDING FAMILIES IN HIS NAME: Wednesday, June 3 - A free, no obligation meal is served “to-go” style from underneath our portico from 5:15pm to 6:15pm each Wednesday, prepared and served each week by our members as well as several area churches and community groups. We aim to provide 400 meals per week.