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. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mt. 6:9-14

Friends in Christ,
    Where do you stand on some of the biggest questions of life?
    Dog or cat? Coffee or tea? Mustard or ketchup? Hot dog or hamburger?
    How about "debts", "trespasses" or "sins"?

The Lord’s Prayer is the foundational prayer for living into the way of Jesus Christ, yet the wording often varies in these three little words. Jesus shares this prayer in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 6. His prayer comes after the Beatitudes and the instruction to his listeners: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.     Mt. 5:43-44

     Which one of those three words are you most likely to use?

     In our congregation, "trespasses" is the favored choice for worship, but what about in your own prayer life? I ponder sometimes whether the choice we make in that word is indicative of where we are on the plane of forgiveness. Is it easier to pray "debt" that to say to ourselves we’ve "trespassed" or "sinned" against others? In each of our lives there may be places where forgiveness needs to be shared yet we are unready or unwilling to give or receive it, as a result, the need for healing and wholeness, which Jesus offers, remains unmet. If we find ourselves in such a place, then consider the next verse of Jesus’ explanatory words:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

     Ouch! The imperative for our own forgiveness is found in the forgiveness of others!

     Is it possible to forgive the slights and wrongs of the past that we feel and hold? As you attempt to answer that question within your heart, let me suggest a simple way to address the question: Pray the Lord’s Prayer daily, and each day alter the words by interchanging "debts", "trespasses" or "sins". If you find resistance to using a particular word, try to discern what it is that causes the difficulty and pray to overcome it.

     This summer, I encourage you to take time for some inner soul-searching. Work for your own wholeness and happiness as well as the wholeness and happiness of those around you. Consider also this little summertime jingle, "Happiness is like potato salad, when you share it with others it’s a picnic." Let your forgiveness start a picnic.

Blessings of Christ,

Barry