Lectionary

A Response about the Lord’s Prayer

deaconbobstoner

No, not about the Olympic Games…

Question: “Thine is the Kingdom, the power and Glory for, ever and ever” – why is not present in certain versions of the Lord’s Prayer?

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I’ll be writing a lot more about how the Bibles are read throughout the ages very soon; however, to answer your question: in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels we have two versions of the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew’s is longer by one line ‘but deliver us from evil (one)’. The end of the first century Didache text also adds ‘for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Amen’.

First of all, why would the Gospel writers be encouraging their followers/readers to say this prayer? More so, why would Matthew be providing a form of prayer that the Jews would have been so used to already? They would have had a very much longer prayer or Tefillah called the Amidah (meaning said whilst standing). 

It would be as such:

Amidah / Shimonei Esrei (18 Benedictions).

My G-d, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. To those who curse me, let my soul be silent; and let my soul be like dust to everyone. Open my heart to Your Torah, then my soul will pursue Your commandments. As for all those who oppose me and design evil against me, speedily nullify their counsel and disrupt their design. May it be Your will, Adonai my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, that human jealousy may not rise up against me, nor my jealousy upon others; may I not become angry today, and may I not anger You. Rescue me from the Evil Inclination, and place in my heart submissiveness and humility. O our King and our G-d, cause Your Name to be unified in Your world; rebuild Your city, lay the foundation of Your House, perfect Your sanctuary; gather in the scattered exiles, redeem Your sheep, and gladden Your congregation. Act for Your Name’s sake; act for Your right hand’s sake; act for Your Torah’s sake; act for Your sanctity’s sake. That Your beloved ones may be given rest; let Your right hand save, and respond to me.

So, some other thoughts:

– be careful to read the English translation which has been formed from various other translations over millennia;
– different denominations use different forms of the Lord’s Prayer (please discuss why without using the words power and hierarchy 😉 )
– the Jewish form of prayer was to be said daily, as part of a ritual. The word liturgy carries a meaning of a ritual, but not one of oh flip not again, but of joy. Why has the Lord’s Prayer fallen out of popularity today?

8 thoughts on “A Response about the Lord’s Prayer”

  2. I actually don’t think that the Lord’s Prayer has fallen out of popularity today. I thought this prayer was one of those things that links the Catholics and Protestants, as well as all denominations. Maybe I probably never noticed the different versions. It was just when you brought it to my attention in your blog – “Our Father”, I noticed it.

    Reply

    1. Popularity may not be the most apt term.
      I recall after one service I took, an individual came up to me and said ‘that’s the first service where the Lords Prayer was not said’. I responded ‘why was it so important to say?’

      Are the words that we say crucial, or the commonality of actions driven by our very being centred upon God which is how we are defined?
      The Lords Prayer is part of a much longer used by Jews. We have appropriated that small part. I wonder whether it is the underlying perspectives we should emphasise rather than the actual wording.

      Reply

  3. Yes, but saying those words might remind us of the underlying perspectives. But I do agree that when we hear the same thing many times, we might say those words without many thoughts.

    Today, I was thinking about why I never noticed that the Lord’s prayer had different versions and then realized that, as none of the versions have gender bias anywhere in them or made the women take the back seat, it did not bother me.

    Reply

        1. my query was about mysogynistic language when surely starting the prayer Our Father is rather alienating to some? What if you have been brought up with a father who abused you? or no father at all? by 2 Mums?

          Reply

          1. Oh! I did not think about “Our Father” in that way. True, but none of the versions of the Lord’s prayer say it differently. I think it is personal, how one feels about it. We do not pray to God thinking about our worldly parents. Catholics pray to Mother Mary and refer to her as “Mother” and none of the Catholics have any issues with that. In fact, Catholics gave no importance to Joseph, which I found weird.

Thanks for reading the post. It would be great to hear your views. Engage, dialogue, let's build a community

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