Holy One, Our Only Home (alternative Lord's Prayer)

   

Holy One, our only Home,

hallowed by your name.
May your day dawn,
your will be done,
here, as in heaven.
Feed us today, and forgive us
as we forgive each other.
Do not forsake us at the test,
but deliver us from evil.
For the glory, the power,
and the mercy are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

-- Mother Thunder Mission

The Lord's Prayer (Ojibwe)

 

O Debejiged, 
bakinamaawishinam iniu nidoninaanin.
Gaye nidoninaanin dawabandaawemaagaton 
eji-wawijenimigoyan.

Danishigendagosi Nossinan, 
gaye Wenijishid Manidoo,
Wayeskat ga-ijiwebak, 
gaye gaginig gedani-ijiwebak, 
apane kagigekamig. 
Amen.

--translated by the Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, from Ojibwe Evening Prayer, found in the Rev. Debbie Royals, ed.  A Sampler: Native American/Alaska Native and Native Hawai’ian Liturgies, Prepared for the 76^th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, July 2009, Anaheim, CA

 

Nez Perce Lord's Prayer

 The Lord’s Prayer ^{(Standing, in unison)}                                         Nez Perce

O Great Spirit,

YOU are our Shepherd Chief in the most high place

whose home is everywhere, even beyond the stars and moon.

Whatever YOU want done, let it be done also everywhere.

Give us your gift of bread day by day.

Forgive our wrongs as we forgive those who wrong us.

Take us away from wrongdoings

free us from all evil for everything belongs to you. 

Let your power and glory shine forever. Amen.

-- New Perce version of Lord's Prayer, found in A Sampler: Native American Alaska Native and Native Hawai'ian Liturgies, Prepared for the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, July 2009, Anaheim, CA

Thy Kingdom Come

Thy kingdom come with power and grace
In every heart of man;
Thy peace and joy and righteousness
In all our bosoms reign!

The righteousness that never ends,
But makes an end of sin;
The joy that human thought transcends,
Now to our souls bring in;

The kingdom of established peace,
Which can no more remove;
The perfect power of Godliness;
The omnipotence of Love!

--Charles Wesley (1707-1788), English priest, hymns, and poets, founder with his brother of the movement eventually known as Methodism. He wrote over 6500 hymns in his lifetime.

Scriptural Reference: Luke 11:1-13, Proper 12C

The Lord's Prayer, modern ANZPB

Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain Bearer, Life-Giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be.
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For your reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. 

Amen.

-- The Rev. Jim Cotter (1942-2014), Anglican priest, prayer writer, and poet, whose work was featured in the prayer book used in Aoteoroa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. This prayer is included in that volume.

Image: The Lord's Prayer in Catalan, from the rear wall of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

Meditation on "Give us this day our daily bread:

Praying for our daily bread is asking to be reacquainted with our vulnerability, to learn how to approach not only God but each other, with our hands open. So to pray this prayer with integrity, we need to be thinking about the various ways in which we defend ourselves against the need to open our hands. We cannot fully and freely pray for our daily bread when we are wedded inseparably to our own rightness or righteousness, any more than we can when we are wedded to our own security or prosperity. And perhaps this explains why the Lord’s Prayer at once goes on to pray for forgiveness – or rather for the gift of being forgiven as we have learned to forgive. 

The person who asks forgiveness has renounced the privilege of being right or safe; she has acknowledged that she is hungry for healing, for the bread of acceptance and restoration to relationship. But equally the person who forgives has renounced the safety of being locked into the position of the offended victim; she has decided to take the risk of creating afresh a relationship known to be capable of involving hurt. Both the giver and the receiver of forgiveness have moved out of the safety zone; they have begun to ask how to receive their humanity as a gift.

Forgiveness is one of the most radical ways in which we are able to nourish one another’s humanity. When offence is given and hurt is done, the customary human response is withdrawal, the reinforcing of the walls of the private self, with all that this implies about asserting one’s own humanity as a possession rather than receiving it as gift. The unforgiven and the unforgiving cannot see the other as people who are part of God’s work of bestowing humanity on them. To forgive and to be forgiven is to allow yourself to be humanized by those whom you may least want to receive as signs of God’s gift; and this process is deeply connected with the prayer for daily bread. 

-- Rowan Williams (1950- ). Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life, chapter 3.

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 1: Holy be Your Name

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother, 
we pray that your name be made holy. 
Let what we do hallow your Name, 
for it is through our actions that You are made known. 

Let the words of our mouths enlighten darkness, 
dispel enmity, 
and heal ancient wounds. 
Let us act honorably and compassionately
toward the least in our society,
that all may live together in justice and peace. 
Let us remember that your Love is a sacred calling, 
and that as your people 
we minister in Your Name in everything we do. 
Grant us the strength to be gentle 
and the wisdom to be foolish 
in the name of Love. 

Watch over those 
whose needs we now remember, 
especially those we now name.

Amen.


--Leslie Scoopmire, from my prayer blog

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 2: Your Kingdom Come

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother, 
we pray that your kingdom come on earth
as it is in heaven.

Reign over us, Almighty God,
that we may live our lives in service to You
and to each other.
Let us always remember
that You are God, and we are not.

Make us humble, compassionate, and unified,
re-enacting the broadness of God's table of kinship in heaven. 
Let us be dedicated to doing your will
by being a holy people
founded upon mercy and fellowship.

Let us denounce and end the systems of oppression
of which we are a part,
that steal from the poor to enrich the powerful,
that justify the terrorization of the marginalized;
that imprison children and rips apart families
who seek refuge from famine and wars
from which we profit.

Let us instead work to bring your dream for humanity to life,
and demand justice and equity of ourselves
and of our leaders.

Watch over those whose needs we now remember,
especially those we now name.

Amen. 

 --The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire, from my prayer blog

The Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 3- Give Us Tomorrow's Bread Today

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother, 
we ask that you give us tomorrow's bread today, 
that we may lay down to rest in peace 
and rise in strength and hope to do your holy work. 

Help us to remember and help those who are hungry 
each time we ourselves give thanks at table. 
Bless the farmers with a bountiful harvest 
and bless them and for their love and care of the earth. 
Grant that all who produce our food 
do so safely, sustainably and humanely. 
You sustain us with abundant grace: 
make us hunger for that bread that gives eternal life. 
Bring us together at your table 
for that heavenly banquet which unites all in your kingdom. 
May we be strengthened and renewed 
in communion with You and each other, 
and inspired to spread your Love into the world. 

Watch over those whose needs we now remember, 
especially those we now name.

Amen.

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 4: Forgive Us Our Sins

Our Father in heaven,
loving Parent and Creator,
tender Mother, 
we thank You for your forgiveness 
of our manifold sins. 

Again and again You call to us 
when we have wandered from your ways, 
and stubbornly separate ourselves from your Love. 
We repent of the evil we have done, 
the evil that is done on our behalf, 
and the very real hurt we have caused.

Forgive us when we place our selves 
as an idol in the sanctuary of our hearts, 
which should be dedicated to worship of You alone, 
O Redeemer.

Help us to acknowledge the sins done 
because we do not try to prevent them, 
and arouse in us the will to take action.

Teach us that the root of righteousness and salvation 
is found in fully opening our hearts 
to each other and to You.

Help us clothe ourselves 
and our motives 
in charity and obedience, O Christ. 
Help us direct our wills 
to the establishment of justice and peace.

Come into our hearts, O Spirit, 
and guide us in matters great and small, 
for your Love heals all our woundedness.

O Loving One, hear our prayers 
and grant your benediction and grace 
to those whose needs we now raise before You.

Amen.

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 5: As We Forgive Those Who Have Sinned Against Us

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother, 
strengthen us and soften our hearts,
for You call us to forgive others as much as You forgive us. 

Help us let go of anger and resentment 
when we have been wronged, 
and nurture understanding 
in place of feeding the weeds of rage. 
Help us to understand 
that all are wounded and in need of healing, 
including ourselves. 
Help us to lower our defenses 
and not impugn the motives of those we love, 
and remember they love us. 
Help us to judge only as harshly 
as we ourselves wish to be judged, 
and no more. 

For You are our loving God, 
and You forgive us repeatedly when we fail You. 
Teach us that in bearing grudges 
we grip a weight that will sink us, 
and when harboring anger 
we risk loss in a sea of recrimination. 

Let us embrace those who seek our pardon, 
and repair mutual injury 
with the balm of Love that never fails. 
O Loving One, hear our prayers 
and grant your benediction and grace 
to those whose needs we now raise before You.

Amen.



Image from Medium.com

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 6: Save Us From the Time of Trial

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother, 
save us from the time of trial, 
for we are prone to wander 
and lose our way. 

Make us stronger in our faith 
and more willing to wrestle with the angel of doubt. 
Guide us into living and loving more fully 
according to your precepts. 
Help us turn aside all vain ambitions 
and concentrate fully upon your Word. 
Give us courage to make our hearts bigger, 
even if that makes them bigger targets, 
for love is always the answer. 
Help us to persevere 
through the difficulties of life, 
knowing that You are always with us. 
Give us the sight to see hope amid darkness. 

O Loving One, hear our prayers 
and grant your benediction and grace 
to those whose needs we now raise before You.

Amen.


--The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire, from my prayer blog

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 7: Deliver Us From Evil

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 
tender Mother,
deliver us from evil,
for we depend upon You wholly
when our courage falters
and our integrity is challenged.

Strengthen us in faith, 
O Shield and Refuge of Refugees,
that we may renounce the sin
of claiming helplessness
rather than acknowledge our participation
in systems of oppression and inhumanity.

O Lord Our Banner,
Opener of Blind Hearts,
enlighten our hearts and minds
that You may set us free
from the miserliness of spirit
that besets us in the face of fear and division.

Teach us to walk humbly
in the Way of Jesus,
that we may seek to perfect our devotion
even when it is inconvenient.
Instead, may we ever embrace those fleeing evil
just as You embrace and sustain us each day.

O Loving One, hear our prayers 
and grant your benediction and grace 
to those whose needs we now raise before You.

Amen.

--The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire, from my prayer blog

Lord's Prayer Cycle Prayer 8: Yours Is The Kingdom and Power and Glory

Our Father in heaven, 
loving Parent and Creator, 

tender Mother,
yours is the kingdom 
and the power 
and the glory! 

We lift up our praises and thanksgivings 
for your dominion within our hearts,
for your pursuit and love of us always, 
as it is and as it shall be. 
At your command all things are, 
and the rising sun reveals 
the glory of your creation and majesty. 
May you reign in our hearts, 
and may we glorify your Name 
as your people. 
Let us set our hands 
to build your kingdom on earth 
by living according your to commands, 
establishing justice, 
and loving always. 

Hear our prayers and supplications 
that we raise before You, 
especially for those we now name.

Amen.

--The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire, from my prayer blog

Most compassionate Life-giver (alternative Lord's Prayer)

Most Compassionate Life-giver,

may we honour and praise you:

may we work with you

to establish your new order

of justice, peace and love.

Give us what we need for growth,

and help us,

through forgiving others,

to accept forgiveness.

Strengthen us

in the time of testing,

that we may resist all evil.

For all the tenderness,

strength and love are yours,

now and forever.

Amen.

--Bill Wallace (1933- ), retired Methodist minister and poet. You can read about this poem/prayer here: https://www.40words.dioceseofnorwich.org/40days/sun-3

The Lord's Prayer

Eternal Spirit, Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker,
Source of all that is and shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven
The Hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your Justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your Commonwealth of Peace and Freedom sustain our hope and come on earth!
With the bread that we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever.

Amen.

-- The Rev. Jim Cotter (1942-2014),  English priest, poet, and contributor to the New Zealand Prayer Book

Breath of Life (alternative Lord's Prayer)

Breath of Life,
   In whom we live and move and have our being,
   Your presence fills all of Creation.
May justice and mercy reign,
   In our lives and in our world.
Today may our bellies be full,
   Our hearts warm,
   And our fellowship open.
May we reconcile with the people we’ve hurt,
   Just as we reconcile with the people who’ve hurt us.
Lead us not into a time of trial,
   But deliver us from evil.
For wherever grace and community abide,
   There you are with us;
   W e are not alone.

Blessed be.

-- Chance Hunter (Qohelet) at Times and Seasons.

And Of Everything Earthly There Remained

And of everything earthly there remained

Only your daily bread,

A fellow man's kind word,

And the pure voice of the field.

--Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966), translated by Judith Hemschemeyer, from The Echoing Green: Poems of Fields, Meadows, and Grasses, 2016