Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you were, I set you apart (Jeremiah 1:5)

Monday, August 28, 2023

"For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever"

“‘For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever’” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on August 27, 2023. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 21:18.

--

Scripture text:
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Revelation 11:15-19
Luke 11:1-4

--

Today, we conclude our journey through the Lord's Prayer, arriving at the final sentence, "For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever. Amen." 

This line not found in Jesus's original prayer in Luke 11:1-4, nor is this line found in the Lord’s Prayer according to the Gospel of Matthew. It was added by the early church, and it’s our focus for today. 

Throughout our eight-week series, we have explored the Lord's Prayer line by line, allowing it to shape our understanding of prayer and deepen our connection with God. And at times throughout this series, we have delved into the depth of Albert Curry Winn's book, "A Christian Primer." 

With the Lord’s Prayer, Winn emphasizes the need for Christians to fully grasp the relevance of the prayer Jesus gave us 2000 years ago, not as mere recitations, but as an embodiment of our faith and trust in God. 

We continue that embodiment today as we explore our concluding line of the Lord’s Prayer.

But before we start diving into the prayer, we need to talk about why this sentence is part of our prayer, even though according to the two gospels where the Lord’s Prayer is found, this line is not. 

If any of you have a Catholic background, you might have realized the Catholic version of the Lord’s Prayer would have concluded last week with “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” similar to how the prayer concludes in both the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. But as Protestants, we conclude the prayer with an affirmation, “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever. Amen!”

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus taught his disciples this prayer before his death and resurrection. In fact, he taught his disciples this prayer with the shadow of the cross falling across his face. He knew what was to come in the few short days ahead, so it would make sense for Jesus to end his prayer on a somber note: “Lead us not into temptation….”

But the early church lived through Jesus’ miraculous story. Despite the cross, despite the shadow of Gethsemane, despite the horror of Calvary, despite persecution and martyrdom, despite DEATH! – the resurrection triumphed over all. To make sure this cry of triumph was heard loud and clear by everyone, the early church took King David’s words as recorded in 1 Chronicles as their own. David was singing praises to God after the materials for the great Temple Solomon was going to build were assembled. On the verge of great change, like the start of the temple, David wanted all prayers of praise and thanksgiving to be given to God and for the world to be perfectly clear on this. It was only fitting that on the verge of another great change, like the start of the Christian church, the early followers of the Way would also want all of their prayers of praise and thanksgiving to be given to God and for all around to know exactly who they believed ruled over them. 

This addition to the prayer served as a doxology, a hymn of praise to God, that summarized the people’s faith. It was a way for the early church to assert their trust in God's eternal sovereignty, power, and glory in a time of great persecution and uncertainty. 

Unlike the six petitions before, this part of the prayer is an affirmation. This was their confession of faith. 

And it’s ours. 

When we conclude the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying that what we have asked of God is in fact already done. God answers our prayer as we pray it. 

The relevance of this final line in today's world cannot be overstated. We live in a time of uncertainty and challenge. We face personal struggles, societal issues, and global crises. Yet, just as the early church found solace in God's eternal reign, so can we. 

The conclusion to this prayer is a faithful and powerful “nevertheless”.

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are not praying, “Our Abba – all is right in your world. Therefore, “Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever” – Therefore, all praise and honor are yours, O God. No! We are not saying this at all!

It’s quite the opposite. 

When today’s leaders, like tyrants of the past, bring great harm upon the innocent. In any country that allows the death of countless children and the persecution of individuals based on their beliefs, gender, race, or orientation. In the creation of weapons capable of annihilating humanity, we still pray. Nevertheless, thine is the kingdom! 

When those in power today have the ability to displace and make refugees of the poor. In this century, millions are forced to flee their homes as refugees. And that’s just one example. The powerful continue to amass more power, ruthlessly enforcing their will, while the powerless grow weaker, struggling to fulfill their desires. And when the church attempts to engage in the power struggle, it is labeled as “too political”. And when the church inspired by God, aligns with the powerless, it might appear weak and foolish in the eyes of the world. But nevertheless, thine is the power!

And in our time, everything – everything – besides God is given splendor. The masses celebrate athletes, rock singers, and comedians, while the name of God is disrespected and dishonored as basic human rights are being debated and stripped across our country. Nevertheless, thine is the glory!

When we are praying the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying, “Our Abba – We are hungry, feed us. Our Abba – We are sinful, forgive us. Our Abba – We are facing evil, save us! – And even though we are hungry and sinful and experiencing evil, nevertheless, “Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.”

Because we have faith that God will always – always!  - feed us, forgive us, and save us. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Always! 

Even though our futures are uncertain, nevertheless, our faith is in God. 

The final line of the Lord's Prayer stands as a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness. It reminds us to shift our focus from our individual needs and concerns to the grandeur of God's Kingdom. It calls us to expand our vision and recognize that our ultimate purpose lies in aligning our lives with God's eternal plan.

In a world where power structures crumble, where justice often seems distant, and where the pursuit of glory can lead to despair, this line of the prayer invites us to trust in God's unfailing authority. It is a reminder that true power resides not in human hands but in the hands of our loving Creator, who upholds justice, mercy, and love.

This prayer extends beyond the boundaries of time. It speaks to our present circumstances and resonates with the cries of our hearts. It teaches us to find peace and strength in knowing that God remains in control. God’s Kingdom is unshakeable, God’s power is limitless, God’s glory is everlasting. It is in God’s Kingdom that we find justice, in God’s power that we find strength, and in God’s glory that we find hope.

As we conclude our exploration of the Lord's Prayer, may we carry with us a renewed understanding of these profound words. We conclude by remembering these words are not empty recitations but an affirmation of our unwavering faith. Listen to Winn as he concludes his own reflection on the end of the Lord’s Prayer. 

Does the [Lord’s] prayer end with a great self-deception? Are we saying that what is obviously not true is true after all? Not exactly. The Hebrew prophets used a strange and wonderful grammar. They spoke of the certain future in the present tense. What God says will be, already is! The end of our prayer declares that in spite of those who presently exercise the rule and the power and the glory, in spite of the ecological crisis and the nuclear buildup and all else that threatens us, this is the world's future: God's name shall be hallowed, God's kingdom shall come, God's will shall be done! We cannot say how or when, but the promises of God stand sure. So we end our prayer by shouting in the grammar of the prophets, Tomorrow is here! As Don Shriver puts it, ‘When we add the doxology to the Lord's Prayer, along with the early church, we are leaping ahead, so to speak, to claim our places in the hallelujah chorus of the end-time.’

Why do we stand for the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ when Handel's Messiah is performed? Not just because a king of England stood long ago. Because that magnificent text from Revelation declares our wildest hopes to be present truth. And Handel found music that says, ‘Yes, it is true after all!’

Quiet, now. Can you hear it above the wails of the ambulances, fire engines, and police cars? Above the whine of jets carrying death on their wings, the throbbing of submarines carrying death into the depths of the sea, the crash of falling bombs, the roar of helicopters, the rattle of small arms? Above the strident debates in Congress and in the United Nations? Above the anodyne of rock music that numbs our eardrums to the uglier noises of life? Do you hear it?

The kingdoms of this world are become 

the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; 

and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

To which we say, ‘Amen!’ It is so. May it be so. And may we live now as though it were already so. Amen and amen.”

--

Ascension, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54351 [retrieved August 28, 2023]. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skip/111045024/.

No comments:

Post a Comment