It has been said that Our Father is the perfect prayer. The phrase that stands out for me is, “Thy Will be done”. It is really the only prayer that makes sense. It’s not mywill, it’s Thy Will. When we accept this, all anxiety falls away.
Scott Griessel recently postedthat he had a problem asking for “stuff”. I agree, but “give us this day our daily bread” doesn’t necessarily mean material stuff. It more accurately points to spiritual needs. We really only need a daily ration of grace to deal with the problems of life. That daily ration gives us exactly what we need, no less or more, and it works perfectly with “Thy Will be done”. This would indicate a perfect order of things that originates in God. All we are asked to do, is to open ourselves to accepting God’s Will, even when we don’t understand it.
I am reminded of an inscription chiseled in stone above the entrance to the Abbey of Gethsemani, the Trappist monastery where Thomas Merton was a monk that reads, “God Alone”. That’s enough for me.
Chuck Marohnic
Director of Music for Darkwood Brew
Great post…
I think my discomfort comes from my own exegisis. Wow, how often do we get to use that word? I’m definitely with you on the subject of grace. For me, I sense divinity as a river…wide and deep. It will flow where it will flow. Maybe the river is grace. I have a few options. Sit on the banks and watch it roll on, jump in and “go with the flow” – maybe even swim along with it. I can try to stand firm against the flow, or even work against it. In the currents of that river, I’m best off when I let it take me and don’t push hard against it.
My distrust of asking is from the standpoint of being uncomfortable wanting something I already have in full measure. I am immersed in the river of grace. I can’t ask the river to change it’s course…or even really make accommodation for me. Jumping in is the act of faith. Jumping in is both the asking and the path to the answer. I’m a small part of the whole thing, and my bread will come when it will come. The river will roll.
Just like in the Bruce Springsteen song…so effortlessly.