What the Lord’s Prayer really means

WHEN as a schoolboy I first came across the Lord’s Prayer, I remember being a bit mystified by the first petition in it – ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name’. I had no idea what ‘hallowed’ meant. It sounded a bit spooky.

ByRev. Julian Mann

-

November 17, 2019

This is an edited version of a sermon preached in Emmanuel Church, Morecambe:

WHEN as a schoolboy I first came across the Lord’s Prayer, I remember being a bit mystified by the first petition in it – ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name’. I had no idea what ‘hallowed’ meant. It sounded a bit spooky.

What are we praying for when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s name would be hallowed on earth as it is in heaven?

Essentially, we are praying that the one true God, the loving creator and ruler of heaven and earth, the God of the Bible, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, would be honoured and worshipped and obeyed on earth as he is in heaven.

In the Old Testament the personal name of God, Yahweh, the name by which he was known by his chosen people, the Israelites, was bound up with his sovereignty, his righteous rule over the world. The Old Testament book of Exodus records God speaking to his servant Moses from the burning bush and revealing his name to Moses, a man on the run from the authorities in the then world superpower, Egypt. God commanded Moses: ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD (Yahweh) God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations’ (Exodus3v15 – AV).

This God, the almighty sovereign Lord, Yahweh, was sending Moses to be the deliverer of his chosen people, the Israelites, who were then in slavery in Egypt, slaves to a pagan people who worshipped a whole load of false gods. Through Moses the Lord God was going to deliver his people through an astonishing display of his supernatural power and defeat the idolatrous Egyptians and their arrogant king. The personal name of God, Yahweh, spoke of his rightful sovereignty over everyone and everything.

This is the sovereign Lord who has now made himself known finally and definitively in his eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the God we as Christians want to see honoured on earth as he is in heaven when we pray ‘Hallowed be thy name’.

And we must realise that we pray this prayer in the teeth of the fact that the true God is not honoured on earth as he should be. This prayer is necessary because we are living in a fallen world. It is a prayer post-Genesis 3, after the fall of mankind, after we chose to rebel against the loving God who made us.

It is prayed in the teeth of universal human sinfulness, the fact that men and women all over the world are worshipping and honouring a whole load of other gods apart from the true one, gods that they have made.

Where I grew up in south London in the 1970s, there were very few public buildings devoted to religious faith. There was a Church of England parish church around the corner. Not many people went to it – it was there at least, but it rather gave off the message that what it stood for was a thing of the past. There was scant evidence of a lively, committed Christian community meeting in that building. You might say that this was a suburb in which most people did not have a religious faith, and on one level that was unquestionably true. Hardly anyone went to church and the other world religions were not on the agenda for the vast majority of the residents at that time.

But this community certainly had a god, not the true God but a man-made one: the god of secular materialism. There is no question that secular materialism is a faith. The materialists I grew up amongst believed that if you got a bigger house or a bigger car or were able to afford better holidays, you became a better person. Your identity in this religious faith was bound up with your material achievements in this world, which materialists believe is the only world there is.

But secular materialism is based on a lie. Having more does not make us better people and it does not satisfy our eternal souls. Only the Lord God Almighty can do that, the God who said in Jesus: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst’ (John 6v35).

When we pray ‘Hallowed be thy name on earth as it is in heaven’ in the Lord’s Prayer, we are acknowledging that our true identity is to be found in the true God, the God who is to be worshipped in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are renouncing any rivals to the true God for our love and commitment and we are praying that across God’s world he would be worshipped and obeyed and loved as he deserves to be.

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/what-the-lords-prayer-really-means/

Randy Travis ~ "Silent Night"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET14qfbLuJE

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Elb1YMYXio&index=2&list=PL81AB853125BE957F

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTOtfaj9uuY&list=RDVTOtfaj9uuY#t=38

The Rich Built Heritage Of Century-old St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

As St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kuala Lumpur celebrates its 100th anniversary, we look at how its architecture and design has stood the test of time.

OCTOBER 26, 2017

The interior of the St Andrew's Presbyterian Church retains the building's original cengal rafters and pointed arch doorways. Photos: The Star/Art Chen

A long dark chain hangs down from a beam, stopping in mid-air, in front of the church. Its inconspicuous nature is largely due to the beautiful arched stained glass that forms the chain’s backdrop.

“I’ve been here for five years and this is the first time I’ve noticed it!” remarks resident minister Reverend Dr Robert Weniger with a laugh.

Luckily, the most senior parishioner of the Kuala Lumpur St Andrew’s Presbyterian church is present at our recent tour to shed some light on its existence.

Keep has been attending church services for 30 years and is among the oldest parishioners there.

“Back in those days, we used to hang a huge round wheel with decorations on it during Christmas,” recalls Joyce Keep, 84, who has been a parishioner at St Andrew’s for almost 30 years.

Keep first set foot in Malaysia in 1958 to teach at the British Army School. In 1962, she was posted to Sabah, after which she left the country to teach in a few different places, including West Africa and Jordan. In 1977, she returned to Malaysia, got married, and settled down.

However, the church’s history dates back even further, much more than three decades. In fact, it celebrates 100 years of the laying of the building’s foundation stone this month.

Construction of the main sanctuary started on Oct 3, 1917. The initial design was created by John McNeill of Penang-based architecture firm Stark and McNeill.

But records from 1918 state that due to the long distance involved, a Mr Russell from the Singapore firm Swan and MacLaren took over the final plans and supervised the building work.

An old photo of the church believed to have been circa 1922. Photo: St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church KL

On April 17, 1918, the church welcomed its first parishioners.

However, during World War II, the premises were taken over by the Japanese army and used as a store. The pipe organ’s steel pipes, milled in Britain, were looted, as were memorial brass tablets.

“We also had information that the manse (completed in 1921) next door was converted into a Japanese naval intelligence base,” says Kenneth Tan, who sits on St Andrew’s board of managers.

A photo of the manse believed to be taken circa 1923.  Photo: St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church KL

Later, members of the KL Wesley Methodist Church came in and prevented further damage to the building.

Surprisingly, the Japanese Army agreed to allow the building to be re-used as a church by the Methodist congregation.

Nestled within less than a hectare (2 acres) of land, the unassuming building sports a toned-down Gothic style of architecture (no, there are no gargoyles anywhere).

The flying buttresses on the exterior feature cast concrete panels.

Its design is characterised by pointed arches, ribbed vaults and gentle flying buttresses on the exterior walls, while the facade features a pebble dash and cast concrete look.

Over the century, the main sanctuary has undergone minimal changes.

The interior, which seats up to 200 people, is still protected by original cengal rafters overhead while 100-year-old porcelain tiles line the floor. However, due to the carpeting, the tiles are hidden.

Pointed arch doorways are seen on both side walls, while above them are square air vents that have since been sealed with frosted glass panels due to the air-conditioning.

“It used to be all opened up and naturally ventilated but with traffic getting busier (along Jalan Raja Chulan), it got to be so noisy that we could not hear the sermon! That’s when we decided to close up the main sanctuary and put in air-conditioning,” says church elder C.J. Lim.

“When the church was first built, it was like a ‘country church’ in the middle of nowhere. But now we are located right in the heart of the city,” Tan adds with a smile.

The sanctuary’s appeal is also heightened by its stained glass and pipe organ.

The arched stained glass window, pipe organ and nyatoh cross are among the key features of the church.

“The primary stained glass in front is to commemorate those who died in both world wars. The one at the back is to remember those who fell during the Emergency,” explains Tan referring to the Malayan Emergency action against the communists from 1948 to 1960.

The pipe organ was purchased in 1939. Designed by KL-based organ builder James A. Riddell, it was the first complete new pipe organ to be installed in any church in Selangor.

With the exception of the 29 pipes milled in Britain, the organ was made using local labour within six months.

The organ’s casing consists of solid teak wood, the same material used for the pulpit panelling.

In 1992, an organ cross was added. Handcrafted by local Chinese carpenters from nyatoh, the cross is a replica of an 18th century brass altar cross found in the ancient church of Llandyfrydog, a western British isle. With a rather unconventional look, the design is a variation of the crux immissa (Latin cross).

A new bell tower and modern portico in glass and steel are in the works as part of St Andrew’s centenary celebrations next year marking when the church began services.

“We are quite excited about the bell tower, which we hope will be ready in time for next year’s celebration in April, because that’s when the doors of the church actually opened 100 years ago,” says Tan.

The current church bell, which was acquired in conjunction with the church’s 90th anniversary, will be placed within the tower.

Designed by local firm Veritas Architects, the contemporary-style tower will also house a new time capsule that will be opened in another 100 years.

The century-old church is a little gem in the midst of busy Kuala Lumpur.

A previous capsule, buried behind the foundation stone, was opened recently; its contents form part of a small collection of historic items displayed at the church.

http://www.star2.com/culture/2017/10/26/the-architectural-heritage-of-century-old-st-andrews-presbyterian-church-continues-to-inspire/

Glen Campbell - "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" - Glen Campbell (R.I.P.)

Published on 9 Aug 2017

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and grieves to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrow share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
So take it to the Lord in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Everything to God in prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sfj4tJItUU

Glen Campbell - "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

Glen Campbell sings "What a Friend We Have In Jesus" at the North Phoenix Baptist Church, 1989. Taken from the video "No More Night: A Conversation with Glen Campbell", produced by David Simpson, 1989.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5uisBMZ3Tc


Also: The tragic story behind the hymm:

• The story behind the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus

"How Great Thou Art" ~Randy Travis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTOtfaj9uuY

Abide with Me - The story behind the hymn

28 December 2016

Today's posting is dedicated to my good friend Robyn whose birthday is today. The story behind her favourite hymn, reproduced below, is taken from the Daily Telegraph.

To Robyn, I wish you "Happy Birthday and many Happy Returns of the Day. Your kindness is much appreciated and May God bless you!"

The story behind the hymn

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Rupert Christiansen

12:01AM BST 22 Sep 2007

Abide with me

• Listen to this hymn

A hymn which, as Erik Routley put it, “looks death itself in the face” and embodies the human craving for companionship in extremis.

The text is the work of Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847), a neurotic curate who spent most of his career in the fishing village of Lower Brixham in Devon. He had been haunted by the phrase, repeatedly muttered by his close friend, William Le Hunte, as he lay dying.

It was misremembered from Luke 24:29, where the disciples meet but do not recognise the resurrected Jesus. “Abide with us,” they ask him, “for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.”

As has often been remarked, the change to the singular pronoun is what gives the hymn its comforting emotional intimacy. Lyte wrote Abide with me to his own tune, but today it is sung to Eventide, composed in 10 minutes by the organist William Monk, during what his widow recalled as “a time of great sorrow. Hand in hand we were silently watching the glory of the setting sun (our daily habit) until the golden hue had faded… Then he took paper and pencilled the tune which has gone all over the world.”

Abide with me was hugely popular in the trenches of the First World War, and was sung by Nurse Edith Cavell the night before the Germans shot her for helping British soldiers to escape from occupied Belgium.

A great favourite of the Royal Family, it was played at the weddings of the future George VI to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and their daughter Elizabeth to Prince Philip.

It is a fixture of the FA Cup final, Anzac Day and the British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. On Sept 21, 2001 it was unforgettably played at Ground Zero by a Salvation Army band during the commemoration of the September 11 attacks.

It also features on the soundtracks of several movies – The Full Monty, 28 Days Later, A Bridge Too Far – and is always associated with mourning and tragedy.

Abide with me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide:
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me
abide:
When other helpers fail, and comforts
flee,
Help of the helpless, o abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little
day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass
away;
Change and decay in all around I see:
O thou who changest not, abide with
me.

I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour;
What but thy grace can foil the
tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can
be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord
abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to
bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no
bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave,
thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy Cross before my closing
eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point
me to the skies:
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s
vain shadows flee:
In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3668058/The-story-behind-the-hymn.html

Also Music and score on:

• https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/abide-with-me?lang=eng

Lyrics

1. 1. Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
   The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide!
   When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
   Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!
2. 2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day.
   Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away.
   Change and decay in all around I see;
   O thou who changest not, abide with me!
3. 3. I need thy presence ev'ry passing hour.
   What but thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r?
   Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
   Thru cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me!
4. Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847
   Music: William H. Monk, 1823-1889

Full lyrics from Wikipedia:

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abide_with_Me 



Abide With Me Hymn - Gods Country

Uploaded on 10 Mar 2007

Abide With Me is a well-known Christian hymn composed by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847, though the lyrics are usually sung to William Henry Monk's melody Eventide rather than Lyte's original music. It is popular across many denominations, and was said to be a favourite of King George V and Mahatma Gandhi. It was sung at both the wedding of King George VI and that of his daughter, who would go on to become Queen Elizabeth II. Since 1927 it has been sung before the kick-off at the FA Cup Final and Challenge Cup Final. It is also often sung at Christian funerals. Lyte wrote the words to his poem while he lay dying from tuberculosis, and lived only three weeks after its completion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxqylxfYyQM


Elton John - Abide With Me

Uploaded on 14 Dec 2007

From:
An audience with Elton John 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cC4EvrvK7c

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2016

"I bring you good news of great joy 
that will be for all the people."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Alexandria First Baptist Church

Merry Christmas! | Alexandria First Baptist Church
Merry Christmas!

The story behind the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKjUoE2fack

Story behind the song: 'What a Friend we Have in Jesus'

Posted: April 23, 2015 - 3:58pm  |  Updated: April 23, 2015 - 11:12pm

By Lindsay Terry

“That looks like a sober man, I think I’ll hire him to cut wood for me.” That was said of a man on the streets of Lake Rice, Canada, as he walked along carrying a wood saw and a sawhorse. The response from a man nearby was, “That’s Joseph Scriven. He wouldn’t cut wood for you because you can afford to hire him. He only cuts wood for those who don’t have money enough to pay.” That seemed to be the philosophy and attitude of Scriven, a devoted member of the Plymouth Brethren Church. He had a sincere desire to help those who were truly destitute.

Joseph was born on Sept. 10, 1819, in Ireland. His parents had financial means enough to afford a wonderful educational opportunity for their son. He was enrolled in Trinity College in Dublin where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree.

In this young man, Ireland had the prospect of a great citizen with high ideals and notable aspirations. He fell in love with a young lady who was eager to spend her life with him. However, on the day before their wedding she fell from her horse, while crossing a bridge over the River Bann and was drowned in the water below. Joseph stood helplessly watching from the other side.

In an effort to overcome his sorrow, he began to wander. By age 25 his travels had taken him to an area near Port Hope, Canada. He became highly regarded by the people of that area. He tutored some of the local children in their school work. It was there he met a wonderful young lady, Elisa Roche, and again fell in love. They had exciting plans to be married. However, tragedy reared its ugly head once again and she died of pneumonia before they could wed.

As indicated earlier in this story, he labored in Port Hope among the impoverished widows and sick people. He often served for no wages and even shared his clothes with those less fortunate than himself.

On an occasion when Joseph became ill, a friend who was visiting with him discovered a poem near his bed and asked who had written it. Scriven said, “The Lord and I did it between us.” He thought the poem would, perhaps, bring some spiritual comfort to his Mom, who still lived in Ireland. Scriven had not intended that anyone else should see it.

On Aug. 10, 1886, Scriven’s body was pulled from a body of water near Bewdly, Ontario. Two monuments have been erected in his honor. Each has the first stanza of his song engraved on it.

Charles Converse, an attorney and composer, wrote the musical setting used today.

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

“We then that are strong

ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,

and not to please ourselves.” - Romans 15:1

http://staugustine.com/living/religion/2015-04-23/story-behind-song-what-friend-we-have-jesus#.VrB0lbJ95Mw

This post is on Healthwise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X35JDIdQF5A




https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDX35JDIdQF5A&v=8SCorW9r_Is



Also:  

• "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" - Glen Campbell (R.I.P.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015

See:

Songs of Praise top 10 Christmas Carols in the UK, Susan Boyle, Libera, Michael Ball

Healthwise

A CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYLIST OF TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAROLS

This post is on Healthwise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-9uoxZoLH8&list=RD7HItFqKBAQE&index=12

Go to Healthwise for more articles

Songs of Praise top 10 Christmas Carols in the UK, Susan Boyle, Libera, Michael Ball

This post is on Healthwise

Published on 22 Dec 2013

Songs of Praise handicaps the UK's top Christmas Carols.

• Music

  • "Silent Night" by Libera (Google Play)

• Artist

  • Libera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHj_q7ttDCE

Go to Healthwise for more articles