Jumping the Fence
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Posted by Katie
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Many years ago, I had
regularly attended a Presbyterian Church in Evanston, IL. They were “debtors” (forgive
us our “debts” as we also have forgiven our debtors). When I got married
and moved out of state, Phillip and I joined a church of “trespassers” (forgive
us our “trespasses”…). One weekend,
Phillip and I flew back to Evanston for the wedding of a friend and were totally
outed when the Lord’s Prayer came along. Folks could hear us loud and clear. A
wonderful and hilarious friend sitting in front of us turned around with a wry
grin on his face and whispered a harsh accusation:“Trespassers!!”. Phillip
and I laughed so hard, I believe one of us snorted. (Outed again.)
I find it interesting that
when it comes to how Jesus teaches us to pray, it’s the verbiage about the fall
from grace in which we differ. How true to life this is! We have different
names for that which we judge, and they go far beyond the simple, “debtor”,
“trespasser”, or, the ever-classic “sinner”.
It would do us all good to
remember that when we pray as Jesus taught us to pray, we have “all sinned
and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
We are, all of us, indebted
to him for the life he originally breathed into us on that first day, as much
as we are indebted to him for the new life he has breathed into us every day
following.
Without redemption, we are
all trespassing in His Kingdom and missing out on the blessings
that oneness with God brings.
Regardless of how you cut
it, or what you call it, we are all sinners in need of giving and
receiving Grace.
So while we Christians may
debate our differences, we can at least take heart in what unifies us: the fact that we have all royally screwed up at one
time or another. (Really, we have.) May we be ONE community when we pray, remembering
that if ever any of us dares to approach the God of all creation with anything
less than a repentant heart, we have essentially jumped the fence and
are trespassing on hallowed ground.
No trespassing, folks. Forgive.
Ask for forgiveness. Then enjoy the Kingdom.
It was meant for you.
