January 31, 2026
Narrative Lectionary
Matthew 6:7-21 [25-34] — The Lord’s Prayer. Prayer, fasting. [Look to the birds of the air]
Psalm 20:7 —Our confidence is in God
Preaching Thoughts
The Lord’s Prayer
Look here for a set of my paraphrases of the prayer.
What we’ve called the Lord’s Prayer I call the Prayer of Jesus, both to avoid the word “Lord,” loaded as it is with patriarchy (lords and ladies….)— and also because it’s a fruitful (Jewish) prayer for people for whom Jesus is a spiritual teacher but nor their “lord.”
We’re not sure what Jesus actually said (other than we know he called God Abba) and what the gospel writers added. It’s doubtful Jesus taught this prayer as a whole, but he used the various petitions at times and his words were made into a composite.
“Go into your room and shut the door.” — Certainly avoid praying “to be seen,” as Jesus says. But prayer also needs solitude. A place where we won’t be disturbed. But most importantly, in that place of physical solitude, we enter a place of spiritual soul-itude, where we are a soul and nothing else. We are free of obligations to be or do anything for anyone—even ourselves, even God. (After all God already knows. “Sees in secret.”) We are just ourselves. No requirements. No expectations—even from ourselves! We are simply, purely, being who we are—being, not doing, not even “being faithful.” Just being. In prayer we are always seeking deeper self-awareness, deeper honesty. Always sinking deeper, held by God.
“Our Father,” — Faith is never “between me and God,” but among the whole family. God does not belong to any one of us or a small group of us. God is everybody’s parent.
“Father…” — Jesus doesn’t mean God is male, but that even though God is infinite and unknowable, God is also intimately present. Jesus’ particular image of God as “Father” is a strong corrective to many people’s experience of fatherhood as domineering, demanding and distant, and sometimes even violent. Form older generation even a kind father is often experienced as the one who’s away, “off at work.” For people with bad images of “father,” this can be healing. Jesus’ God is a father who is intimate, faithful, generous, and present and attentive— a really good listener.
“Your name be revered.” — This hearkens back to the ten commandments—not merely to avoid taking God’s name in vain but to revere it. God’s “name” means more than language. It means God’s reality, God’s character, God’s essence. This prayer means “May we always be guided by love.” This petition, and the “kingdom” one following, draw us out of our everyday thinking into a new form of consciousness. We abandon worldly values and attachments, and make God the center of our world.
“Your kingdom come.” —In less patriarchal language, “Impose your imperial rule.” In the age of Disney’s “Magical Kingdom” we forget that a “kingdom” was a real political entity. In Jesus’ setting that was the Romans Empire. A kingdom, or empire, is a power structure with authority, obligations and privileges decreed from above. The Empire of God is a world in which love rules. Grace is not an option: it’s imposed from above. This both a “parallel universe” to this world, and also a real-world alternative to the Roman Empire, and to all human structures of power, domination, privilege and exclusion. As such this petition is not only a spiritual hope; it’s also a political statement.
“Give us each day our daily bread.” — It’s given. Everything is a gift. Luke’s version, “each day,” has a more ongoing, long-term sense than Matthew’s “this day.” But either way we are invited to rely entirely on God’s providence. It’s like breathing: each breath—this breath— is a gift from God. I think of Ps. 127.2: “It is in vain that we rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for you give sleep to your beloved.” Even what we think we have earned is actually a gift from God.
“Forgive our sins, for we forgive others…” — We would tremble to ask that God forgive us at the low rate we forgive. Of course God forgives absolutely. But there is something about forgiveness like a hug: you can’t receive it without being wiling to give it. Jesus is likely to have said “debts;” he meant real-life forgiveness of financial debts as well as the more religious and social aspects. That aspect gradually got removed from the real world of poverty and debt-enslavement. But in Jesus’ world nobody owes anybody anything. Jesus envisions us all being free of any guilt, shame, or obligation, being free and freeing others. Again, as in the petition for God’s Reign to come, there’s a sense of all of life being re-ordered, and even re-created. Imagine this: we are provided for, and completely free, before God.
“Do not bring us to the time of trial.” — This might be asking God not to test our faith—which in fact God does not do. God knows our faith. And God has no need to make us struggle to prove anything. God’s only will is to bless and heal. But it may be more generally asking that we not be brought to the limits of our capacity—not that God causes difficulties in our lives, but that grace helps us avoid them if we can and endure them if we must. This might be a petition spoken not as an individual but as all of humanity: our wish to avoid the intense challenge of, say, world war or climate catastrophe.
“Ask and you shall receive.” — God is profoundly generous.
The eye is the lamp. The eye sees into the world, but it does so by admitting light into the body. A healthy, or “whole” eye, is one that sees everything in the light of God’s love.
Two masters. One way of relating to the world is rooted in our ego, which is the heart of our individualism. It’s always calculating what is to our benefit. It’s instinctive, selfish, and anxious. The other way to relate to the world is rooted not in our ego but in our soul. Our soul is our connection with God. It’s like the stem of an apple hanging on a tree: where tree becomes apple. Your soul is where God becomes you. Rooted in our connection with God—who is infinitely good—our way of relating to the world is always trusting, generous, and at peace. We can’t serve our ego and God at the same time. One or the other.
Don’t worry. Jesus says to let go of the root of our selfishness, which is our anxiety that we won’t have enough. Jesus is preaching to really poor people who have reason to worry about where the next day’s food would come from. He’s not saying everything will be fine; the poor know that sometimes it isn’t. He’s not saying “Never mind, just enjoy being poor.” He’s saying Trust God. God will be with us, lovingly present for us, even when things are not good. To “seek the Realm of God” is to open ourselves to the loving presence of God, to enter into God’s love for everyone, and to participate in sharing that love. It’s to live in what some wold call a parallel universe of awareness of God’s grace, despite real hardships and injustice. When we live in love with God, grateful for God’s grace, overflowing with the love we receive from God and extending it to others, we know deep blessing, regardless of how sick or poor or hungry or powerless we may be. When we help to create a world of healing and justice, we connect ourselves with a world of blessing that is greater than our suffering. We discover we have what we need!
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Eternal God, though our future is unsure, your love is certain and unchanging.
All: We thank you! We praise you! We worship you!
Risen Christ, we come to die and rise with you,
to let go of what is familiar and walk with you in newness of life
Receive us, bless us, and renew us in the power of your Spirit.
Holy Spirit, no matter what changes around us, you remain within us.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit,
fill us with your grace and lead us into the new day. Alleluia!
Collect / Prayer of the Day
Gracious God, you are present. You desire to speak to us. And we long to hear your voice. We give you our hearts, and await your Word. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
All: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Loving God, we confess our need for your saving, life-giving grace.
What is broken, heal.
What is sinful, forgive.
What is distorted, redeem.
Renew us and accompany us,
and make us once again your own. Amen.
…Silent prayer… the word of grace
Readings
Psalm 131
O simple God, I am not some hero of praise;
I’m no expert at being awed.
I’m not pretending to be carried aloft
with a bunch of religious feelings.
I’m just here; I’m a soul, not an emoticon.
I’m a baby in your arms.
I nurse from your holy breast,
and my eyes close.
This is good enough for me.
Don’t ask me what it means.
O friends, relax into God’s arms,
and never run away. Ever.
Response / Creed / Affirmation
1.
God, Creator of all, ruler of all that is and all that is to come, we give our hearts to you. Though the earth should tremble and all familiar things should change, still your love is steadfast and sure.
Crucified and risen Christ, we follow you. You who loved and blessed, who taught and healed, who walked toward the cross in love and were raised in glory, lead us to die and rise with you, to let go of all that we cling to and walk in newness of life. You who reign over all Creation with mercy and justice, you are our confidence, our hope, and our joy; and we entrust ourselves to you.
Holy Spirit, we live by your grace and your unshakable presence with us, among us and within us. We, the Church, the Body of Christ, devote ourselves to lives of justice and compassion, trusting in the power of forgiveness, the reality of resurrection and the mystery of eternal life. God, Eternal Lover, we enter into the future confident of your presence, your grace and your faithfulness, for the sake of the redemption of the world, to your glory, in the name of Christ. Amen.
2.
Leader: God, you call us to awareness: to look at what is before us,
to see what you have given us. Help us to be mindful.
All: We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
God, you call us to simplicity: to let what is be enough,
to find delight in ordinary things. Help us to be grateful.
We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
God, you call us to presence: to be fully here
in the present moment, to let go of what we wish or dread,
and to honor what is. Help us to be attentive.
We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
God, you call us to trust: to receive your abundance,
to rely upon your grace. Help us to be receptive.
We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
God, you call us to wholeness: to care for the well being of all things,
not just ourselves. Help us to do justice.
We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
God, you call us to love: trusting our own well being,
to give of ourselves, never fearing want. Help us to be compassionate.
We seek the Realm of your grace. Alleluia!
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
The eye that is whole
fills the body with light.
Open the windows of our hearts,
that the light of your grace
may flood into us
and fill us with love.
Fill us with love.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Light for the World (Original song) – [Epiphany “Theme song”]
A dialogue between soloist and congregation. May be used as a “theme song” throughout the Epiphany season, using two or three verses per week. Throughout the season the congregation sings the chorus; each week the soloist’s verses relate to the day’s lectionary readings. Lyrics for this week:
Congregation
Love, may we live by your light.
Let us be light for the world.
Cantor:
1 We are your people you cannot forget. You brought us out of the darkness.
So may we live by the light of your love, trusting and faithful.
. Where is your treasure, the things you adore? The eye is the lamp of the body.
The eye that sees love is wide open to God; so let the light in.
God of the Future (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
God of our dark night, and God of our day,
God of our journey, whose will is our way,
when our path dims and the future’s unknown,
still you walk with us; we’re never alone.
Though the familiar should fade and turn strange,
your steady love for us never will change.
So when we worry and can’t see the way
Lord, still your grace is enough for today.
All that is taken and all that we lose,
all of the cost of the path that we choose
never compares with the grace you impart:
faithful and gracious, you give us your heart.
Be our companion, our courage, our nerve,
You, the heart in us, to love and to serve.
Blessings you promise, whatever befall.
Still you walk with us, O lover of all.