Come as you are

This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…”

 Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)

 
Last Sunday, our church embarked on a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. And we began that series by considering what it means to pray to God as “Father.” And this Sunday, we’re exploring the mysterious little phrase, “Hallowed Be Your Name.”
 

When I was in my early 20’s, I started a bible study geared towards young adults. And every Sunday night, a few of us would gather at my house, get way too much pizza, and study the gospel of Matthew. And it was through study that we eventually came across the Lord’s Prayer.
 

And I’ll never forget this, but one of the young adults there sheepishly confessed:

“I’ve prayed these words my whole life, but I have no idea what “hallowed” even means.”

And one by one, each person there shared that we also had no idea what this enigmatic and mysterious phrase meant, which was a huge relief for my very honest friend!

But what does it mean to ask that God’s name be hallowed? And a great place to start is with the very old yet important word “hallow.”

So, to hallow something means that we treat it as holy or sacred. Therefore, to hallow God’s name means that we treat God’s name as holy. And in Jesus’ day, to treat God’s name as holy meant more than using God’s name appropriately in conversation. Instead, it meant to treat God–not just God’s name–with honor, dignity, and respect.

Now we’ll talk more about this on Sunday, but here are a few questions I’d invite you to consider between now and then:

How does this background information change how you understand this line in the Lord’s Prayer?

 

As followers of Jesus, what does it look like to treat God with honor, dignity, and respect?

 

Why do you think Jesus wanted us to pray in this way?

See you this Sunday, everyone!

Peace,

Pastor Chris
 
 

Family Promise
We are looking for one volunteer to buy food and another volunteer to deliver food for the week of August 29th to September 5th. Should you purchase the food, you will be given the names and needs of the individual/or family a week in advance. If you are interested in being part of this important outreach ministry, please connect with either Walter Maze or John Newton.  
 
Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour will be resuming on Sunday, August 1st, after service. It will include coffee, tea, and bagels and will be kept to just an hour.

Important Prayer Request: Gary Diehl & Family
We ask that you be in prayer for Gary and Matty Diehl and their entire family after the passing of Gary’s mother, Geneva Diehl.
 
Resuming Prayer List
In the upcoming weeks, we will be adding our prayer request list back to our bulletins. If you have a prayer request, you can fill out a prayer card (in the back of the sanctuary) or email our Office Manager, Gretchen, at flemingtonumc@yahoo.com. We will be sure to add it to the list!
 
Communion
Due to continued health and safety concerns, we will not yet be returning to taking communion by intinction. However, on August 1st, we will start using “communion packets.” These are premade, sealed packets that come with both a wafer and grape juice. Like in months past, we will consume the contents of the packets from our seats. You can click on this link to see what these packets are like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAsKFnASxTU
 
House Meetings to Welcome Pastor Chris
During the summer, we are holding small gatherings to provide an opportunity for members to spend time with Pastor Chris and for him to learn more about the people and ministries of Flemington UMC. If you have expressed an interest in hosting or facilitating a house meeting, please connect with Bruce LaPenta to schedule a date, time, and location.
 
Staying Connected
You will find every newsletter, worship service, devotional, and additional material posted to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FlemingtonUnitedMethodist/
 
Even if you don’t use Facebook, you can access everything we have there. If you do have a Facebook account, “like” to follow our page and be notified when new things are posted or when videos are about to go live so you don’t miss anything.