Weekly Liturgy : July 21-27
- Cory
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Luke 11: 1-13
NIV Translation
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
REFLECTIONS
Thoughts from Cory:
The First Nations version of this passage reads, “Bring your good road to us, where the beauty of your ways in the spirit-world above is reflected in the earth below.” Instead of “Your kingdom come,” “bring your good road to us.” I like that.
Prayer, like everything, is a journey. A process. We learn by walking. And walking is slow. One step at a time.
A quote attributed to Saint Francis reads, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”
Walking, one of the most basic of human activities, says a lot about us. We often treat it as the thing that gets us from point A to point B. A means to a desired end. But what if the means were just as important as the ends? What if how we get to our destination is as important as the destination itself? The majority of our time, our lives, is spent in the in-between times, journeying towards the next hoped-for destination.
If so much of our lives is spent in transit. Maybe we should put on some good walking shoes, see who else is walking on that path, and find all the beauty and goodness that we can on the road.
The poet Antonio Machado writes,
Pilgrim, there is no road
The road is made by walking
By walking the road is made.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
“To love a person is to love a process.” We are all in development, being formed, on a journey. In your interactions and dealings with co-workers, guests, and family members how can you honor them where they are in their process?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
This week, when you get offended by someone, rather than assume that person is doing the worst they can to you, ask yourself what it would mean if they were doing the best they can for themselves.
Pathways toward Centeredness
Contemplatives (Loving God through Adoration):
As you find yourself waiting this week, consider doing a breath prayer using the words of this passage: “Bring your good road to us.”
Questions for Reflection
What are some “in-between” times in your life that you could treat as sacred opportunities for connection, reflection, and transformation?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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