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Hallowed Be Your Name

October 6, 2019 Series: Lord, Teach Us To Pray: A Series on the Lord's Prayer (Ordinary Time / Fall 2019)

Topic: Prayer Scripture: Exodus 3:1–15

The first petition of the Lord's prayer ("hallowed be your name") is a reminder that we should begin our prayers by focussing on God, not on ourselves.  This is much more than just a matter of protocol.  As children of God, our entire lives should be devoted to praise and service to God, not to satisfying our own needs and wants, and our prayers should reflect that.  This does not come naturally to us.  Many of us tend to focus on ourselves when we pray; especially in times of trouble, we ask God to rescue us from our problems.  

The word "hallowed" is rarely used today, although the word "Halloween" comes from the same root.  To hallow something means to make it holy, or to acknowedge and honour it as holy.  When we pray "hallowed by your name", we ask that God may be recognized by all people as holy, almighty, and worthy of praise and worship.  By extension, we remind ourselves that, as children of God, we are to reflect his holiness and mercy to those around us in the world, so that God may be recognized by all.

Note the reference to God's name in this petition.  God is not some vague, nebulous force; God is a person, with a name, and who is working out his will throughout history.  When God revealed his name to Moses at the Burning Bush ("I am who I am"), God revealed himself as soverign, almighty, unchanging, and ever faithful to his people.

To see this sermon in the context of the larger entire worship service, please open this bulletin.

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