March
8, 2017
“Hallowed be Thy Name”
“Hallowed be Thy Name”
It
is very clear during our Lenten Journey through the Lord’s Prayer that we learn
something new each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer. As we pray if we focus only on ourselves, we
close our collective eyes to what God clearly has done and continues to do for
us each and every day. From providing us
with loving family that forgives when we don’t deserve it, to God’s giving and
providing us the shelter of our homes and jobs that we have to provide for our
family. The food we enjoy like the soup
we enjoyed only a short time ago, before our worship. These are clearly daily manifestations of
God’s abundant love for us.
And
what do we do? Better asked, what should
we do? The First Petition of the Lord’s
Prayer answers this query and gives us the perfect response we should have
towards God. It is our opportunity to
pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name”.
Not the names of people we know, but “Hallowed be Thy Name”
God’s Name. It is God Who not only
created each of us in our mother’s womb, but God, Whose Name we make “Hallowed”
is the Holy Name that we can lift up and have on our lips and in our hearts
daily, not just when we are in a crisis.
Some
ascetics, or monks who live alone and live lives of constant prayer, daily,
hourly, minute by minute, saying the simple “Jesus Prayer”, “Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” clearly honor God. First by lifting up God’s Name and secondly
by constantly honoring and hallowing God’s Name in their daily lives. They pray and live this petition “Hallowed
be Thy Name” constantly.
Martin
Luther in his catechism explains about this petition, “Hallowed be Thy Name”,
that we who pray this petition and prayer, do so, “that it [God’s Name] may be
holy among us also”. For this is why we
gather as God’s Children here in worship, give God praise, sing songs of praise
and imploring for God to help us in our lives to live lives that are Holy and
Honorable to God and His Name that we bear, not only on our lips, over our
foreheads with the sign of the Cross, but especially in our hearts that God keeps
beating daily.
This
is why we gather as God’s children, worship Him and teach our children God’s
Word and this prayer in its truth and purity and lead holy lives that are well
pleasing to God in order that we can pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name”.
One
example of this is the Prophet Elijah from the Old Testament. Elijah in his life gave God the greatest
praise. So clear was the Spirit of God
upon Elijah and his life that he was given the gifts of prophecy, healing and
the ability to multiply food for the sustenance of people. Even Elijah’s clothes that he wore were given
a holy and precious blessing that was passed down to his disciple Elisha. For Elijah unlike most people did not die,
but in the sight of Elisha was taken up by a chariot into heaven, because
Elijah “Hallowed” God’s name.
We
though not Elijah’s of our time can be like him and pray and live lives that
emulate the prayer Jesus taught that said, “Hallowed be Thy Name”. We through the power of the Holy Spirit given
unto us by God Himself can live lives that are well pleasing to God. We can daily as Koehler in his catechism says,
“ask God to help us that by pure teaching and a godly life His [God’s] name be
hallowed among us.” (p. 235)
For
we as God’s children baptized through Water and Word, sealed by the Blood of
the Lamb of God Jesus Christ that takes away the sin of the world, are
empowered and blessed by God to daily call upon His Name and make it Holy among
us. This is why during this Lenten
season, we gather and pray the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught, but especially
tonight we hallow God when we pray this petition “Hallowed be Thy Name”. AMEN.
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