Christ Church Studies

The final petitions of the Lord's Prayer are subject to differences in translation. Is it "deliver us from evil" or "deliver us from the evil one"? "Lead us not into temptation" or "save us from the time of trial"? In this session, we examine just what is this evil that threatens us and why we must ask to be delivered.

Why is it so important to ask God for forgiveness? And what exactly are we asking forgiveness for: sins, trespasses, or debts? In this session, we explore why we need to be forgiven, and how the regular practice of asking for mercy and forgiveness makes us more merciful and more forgiving toward others.

For Christians who live in developed and affluent countries, why ought we to pray for daily provisions when we already have resources to last much longer? In this session, we discuss what this petition means and also how it makes us more dependent, more content, and more generous in our care for others.

When we pray 'thy kingdom come,' we pray "for the end of the world as we know it." The arrival of God's reign, though greatly anticipated by Christ's followers, poses a danger to our desire for self-governance. Do we really want God's kingdom enough to pay the cost?

Of all the petitions in the Lord's Prayer, the first is probably least understood. What does it mean to 'hallow' something? And what does it mean for God's name to be hallowed? In this session, we explore why Jesus prays for this first and how hallowing is accomplished in the lives of His people.

For two millennia, Christians have been daily reciting the words of a prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples: a blueprint that teaches us how to live before God. Join now with billions of Christians throughout history as we reflect on what Martin Luther called "the very best prayer that ever came to earth."

"Hosanna" comes from a Hebrew phrase that means, quite simply, "Save us!" It's a plea for help, the cry of someone who is at the end of their rope and desperately reaching out to a power greater than themselves. At the close of Lamentations, we find here the central posture of biblical religion: the desperate plea from a people in need, looking to God for salvation.

There comes a moment in tragedy when the lament turns inward and we reckon with "the end of innocence" and "the darkness of man's heart," as William Golding puts it. In Lamentations 4, the poet's grief over the destruction of Jerusalem turns to reflect upon the horror of human sin.

In the middle of Lamentations, when it seems all hope is lost, the poet makes a startling claim: "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases ... great is your faithfulness." In this session, we explore how is it possible to find hope in the midst of grief, even for those who witness horrific tragedies.

The author of Lamentations likens God, the destroyer of Jerusalem, to an adversary. And yet, he also exhorts his fellow Jews to turn to this same God in prayer. How can God be both enemy and savior? In this session, we discuss Lamentations 2 alongside historic Anglican prayers as we seek to understand how to pray to the Lord of life and death.