DAILY BREAD - Matthew 6:9-13

"If we don't spend time adoring our Father in heaven, seeking the honor of His name, and praying for His Kingdom, all our own desires and hopes will simply present

themselves to us in a muddled and jumbled fashion." - N.T. Wright; The Lord and His Prayer

The act of asking for bread is a daily reminder that our lives, like our bread, are gifts from God.

When we ask for bread, God doesn't provide begrudgingly, but loves to feed us.

Psalm 145:8-16

Matthew 7:9-11

The plural prayer reminds us that our bread and the BREAD of LIFE is for the entire world.

John 6:35-40

As Christ-followers, we ask for bread, so we might give bread away.

Read Psalm 145:8-16. What are some ways that David describes God in this passage? Which description resonates within you and why?

Read John 6:25-40. What do you think Jesus means when he refers to himself as the "Bread of Life"? What connections do you see between this passage and the Lord's Prayer?

What was the last thing you legitimately asked God for? What was your last "give us this bread" prayer?

What do you think it looks like to "give bread away" today?

YOUR KINGDOM COME - Matthew 6:9-13

"We are praying, as Jesus was praying and acting, for the redemption of the world; for the radical defeat and uprooting of evil; and for heaven and earth to be married at last, for God to be all in all. And if we pray this way, we must of course be prepared to live this way." - N.T. Wright; The Lord and His Prayer

The "who" of prayer

Our Father...

The "where" of prayer

Our Father, who is in heaven...

The "what" of prayer

Hallowed be your name...

Your kingdom come...

Your will be done...

On earth as it is in heaven

When you think about "heaven", what comes to mind? How would you describe heaven in terms of a place (i.e. where is it)?

Read Matthew 6:9-13. When Jesus speaks about heaven in His prayer, where or what does He have in mind?

Imagine what it looks like when heaven and earth come together at last. How is life different than it is now? What things are eradicated? What things are made right?

Based on your answers to the previous quescon, what are some simple, yet tangible steps you can take to see the kingdom come here and now?

OUR FATHER - Matthew 6:9-13

"We tend to think of prayer as something we do in order to produce the results we believe are needed or, rather, to get God to produce the results." - M. Robert Mulholland Jr.; An Invitation to a Journey

"Prayer, as a classical spiritual discipline, is primarily relational, not functional. Its essence is the reality of our relationship with God." - Henri Nouwen (paraphrased)

"Lord, teach us to pray." - One of His disciples; Luke 11:1

The "who" of prayer

The "where" of prayer

The "what" of prayer

The great value of the name, Father, is that it settles all of life's relationships...

With God's story

With our fellow man

With ourselves

With the Triune God

Read Luke 11:1-4. At first glance, what strikes you most about Jesus' prayer? Which phrase or word resonates within you and why?

When you think about "prayer", what comes to mind? What has been your understanding and experience with prayer?

How does addressing God as Father shape your understanding of self? What does it say about your identity?

If God is OUR Father, in what ways does it change your perspective and interactions with others? Give an example of what this looks like.

"Being Christian is being a cooperative friend of Jesus, seeking to live a life of creative goodness for the sake of others through the power of the Holy Spirit." - Todd Hunter; Christianity Beyond Belief

"Jesus is lifted up to draw us all to himself, and to enable us to be for the world what he was for the world." - N.T. Wright; Following Jesus

"God is not transforming me to the image of Christ to make me a trophy of his grace to be placed in a display case in the foyer of heaven!" - Guess who?

Shall we remain consumeristic older and younger sons and daughters with immature dependencies...

...or shall we exchange childhood and adolescence for responsible adulthood?

There is a call beyond that of returning home. It is the call to become the Father/Mother who welcomes home and calls for a celebration.

Does being others-centered deserve being at the center of what it means to be a Christ-follower? (See Todd Hunter's quote listed above)

Describe your experience of "returning home" to God. Have you ever considered that the hands that forgave, consoled, healed, and welcomed you are to become your own?

What do we make of the fact that we are sent out from the gathering in and with the presence of God to be for the world what Jesus was for the world?

What about the fact that we are not yet like the Father? Does being sent only apply to the more mature Christ-followers? (whoever they are!)

"We are nourished in worship by Jesus Christ, who is the Living Word disclosed to us in the Scriptures, the written Word, and by the Holy Spirit of God now present in the church, God's people."

- Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Worship (paraphrased)

Jesus Christ is the central figure of the entirety of the Bible and human history!

Luke 24:25-27

The first meal of new creation opened their eyes to the grand narrative of God's story!

Luke 24:30-31

Scripture and sacrament are joined together, word and table. Take away the word and the meal becomes magic. Take away the meal and the word becomes an intellectual/emotional exercise, detached from real life.

What one thought from today's text/talk especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, encouraged, or challenged you?

What was your experience with the exercise of Lectio Divina? How did it compare with the events recorded in the text?

What is the role of the Word when the church is gathered? When the church is scattered?

"We are nourished in worship by Jesus Christ, who is the Living Word disclosed to us in the Scriptures, the written Word, and by the Holy Spirit of God now present in the church, God's people."

- Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Worship (paraphrased)

Jesus Christ is the central figure of the entirety of the Bible and human history! Luke 24:25-27

The first meal of new creation opened their eyes to the grand narrative of God's story! Luke 24:30-31

Scripture and sacrament are joined together, word and table. Take away the word and the meal becomes magic. Take away the meal and the word becomes an intellectual/emotional exercise, detached from real life.

What one thought from today's text/talk especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, encouraged, or challenged you?

What was your experience with the exercise of Lectio Divina? How did it compare with the events recorded in the text?

What is the role of the Word when the church is gathered? When the church is scattered?

“The end of worship is bound up with the end of being human.”

- N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

“The goal of Christian worship is a renewal of the mandate in creation to be (re)made in God’s image and then sent as his image bearers to and for the world.”

- James K.A. Smith; You Are What You Love

“You have made us for yourself, and our gut will rumble until we feed on you.”

- Augustine of Hippo

Creation – Sin – Redemption (Western Church)

Creation – Incarnation – Re-creation (Eastern Church)

Psalm 42:1; Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 5:6; John 6:35

2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Colossians 1:13; Philippians 3:20

Prior to today’s talk, how would you have responded to the question, “Why Church?”

In what ways were your thoughts challenged or changed from today’s talk?

Discuss, in the light of the Eastern model above, the purpose of gathering. Include the above referenced quotations in your discussion.

Why do you think some people can simply “take it or leave it” when it comes to the church?