...in heaven, hallowed be your name,... Matt 6:9
There are probably few English words more loaded than “heaven”. It conjures up pearly gates, streets of gold, cloudy vistas of angel choirs, people in long white robes strumming on harps, and many other images far to dreary to contemplate on such a lovely day. It’s the place everyone wants to go, but only if they can’t possibly stay here. About all one can really say for the traditional view of heaven is that it’s marginally better than the traditional view of the alternative. In fact, for Huckleberry Finn, the prospect of spending eternity with his straight-laced, maiden aunt was enough to tip the balance in favour of perdition. It’s a close call. The Apostle Paul wrote "...no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9) but sometimes I think we’re not even trying. At any rate, when Jesus refers to “heaven” in the first line of his prayer, I doubt he had much of that in mind.
Most thoughtful people of every time and place have understood “heaven” to be a metaphor for transcendence. To say that God is in heaven is to say he is above all this, not to suggest that he is to be located somewhere in the sky. The psalmist, about 3000 years ago, declared:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Ps 139:7-8
We turn to “Our Father in heaven” as an elementary schoolchild might turn to a parent. He or she knows that parents are not limited by the rules and predicaments that impinge upon a child in grade two. A father or mother has the authority to intervene from a position of independence but, by the same token, Moms and Dads are not subject to their children either. One can appeal to them but, in the end, they will do what they do.
The Lord’s Prayer, therefore, begins where all prayer begins, with the absolute sovereignty of God. –Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (Psalm 115:3)– And we affirm that this is as it should be, for this is what the next phrase, hallowed be your name,... really means. To be hallowed (holy) is to be set apart, over and above.
But all this being said, we approach this sovereign God as our Father, not some impersonal power, serenely indifferent to our concerns. Like any good parent he is more concerned with our well-being than our wishes. Like any good parent he takes a much longer view of things than we do. And like any good parent he might say “yes”, “no”, or “have you thought about this?”. In the end, appealing to Mom or Dad, or appealing to God, is not a good strategy for getting what we want. It’s really about checking to see if we’re still on course, still tracking with the overall plan that’s well beyond my ability to comprehend.
This, of course, brings us to the next few words which we will deal with next time: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt 6:10)
PS: Debate about heaven is well beyond the competence of mere mortals, but it can be amusing if we manage to retain a sense of humour. Witness this church sign debate between the Catholics and the Presbyterians. Is it just me, or do you also get the impression that the Catholics are having more fun?
DOGS INCLUDED
PRESBYTERIAN DOGS CAN TALK TO
THEIR PASTOR
WITH CONVERSION
ALL ROCKS
GO TO HEAVEN
3 comments:
All creatures go to heaven the only dubious ones are human.
Greenwolf
It would be very refreshing if more people would realize that God, the Creator of the universe is far too big for man's petty attempts to cage him in the ringbox of religion and that by trying to do so only makes them smaller not God.
Very nice sermon Pastor Dan. :)
I see that one of your favorite books is "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Have you read Mark Twain's "Letters From the Earth" and/or "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven"??? ---both offer humorous comments regarding the traditional view of heaven ---everyone floating on a cloud, playing a harp, and getting along famously despite how humans cannot seem to get along on earth. Twain was a religious skeptic, as am I, but he still used many religious and Biblical references in much of his writing. His diaries of the Adams family (Adam and Eve, that is) are amusing, as well. My favorite is Eve's account of discovering how milk gets into a cow.
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