Living with an obsessive knitter has made knitting an inescapable part of my life too. I love the joy and pleasure it brings her. I love watching and listening to Debra as she knits. Over the past eighteen months, knitting has become an important, if not obsessive, part of Debra’s life. Here are some of the things I said about my wife and her knitting. But I did it in a way that they couldn’t tell where I was heading with the sermon or how it might relate to “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” Given the popularity of knitting these days, many knitters and their spouses could identify with my comments. It was an opportunity to let the congregation into our personal lives and have some fun with our story. When I did the sermon, I opened it with these words: Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” What does that mean? Why do we pray it? Then I began telling the story of how my wife had begun knitting and how it had changed our lives. I had the focusing metaphor for my sermon. She said, “It’s a sweater.” I looked at the three or four inches of knitted wool in her hands and jokingly replied, “It sure doesn’t look like a sweater!” All she said was, “Well, it’s a work in progress.” In that moment it dawned on me. One night we were sitting in our living room talking while she was knitting. She quickly became an accomplished knitter. About a year ago, my wife took up the craft of knitting. In the Gospels, Jesus often speaks of the kingdom of God in simple everyday terms: a sower sowing seed, yeast leavening dough, a merchant buying pearls, a farmer plowing in the field. I also spent some time thinking about how I could talk about what some scholars call the “already/not yet” aspect of the kingdom. As I studied the second and third petitions of the prayer, I began thinking about how I could talk about the “kingdom of God” in a simple way that would help hearers gain some better understanding of the concept. What does it mean to pray for the full coming of God’s kingdom?Ībout a year ago, I was preparing a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew’s Gospel. Theological Focus: Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…” What does that mean? Why do we pray it? Jesus taught that the kingdom (reign) of God was already” here in his own life and ministry, but is “not yet” fully here. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work.Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership.
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