By Steven Norris
What is the one thing that God declared as “not good” in the creation story? That Adam was alone. Created in God’s image, humans were created for community and relationship.
The Lord’s Prayer begins with an invitation into community. The opening phrase, “Our Father,” points in this direction. It is important to note that “I, my, or me,” are conspicuously absent from Jesus’ model prayer. Instead, it is full of first-person plural pronouns (us and we). This preference for community is all over the scriptures.
God’s covenant with Abraham is to make him into a great nation (community). When God delivers Israel from captivity, God does so as a community. Jesus surrounds himself with a community of disciples. The culmination of all the scriptures comes in Revelation, where we find representatives from every tribe, nation, and tongue gathered around the throne of God as a community.
Consider the following commands issued to believers: love one another (John 13:34,35); be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32); be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50); admonish one another (Romans 15:14); bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2); comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18); forgive each other (Ephesians 4:32); confess your sins to one another (James 5:16); show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9); encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews3:13); pray for one another (James 5:16); have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7); spur one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24); live in harmony with one another (1 Peter 3:8); lay down your life for one another (1 John 3:16-18); do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9); disciple and teach one another (2 Corinthians 2:2); suffer with one another (1 Corinthians 12:26); rejoice with one another (Romans 12:15); honor one another (Romans 12:10).
From the examples above, it is abundantly clear that it would be impossible to follow the commands of God in isolation. They are predicated on the assumption of community and relationships.
When we learn to live the “Our” of the Lord’s Prayer, we find that it becomes a vital part of our spiritual formation. When a friend fails us, the “our” reminds us of our desire and commitment to live in mercy and forgiveness.When a neighbor wounds or irritates us, the “our” beckons us to show grace. When we gather to worship, the “our” helps us focus on the collective experience, not just my personal preference. When our spouse hurts us, the “our”revives the vows we took on our wedding day. When a fellow believer lies dying of cancer, the “our” produces empathy as we confront our own mortality. When all we can do is drag ourselves inside the doors for worship, the “our”reminds us that the community will pray for us on the days we cannot pray for ourselves.
To pray the Lord’s Prayer is to accept the invitation to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It is an invitation to participate in a community of all Christ-followers spread out across space and time.