Set Free
Rhona Cathcart
March 27, 2023
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Matthew 6:12 (NRSVA)
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Are you a debtor, a sinner, or a trespasser?
Personally, I grew up as a trespasser, became a debtor, then a sinner, and currently I am a wrong doer. I am speaking of course of the various translations of the Lord’s prayer! We all have our preferences, depending on custom, culture, tradition, and our different interpretation of the nuances of languages.
And there are nuances. To trespass is to cross boundaries. To be in debt is to fail to meet our obligations. To sin is to break divine or moral law. To do wrong is to cause someone harm.
Regardless of your preference however, one thing is constant and that is that we must take responsibility for the hurt and damage we cause. Jesus’ model for prayer teaches we should do this every time we pray. This isn’t intended to make us wallow in guilt. Rather it is a practice which invites us to open ourselves to the sometimes cauterising yet always compassionate work of God’s Spirit, calling us to account for our actions so that we might more compassionately deal with others.
PRAYER:
Generous God,
I am a trespasser, yet you have granted me the right to roam.
I am a debtor, yet you have offered me unlimited credit.
I am a sinner, yet you have cleared my record.
I am a wrong doer, yet you choose not to remember my wrongs.
Forgive me.
Show me how to make amends to those I have hurt
and set me free to forgive others for the hurt they have caused me.
Amen.
Lent Disciplines
LENT FOCUS 5: PATIENCE
This week we focus on ‘patience’. Try taking some time each day to quietly spend five minutes in silence, not doing anything, just stilling yourself before God and resting. You don’t need to feel any pressure to think about anything in particular. Don’t worry if you get distracted. Gently calm your mind and, if it wanders, bring it back to the idea of quiet and silence.
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