Lord S Prayer

The pastor--tall and dapper in a double-breasted white suit--stands before his flock and intones, "Praise the Lord . . . are you all as nervous as I am?" Not your usual message from the pulpit, but the Rev. Cheviene Jones is no ordinary preacher. He's here this Sunday afternoon at Bethel AME Church in South-Central to sing and dance. In the name of the Lord, of course.

"Our father ?" Most Christians can fill in the words that follow: " ? who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done ?" But wait ? let's rewind. John Dominic Crossan , a renowned, if controversial, scholar of Christianity, says the essence of the Lord's Prayer can be found in those first two words, in fact, in the single word "father," which, he believes, encapsulates an entire 1st century worldview lost to modern churchgoers. "After that," he says, "everything would follow.

"Our father ?" Most Christians can fill in the words that follow: " ? who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done ?" But wait ? let's rewind. John Dominic Crossan , a renowned, if controversial, scholar of Christianity, says the essence of the Lord's Prayer can be found in those first two words, in fact, in the single word "father," which, he believes, encapsulates an entire 1st century worldview lost to modern churchgoers. "After that," he says, "everything would follow.

Re "Invocation draws mixed reviews," Jan. 21 The Times says Rick Warren's inaugural invocation got "mixed reviews" -- he mollified gay-rights supporters and yet dared to invoke the name of Jesus and utilize the Lord's Prayer. This is a mixed-up critique. To whom is prayer offered? Where in the Bible (or any sacred Scripture) does prayer to a deity require pleasing supporters of gay rights? Where do Scriptures affirm that prayers to God should appease atheists? The Bible does offer a litmus test for prayers to be acceptable to the Father.

The updated wording of the Lord's Prayer (Feb. 21) is wonderful. For this age, it is more user-friendly (and I challenge anyone to say that that was not the Lord's intention), as well as more on point theologically. I would make one additional change to eliminate the sexism: "Our father in heaven" should read, "Our loving parent in heaven"; it would be unscriptural to suggest that the creator is exclusively male. Bishop David Stancliffe says his own diocese would be satisfied with the old version but that the new one is easier to teach, especially to those new to the faith.

Regarding the Oct. 4 story, "St. $ilicon--a Preacher for PC Fun-damentalism": I resent the "humor" of Jeffrey Armstrong, who attempts to use the fundamental and basic beliefs and prayers of all Christians to get a laugh (and, apparently, make a lot of money while so doing). I grew up with "The Lord's Prayer" as an expression of how I was to live each day in the belief that I had a hope for my ultimate life, that my will was to be subject to God's and that I should live each day so that my relationship with my fellow man would be pleasing in the sight of God. This prayer is even more meaningful to me now as an adult.

Some family members of the 248 U.S. servicemen who died last December in a charter plane crash conducted a simple prayer ceremony, ending with the Lord's Prayer, to honor their loved ones at Washington's Arlington National Cemetery on a windy, overcast day at the spot where 23 victims are buried. The accident occurred Dec. 12 in Newfoundland when a civilian Arrow Air DC-8 jetliner crashed shortly after takeoff at Gander airport.

A woman was convicted of murdering her neighbor with a hatchet, striking the 83-year-old Pearl Harbor veteran nearly 70 times as he begged for his life. Prosecutors in Lock Haven said that Shonda D. Walter, 25, carried out the attack on James Sementelli because she wanted to join a gang, and one of the initiation requirements was to commit a crime. She also stole $500 and a car from the victim.

Jesus probably did not create the Lord's Prayer or teach it to his disciples, although certain phrases in Christendom's central prayer may have been used by him, according to an ongoing national seminar of biblical scholars. A majority of the two dozen scholars believed that the Lord's Prayer was composed by the early church a number of years after Jesus was crucified.

The editorial (March 8), "Humanism as Religion," expresses puzzlement as to the nature of secular humanism. It states "Whatever secular humanism may be--and no one is exactly sure what it is--it is not a recognized religion in any sense of the word." There have been many comments about the nature of secular humanism and one pithy observation comes to mind that seems to sum up its essence--"Human living and human thinking without reference to God." When religion is ignored, says Dr. Luther A. Weigle, a former dean of the Yale Divinity School, it is natural for children to conclude that religion is negligible or unimportant or irrelevant to the main business of life.

A woman was convicted of murdering her neighbor with a hatchet, striking the 83-year-old Pearl Harbor veteran nearly 70 times as he begged for his life. Prosecutors in Lock Haven said that Shonda D. Walter, 25, carried out the attack on James Sementelli because she wanted to join a gang, and one of the initiation requirements was to commit a crime. She also stole $500 and a car from the victim.

Re "Terrorism Spurs Push for Prayer in Schools," Dec. 2: I do not feel it is appropriate to have group recitation of religious prayer in schools. Any child of any religion is free to pray during any quiet moment at school. Growing up Catholic in the 1930s and '40s with mostly Jewish and Protestant friends, I experienced great feelings of unease during the teacher-led Protestant version of the Lord's Prayer. There were two problems. First, I felt I was being coerced to recite the Protestant, much-longer prayer, which was not the prayer I learned in my church.

The updated wording of the Lord's Prayer (Feb. 21) is wonderful. For this age, it is more user-friendly (and I challenge anyone to say that that was not the Lord's intention), as well as more on point theologically. I would make one additional change to eliminate the sexism: "Our father in heaven" should read, "Our loving parent in heaven"; it would be unscriptural to suggest that the creator is exclusively male. Bishop David Stancliffe says his own diocese would be satisfied with the old version but that the new one is easier to teach, especially to those new to the faith.

In the news: Today marks the first official shopping day of the Yuletide season, says comedy writer Alan Ray: "Customers will search for that elusive item--a friendly sales clerk. And stores will be festooned with the traditional signs of Christmas: Batteries Not Included and Some Assembly Required ." Comedy writer Michael Connor, on the GOP welfare reform plan: "It's a classic! In fact, it's based on the teachings of Ebenezer Scrooge."

The pastor--tall and dapper in a double-breasted white suit--stands before his flock and intones, "Praise the Lord . . . are you all as nervous as I am?" Not your usual message from the pulpit, but the Rev. Cheviene Jones is no ordinary preacher. He's here this Sunday afternoon at Bethel AME Church in South-Central to sing and dance. In the name of the Lord, of course.

Jesus probably did not create the Lord's Prayer or teach it to his disciples, although certain phrases in Christendom's central prayer may have been used by him, according to an ongoing national seminar of biblical scholars. A majority of the two dozen scholars believed that the Lord's Prayer was composed by the early church a number of years after Jesus was crucified.

Re "Terrorism Spurs Push for Prayer in Schools," Dec. 2: I do not feel it is appropriate to have group recitation of religious prayer in schools. Any child of any religion is free to pray during any quiet moment at school. Growing up Catholic in the 1930s and '40s with mostly Jewish and Protestant friends, I experienced great feelings of unease during the teacher-led Protestant version of the Lord's Prayer. There were two problems. First, I felt I was being coerced to recite the Protestant, much-longer prayer, which was not the prayer I learned in my church.

In the news: Today marks the first official shopping day of the Yuletide season, says comedy writer Alan Ray: "Customers will search for that elusive item--a friendly sales clerk. And stores will be festooned with the traditional signs of Christmas: Batteries Not Included and Some Assembly Required ." Comedy writer Michael Connor, on the GOP welfare reform plan: "It's a classic! In fact, it's based on the teachings of Ebenezer Scrooge."

Regarding the Oct. 4 story, "St. $ilicon--a Preacher for PC Fun-damentalism": I resent the "humor" of Jeffrey Armstrong, who attempts to use the fundamental and basic beliefs and prayers of all Christians to get a laugh (and, apparently, make a lot of money while so doing). I grew up with "The Lord's Prayer" as an expression of how I was to live each day in the belief that I had a hope for my ultimate life, that my will was to be subject to God's and that I should live each day so that my relationship with my fellow man would be pleasing in the sight of God. This prayer is even more meaningful to me now as an adult.

The editorial (March 8), "Humanism as Religion," expresses puzzlement as to the nature of secular humanism. It states "Whatever secular humanism may be--and no one is exactly sure what it is--it is not a recognized religion in any sense of the word." There have been many comments about the nature of secular humanism and one pithy observation comes to mind that seems to sum up its essence--"Human living and human thinking without reference to God." When religion is ignored, says Dr. Luther A. Weigle, a former dean of the Yale Divinity School, it is natural for children to conclude that religion is negligible or unimportant or irrelevant to the main business of life.