Hallowed Be They Name

The Lord's Prayer. Most of us know it, in some form or another.

Our Father
Who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our tresspasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from Evil
For Thine is the kingdom
And the power
and the glory
Forever and ever
Amen

Well, at five02, we're kicking off our community launch by studying the Lord's prayer section by section. I missed the first teaching/discussion on "Our Father", as I got assigned child care duties (as an aside if you or anyone you know is in the Findlay Area and would like to volunteer to do Child Care for two hours on Saturday nights to help a ministry get off the ground, let me know). But, this week I got to participate.

Anyways, one of Ryan's main points was that part of God having a Hallowed Name is us keeping God's name above reproach (or at least this is what I heard/got out of it). So, the question is, how do we do that?

We can (easily) acknowledge with our lips, and even with our hearts, that God is mighty, pure, holy, above all, and hallowed. Is it our challenge to keep God's name holy and reverant? And if so, how?

I believe the word offers us to places to look:

O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

We are required to do what is right. Not to attempt to do what is right. Not to try to do what is right. To do it. Just shut up and do it. Not to make excuses when we don't. To do it. (My thanks to Nike and Yoda for some of the insight there).

We are also required to love mercy. Not only to love receiving mercy, but to love giving mercy. Which is difficult. Very difficult at times. It's not fun to show someone mercy. But it's required. A good friend of mine once read this line as "love loving others". And that's stuck with me. It's a philosophy I like to keep.

And last but not least, in this passage, we are to walk humbly with the Lord. God has given us a role to play. But we must always acknowledge that it is Him giving us a role, not Him needing us to play a part. He could recast us as easily as a sitcom recasts a holdout minor character. That's walking humbly. Knowing that anyone else can be called to fulfill your role.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

If God has a hallowed name, and is to be our Father, others need to know this. But how will they ever see God? Through our love. When we love others, he is made fully expressed. No longer emulated or simulated, but replicated. We replicate God when we love others. What an awesome power.

And, so, that's my challenge. At least for myself. To keep God holy, to keep His name above reproach. And there's my blueprint. Do what is right, love loving others, walk humbly, and replicate God through my love of others.