Still Relevant 2000+ Years Later // M-Note 9.27.2025

This past week, a video circulated showing the Secretary of Defense of the United States praying the Lord’s Prayer over a polished montage of military weapons and soldiers. It culminated with the closing words of the prayer over a U.S. flag. As I watched it, I thought to myself, “I wonder if this is what Jesus envisioned when he taught his followers this prayer 2000 years ago?”
 
Of course, this isn't the only way the prayer is used today. Sports teams pray it in locker rooms, churches have it printed on their walls, families say it around the table, and it is the default prayer when Christians who can’t agree on much else come together. Whatever your thoughts are on the subject, one thing is certain: after two millennia, the prayer is still relevant.
 
It just so happens that this weekend I will be finishing our series on the true meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and how it can shape our faith and life today. You might be surprised how much this familiar prayer can teach us about how to pray and how to live. Especially against the backdrop of how the prayer is so often used, I think it is important for us to study it and try to understand what exactly Jesus is teaching us in it.
 
This is an exciting and meaningful time to be in church. There are not many communities left anymore that bring people together who have different thoughts, opinions, feelings, political commitments, and spiritual perspectives. Such communities are essential though, especially now in an increasingly divided and polarized culture. The Gathering is committed to being a community that welcomes you no matter what, and we will challenge one another to grow in light of who Jesus is.
 
I hope you will be in worship this weekend. Every time you come, you help to create this community, and it matters! So plan to be in church, and it is a great weekend to invite someone else to check out this community as well.
 
Have a great weekend, and I will see you Sunday.
 
Peace,
Matt
 
P.S. Last winter, I finished a new revision of my Methodist Book of Daily Prayer. The new revised and expanded edition comes out October 8, and I am really excited to share it with you. In it there are additional daily devotionals, some new prayers, and a simple chart showing you where to start praying. Most of all, it is now available in a leather-bound form (and it even has a ribbon bookmark). I believe that finding time each day to connect with God is so important. So, I hope you will check out this daily devotion. You can find it on Amazon, other online retailers, and we will have some copies available at our sites when it is released.