Today and in the week following thanksgiving, I want to suggest a series of experiences for a busy pastor based on the Lord’s prayer. While anyone could do this by themselves, I would encourage you to find a group of 3 to 5 colleagues with whom you could share this experience electronically. This can be an Advent experience or for any season of the year. The colleagues would simply agree to pass the email along to the other members of the group with their contribution.
Begin with that portion of the Lord’s prayer that goes, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Your first week is focused on hope for the world. While God’s kingdom will come in God’s time, there are ways that we can live out that hope in anticipation. What is one thing that you might hope would occur in the next year that would make for a better world more reflective of God’s intentions. Place that in your email to your chosen colleagues and send it along. Each will in turn add their hope and continue the chain.
Each time you receive the email and read the additional hope that was added, pause for a few minutes to pray that the hopes will become a reality.
Following Thanksgiving, I will continue with additional experiences based on the Lord’s prayer.