http://www.todayschristianmusic.com/artists/derek-webb/features/derek-webb-the-lord-s-prayer-our-father/ IN HEAVEN This father, OUR father is in Heaven. Because this is a place we can’t even conceptualize, this prayer has already become transcendent. The opening line of The Lord’s Prayer is all at once corporate, personal and otherworldly. It’s a paradox. And in it, we are oriented as to whom we are speaking—our Father. Derek webb: Our Father in Heaven The Lord’s Prayer is widely misunderstood. While some may grab the dynamics of this mystical experience, many others recite it at family reunions, Sunday School Classes, 12-step meetings with little to no thought as to the depth of the words they are speaking. But, be it understood or not, the Lord’s Prayer is foundational and informative to faith. Ultimately, it’s our “feedback” to God. If you include “Amen,” there are nine lines of The Lord’s Prayer. The first line, “Our Father In Heaven,” launches the prayer with a culturally explosive idea. To approach and refer to God as “Father” bucked long- standing traditions. None of the prophets had talked about addressing God as “Father.” Remember, in that time, God could strike you dead if you gave the wrong offering or sacrifice. To address God as “Father” was a revolution in and of itself. OuR FATHER IN HEAVEN. OuR Every word in this first line of the prayer is important. First, we now see God as OUR Father. He doesn’t belong to one person or one group of people. He is inclusive. He is OURS. FATHER In the era that this prayer was first uttered, addressing God by such a personal name was mind-blowing. For the first time, the possibility of intimacy with God was spoken. “our father in heaven” FeedbACk: THE LoRd’S PRayER : christ wITH DEREk wEBB AND RAcHEl SHAVER (INO) for a more info on Derek WeBB, visit DerekWeBB.com 14 CCM