If you know me, you know that I have an overblown theology of the Kingdom of God so for me this is a very significant part of the prayer. In preparation for the study on Tuesday be thinking about the following:
-What does God's Kingdom look like?
-What would it look like for the Kingdom of God to come at your workplace, in your neighborhood, at CSU, Front Range, UNC?
-What are the implications of Jesus teaching us to pray for God's Kingdom to come?
-Similar to "hallowed be your name," do we have a part to play in the Kingdom coming, or is that up to God alone?
Be thinking about these things, post comments if you would like. I'll see you Tuesday!
2 comments:
We have talked a lot about missing the point in the past few months in regard to the word of God. I am finding that I myself miss the point so many times in what He says simply because I want it to say what I think it should. I am realizing that when I am wrong, and when he has something more buried deep within that my simple mind cannot grasp- I am even more amazed at how good he is. I am pretty sure this prayer has more buried within it as well that I must be missing.
With that being said… I did a search on the words “the kingdom of God” in the bible and I am intrigued by what it brought up. Here are two of them…
“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28
I don’t think I can really wrap my mind around the idea of this kingdom that cannot be shaken. That is pretty huge. I think we serve a God that does not need us to accomplish his kingdom but he allows us to be a part of it and glorifies himself in that. He even says it is within us. It seems to me that when we get little glimpses of how immense his kingdom is (better yet, how immense He is) we get to experience such a “consuming fire”. This God and His kingdom defy all of the rules when it comes to reason. He is a God that loves unconditionally regardless of how conditional I am. He is a God that is able to glorify himself even through the mess that I can easily tangle myself in. He is a God whose kingdom will come regardless of me (humbling) and yet he desires for me to play a role in its coming. It is too much and beyond my understanding. I take comfort in that.
Kailin, Thanks for your thoughts. I love the truth of His Kingdom not being shaken. Despite all the evil in the world, despite all of the "not yet" I can know that His Kingdom will stand. He isn't at risk, His Kingdom won't be overcome. That gives me great comfort.
As for the Kingdom being within us...maybe that's something we can talk about on Tuesday.
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