Lord’s Day 47: Q&A 122: Hallowed Be
I think it can be odd for those of us who are in contemporary western societies to think of the power of a name. The closest thing we have is the fear of saying Voldemort in the Harry Potter books. Hallowing God’s name is of course the positive example of having reverence for a name. The point of this petition in the Lord’s Prayer is that God’s name be holy above all else. This has led to some good old fashioned legalism around what exactly it means to take God’s name in vain, but the point is that we should revere God’s name because he is God. He is the holy creator of everything. I especially like the point at the end of this week’s answer that God’s name should never be blasphemed because of us; that we should live our lives as holy so that people would see God properly through us and not have their view of God distorted because of us.
Lord’s Day 47
Q&A 122
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (Psalm 145, Jeremiah 32, Romans 11)
Sovereign Lord,
you have made the heavens and the earth
by your great power and outstretched arm.
Nothing is too hard for you.
Great are you, and worthy of our praise.
We cannot even comprehend your greatness.
Help us to truly know you, Father.
As we worship you today,
Reveal your will and your heart to us more and more.
Let your love, Holy Spirit,
Be the anchor of our lives.
Loving God,
Gives us eyes to see and ears to hear
The ways you are at work in the world.
Let us see your works of power, wisdom, kindness,
justice, mercy, and truth.
All good and beauty comes from you,
Creative God.
Direct our lives to honor you.
That all our lives and words
Would be praise and honor to your holy name, God
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
In Jesus name, Amen.
CALL TO CONFESSION (Psalm 145)
One: The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
All: The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
One: He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
All: The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Great God,
We have not honored your name in our lives.
We have sinned against you and against our neighbors.
We have used your name to harm and hurt others.
Rather than kindness and justice,
We have spread hate and inequity.
Forgive us of the ways to have misused your names.
In the words we speak,
And in our actions.
Pour out your righteousness and grace on us, Holy Spirit.
Set us free to call on your name, Jesus.
So we can be called your children.
Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Psalm 115)
One: Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
All: By Christ’s love, we have been redeemed. Thanks be to God.
