Matthew 6:13 is treated differently by different Bibles:

• Some translations include the longer prayer without brackets
• Some translations include the longer prayer with brackets
• Some translations do not include the longer prayer but give a note to explain the reason.
• Some translations do not include the longer prayer and do not give a note.

ISSUE: The words in question seem to function as a conclusion to the prayer.

• Removing the words in question would seem to have a more abrupt end to the prayer. It would no longer fully represent the expected form of a prayer. So, it would make more sense to keep the longer form.

APPLICATION: Say it through from beginning to end as a prayer.

• Yet, if vss. 9-13 are just a list of things to pray to God instead of an actual prayer, then a conclusion is not needed.  Or, is it possible that using the word “Amen” at the end of a prayer is more a practice of Christians of today instead of 1^st century Israel.  In either case, the shorter form would be justified.

APPLICATION: Use the items in the prayer speckled throughout your prayers.

ISSUE: The theological content of the prayer is at stake.

• In content, the words of declaring God’s power and glory forever are not stated earlier in the prayer. Thus, the longer form should be kept.

APPLICATION:  It is equally important to declare God’s power and glory forever as it is to make supplication.

• Yet, the words in question are similar to the previous words “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”  So, removing the words would not really remove any theological content that is not contained in the prayer already. Thus, the shorter form would be justified.

APPLICATION: Declaring God’s power and glory is good, but for this prayer, it’s not the primary focus.

ISSUE: The words in question are of a different type than the rest of the prayer

• The words in question are a declaration of God’s greatness.  The prior phrases focus on requests on behalf of God(name be hallowed by men, kingdom come, will be done) as well as requests on behalf of man(bread, debts, temptation).  To end with words of praise would be a third type to this. To not include the words in question would be missing an important part of the prayer.

APPLICATION: We should have both Adoration as well as Supplication when we pray.

• Yet, since the prior phrases are all requests, the words of praise do not fit the prayer and thus the shorter form would be justified.

APPLICATION: This prayer gives examples of Supplication and does not discuss Adoration.

1. How does your Bible treat Matt 6:13?
2. Consider the issues above.  Which seem to be stronger arguments?
3. Study the use of the word “Amen” in the Bible. How is it used?
4. Does it make a difference if the longer phrase is used? How so?
5. Is this a “do-or-die” issue? Or, is it something that people can have different opinions on?

Order Of Worship

• Great Is Your Glory
• Here Is Love
• Mighty To Save
• Your Love Never Fails

• “Principles for the Inner Life” – Dr. Dan Green – 1 Thes. 5:16-18

• Desert Song

And here’s what I was talking about, featuring the majesty and power of God and His creation:

Lightning strikes three of the tallest buildings in Chicago at the same time! from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

I leave you with this, however:

A Repenting Church [Christianity Today]

Stay prayerful, and be expectant of big things from a Big God.

–Hans

I just came across this quote and I found it to be quite thought provoking.

I thought others might find it thought provoking as well.

It’s a quote by John Sailhamer in “The Meaning of the Pentateuch” on page 104.

The ability to fill out the biblical picture is at the heart of the problem. Using modern historical tools, we have the same ability to fill in the historical details of scriptural narratives as we have of painting intricate details of seventeenth-century life over the shadows of a Rembrandt painting. By painting shadows, Rembrandt deliberately left out many historical details that would have given us much information about the events he recorded on canvas. Historians who understand the culture and life setting of seventeenth-century Europe could easily replace Rembrandt’s dark shadows with historically accurate details of the world around him. In the same way, historians of the ancient world could fill in many historically accurate details about the events recorded in the biblical narratives. They could, for example, help us to better understand the nature of biblical covenants by comparing them with ancient treaty documents. There is no end to the amount of material now available to “fill in” the biblical picture. The problem is that this would have the same effect on the biblical(OT) narratives as on Rembrandt’s paintings. Filling in the biblical narratives with additional historical material may teach us things about the events of which the biblical writers were speaking, but the evangelical’s goal in interpretation and biblical theology is not an understanding of those events as such. The goal, as evangelicals must see it, is the biblical author’s understanding of those events in the inspired text of the Bible(OT). We should not seek to know what lies behind or beneath Rembrandt’s shadows. It is the shadows that are a central part of the paintings, not the historical details that lie behind the shadows and are thus not in the painting. Rembrandt’s meaning lies as much in what is not seen in his painting as in what is seen. The shadows, by blocking out the irrelevant details, help us focus on what is seen. The effect of our adding more details to the painting would be to lose Rembrandt’s focus. The task for evangelicals is to recover the sense of what the biblical texts intend to tell us about the events they are recounting. We can arrive at that goal only by an exegesis of the text.

The main distinction he seems to be making is between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology. The former looks at every detail to discover what is. The latter looks at the emphasis made by the author. I think there’s a place for both. What are your thoughts?

There will be a recording eventually, but not soon.

• All Of My Days
• How Can I Keep From Singing Your Praise
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• According To Mercy

• “Family Reunion”  - Dr. Michael Green

• From The Inside Out

Participating in Sunday Setlists @ [TheWorshipCommunity]

Even though the rain came hard, it didn’t stop us from spreading the love of Christ throughout Chinatown! We had a great turn out for Jesus Day 2010, so thanks to all the volunteers who came to help. Worship from Jesus Day:

Download MP3 Download audio file (CCUC-Jesus_Day-2010-06-05.mp3)
Morning worship:

• Be Thou My Vision
• Glory Download audio file (CCUC%20Worship%20Team%20-%20Vol.%202%20-%2001%20-%20Glory.mp3)
• Forever
• Mighty To Save Download audio file (CCUC%20Worship%20Team%20-%20Vol.%202%20-%2002%20-%20Mighty%20To%20Save.mp3)
• By Our Love

Afternoon worship:

• You Are Holy
• Hosanna

Find some pictures taken by Mike here: Flickr Gallery

Download MP3 Download audio file (CCUC-Sunday_Worship-2010-05-30.mp3)

• Hear Our Praises
• In Christ Alone
• Here I Am To Worship
• Center

• “What Do I Mean When I Say…?” – Dr. Michael Green

• How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

Participating in Sunday Setlists @ [TheWorshipCommunity]

Phil’s posted a few parting thoughts on his site about what to pray for and how to keep up with him while he’s away.

There have been many parties and parting gifts to send him on his way, and as pictures and videos or whatever are made available, I’ll post them here–so send them to me!

• “See You Later Phil!” – Ambassadors – Riley and others put this together

See You Later Phil! from Tastysushi on Vimeo.

• The worship team put together a collection of music from our Sunday worship services as an CD album for him to remind him of who he has served with, and to encourage him for what he will be doing in the future. Download it here! Many thanks to everyone who has served on the musical worship team for contributing their time and skills to this, and a special thanks to Kim for putting together the artwork and designing the case. All the songwriting credit goes to the various artists around the world that wrote these songs for us to worship God with, and they are listed below:
• Download A Work In Progress

1. Everlasting God (©2005 Thankyou Music, Brenton Brown & Ken Riley)
2. So I Sing (©2010 Phillip Chan)
3. Here I Am To Worship / Once Again (©2000 Thankyou Music, Tim Hughes / ©1995 Thankyou Music, Matt Redman)
4. Surrender (©1998 Andrew Morris)
5. Lord Of Lords (©2007 Hillsong Publishing, Brooke Fraser)
6. In Christ Alone (©2001 Thankyou Music, Stuart Townend & Keith Getty)
7. Made Me Glad (©2001 Miriam Webster)
8. Always Forever (©2006 Seems Like Music and Phil Wickham Music, Phil Wickham)
9. Better Is One Day (©1995 Thankyou Music, Matt Redman)
10. None But Jesus (©2005 Hillsong Publishing, Brooke Fraser)
11. Cannons (©2007 Seems Like Music and Phil Wickham Music, Phil Wickham)
12. Soon (©2009 Hillsong Publishing, Brooke Ligertwood)
13. I Will Rise (©2008 Vamos Publishing, worshiptogether.com songs, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, and spiritandsong.com, Louie Giglio, Matt Maher, Jesse Reeves, and Chris Tomlin)
14. From The Inside Out (©2005 Hillsong Publishing, Joel Houston)
15. You’ll Come (©2007 Hillsong Publishing, Brooke Fraser)
16. How He Loves (©2005 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music, John Mark McMillan)
17. Untitled (©2010 Shane and Shane)

• If you have photos from various parties and gatherings with Phil, please email them to me and I’ll compile them and put them up somewhere.

Download MP3 Download audio file (CCUC-Sunday_Worship-2010-05-23.mp3)

• Center
• The Wonderful Cross
• Jesus Messiah

• “Whats so good about the Good News?” – Dr. Michael Green

• Amazing Love

Participating in Sunday Setlists @ [TheWorshipCommunity]

Download MP3 Download audio file (CCUC-Sunday_Worship-2010-05-16.mp3)

“Light and Dark”

• Here I Am To Worship
• “I Love the King” (title?)
• Once Again
• Because Of Your Love

• Scripture Reading – John 11:1-6
• “The Tears Of God” – Dr. Michael Green

• Here Is Love

Participating in Sunday Setlists @ [TheWorshipCommunity]