The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 27, 2025 - Mr. Ed Carrette, Community Missioner, Homilist Artwork

The Preaching Moment

A moment each week when all is well for a mom and priest. The sermons of Mother Suzanne Weidner-Smith, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, Texas. The Rev. Suzanne Smith came to Grace, Alvin, first as Deacon-in-Charge in July 2018, after graduation from the Seminary of the Southwest with a Diploma in Anglican Studies in May 2018. She was ordained to the Episcopal Priesthood in January 2019, and since 2020, has been the Rector of Grace. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree at A&M in Corpus Christi, she went to Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained a minister in the Baptist Church. In the first decade of her ministry, Suzanne was a practicing Hospice Chaplain, where she learned how to provide pastoral care at the bedside of patients transitioning from this world to the next. Listening to their stories, and telling stories of her own, she realized the power of sharing the Gospel in story form. Passionate about liturgy, she weaves scripture and story to communicate the Gospel today. Suzanne is the proud mother of Luke, Noah, and Andrew. Together, they enjoy Cub and Boy Scouts, soccer, and basketball.

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The Preaching Moment

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 27, 2025 - Mr. Ed Carrette, Community Missioner, Homilist

December 21, 2025 • The Reverend Suzanne Weidner-Smith • Season 4 • Episode 31

Summary

Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette explores the origins and meaning of the Lord's Prayer, emphasizing that it wasn't Jesus' personal prayer but rather a formula he taught his disciples when they asked to learn how to pray. He highlights that this is fundamentally a community prayer meant to be prayed boldly and courageously, focusing on praising God and placing our needs before Him. Carrette encourages the congregation to pray together as a community with boldness, standing strong in the knowledge that God is ready to hear us.

THE GOSPEL Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, `Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Artwork: The Lord's Prayer (Le Pater Noster), by James Tissot (15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902)

Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette:

The Lord's prayer is quoted by billions of people each day in thousands of languages. In fact, the Lord's prayer has been translated into an astounding number of languages and dialects with some sources citing over 14 countries. That makes it the most widely translated text in the world, reflecting its significance in Christian tradition and its widespread use. This is a silly question. How many of you know the Lord's prayer? By heart? I'm pretty sure most of you do. There is the traditional language and cadence that we use in the Episcopal church, which is so very familiar. Our Father who art in heaven. And there is the contemporary language. Our Father in heaven fully be your name. There is controversy over some fine points. Are we forgiven sins or deaths? And how does the prayer end? Lee us not into temptation and deliver us from evil or the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.

There are a number of versions of this prayer used by prophets in Catholics, in contemporary services, and in more traditional worship. The important thing is that we pray. But what are we praying? What are we praying for? Where did this prayer come from? What does it mean? How are we to use it? It is clear that prayer is important to Jesus. We hear of him praying. We hear of him calling his followers to prayer and we hear the lessons he offers about prayer. In Luke's gospel alone, Jesus is at prayer, at his baptism. Before choosing his 12 disciples, before the first prediction in his passion, at the transfiguration. Prayer seems to be important to Jesus. And prayer was clearly important to Luke. After all, he collected and presented several stories attributed to Jesus here in a rather small section of his gospel.

Presumably then, prayer will be important to us. Let's take a closer look. As we read today, it begins with Jesus was praying. And when he was finished, one of the disciples asked him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. We learned a couple of things in this. One, that prayer is something one learns, something one can be taught. There goes the excuse, but I don't know how to pray. We also learned that our forms of prayer that teachers pass on. It was usual in Jesus' time and still is today for teachers to instruct their disciples and how to pray and give them a formula. This is essentially what the disciples were asking for. Rabbis, teachers, taught their students, their followers, their disciples, how to do things. In this case, it was John who had taught his disciples how to pray. And the disciples of Jesus asked for the same thing.

They asked to be taught. So Jesus told them, "When you pray, say this.

" Here we get to a potential stumbling block in understanding what we traditionally call the Lord's prayer. It wasn't his prayer, it wasn't. It wasn't what he prayed. It was his response to a disciple request to be given a formula for praying, to be given some instruction, a method. How often have we introduced this prayer and worship saying? And now, as our savior taught us, we are bold to say. So is it the Lord's prayer? Well, yes and no. He didn't teach us his prayer, but a way to pray and what to pray for. He gave it to his disciples as a way to formulate prayer.

There is another point about this prayer that is sometimes missed. This is a community prayer, not a private prayer. It is a prayer that first praises God, then makes three petitions for the one's praying. The language of us and we assume that the community shares the longing for the final coming of the kingdom. This puts a bit of an escatological trust on the prayer, a sense of urgency about end times. The people who formed the early church to leave with all their hearts and hope that Jesus was coming back to live them out of oppression. Amen. They expected that the kingdom would be established in their lifetime and they would live with God. Hence, the community prayed in the way that Jesus was struggling.

Another point, the daily bread peace in Luke more accurately believes day by day give us, or continue giving us, or each day give us. It seems that Luke wasn't looking for a glory life bread and an eventual kingdom, but sustenance for the day. Food for those who were encouraged to take up the cross daily, and who were expected to travel on missionary journeys only with what was needed for the day. It is as much a request as it is a demand. In Luke, one praying asks for God's forgiveness of sins, not deaths, while promising forgive others debts. This may be a reflection of news concern that possessions not get in the way of community relationships. It is also a reminder that God is the only one able to forgive sins, and that we are always in depth one to another.

Ultimately, the importance of the Lord's prayer is not only that Jesus gave it to his disciples, but that if it was picked up early by Christian worshipers and incorporated into their understanding of how God shall be praised and what is right to ask for. And it is especially important that has been handed down through the generations to find our community together. How does Jesus teach his disciples to pray boldly, courageously, expectantly? Praise God. Place your needs before God. This prayer begins in boldness. It is a prayer of great courage, both praising God and placing demands upon God's goodness, God's justice. It is the prayer of community. We hear a lot these days about Jesus as a personal savior and it's common to hear the question, "Have you been saved?" But that would have been a foreign notion to the Jewish community and out of character with Jesus' teachings.

It is all about community, not you and me individually. Pray in boldness, my friends. Stand strong, lift your head, raise your voice. Never mistake that our God is a strong God. Ready to hear us and pray together for the community. That is what Jesus taught. Amen.