The Lord's Prayer: Confessing the New Covenant

by J. Warren Smith

We have all had the experience of being at church and hearing the pastor say, And now with the confidence of children we are bold to pray, 'Our Father . . . but before we know it we are saying "for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" In the very moment of intimacy when we are given the privilege of entering the presence of our heavenly Father, our minds have drifted off. We speak the words of the prayer, not from our hearts, but from the autopilot of memory. This is mere recitation, not prayer. If in relationships familiarity breeds contempt, in the case of the Lord's Prayer, familiarity breeds thoughtlessness. The Lord's Prayer: A Confession of the New Covenant is not a Bible study in the traditional sense. It challenges us to think about the Lord's Prayer anew by understanding it as a confession of the New Covenant that Christ makes with us when we are made children of God in baptism. In hearing these familiar words afresh we learn to remember our baptismal covenant so that we might live more fully into that new relationship with God and with one another.

Genres: Theology

150 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2015

Reviews

[John Shelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely accessible book by a brilliant scholar and Christian.

[Nick Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful for a sermon series, and it would be just as good for personal devotion.

[Agatha Nolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teases out the meanings of each phrase in the Lord’s Prayer not to exhaustion but instead to highlight the poetic beauty of the prayer. With interesting comments from early Church Fathers as well as a bit of history on how the Lord’s prayer ended up in the liturgy in the form as we know it, this book is not only inspiring but informative. There are so many theological “pearls” that I’ll be going back for a re-read to make more notes and dwell in the words. I will never say the Our Father with a lackadaisical spirit again, and for that I am grateful.

[Michael Bozmarov · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. This is a careful and beautiful reading of the church fathers and the way that their theology should influence our understanding of prayer. A great read for everyone.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little book. A beautiful primer on Christian theology, spirituality, and Church history, it strikes many chords at once. A bit more conservative than my theology is currently, but nothing obtrusive. I wish I had had this book to help me when I started Dr. Smith's class my first year at Duke Divinity School!

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is observable, that though the doxology, as well as the petitions of this prayer, is threefold, and is directed to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost distinctly, yet is the whole fully applicable both to every person, and to the ever - blessed and undivided trinity.

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