Tom Moore
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“All he did was ask.”
When I was in elementary school, we began each day by saying the Lord’s Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. By the early 1960s, the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory prayer was unconstitutional. The Court said the Lord’s Prayer violated the “establishment clause” of the Constitution. So, one day we went to school and were told that we would no longer begin the day with prayer.
But, we all know the words…
The Lord’s Prayer is very familiar even though we don’t say it daily at school. It is part of almost every Christian liturgy. It has been adopted by spiritual entities that acknowledge a higher power.
In the prayer, Jesus acknowledges God as our Father, who is in heaven, and who is holy and whose kingdom is in heaven.
Then, all Jesus does is ask! He asks for food. He asks for forgiveness. He asks for the willingness to forgive others. He asks for safety from trial and evil.
After Jesus tells us how to pray, he tells again to ask. To search. To look around. He promises a response. We need to look for it, and it will be the Father who will answer. He will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Thomas Moore has been a member of Trinity Cathedral since elementary school. He is retired. He was recently elected to the Diocesan Board of Trustees.
Find all Lenten Devotionals from Trinity Cathedral here.
