A New Lord's Prayer

In reading an article for my World Christianity class I came across this new version of the Lord's Prayer. It was rewritten and is used by a Recovery Center in Douglas, Arizona/ Agua Prieta, Mexico called CREEDA. I was amazed at the commitment to faith that this prayer implies yet the truth within the words that we, as Christians, can learn from.

The Lord's Prayer

Do not call me "Father" if everyday you do not behave as my child;
Do not say "Our" if you live isolated in your selfishness
Do not say "Who Art in Heaven" if you only think about earthly/material things;
Do not say, "Hallowed by thy name" if you invoke it with your lips but your heart is far from God
Do not say "Thy Kingdom Come" if you mistake it for your material success;
Do not say "Thy Will be Done" if you do not accept the will when it is painful;
Do not say "Give us this day our daily bread" if you do not worry about the hungry;
Do not say "Forgive us our debts/trespasses" if you bear your brother or sister a grudge
Do not say "Lead us not into temptation" if you do not avoid occasions to sin
Do not say "Deliver us from evil" if you do not fight evil
Do not say "Amen" if you have not taken seriously the words of the Lord's Prayer


While this isn't exactly reformed it does take on a whole new meaning in the setting of a place of recovery from addiction to alcohol or drugs. In these settings people develop new ways of living and new ways of looking at their pain and hurt. It gives us all a new way of looking at our commitment to our faith, to God, and to the world around us. My favorite line is "Give us this day our daily bread," it is the reason why I chose to type this up on my blog.

I would also like to dedicate this new version to my wonderful friend Whitney. Her dedication to working towards reconciliation and peace in the world inspires me and I know she will love this prayer because it calls us to action and it makes us aware that Christianity is a verb.