Give Us this Day...

Been preaching through a series on the Lord's Prayer phrase by phrase.  When I got to the phrase "Give us this day, our daily bread..." It hit me.

How do we who live in a culture of excess and abundance pray that prayer?  I mean, we have more than we can eat in a day in our homes.  Most of us don't have to worry about where our next meal is going to come from.  The only worry we have is what to fix or what we are hungry for.  I've been in some homes in our world where they don't even have a choice about what to fix.  They eat the same thing at each meal and are grateful to have something to eat.  In lots of places in our world, people don't know what the next meal will be.  And for them to pray, "give us this day, our daily bread." is totally different than me.  For them it is a prayer of desperation.  For me, though when I pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," it is a commitment of concern and compassion for those who struggle to have enough.

So, my challenge to our folks was to eat less, waste less, support organizations like Heifer International (which we are currently in the midst of a "Fill the Ark" campaign) and to buy Fair Trade items.  In case you don't know what fair trade is... here is a great video that will aid your understanding what it is and why it is important to buy it.