{"id":22649,"date":"2024-11-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-14-november-2024"},"modified":"2024-11-14T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T06:00:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-14-november-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-14-november-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 14 November 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Safeguarding 4<\/strong> <\/span>Forgiveness \u2013 the last step? <\/p>\n

St Matthew 6: 9-14 <\/span><\/strong>
 
Jesus said: \u2018Pray then in this way: <\/span>
 
Our Father in heaven, <\/span>
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
    but rescue us from the evil one. 
 
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. <\/span>
 
Reflection <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Almost every service of Christian worship includes the Lord\u2019s Prayer in some form or other.  It is the prayer that every Christian knows by heart and, if we are honest, is often prayed without too much thought.  The rhythm and familiarity give comfort.  Yet, for some the prayer can be terrifying. <\/span>
Forgiveness can be used as a weapon by the Church; those who have experienced abuse, oppression, and injustice can be silenced by those who tell them they have failed to forgive their abuser.  Jesus\u2019 words implying that God\u2019s forgiveness is linked by our forgiveness of others can be a text of terror.  Winnie Johnson, the mother of Keith Bennett murdered in the 1960s, was a faithful Christian but could not bring herself to pray the <\/span>Our Father.  Forgiveness can be a weapon we use against ourselves. 
Yet, perhaps, we could reimagine forgiveness to be something rather liberating.   <\/span> <\/p>\n