As in Heaven, So Upon the
Earth: Reflections on the
Lord’s Prayer
The Rev. Dr. Ray Silverman
P
eople sometimes wonder why the Lord’s Prayer is said differently in the
General Church than in others faith, especially the phrase, “as in heaven,
so upon the earth.” They are so accustomed to saying “on earth as it is in
heaven,” that the General Church wording sounds strange.
This is especially the case at weddings and resurrection services when
many people attend a General Church service for the first time. When invited
to say the Lord’s Prayer, they often join in, appreciating the sense of unity that
is evoked by congregational prayer. Because the opening verses are so familiar,
almost everybody participates – until they get to that unfamiliar phrase: “As in
heaven, so upon the earth.”
Not wanting to get it wrong, spoil it for others, or seem impolite, some
may choose to stop praying. Feeling confused and awkward, they may simply
wait for it to be over, or pray silently to themselves.
In order to make our guests feel more comfortable, it would be a courtesy to
explain the reasons why we have chosen what seems to be a somewhat unusual
wording for the Lord’s Prayer. Of course, that means that we understand these
reasons ourselves.
Differences in Religious Culture
In the New Testament, there are two references to the giving of the Lord’s
Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. In both places, the wording of the
prayer is very similar – but the words are not identical. For example, Matthew
speaks about forgiving “trespasses” while Luke speaks about forgiving “debts.”
Also, the famous ending of the prayer, “For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever,” which is included in Matthew, is omitted in
Luke.
So, depending on the way people have been brought up, they may have
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