Father

*FATHER

Christianity emphasizes the Father. In fact "father" and "mother" are two aspects of the same reality of God. Father is more expressive of the side of wisdom or understanding and mother the side of love and compassion. In Buddhism, understanding is essential to love. Without understanding there cannot be true love and without love there cannot be true understanding. (Buddha, Christ, p41)

Many readers were hoping for a more radical revision regarding gender-inclusiveness changing "God our Father" to "God our Parent." (Bible Versions, p148)

The mataphor of Father in Heaven no longer works, God is not a cosmic parent watching over us, therefore we have to care all the more about each other, the various limbs of humanity. (PS 1/4/97)

Our Father who art in heaven. (Matt 6:9)

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus states the relationship between God and man is that of father and child. If man is the offspring of God, he must partake of the [divine] nature of God. (Sermon on the Mount, p150)

He who was seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9)

When the good Lord was creating fathers, he started with a tall frame. A female angel said: "What kind of father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? ... Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?" The angel shutteth up. (When God Created Fathers by Erma Bombeck)

Prayer reaches its perfection when it is no longer my dialogue with God but "Christ's dialog with the Father in me." "Abba, Father!" It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me. (Zen, p28)

Our (not "my", "I", "me" throughout, but "our", "us", and "we")

Father (

Who art in heaven (a state of bliss)

Hollow (holy)

be thy name (character, nature)

Thy kingdom come (rule)

thy will (spirit, character, nature)

be done on earth as in heaven

Gives us this day our daily bread (physical and spiritual needs)

and forgive us our debts

as we forgive our debtors

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil

For you are the kingdom (rule, reign, domain, dominion)

and the power

and the glory

now and forever. (Randy)