“Our Father” The LONG Version

Jennifer Fulwiler began her “Our Father” project a long time ago. As she writes here:

When I wrote the first post for this series back in March, I thought I’d have it wrapped up by the end of Lent. I would have never guessed that the final post wouldn’t be up until almost December!

Well, all things happen in God’s good time, but Jen — who is one of those superwomen (like Simcha Fischer, Danielle Bean, Betty Duffy and others) who manages to run writing rings around the rest of us while raising a large family — neglects to mention that she um, had a baby and also tended another blog and worked on a book, all while getting writers to ponder on a word or two from the Lord’s Prayer and then write on it, and she corralled some pretty interesting writers, I least of them.

Yes, she did manage to charm a piece out of me — I wrote on (what else) trespassing and being trespassed against.

Because I am forever in need of reminding that my tongue is too sharp, my willingness to stomp, too swift.

With our “best” intentions, though, we demonstrate that we are truly the children of Eve. Perhaps our earliest ancestor really was a victim of effective marketing and simply bought into the notion that she should “know more” and “be more” but in her actions she brought about the world’s first excuse-making, “wow, I didn’t really mean for that to happen” trespass. And as hers was a trespass against Almighty God, it was a whopper; her excuse, well…God understood her intention, even if she did not.

If Eve’s trespassing was humanity’s first, we know none of us will have our last until we pass from this world and into — if God is merciful — a glorious one.

If you’ve been a little slow getting into Advent, a daily stop at Jen’s Our Father Page — “nine months, 40 posts and 26 contributors later” — might be a great beginning for you!