Someone wrote:

I was assuming that it was an oversight when Charles Worthington left the phrase ‘with all your heart, soul, mind and strength’ out of his email. Perhaps I’ll appear to be nit-picking, but I think it’s vitally important: isn’t it the essence of true worship? Without this vertical dimension I know *I* can’t really love my neighbour.

= To which another responded:

= I agree. I think loving God (heart, soul etc.) and loving my neighbour are inseparable. I cannot effectively do one without the other.

I suppose ‘*the Lord your* God’ needs stressing too.

= I am interested to know why you (and anyone else) find the word “Lord” so special and meaningful? (this is an honest query, not a suggestion you should not find the word helpful).

I find the word “Lord” unhelpful. To me, it implies God is male and I don’t think God is;

= Hmmmm…. interesting. I had never thought of that, but then like many men I find that I often overlook male-centric nuances.

“Lord” as in “Lord and Lady” or as in “Lord and Dame”. There is certainly that usage.

Are female judges referred to as “M’Lord”? I think they might be. If so, then usage may be changing. I think it’s often better to change the meaning of a word rather than to change the word we use, but this puts me offside with many feminists of course!

it conjures up images for me of a medieval tyrant “lording” it over his subjects and I don’t think God is a tyrant;

= Hmmmm… not a problem for me there…

and I find it “over-used” particularly in some churches where it appears to have taken on the meaning of a comma – “Oh Lord, we worship you, Lord, you are the greatest, Lord, and Lord, we want to tell you Lord, how much we love you Lord…” 🙂

= Ah… me too. I vividly remember cringing through most prayer meetings of the 70s at which this recitation of “Lord” became something between a Buddhist mantra and a gift of tongues. (;->

Yet many people I know find it an extremely powerful and helpful word. I am wondering if others can share what it means to them?

= I think a lot of its meaning for me comes from 1 Cor 12:3 “no-one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (NIV). But the NIV concordance lists four pages of occurrences!

And I’ve already referred to my favourite way of starting a prayer, which is from Psalm 8:1 of course.

I find it helpful to say things like “we declare you are Lord in this place” in group prayers, especially when dealing with difficulties, discouragements, disunities. It focusses us back on the real issues and the real answers.

And it is a genuine prayer of course. My pet peeve in group prayers is people who say “we know that” and follow it up with their own theology, or even politics. Even when I agree with what they say 100% I still feel it is a very poor way of praying. But my experience is that when someone says “we know that” in prayer, they will normally follow the phrase up with something that they know very well not everyone agrees to! This has nothing to recommend it at all in my opinion.

It happens from the pulpit too, which is harder to understand. I mean, I can understand that if a person wishes to preach and is given a prayer to do instead, the temptation to give a sermon disguised as a prayer is obvious (hopefully a very short one). If they really do have a message from God it may even be the right thing for them to do in my opinion! Of course this is very rude to the preacher, but remember I am here talking of the terrible situation that a message that really is from God will otherwise not be heard.

But I think that someone who is given the opportunity to preach should definitely put their preaching into the sermon, and save the prayer time for praying. This also sets a good example which it is very much in their interest to do!

I’m interested as always in other views.

In particular, is there a more inclusive alternative to “Lord”?

Yours in Christ