Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-15
! GRAND RAPIDS WIS, THURSDAY JAN. 15 1911
5. 1t is an unsectarian PRAYER.

is truly Catholic prayer, in the prop
er sense of that word. 1t may be us
ed by any and every living soul with
the same perfect propriety. 1t ex-
presses no creed except the simole
creed of humanity. There is nothing
in it which makes it more dear to a
devout man of the English Church,
than to a deyout man of the church OF
Rome. The Presbyterian finds moth
ing in it to support his special idea,
nor does the Methodist or Baptist or
any other ist. A pious Jew finds it
just as expressive of his needs and du-
ties as does disciple of Jesus. Even
a Mahommedan finds in it nothing that
contradicts his faith, nor is there true
and earnest soul of any other religion
who can find in this prayer anything
to compromise his own peculiar views.
This, it seems to me, is one Of the
very wonderful things about this pray
er, and striking proof that its origin
is divine.
What prayer ever made by any man
or church or council would be appro-
pirate everywhere, always, and with
everyone? But this is Here is the
recognition of the one Father of US all !;
Of the sacredness Of his name of the
power and extent Of his kingdom ; of
the wisdom and rightness of his will,
and who does not assent to this
Here too is the recognition of the
Father as the source of our supply,
just as he is the source Of our being
Our Father, and who denies this, that
knows a God at all Then here is
recognized our sin and our weakness,
our need of pardon and help; what
earnest soul of any religion does not
feel this Then here is the looking
for and assurance Of favor and pardon
and help, which every being who cares
to become "worthy of Cod must ev-
er rejoice in, be he orthodox or hetero-
dox; and finally, here is simple as
cription of praise, which compromises
no one who is not an atheist, and
which must be, to every worshipping
and loyal soul, of every creed, as nat
ural as his breath. There is neither
anglicanism nor romanism, neither cal
yinism nor armenianism por lutheran
ism in this prayer, yet it accords with
whatever is best in all these. It is
worth remembering that the only form
Of prayer which Jesus has given, is a
prayer for the whole human race, sug-
gestive of no creed or doctrine except
such as is natural to every human soul.
It serves to illustrate the unity Of the
human race as we'll perhaps as any
thing can. If you can find a being to
whom this prayer is not appropriate, he
surely may be counted cut of the hu-
man family. But every one who may
use it, we may surely reckon as a
brother. Who then is not our broth
er? What pity that sectarians and
bigots do not more carefully study this
wonderful prayer 1t would gradual
ly broaden them. For, does not this
prayer suggest the conclusion that the
man who can honestly and heartily say
this prayer unto our Father, is in the
way of truth and life, and one whom
the Father can help and bring safe
home at last ? That man, be he in
one church or another; be he jew or
christian or what-not be he baptised
by sprinklipg or immersion, or, reject
ing all outward washing, be he not
baptised at all, save by the spirit of
truth !; be he confirmed by bishop or
priest or layman or no man that soul
is least-and that is most striving
after the Father, and is loyal to his
kingdom and his will How brief and
simple is the creed of this prayer !;
yet who shall say there is not enough
in it to save an honest soul. What
peoples or churches or individual could
not unite on this prayer: but if SO
what ought to divide them?
6 This is missionary prayer.
The ''our" and GUS, all the way
through, take in humanity; poor,
needy, SHINING, suffering humanity.
The first thing pledged in the prayer
is sympathy and service in the king
dom of God, that it may come, may
be established in the earth. 1t is a
prayer for missions, that they may have
success, and that so '"righteouness and
peace and JOY in the Holy Ghost, "
which "the kingdom of God is may
prevail in the earth. Missionaries of
o,rorrr ra,,no lnnn this nrauer 1t Is