The Lord's Prayer

[MajestyJo]

Please keep an open mind.

After a wonderful couple of days of speakers and healing messages, I came to an understanding that I do not like closing the meeting with the Lord's Prayer.

This was brought home to me at the closing ceremony, when a Native-American woman held my hand, but did not repeat the words.

This is a spiritual program, not a religious one and the Lord's Prayer is a religious one. It excludes people of other faiths.

In our Al-Anon meeting, we open with a moment of silence to reflect on why we are there and then have the opening Al-Anon greeting and we close with the Serenity Prayer.

I went to a Gospel Retreat with my two sisters and the topic was The Lord's Prayer. The speaker was a professor at McMaster Universaity. It was very healing, what stood out for me was forgiveness. It was an amend to my sisters, my being there. The three of us got up at the talent show and won. We were called the Harmony Sisters by another woman. For me it was very a very spiritual experience. The song we sang was about letting go of fear and finding love and forgiveness. It was called "I'm Free."

"Im Free" By Lynda Randle With David Phelps

http://www.gracehope.com/video/?v=u_grGGxlPJZF8

http://www.songlyrics.com/gaither-vo...m-free-lyrics/

I have seen people step outside of the circle. I knew a dear friend who said, "My parents" instead of God at the beginning of the Serenity Prayer.

We need to be mindful of not excluding others who believe differently. As I shared with this same friend, my God in today doesn't fit into a church. I don't want to limit God as to how He can work in my life by my limited outlook and narrow vision. I don't want to know who God is because I just might stop looking for Him.