Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Lately I’ve been paying attention to what Jesus asks of us in prayer and relationship. I understand the instructions not just in terms of what we are to do, but also as a sign of what God knows about the formation of human community. Sometimes we imagine that God expects churches (and families) to be perfect, but if that were so, why would we have so much instruction about what to do when things go sour?

Trespasses are my favorite thing about the traditional language version of the Lord’s Prayer. They are more colorful, more descriptive, and less loaded than sins. They encompass the large and the small -- the squashed toe as well as the midnight intruder.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

The more people we have in and around church, and the more varied those people are in their ways of engaging, the more we step on one another. The longer our congregations have gone without incorporating new people, the more sensitive we become to even small incursions into “our” space.

Offering a bible study in the Los Angeles County jail for women, I found that the idea of trespasses resonated deeply in that context. Several of the women had themselves faced trespassing charges. They also understood exactly how the concept of trespassing applied to living in a small space in a community not of their own choosing.

At my parish, we are becoming a center for community activity. Rooms that once stood empty are filled with music, dance, exercise, English classes, community meetings. There are trespasses. People forget to check the schedule. Use other people’s tablecloths. Neglect to take out the trash. Spill things that are sticky. Put up decorations that others find garish.

We so often look to God to defend our point of view. As I pray the Lord’s Prayer, I see a hint of a smile on God’s face. Ah yes, there will be trespasses.