Beginning of the Lord's prayer

Our Father
Who art in Heaven,
Hallow be your name,
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,
for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

I've started reading a book called Becoming the answer to our prayers by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Wanted to share something about what it was written in this book as the authors begin to look into and understand each parts of the Lord's prayer.
In the first chapter - it really opened my own understanding of when we pray "our father." In praying this close and intimate prayer to the Father, we recognize the privilleged relationship that we have and the closeness that we have with God. I am sure we do not randomly call people in our lives "our father" but it is reserved for the one who we have a we have this close and kin relationship. Jesus uses the term Abba Father through many of His prayers and in our modern language translation it is more like dad or daddy or in our chinese context "ah ba" or "ba ba." This close parental language that establishes the basis of our relationship with God. We are His children; His beloved. But also notice that in this prayer it is "OUR" Father. This reflects the relationship not from an individualistic perspective but a corporate and communal perspective. This parental relationship with God is not between God and I but it is between God and US. This is a prayer of opening ourselves to the greater community of God; recognizing that He is the Father of more than just me but of my neighbours. What a simple first line but yet packed with deep calling and theology.

Have a blessed day! and may our prayers be that which joins us in our identity and call in Him!