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Uncluttered Faith
UpWords
by Max Lucado
One of my favorite stories concerns a bishop who was traveling by ship to visit a church across the ocean.
While en
route, the ship stopped at an island for a day.
He went
for a walk on a beach. He came upon three fishermen mending their nets.
Curious
about their trade he asked them some questions.
Curious
about his ecclesiastical robes, they asked him some questions.
When they
found out he was a Christian leader, they got excited.
“We Christians!” they
said, proudly pointing to one another.
The
bishop was impressed but cautious. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? They had
never heard of it.
“What do you say, then, when you pray?”
“We pray, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’”
The bishop was appalled at the primitive nature of the prayer. “That
will not do.”
So, he
spent the day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer.
The
fishermen were poor but willing learners. And before the bishop sailed away the
next day, they could recite the prayer with no mistakes.
The
bishop was proud.
On the
return trip the bishop’s ship drew near the island again.
When the
island came into view the bishop came to the deck and recalled with pleasure
the men he had taught and resolved to go see them again.
As he was
thinking a light appeared on the horizon near the island. It seemed to be
getting nearer.
As the
bishop gazed in wonder, he realized the three fishermen were walking toward him
on the water.
Soon all
the passengers and crew were on the deck to see the sight.
When they were within speaking distance, the fishermen cried out, “Bishop,
we come hurry to meet you.”
“What is it you want?” asked the stunned bishop.
“We are so sorry. We forget lovely prayer. We say, ‘Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be your name …’ and then we forget. Please tell us
prayer again.”
The bishop was humbled. “Go back to your homes, my friends, and
when you pray say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’”
From And
the Angels Were Silent
Max, 49,
originally from West Texas, was recently dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Christianity
Today magazine. When he was 16, Max spent hot summer nights digging
ditches and drinking beer, but soon he began to wonder if there was more to
life than what he was doing.
A
required Bible class during his sophomore year at Abilene Christian University
changed the course of Max’s life. He was fascinated with the professor’s
portrayal of Jesus and became convinced he wanted to be a follower.
He moved
to Miami and met Denalyn at a singles event at church. They married in 1981,
have three daughters, and he has pastored Oak Hills Church since 1988.
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