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Good Morning. To the delight of many people, Wimbledon starts next week.. I once knew an old lady who loved watching tennis so much that when the tournament began she made herself a flask, wrapped herself up in a duvet and refused to answer the door for two whole weeks! For her, happiness was Wimbledon!

For the Lord Jesus, happiness or the ‘blessed life’ was when God’s name was honoured and when the priorities of heaven were replicated here on earth.

‘Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come’ he prayed.

God has a name and since the name ‘Father’ is special, it is a name not to be treated lightly or abused.

God has a name because he is a person, not an impersonal force and God has a name because he wants us to communicate with him as naturally as a child would to his or her parent. Jesus called him ‘Abba’. I’ll never forget the first time I heard a child cry out to his dad ‘Abba’. It was by a swimming pool in Jerusalem

‘Hallowed be your name, and Your kingdom come’.

When we pray that the kingdom of God will happen we identify and offer ourselves as participants in this world in which God rules through love and salvation. The kingdom we pray for can never be grasped by what we read in the newspapers. God rules from heaven, doing his creating, saving, blessing work behind the scenes and from the cross.

Heavenly Father, Help us to honour your name as holy and to live in such a way that exalts righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And all we ask is for Jesus’ sake. Amen