Thy Kingdom Come

I’ve been preaching a series on the Lord’s Prayer lately (with the help of the Simpsons) and was wondering how people from different perspectives on Christ and Culture would mean “thy kingdom come” when they pray this in the Lord’s Prayer.

Let me first start by defining this phrase. Although this might admit my bias, I think the Westminser Shorter Catechism best defines it:

In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come) we pray, That Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

The proponent of Christ Against Culture strives to avoid culture because of the influence of Satan’s kingdom in it. This perpsective seeks the advancement of the kingdom of grace in helping people escape the evil world in order to protect them from it so they can live right.

On the other hand the kindgom coming is much more broadly conceived by someone in the Christ of Culture camp. They would see the kingdom of grace advancing and Satan’s kingdom being destroyed as more and more people begin to live according to their set of ethics.

Ethics are important to the following three centrist perspectives, but no to the neglect of a higher theology. These centrists see the kingdom in a more spiritual/sotieriological way. For instance, someone who is Christ Above Culture would see the kingdom of grace coming through conversion and belief in God, which consequently results in good behavior.

On the other hand a proponent of Christ and Culture in Paradox who holds that there are two spheres of life- the secular and the sacred- would view the kingdom spiritual but personal. When they pray “thy kingdom come” they might mean that their personal spiritual or sacred world would grow stronger.

Lastly, someone who is Christ Transforming Culture would see the kingdom of grace (not defined merely as ethics, like the more extreme perspectives) influencing the world and making it a better place for everyone as it begins to topple the kingdom of Satan.