Sorry to go on so long, but here's some information about the doxology "For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory forever and ever".

These words are used in the Hebrew Caballah, described in Webster's dictionary as "a medieval and modern system of Jewish theosophy, mysticism, and thaumaturgy marked by a belief in creation through emanation and a cipher method of interpreting Scripture ... an esoteric doctrine or mysterious art".

Caballists use these words - in Hebrew (ie. ATEH [for Thine], MALKUTH [the Kingdom], VEH GEBURAH [the Power], VEH GEDULAH [the Glory], LEH OLAM [forever and ever] AMEN [so be it]) - as they perform an exercise called the Caballistic Cross. As the words are intoned, one touches the forehead, the heart, the right shoulder and then the left shoulder, while visualizing a Cross of Divine Light being formed within and around the body. The Caballists use this exercise as a powerful blessing to begin and end their spiritual rites.

The Jews were very much feared throughout medieval Europe because of their powerful 'magical' rites. In fact, a 'cabal'- the root word of 'caballah' - means "the artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united TO BRING ABOUT AN OVERTURN OR USURPTION ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS".

What intrigues me about this is that it is so similiar to the Catholic 'Sign of the Cross'! The only diffences being the words spoken, the fact that the right shoulder is touched before the left one (which makes sense because the Hebrew language is written from right to left), and no visualizations are employed!

It's also interesting that the Protestants included the WORDS, by adding them to the Lord's Prayer, but left out the motions in their liturgy. Similiarly, the Catholics kept the motions but changed the words.

Could it be that the Christians of either persuasion were interested in garnering for themselves the 'mysterious' POWER of the ancient Hebrew rite WITHOUT becoming totally 'Jewish'? Again, Hmmmmmm

daylia