The Universe in 57 Words, a devotional by Carolyn Arends on The Lord’s Prayer, is a free gift from the Spiritual Formation ministry which is Renovare. Going to the web page for the book/pamphlet (click here: The Universe in 57 Words – Renovare) not only takes you to a link for a free download but also offers songs (performed by Arends) which compliment each unit’s reading. Together, they provide a meaningful experience for studying and meditating on our Lord’s perfect prayer–information for the mind and formational practices for the heart and soul.
Engaging this offering and Arends words have me recalling my own reflections on and experiences with the Lord’s Prayer–reflections and experiences which I have shared through the years.
While “A Protestant Rosary” shares the fullness of my use of “knots and beads” in a prayer exercise that has emerged over the years, it especially focuses on my seeing a “sign of the cross” in the Lord’s Prayer–something which has come to me as I have prayed the Prayer (with crucifix in hand) in the heart of that prayer time/exercise.
The video form I share here is a result of my sharing this practice with others—in A Formational Practicum for Leaders, led by Rev. Brenda Buckwell of Living Streams, Flowing Waters in Fall 2021. The video gives some suggestion of the evolution of this material in my heart and mind over the last 15 years—from an experience in prayer to formal blogging… unto my employing it as I led morning prayer in my third year of Spiritual Direction training [in January 2021].
For those wanting to engage reflections specific to “The Lord’s Prayer,” jump to the 8:00 mark in this video…
So, here, the question (or questions) assert themselves…
- what is your general experience in prayer?
- what stirred in you as you watched the video?
- what, if any, life does The Lord’s Prayer have in your prayer life (beyond Sunday worship)?
- how, if at all, does The Lord’s Prayer stir your imagination? what images come to mind as you recite and live with these words?