The Lord's Prayer from multiple angles

Tim Woodcock writes: As a complement to Pastor Travis’s sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer, I’ve been listening to a short series of reflections that similarly approaches the prayer, forensically and in sequence. It is part of a radio series called simply “The Essay,” something my wife pointed me toward, which was broadcast originally on BBC Radio 3 and is now available online. None of the commentators are approaching the Lord’s Prayer from within the framework of orthodox Christianity and it is all the richer for that.

Each one is about 15 minutes in length. Among my favorites are:

- The literary and playful approach of novelist, Ali Smith who, in a transporting Scottish accent, focuses on the phrase “art in heaven” - with art operating as a noun rather than an archaic verb.

- Rabbi Julia Neuberger who looks at the phrase “give us our daily bread,” comparing it to the prayers of the Jewish people that Jesus would have been familiar with, as well discussing the role of bread within the story of the Jews.

- Thomas Lynch who takes on the phrase “forgive us our trespasses” but avoids getting caught up the merits of trespasses vs debts vs sins. Having rejecting the Christianity of his childhood, Lynch offers a secular worldview and a penetrating reflection on what forgiveness is and isn’t. He argues, in part, that the Lord’s Prayer forces us to acknowledge that we can’t get the big relational stuff right until we get the small stuff right.

If you are intrigued enough to take a listen, follow the links below:

Art in Heaven - Author Ali Smith discusses the first lines of the Lord's Prayer: “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

Thy Kingdom Come - Muslim academic Mona Siddiqui explores the second section of the Lord's Prayer. She considers the lines “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread - Rabbi Julia Neuberger considers the middle section of the Lord's Prayer, reflecting on the line “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Forgive Us Our Trespasses - Michigan-based poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch considers the lines of the Lord's Prayer “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Lead Us Not into Temptation - Poet and author Andrew Motion considers the penultimate lines of the Lord's Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”