Our Father...

From now until Advent, we’ll be traveling through the Lord’s Prayer a phrase at a time. Often, for me at least, a prayer can become very familiar and you hardly think of the words as you say them. In taking this prayer apart, and then using our creative, right brain, side to think about the phrases, may we gain a new perspective on what we are saying when we pray.

Throughout this series we’ll be taking the ‘thinking outside the box’ to another level every week. Recently on Facebook a translation of the Lord’s Prayer from the Aramaic circulated. This translation shines a different light on the terminology and so the second part of each meditation will use the line from the Aramaic translation.

I invite you to try some of these exercises and enter into this prayer. You can use an idea from part 1 or part 2, or both, or neither. I think you will be enriched if you take a few extra minutes to sit with this prayer. Sometimes, like today, there will be a bonus idea, too.

Of course, we start by saying “Our Father, who is in heaven”. How often do you really think about those simple words?

Part 1: Stop and think about each word in the phrase: like ‘heaven’, ‘Father’, ‘our’. Even the little words ‘is’, ‘in’, ‘who’ may jump out with new meaning. Choose one or 2 of the words. Find photos or other images that illustrate these words for you. They can be photos of your own, like this image of sunrise I took, or ones you find on the internet. Let yourself sit and be drawn into the image and closer to God.

Part 2
The Aramaic translation of the first line is “O Breathing Life, Your Name shines everywhere”. It is very different from what we are used to. The words open up new ways of thinking and praying this line.

The phrase, “O Breathing Life” instead of “Our Father” invites us to breathe a prayer. This is an ancient form of prayer and meditation. Say any short prayer, phrase from a psalm, or simply the word “Jesus”. Breathe in on the first half and out on second. One prayer you can us: “Be still and know/ that I am God.” You can also use this first phrase of the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father/in heaven or O Breathing Life/your name shines everywhere) as the mantra.

Bonus Idea

Another way to pray this first line of the Lord’s Prayer, in either translation, is to use Zentangles.
These are simply repeating ’doodles’/designs (like below). Pick one design from the selection, or make up your own.
Because they are so simple and repetitive, it is easy to pray while drawing. Let your mind roam through the first line of the Lord’s Prayer.

See you next week for ways to consider "Hallowed be Thy Name"