Stephen Cotterell. Published by Hodder & Stoughton
This is a wonderful short read from the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, about the Lord’s Prayer. It reminds us of the centrality of these words of Jesus and how they bring shape and form, not only to our lives and our walk with God, but to how we engage with others and with the world around us.
Early on in the text, Cottrell says ‘…….the Lord’s Prayer comes from the heart of God to the heart of the world via the heart of Jesus and is lived and communicated to the world through our hearts. As we learn this prayer by heart and say it each day, we come close to the heart of God and learn to live God’s way.’ This summarises the heart and intent of the book.
The invitation is for the reader to dive deeply into these words of Jesus that all too often are lost in familiarity. The text address Jesus’ prayer line by line and offers gentle yet profound insight into each section: Our Father, the three praises, the three humble requests and the doxology. We’re reminded that the Lord’s Prayer is the ‘pattern and outline of all prayer’ which ultimately draws us deep in the heart of God as our prayers unify with those of Jesus.
The book also includes some reflective questions at the end which are really helpful for personal and/or group reflection.
Jon Timms
Rural Ministries
First published in MOSAIC Issue 15, January - April 2025
Yorumlar