The Lord’s Prayer as a "Cross Walk"

Engaging my “Protestant Rosary” (see previous post)… and praying the Lord’s Prayer as I get to the central cross in my lanyard of beads and knots has invited me to see the Prayer itself as a walk through the crucifix…






“Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed (honored and blessed and regarded as Holy) be your Name (and character)…

[here, my finger traces the head of Christ – recalling Heaven and Christ’s coming from the Father]




“Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on Earth (or “in Earth”… something we all are)

[here, my finger makes its way to Christ’s feet – as His feet touched ground and brought the Father’s will to earth, even so, I am asking that God’s will touch ground in and through me]



as in Heaven”…

[my finger makes its way back up to the head and Heaven]












“Give us this day, our daily bread/manna” (or “the bread we need for today”)…

[here, my finger makes its way up to the one hand of Christ… as I ask for Him to “give,” I imagine his hand open to me and gifting]






“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us” (or “Forgive us
our [past] sins as we walk as those living
and forgiving under
the Reign of
Your Grace”)…

[here, my finger traces the heart of Christ – the source of His love and mercy and Grace and forgiveness]

“And lead us not into [future] temptation, but deliver us from Evil and the Evil One…”

[here, my finger traces his other hand… as I ask him to “lead” me/us, I imagine taking His hand outstretched hand so that he can guide me/us into my/our future]





“For thine is the Kingdom, Power and Glory forever. Amen.”

[over time, I have found my finger retracing its “walk” through the cross: for thine is the Kingdom (head), the Power (on “earth”), and the Glory (from hand to hand)]

In these ways, the Lord’s prayer is a cross of sorts… or a “cross walk” in which we are about a certain “sign of the cross” as we pray it…

Don’t know if you saw it or not (above), as well: that the Prayer is also a walk through space and time: bridging Heaven (God/Father) to Earth (us humans)… and spanning present, past and future.

Whether any of this “works” for you or not is not nearly my concern as my hope that you are about some regular engagement of this perfect prayer from our Lord… and finding the ways it lives in you… and you live in it..

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.