Walking Through the Lord's Prayer

Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt, 1661–1669, Public Domain

The women at Church of the Good Shepherd in Lynchburg, VA, are gathering this year to walk through the Lord’s Prayer, line by line. Last month we looked at "Our Father" by practicing Visio Divina (“sacred seeing”) on this painting by Rembrandt. There is also a newsletter for the women to continue throughout the month and at home to pray and reflect on the theme through visual art and meditations.

The most recent newsletter included An Interpretation of Psalm 23 by Scott Newman:

Shepherd of my soul,
shepherd me now.

My soul attaches to so many things
for safety and security,
take it all and offer only your love and your grace,
that is enough.

My body keeps the score
of my brokenness my pain
my trauma.

Let me enjoy the peace of
unburdened shoulders,
unclenched jaw,
untightened gut.

My fears are daily companions:
some are real
some are imagined
some I don’t yet know.

Walk with me, arm in arm, even when my voice shakes
and I will know courage.

When the road is long and I lose heart,
surprise me with tastes of shalom.

All that is unreconciled within me and without,
you make whole.

There is nowhere I can go
to get away from your goodness and mercy.

If I didn't have these,
I would not exist.

As I return home, let me discover
I was there with you all along.