Liturgy in the Wilderness: How the Lord’s Prayer Shapes the Imagination of the Church in a Secular Age by D.J. Marotta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had a hard time getting into it at first, the idea of “imagination” or reimagining (each chapter has this idea) in the Lord’s Prayer didn’t sit well. It sounded more like a fantasy, and the Lord’s Prayer like magic. But I persevered through the first chapters that in my opinion stretch the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer. I finished it and I can say that there is some good content to explain the Lord’s Prayer. At the end Marotta says that the Lord’s Prayer is about living it out and when we do we subversively bring in the kingdom of God (a theme word throughout).
The missing part is how it’s done in practice. Marotta (an Anglican priest) believes it’s liturgical and this if done will stir imagination as we make it part of our lives. I pray this prayer often in the context of the my whole time before the Lord (which includes thanking, confession, Scriptural prayers and reading/praying the Psalms). It does help me align my will to his will. It is the scaffolding that I need as I pray. Not always do I get to the 4th petition because I get caught up with the first three.
I do recommend the book though. Worth the time. The last chapter which deals with the doxology was the best for me and not because I was done. It has some good thoughts of our power as believers.
