Keeping Prayer Simple, Immediate and Relevant.
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s widely expected that eyes be closed tight during prayer, just listen to the attempts of a three-year-old flouting the rule. “Thank you Jesus for the food and please keep us safe and thank you for mummy and daddy and… thank you for the window and the rubbish bin and dinosaurs and…” It’s at about this point that Master Three’s roving eyes meet mine and he finishes with a hurried “amen” and a cheeky grin. Gotta love him! Heads bowed, eyes closed and hands clasped aren’t such bad instructions, if a little tight-laced. To be honest, I can never find my authoritative mummy voice to reprimand our little man at prayer time. He’s talking to God and God deserves our respect, but we forget too often that faith is a relationship of many dimensions, including humour. The Lord’s Prayer is a particular difficulty for kids and I’ve heard some stellar mispronunciations: “Our Father who art in heaven, Howard by they name” or “How’d you know my name?” “Give us this …