I love the concept of May It Be So, but I am not so sure about the execution. May it be so is the meaning of the word Amen and I think that's a cool title for a book about the Lord's Prayer. This book is a prayer guide to the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11.
When Jesus taught his disciples (and us) to pray by giving them the Lord's Prayer, he said, "This is HOW (emphasis mine) to pray." He didn't say this is WHAT to pray. So, he didn't mean we must pray those exact words but use the ideas/concepts in it to pray. May It Be So guides the reader through the phrases in the Lord's Prayer day by day. It is intended to help him or her slow down and focus on what Jesus is intending, to really ponder and think through the prayer--very helpful in our often frantic and fast-paced world. The guided prayers are short, just one sentence, so they are easily remembered as you go through your day.
The book also features a longer meditation for each phrase of the prayer, designed to help the reader dig a little deeper into its meaning. Each meditation ends with some Pause and Reflect questions, ways to apply the prayer to yourself. For example, in the section on the phrase, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", author Justin McRoberts poses these questions: "What does forgiveness look like?" "Have you offered it?" "What would need to happen in order for you to do so?" Good stuff there.
The part of the book that I didn't care as much for is the contemplative imagery by Scott Erickson. Now, there is nothing wrong with his art. It's very good, a million times better than anything I could do. It's not offensive or theologically erroneous. I'm sure it will speak to many, but not much to me. I just don't really get it. I'm not very artistic, I guess.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Lord's Prayer and especially if imagery moves you, this is the perfect devotional for you. I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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