The Lord's Prayer

Salvi da Sassoferrato

Malotte's setting of "The Lord's Prayer" is on my heart and mind this evening. Here is the title track from the album "The Lord's Prayer" I made in 2000, for piano solo. This was recorded on the sanctuary Kawaii grand at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cary, North Carolina.

This morning's sermon was on forgiveness. Pastor Ned Hill ended with these words from the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Dr. Sally Thomas sang the Lord's Prayer following the sermon (which she did so beautifully). You can hear that sermon here. BE FORGIVING

Several weeks ago on January 9 my sister-in-law Marti Begly sang this for my mother's funeral and I accompanied her. Mom had left detailed instructions for her funeral service and this was her request.  Here is the live clip from that beautiful service:  THE LORD'S PRAYER sung by Marti Begly

This painting, "The Virgin in Prayer" by the Italian Baroque painter, Sassoferrato (1609 – 1685), made me wonder if Mary, the mother of Jesus, used the prayer Jesus taught the disciples in her own times of prayer. It certainly is possible. I also wondered as I gazed at this painting, what a painting of me at prayer might look like. Would I be known as a woman of prayer enough for someone to even consider capturing me in that posture of personal reflection?

My mother did take a photograph of me praying at bedtime when I was about three years old. This must have been on a Saturday night, because my hair is in curlers in preparation for Sunday school and church the next day. I'm thankful for parents that taught me to pray from my earliest days!