The Lord's Prayer has always had a special place in my heart. Rod Marshall's recent devotional about it reminded me that my mother inherited an expanded version of the prayer from her grandparents, who were originally from Scotland.

It was written in calligraphy on parchment paper and was about 18 inches by 24 inches, but I don't know how old it was. She had it tucked away in a drawer in a heavy paper folder because it was delicate, and it had started to deteriorate. Unfortunately, I have not seen it since my mom died in 1983. But after my dad passed, I was going through his papers and found one dated June 4, 1944, written by my mom. It was a copy of the words of the prayer. I couldn't believe that I actually got the words. I may not have the original parchment, but I have the words.

I tried to trace it back and found it in an 1855 book called The Friends Intelligencer. It was attributed to Bishop Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), who preached a striking series of nineteen sermons on the Lord's Prayer in London, England, in 1588 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

It spoke to me because of the poetry that was in between the lines of the Lord's Prayer. It will help us to give more thought to the words of the prayer as we say it, rather than simply repeating it.

I hope that you get as much comfort from it as I do.

If any be distressed, and fain would gather
Some comfort, let him haste unto
Our Father,
For we of hope and help are quite bereaven
Except Thou succour us,
Who art in heaven.
Thou showest mercy, therefore for the same
We praise Thee, singing
Hallowed be Thy name;
Of all our miseries cast up the sum,
Show us Thy joys, and let
Thy kingdom come.
We mortal are, and alter from our birth;
Thou constant art,
Thy will be done on earth;
Thou mad'st the earth as well as planets seven,
Thy name be blessed here
As 'tis in heaven.
Nothing we have to use, or debts to pay,
Except Thou give it us:
Give us this day
Wherewith to clothe us, wherewith to be fed,
For without Thee, we want
Our daily bread.
We want, but want no faults, for no day passes
But we do sin —
Forgive us our trespasses.
No man from sinning ever free did live.
Forgive us, Lord, our sins
As we forgive.
If we repent our faults, Thou ne'er disdainest us;
We pardon them
That trespass against us;
Forgive us that is past, a new path tread us;
Direct us always in Thy faith,
And lead us —
We, Thine own people, and Thy chosen nation,
Into all truth, but
Not into temptation.
Thou that of all good graces art the giver,
Suffer us not to wander
But deliver
Us from the fierce assaults of world and devil,
And flesh, so shalt Thou free us
From all evil.
To these petitions let both church and laymen,
With one consent of heart and voice, say
Amen.