Praying the Lord’s Prayer through actions
Have you ever experimented with putting actions to portions of Psalms or songs? It can be an enriching experience. I would like to invite you to either, create your own actions or to use the following actions as you recite the Lord’s Prayer. You may choose to recite it out loud or silently to yourself.
Stand with your feet a little way apart. As you say ‘Our Father who art in heaven’ lift one arm up above your head and as you say, ‘hallowed be your name’ lift the other arm up and bring your hands together as in prayer. Lower your arms to your side.
Repeat action of lifting first one arm and then the other as you say, ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done’. As you say ‘On earth’ make your fingers touch above your head, then open your arms out sideways and bring them down so your fingers gently touch in front of your body. Point towards heaven with one hand as you say, ‘as it is in heaven.’
Cup your hands together and stretch out your arms, as you say, ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ and bring them back towards your body and mime eating, by bringing your fingers towards your lips.
Cross your arms across your body so that your right hand touches your left shoulder and your left hand touches your right shoulder, and bow your head as you say, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’, then uncross your arms and stretch your arms out with your hands together, take a step forward, and move them from side to side, to symbolize forgiving those around you.
As you say, ‘Lead us not into temptation’, stretch out your arms in front of you and hold your hands up. Then open your arms out sideways swiftly, as you say, ‘Deliver us from evil.’
Lift one arm above your head, as you say, ‘For thine is the kingdom, and lift the other as you say, ‘and the power and the glory’ and circle your arms as you did for ‘earth’ earlier each time you say ‘ever’ and bring your hands into a praying position, with your palms and fingers touching, in front of your chest, and bow your head, as you say ‘Amen’