UNDERSTANDING THE LORD'S PRAYER

A conviction that adults are not ""praying"" the ""Our Father"" as it was prescribed for all disciples of the Lord -- past and present -- seems to be the basis for this book. Canon Bussche feels adult Christians should be awakened to a recognition of the maturity of the prayer God the Father expects from them. In the course of this scholarly, but tedious and unnecessarily lengthy treatment of his thesis, the author explores the eschatological tensions in man's existence and how God-centered prayer may resolve them. This part of the book touches on numerous concepts not usually associated with the meaning of this most familiar of Christian prayers. Undoubtedly anyone who plods through this exploration of the values to be derived from ""praying"" the Our Father will derive some benefits not otherwise realizable. But it will be a chore.