A Book Review
Award-winning author Harold Senkbeil has written an excellent children’s book in Lexham’s FatCat series called The Lord’s Prayer: For All God’s Children. Other books in this series include The Apostles’ Creed: For All God’s Children and The King of Christmas. The talented Natasha Kennedy has drawn the artwork for each of these colorful and edifying books.
Each two-page spread begins with a phrase from the Lord’s Prayer. A short prayer follows, asking the Lord to help us pray that specific phrase. There are then a couple of catechism-style questions that children could memorize, some words of explanation, and a short concluding prayer. The question-and-answer format is the catechism feature indicated by the word “Cat” in the series. Books in the series are “Fat” in the sense that they’re brimming with “meaning, challenge, and comfort.”
The author, Harold Senkbeil is best known for writing The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart. He writes with clarity and simplicity. In this short text, he teaches young readers about the glory of God, humanity’s sin, the Father’s love, the Son’s sacrifice, wonderful grace, and future glory. Although written for children, this book can encourage and instruct people of all ages.
Kennedy has created beautiful artwork with thematically-related visuals. There is a helpful list of references at the end of the book, indicating where the biblical inspiration for each illustration came from. And, of course, the signature Fat Cat is hidden somewhere in each spread, waiting to be discovered by little eyes. Kids will probably enjoy pointing out hidden cats most of all. Mine definitely did.
I could not determine from which Bible version this text of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6–13) comes. It reads . . . 10/20/23 Update: The series editor, Todd Hains, has informed me that the text of the Lord’s Prayer used in this book follows the Book of Common Prayer. It reads this way:
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
THY KINGDOM COME
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER
AMEN
Families wishing to use a specific version for memorization purposes could easily substitute with the translation of their choice.
The Lord’s Prayer: For All God’s Children is an excellent addition to a great series, and I look forward to seeing Lexham Press, Natasha Kennedy, and other skilled authors produce more FatCat Books. Check out my previous review of The Apostles’ Creed: For All God’s Children here.
Brent, the text of the LP you quote is from the Great Bible 1539- according to a Scottish Presbyterian service book I have, the United Free Church, “Book of Common Order 1928” (OUP 1928) which has “trespass/trespasses” in the Great Bible translation of Matt 6:12 text of the LP at page 195. In turn the English “Book of Common Prayer” has also the “trespass/trespasses” text which I suppose influenced subsequent use in most of the English speaking world. The Authorized Version/King James Version & most (?) other versions before it have “debts/debtors” in Matt 6:12 which text is also given in the BCO 1928 as their first form with the Great Bible version as an alternative. The original Great Bible & 1662 BCP texts have “Our Father which art in heaven” slightly modified in some modern printings of the LP with the substitution of “‘who” for “which” as cited above.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing your findings, Ross.