May Book of the Month: Our Way Home

Since I was a child, I have loved reading. There’s something exciting about entering into another world entirely unlike—or perhaps very similar to—my own and meeting new characters. Whether I am witness to a young wizard coming of age or two people falling in love or the protagonist solving the mystery, I love being a fly on the wall in those characters’ lives. I know the people and places are fictional, figments of the authors’ incredible imaginations, but they seem supremely real.

When I landed a gig at a publishing house as a book editor, and I felt like I had struck gold. Soon after I started, I was asked to simply read a manuscript and give my feedback. For someone who loves to read, it was a dream assignment. However, when I realized it was an entire book on the Lord’s Prayer, I confess my enthusiasm for the assignment waned. 

I read the acknowledgements first, in which the author writes this: “How do you say something new about the Lord’s Prayer to those who have known it all their lives? How do you teach it to lifelong Christians, and, at the same time, to those who are new to the Bible and prayer?”

I have to admit—it was like the author was reading my mind.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Daniel Paavola, author of Our Way Home: A Journey through the Lord’s Prayer, is not only a talented storyteller but also a wonderfully effective teacher through his writing. And in his book, Paavola offers exactly what the title suggests: an incredible journey through one of the most popular prayers in Christianity—and most likely the most popular prayer in the history of the world. 

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.

As someone who has prayed the Lord’s Prayer thousands of times throughout my lifetime, I was surprised to discover the impact this book has had on my prayer life. The anatomy of the Lord’s Prayer is broken up into several sections called petitions, and as the author examines each petition, he surrounds it with a story, introducing relatable characters and settings that make the Lord’s Prayer come to life in a way I’ve never before experienced. 

As I mentioned earlier, what I’ve always loved about books is their ability to transport me to another world and introduce me to intriguing characters. Yet the problem with the books I generally read is that the endings are really no ending at all. I never will know what ultimately happens to the characters and their worlds. But in Our Way Home, I am reminded that in praying the Lord’s Prayer, I am the one transported to the heavenly throne room of the God of the Universe. I am the one who is speaking, and I’m not just speaking to anyone—I am speaking with the most important Character in any story: God Himself. I am reminded that this world and the characters in it aren’t just the figments of a creative imagination—they are supremely real, created by the Ultimate Creator. And, best of all, I am not just a fly on the wall in this story. I am one of the main characters—and so are you!

I encourage you to read this book. Whether you’re a lifelong Christian, a new believer, or simply curious, I think you will find this book well worth your time. After all, what better story is there than a loving Father calling His children home?

All that being said, Our Way Home is one of my favorite things—and I think it might become one of yours too!