The Lord’s Prayer 

Two lectures by Professor Bill McBryde on CD

This CD is one of those emerging from public lectures on Christianity delivered in Inverness in November 2009. Bill McBryde is a retired professor of law.  The author of many books and papers, all on Scots law, he is applying a life time’s experience of reading and analysing texts and of historical research, to an explanation of biblical texts.

No other prayer is better known to us than the Lord’s Prayer. We say it together almost every Sunday in Public Worship. This is right and good but it is an unfortunate irony that this frequent repetition of the Lord’s Prayer can unintentionally foster in us a lukewarm attitude to a beautiful prayer that “embodies every possible desire of a praying heart, a whole world of spiritual requirements; yet all in the most simple, condensed and humble form.”

Bill McBryde recognises this and engages the listener immediately with a four minute introduction on the 1st track covering “Attitude to Prayer. It opens with a fascinating reflection on the conversation between Jesus and his disciples that led up to the giving of the prayer. Tracks 2 and 3 complete the preamble and track 4 looks at the opening words, “Our Father.” Thereafter the prayer is divided into the parts we know so well ending at track 15 with “Kingdom, power and glory.”  I would quote Bill himself here, “The 15 tracks analyse the prayer drawing on a wide reading of many sources of different Christian traditions. This reveals a richness denied to those who merely engage in a quick,  meaningless, repetition of words possibly learned as a child.” I would add that each track is divided gently by a selection of tracks from “Amazing Grace.”

This short review cannot fully capture the wonderful scope and character of the lectures. Bill himself would be the first to eschew any direct comparison with the late Professor William Barclay. But an allusion, at least, is not out of place. I mean that in this CD we have the benefit of much scholarly research expounded in a way that we in the pews can readily understand and delight in. For example, in track 7 the Kingdom of God (a difficult concept at the best of times) is set forth in plain language that is yet   reverent and profound and uses (to my mind at least) the most reliable of sources to undergird his explanation.

Profits from the sales of the CD will go to church funds and, to use the language of our day, this CD at £10 per copy gives full “value for money” and more. Technically it is a recording of a very high order using the best CDs available and a sound file format that gives superb voice reproduction. It is 75 minutes long but the track separations afford the very welcome option of managing your listening time. The CDs will be on sale within the next week or so and can be purchased from Bill Mein, myself, the church office and the Olive Grove. Additional outlets will be advised in due course. For anyone who is serious about their Christian faith these lectures are a must, not just for the splendid analysis, interpretation and history but as an uplifting devotional aid. It is the Lord’s Prayer we know and love presented in a gifted and sincere manner.
                                                         Iain MacDiarmid

To download documents with further information and references to each lecture please follow the links:

Lecture 1 references
Lecture 2 references
Lecture 3 references
Lecture 4 references