...and rocketships...

Over time, Kiddo has developed what can only be described as a liturgy for bedtime. He begins with two structured prayers, then goes into his own personal petitions. The whole thing lasts 3 or 4 minutes. Here is a word-for-word transcript of Kiddo's bedtime prayers:

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 pantation (he hasn't quite gotten the hang of "temptation")
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Forgive my sins and when I'm awake
Show me the path of love to take.
Amen.

God bless mommy and daddy and Pumpkin and Kiddo.
And make Kiddo a good boy, and Pumpkin a good girl.
Amen.

(the next part is a sung echo song)

May the Lord bless and keep you (may the Lord bless and keep you)
May his face shine upon you (may his face shine upon you)
May his blessings go with you (may his blessings go with you)
And give you peace (and give you peace)
(repeat)

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.

God bless Ellie and make her feel better. Amen. (Ellie is a girl that Grandpa's church prays for. She's 2 years old if I remember correctly, and has cancer.)

God bless Pumpkin and the whole world. And rocketships. Amen.

God bless C (his aunt) and make her feel better. And share her blessings. Amen.

And help Pumpkin get a good night's sleep all night. Amen.

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If only we all could be so faithful to prayer, and have such a reverent sense of the power of familiar and repeated liturgy.

I kid you not, the kid doesn't deviate from his liturgical script. Night after night, day after day, he faithfully comes to God and prays for all of these things.

Even rocketships.

LH