I would like to expand on our previous consideration of interpretation versus festooning via example. The first words of prayer traditionally said in the morning is, "I thank You, living and eternal King," as translated by the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. But, as with any translations this is also an interpretation. One could alternately interpret the same phrase as, "I acknowledge/admit before You..." or "I confess to You..." The ambiguity arising based on the multiple possible meanings of the Hebrew word (modeh) מודה.
And these different interpretations will affect the way one may approach this prayer. If I am thanking God and look around at all He has given me and I am overcome with gratitude. If I acknowledge before Him, I look around and see God's hand in all I have. I am admitting it is all due to God and is not due to my own strengths or talents. If I confess to God, I look around at all I have almost with concern. I know that I am not deserving of any of it and confess that He has given me way above and beyond any sort of rewards I might think of getting for any meager good I may do. These interpretations are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and I might concentrate on one versus the other, or a synergy of them, depending on my mood or on the specific day.
But, again, these are interpretations.
Festooning would be my personal thoughts on my prayer. For example, I can thank God for my beautiful family. There is nothing in, or interpretation of, this particular prayer that suggests that it refers to my (or anyone else's) family, but I can festoon it onto the prayer. Others while reciting that same prayer may festoon it with their family, or with thanking God for their job, or their house. All of these are fine things to concentrate on when thanking God and, again, I do not have to keep the same festoon every day. Similarly, if I interpret the prayer as confess, I can confess to God that I do not deserve my wonderful wife and someone else may confess before Him that they do not deserve their wonderful car. Again, that choice is personal and not motivated by an interpretation and thus a festoon.
Returning to Lewis's letter and the Lord's prayer, Lewis (correctly in my opinion), does not want to restrict the words, "Give us this day our daily bread," to only spiritual needs, though that seems not a terrible interpretation. Other interpretations might mean, actual bread, the meals I need for the day, my livelihood, and so on. I can also attach my personal festoons such as thinking about my job that I have, or a specific type of food I really like.
In short, when we pray it is insufficient (or at least very sub-optimal) to mouth the words with no understanding. But once we understand, we must interpret the way we interpret a give prayer is not necessarily the same way someone else does. A layer on top of that are festoons that we all know is not the interpretation of the prayer but a personal application of example of what we are praying for.
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