Whether you call it Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day, November 11th has long been a day on which to remember and give thanks for those who have served their country. This year it falls on a Sunday. I received little training in seminary about how to, even whether to, mark such days in the church; nor, I am afraid, did I offer my students much counsel. (Perhaps that silence was itself counsel.) While I understand some of the typical church/state concerns of highlighting such days in our congregations, it seems to me that on days like this — or, for that matter, on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or Thanksgiving...
A Prayer After Charlottesville
posted by DJL
A number of folks have emailed me of late with requests for resources for their congregations during this turbulent time. At this point, it’s hard to answer all emails (though I try!), but I will share when I can things I’ve found or created. Below is a prayer we used in our congregation last week that I modeled after St. Francis’ “Peace Prayer.” Use and/or adapt it as you find helpful and, as always, feel free to share resources you’ve found helpful in the comments. A Prayer after Charlottesville, based in part on St. Francis’ “Peace Prayer.” Lord God, we pray that you would arm us with...
Buechner on “Meager Prayer”
posted by DJL
Do you ever worry about your prayer life? Actually, let me phrase that another way. When on those occasional moments that you think about your prayer life, do you feel like it’s inadequate? If so, then you’re in the same boat that I am. And, as it turns out, with Frederick Buechner as well. I take some comfort in that, as Buechner is one of my favorite authors and theologians. (His book Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale is one of my favorite reads of all time, any genre, and absolutely my favorite book on preaching.) And so to hear him describe his prayers as scattered and as mumbles and to confess his own...
Prayers for Boston
posted by DJL
The temptation in the face of a tragedy like the one in Boston yesterday is to give in to the understandable sense of helplessness that attends such acts of violence and cowardice. It’s understandable because, in fact, there is very little we can do. Few of us can fly to Boston to comfort...
Request for Prayer
posted by DJL
We’ve talked a lot about prayer in recent weeks on this space. I learned a lot from those conversations and am grateful for them. One of the things I learned, and continue to learn, frankly, is that it’s important not just to pray, but also to ask others to pray for you, as by honoring...
Prayer as Connection and Communion
posted by DJL
A few weeks ago we had a great discussion about prayer. What it is, what we believe about it, what we don’t understand, what we do, how we practice it, and more. I learned a lot from it and am still mulling it over. Shortly after that, I came upon this interview with Richard Rohr. Richard is a Franciscan monk and author of numerous books, including the recent Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life and Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self. I really appreciated Richard’s view that prayer can be anything – anything done in a state of communion and connection. Communion and connection with God, with others, and...