It’s been a hard day, and seeking solace, turned to prayer. I pulled this book off my shelf because the title — Light and Peace — spoke to me. It’s a collection of prayers by Charles Hall Leonard, published by the Murray Press, a Universalist publisher, in 1915. Leonard (1822-1918) was an outsized figure in… Continue reading “A Fruitful Life”
Category: Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer in Esperanto
I’m at that point in my Esperanto education that I had better move the next level or accept being left as an eterna komencanto: an “eternal beginner.” That’s not bad (article in English) per se, but I would like to attend conferences — organized, if off-beat, travel (esperante) is one of Esperanto culture’s big pay… Continue reading The Lord’s Prayer in Esperanto
“This week we pray for…”
You may have noticed that there’s a widget on the right-hand column called “This week we pray for” that has a date, a list of nations and a picture. This links to a prayer resource from the World Council of Churches, focusing on a different region of the world each year. Each resource page features… Continue reading “This week we pray for…”
Normal thanks
So, Daisy the Dog greeted me this evening with a tap-dance show, like normal. I had to help her on to the bed, but then she enjoyed Hop on Pop and Pillow Burrowing, like normal. And she whimpered for (and ate) her usual food, like normal. For these normal things, Lord, I am truly thankful.
Micro-alterations in liturgy
One of the principles I brought into my morning and evening prayer practice is that I would read the prayers as printed until became accustomed to them. I would borrow their voice and let it become mine as I learned the internal logic of the services. I refused to be trapped by my own sensibility:… Continue reading Micro-alterations in liturgy
Daily prayer: “I will pray for you” (and mean it)
“I will pray for you” and its secularized version “I’m thinking of you” are still lively expressions of concern, and often deeply valued by the person thought of or prayed for. Friends have approached me, asking for prayer, only last week. “Of course,” I said. And I mean it, and I have a plan to… Continue reading Daily prayer: “I will pray for you” (and mean it)
Evening prayer alterations: Prayer for the President
Twice a day now, I pray for the President of the United States and others “in civil authority” as part of my morning and evening prayer practice. It is not only a hallowed practice, but one that gets its warrant in the same breath as a testimony made for universal salvation, namely 1 Timothy 2:1-4:… Continue reading Evening prayer alterations: Prayer for the President
An unexpected source of Universalist prayers
The Optimist’s Good Morning is a book of prayers and written selections, published by Little, Brown in 1907 but it’s also a Universalist Publishing House title, and so not-surprisingly full of Universalist authors (and a few who aren’t, like Confucius.) Florence Hobart Perin, the compiler, was herself a Universalist leader, and presumably the same Florence… Continue reading An unexpected source of Universalist prayers
A Universalist witness to the Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide began in 1915, so in anticipation of the centennial, I’m reprinting this witness — towards the end of the genocide — from the April 15, 1922 issue of the Universalist Leader. (I’m not sure what else to call it but “witness,” and the people of 1921 don’t have the language we do… Continue reading A Universalist witness to the Armenian genocide
Holy and eternal Spirit, source of life and light…
Holy and eternal Spirit, source of life and light, thou art our helper in every need, thou fulfillest all our joy. Be thou this day the present help of all who turn to thee, here and everywhere, whether hurt or ashamed, whether sick or disheartened. And when we are strong, be thou a light beyond… Continue reading Holy and eternal Spirit, source of life and light…