Thanks for the good words on yesterday's post.
Here's the prayer for today, again by Harry Williams:
"O God, I am hellishly angry; I think so-and-so is a swine; I am tortured by worry about this or that; I am pretty certain that I have missed my chances in life; this or that has left me feeling terribly depressed. But nonetheless here I am like this, feeling both bloody and bloody-minded, and I am going to stay here for ten minutes. You are most unlikely to give me anything. I know that. But I am going to stay for the ten minutes nonetheless."
(Harper Collins Book of Prayers page 395.)
The first time I read this one, I laughed out loud. I could easily imagine this crusty Englishman--arms folded, scowling--daring God to show up. I can easily imagine myself doing the same thing. In fact, I have.
What I appreciate about reading collections of prayers is knowing that I am not alone. Other people have thought/felt/said/written things that reflect my experience, and when I read their words I experience the communion of saints in a unique and often powerful way.
Kinda like when y'all comment on my blog. :-)
3 comments:
Yup, Amen again . . . except I don't have the ten minutes!
Hi Mary. I checked into your blog when Meli died and have been reading ever since. Thanks for this. Here I am searching for a way to pray and a way to honest faith, for myself, but also for my two teenagers--who have been raised in a fairly skeptical household--for them to see that there is such richness in this journey, that there is more to the relationship, that God is real. Any devotional materials I've found so far for us to use together have been way too saccharine. I look forward to sharing these prayers with them. wow.
I did laugh!
Post a Comment