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Draw near: O Antiphons

Lynne Baab • Tuesday July 19 2022

O God of words and music, we give thanks for psalms and hymns and spiritual songs connecting us to long-ago believers. We thank you, Lord of sound and harmony, for the Church’s many voices raised in praise. Sing your Spirit in our hearts and voices, that our gratitude might brim and overflow.

O Lord of leaves, O Maker of the trees, O Rooter of all life by living waters, Pruner of branches, Ripener of fruit, Lord who sweetens sap and reddens berries, help us through the season of cold hearts. When bare of fruit, build us firm in faith. Feed our hidden roots until the spring. —Diane Tucker, from “One Winter: Forty New O Antiphons”

O...

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Draw near: Praying with Others

Lynne Baab • Tuesday July 12 2022

I’ve written before that people often tell me they wish they prayed more. They seem to be referring to prayer alone. Many of my blog posts imply that I am focusing on praying alone. In reality, of course, any prayer idea can be used in prayer with others as well as alone. I want to stress that here.

Most Christians find it easier to pray with others than to pray alone. Last year, I had the privilege of being asked to write an article for Christianity Today on communal prayer. (You can read the whole article here.) Here are a few sentences...

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Draw near: Simple prayers for friends and family members

Lynne Baab • Tuesday July 5 2022

Sometimes when I’m praying for family members and friends, I try to think of one word to summarize what I long for in their lives. Recently one of my favorite words is “shalom,” with its broadest meaning – wellbeing in every area of life. For several friends and family members, I find myself praying the word “joy.” For friends who struggle with anxiety, I simply pray “peace.” For my intrepid granddaughter, when I feel anxious about her safety, I pray the word “protection.”

Cheryl Forbes’ book Imagination: Embracing a Theology of Wonder, has helped me to see my one word prayers for...

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Draw near: Praying for power

Lynne Baab • Tuesday June 28 2022

One way to grow in prayer is to use prayers others have written. Because I was raised Episcopalian, many of the prayers in The Book of Common Prayer have a familiarity to me that goes back to my childhood. Here’s my favorite:

“Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.”

The Book of Common Prayer was written...

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