A RHYTHM OF PRAYER BOOK REVIEW

A RHYTHM OF PRAYER

by Pastor Kaitlyn Forster (kaitlynf@lordoflife.org)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am the worst at maintaining a Lenten practice. I place too many expectations on myself when I do, and the guilt sets in pretty hard when I inevitably don’t live up to those spoken and unspoken expectations. I’ve given up trying so hard, but that doesn’t mean that I have given up spiritual practices. Finding ways to connect with God and faith are incredibly life-giving and meaningful. My practice this season—not Lenten, just this season of life—is to read a prayer a day from ARhythm ofPrayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal, edited by theologian Sarah Bessey. Then I take a few moments to let the words sink in, wonder where God is showing up, and offer my own prayers back to God. If I miss a day, that’s ok. There’s always tomorrow. What I love about this collection of prayers and meditations is that it is a collection of voices pondering where God is in our world today. They offer vulnerable reflections and help me realize that I do not travel through these tough days alone. Weaving in scripture, breath prayers, and quotations, they are organized into three categories: Orientation, Disorientation, and Reorientation—providing thoughts for wherever the Spirit is leading that day. The closing of the first prayer, “A Prayer Against Efficiency” written by Micha Boyett, continues to grasp my imagination: “Order us, that we may stand within time holding your hand. That we may know we are enough, not because of what we make of these hours, but because within these hours—with you— we are being made (Page 4).” If you’re like me and need something to ground you in your prayer life, then this book is a beautiful place to rest, and yet, be challenged.