For Praying Out Loud
Interfaith Prayers for Public Occasions
L. Annie Foerster
“The goal of this book is to help us evoke all of creation as our palette for public worship. When nothing and no one is left out of our prayers—when everything in creation is present—it is easy to reach the heart of God and of the gathered community. When we understand and believe that the holy is at the center of our gathered community, our prayers will have more impact, both spiritually and secularly.”
—from the Introduction
Public prayer requires a common spiritual language that will “invoke a sense of the holy and provide a common ground of belonging for all present.” In the opening chapters of this helpful volume, Foerster focuses on creating a sacred space in a public setting and offers practical tips for writing interfaith prayers, choosing the right tone and language, and closing prayers appropriately. These introductory suggestions are followed by nearly eighty prayers by Foerster and others, which may be used as they are or adapted. This wonderful collection provides clergy and lay people alike with well-suited reflections and blessings for all kinds of interfaith public events. Prayers are grouped by theme for easy reference—Unity and Diversity; Peace and Justice; Healing and Remembrance; Gratitude and Praise; Dedications and Ordinations.
Praise for For Praying Out Loud:
“Anyone suddenly tapped to make a public prayer will find this book a
life-saver. The section on “Peace and Justice” serves a particular need at this
juncture in our national life.”
—Rev. Peter Raible, Interim Minister,
UUA
For more information contact skinnerhouse @ uua.org.
Last updated on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
