The Woman's Book of Prayer. Becca Anderson
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of my family: Thank you for (name each member of the immediate family, not forgetting yourself). Bless each one of us with the strength and health we need to serve you today, with the joy we need not to give in to discouragement, anger, or boredom, with the protection we need against physical and moral danger, and with the love we need to give hope to those we meet.
—Unknown
7
Look Out for Those Miracles
The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws and their probability, which for all practical, everyday purposes amounts to certainty; the new therefore always appears in the guise of a miracle.
—Hannah Arendt
8
The Sustainer of All
You alone are God,
You were from of old,
And You will be until eternity, always, first and last,
Now and always for ever and ever.
As for You, You are the same,
and Your epoch will not come to an end;
As for You, You are the same,
and Your kingdom will not be abolished,
And Your Power is invincible,
And Your strength is untiring,
And Your magnificence will not be humbled,
And the splendor of Your Name will not be dispelled,
and the praise of Your exalted fame will not be diminished,
And Your light will not be darkened,
And Your decree will not be abrogated,
The pillar of Your word will not be overthrown,
And Your wisdom will not fall into error,
And Your counsel will not be concealed.
You alone are God, God of all;
You alone are God, Lord of all;
You alone are God, King of all;
You alone are God, Creator of all;
You alone are God, Conqueror of all;
You alone are God, Omnipotent;
You alone are God, Slayer of all;
You alone are God, Destroyer of all;
You alone are God, Saviour of all;
You alone are God, Life of all;
You alone are God, Sustainer of all;
You alone are God, Protector of all;
You alone are God, Restorer of all;
You alone are God, Raiser of all;
You alone are God, Supporter of all;
You alone are God, Helper of all;
You alone are God, A righteous God over all creation.
—Ethiopian Hassidic Prayer
9
A Time to Heal
To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal …
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance …
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
—Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
Prayer Practice: Ritual Cleansing, Purification
Many religions and cultures have their own forms of ritual cleansings (Baptisms/Christenings, Mikveh, Ghusl/Wudu, Snanam, etc.) that each have different symbolic meanings. Though many of these ritual baths are purely spiritual, some have also incorporated material objects for both physical and metaphysical cleansing; for instance, the Romans used oils and fragrances, Indians used herbs and spices, and even Cleopatra added milk and honey to her ritual baths. These rituals are typically used to mark a rebirth or significant change in one’s life and are often believed to have purifying properties. While some of these ancient rituals have come under criticism by women for suggesting that women are unclean, modern feminists have reclaimed spiritual bathing as a way to appreciate femininity and oneself. Any woman can incorporate the idea of ritual cleansing into her life in many forms either similar to or symbolizing the original concepts. Taking a meditative bath with your favorite oils and candles, cleaning out your house, or even deleting toxic friends from social media can all be compared to the cleansing and rebirth that is at the core of these ritual ceremonies.
10
Inspiration and Aspiration
Far away there in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them,
but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow
where they lead.
—Louisa May Alcott
11
Arise in Radiance and Go Down in Joy
The earth is full of your goodness,
your greatness and understanding,
your wisdom and harmony.
How wonderful are the lights that you created.
You formed them with strength and power
and they shine very wonderfully on the world,
magnificent in their splendor.
They arise in radiance and go down in joy.
Reverently they fulfill your divine will.
They are tributes to your name
as they exalt your sovereign rule in song.
—Ancient Hebrew Hymn, 516 BC
12
The Magdalene’s Blessing
You hardly imagined standing here, everything you ever loved suddenly returned to you, looking you in the eye and calling your name. And now you do not know how to abide this ache in the center of your chest, where a door slams shut and swings open at the same time, turning on the hinge of your aching and hopeful heart. I tell you, this is not a banishment from the garden. This is an invitation, a choice, a threshold, a gate. This is your life calling to you from a place you could never have dreamed, but now that you have glimpsed its edge, you cannot imagine choosing any other way. So let the tears come as anointing, as consecration, and then let them go. Let this blessing gather itself around you. Let it give you what you will need for this journey. You will not remember the words—they do not matter. All you need to remember is how it sounded when you stood in the place of death and heard the living call your name.
—Jan Richardson
13
The Rewards of Risk
It is so easy to close down to risk, to protect ourselves against change and growth. But no baby bird emerges without first destroying the perfect egg sheltering it. We must risk being raw and fresh and awkward.