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Full Description
What if prayer is not about having the right words, but about noticing the sacred in washing dishes, the rhythm of breath, or the quiet sharing of tea with a friend?
Margaret Somerville invites us to rediscover prayer as a way of living, not a formula to get right. With wisdom drawn from her Celtic roots, lifelong pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, and deep engagement with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish traditions, she reimagines prayer as presence in the ordinary. From her granny's morning ritual of lighting the coal fire to the contemplative kneading of bread, she shows how holiness shimmers in the small gestures of daily life.
Through six pathways - Sacred Space, Release, Naming, Wilderness, Nourishment and Peace - the author offers gentle practices and stories that carry us beyond unanswered petitions into a deeper communion with self, others and the divine mystery. Both memoir and spiritual guide, this book speaks to seekers who are weary of rigid traditions or silence from heaven, and to all who long for prayer that nourishes rather than disappoints.
With a foreword by Kaitlin Curtice.
Contents
CONTENTS
Foreword 11
Introduction 13
What Is Prayer? 14
How to Pray 101 15
Who Knows How to Pray 16
Prayer as Presence in Pain 16
Setting Prayer up to Fail 17
Part I: Practice Sacred Space 21
Chapter 1: Ritual and Rest 22
The Pattern of Prayer 22
Sabbath 25
Tending the Fire 27
Chapter 2: Creating Sacred Space 31
Ordinary Rituals That Create Sacred Space 31
Sitting in Sacred Space 32
The Posture of Prayer 33
Expanding the Posture of Prayer 36
Chapter 3: Becoming a Vessel 43
Emptied Space 43
Clay Pots 45
The Dancer as Vessel 48
What Spills Out 49
Immanent Light 51
Chapter 4. Knowing Your Limits 55
False Summits 55
Finding God in the Gap 56
Finding Something in Nothing 58
God as a Verb in the Space Between 59
Keeping Our Productivity in Check 59
Part II: Practice Release 65
Chapter 5: Ground Level 66
Teaching at Ground Level 66
Prayer at Ground Level 67
When Circumstances Don't Allow 69
Chapter 6: Contemplation in Community 74
Contemplation Does Not Have to Be Done Alone 74
Building a Community of Hope 76
When Prayer Becomes an Act of Service 77
Chapter 7: Letting Go of Labels 81
Shaped by Language 81
Missing the Meaning 84
Interconnected and Interdependent 85
Chapter 8: What We Let Go and What We Carry Forward 93
Threshold Moments 93
Liminal Spaces Looking Back and Forward 95
Prayer as a Liminal Space 97
Part III: Practice Naming 101
Chapter 9: Exchanging Our Exhale 102
Breath prayers 102
Tonglen: the Buddhist Practice of the Exhale 104
Anail na Beatha: The Breath of Life 106
Chapter 10: Naming God 113
Being Named 113
Hineni 114
Breathing the Name of God 117
Chapter 11: The Journey of Identity 121
Gender Identity 121
Seeing God Face to Face 124
Chapter 12: Claiming and Reclaiming 130
Turning to Our Pagan Roots 130
Saving Solstice 132
Embracing Darkness 133
Awaiting Light 136
The Turning 137
Part IV: Practice Wilderness 141
Chapter 13: Getting Lost 142
Following the Directions 142
Lost in Prayer 144
Chapter 14: Finding Direction 150
Messengers 150
At the Distance of a Bowshot 152
Sitting with Wisdom 156
Chapter 15: Taking a New Path 162
Chrysalis Soup 162
Companions on the Journey 164
The Wild Geese 166
Part V: Practice Nourishment 171
Chapter 16: Sharing Sustenance 172
Putting the Kettle On 172
Filling Our Cups 173
Drinking Water 174
Baking Bread 177
The Bread of Life 179
Breaking Bread 180
Chapter 17: Embracing Creativity 184
The Scent of Creation 184
The Shape of Creation 185
The Sound of Creation 186
Creating Movement 189
Painting the Cave 190
Part VI: Practice Peace 195
Chapter 18: Peace Through Connection 196
What Is the Point of Prayer? 196
Cultivating Connection 197
Prayers for World Peace 199
Epilogue 201
Notes 204
