Looking for ways to be strong yet tender, independent yet intimate, women today strive toward ever greater understanding of themselves, their relationships with family and friends, and their place in the world. Written by clergy and lay women from all around the country, this compilation of prayers and poems is the collective wisdom of contemporary women who base their search for such understanding on the belief that all of life must be seen against the backdrop of a vital faith. Offered in a spirit of sharing and encouragement, these prayers and poems are as rich, intricate, and complex as the women's lives they represent.
Women's Uncommon Prayers covers the full spectrum of emotions from desperate pleas for compassion in times of despair to quiet gratitude for the simple blessings of everyday living, to raucous praise during moments of celebration. These prayers touch on an amazing array of topics organized under the categories of identity, daily life, stages of life, spirituality, and ministry. Also included are comprehensive sections of seasonal and corporate prayers.
"This is a rich and diverse collection, not only of prayers in the classical sense, but reflections upon the experience of life from the perspective of believing women. There is much here that both women and men of faith will be able to make their own."
--The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, the Episcopal Church, USA
"A volume perfectly designed for a spot on the night stand beside the bed, to be read before retiring...a rich collection of thoughts and observations that take one deep into the personal lives of many faithful women of the church...Living history that dives deeply into fears, loves, motherhood and doubt and comes up with a cup of fresh, clear water for the soul"
--Timelines
"Amen indeed! Whether murmured or shouted, ‘Amen' is the final word, the repeated word, for Women's Uncommon Prayers."
--Martha Baker, Episcopal Life
"It is a book to turn to again and again and serves as guide for reflection, insight, and the company of women...You are enveloped into the sacred space that dwells within each of us. That space where we can be open and vulnerable to ourselves, one another, and to God."
--The Bookshelf, The Arkansas Episcopalian, October 2000
"Cries out to all women, celebrating feminine life in all its joy and sorrow, and is a truly Feminine Psalmody praining the eternal She Who Is."
--Betty Fricke, The Monos Community
"...this is a rich and useful resource for every woman and every women's church group."--Cathedral bookstore, Atlanta, GA
