Common Prayer Movement

Gandhi once said, “Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.” At the heart of Gandhi’s movement, which was rooted in the nonviolence of Jesus, was a constructive program centered by prayer. Wherever he was, Gandhi hosted common prayers first thing every morning. Christians often joined him. They recognized a truth that was also at their heart of their own faith.

As the world aches in desperation for social change, real radicals are learning to pray. It’s why I’m so excited about Common Prayer as a tool to unify diverse communities in prayer and action. When the hardback released a year ago, we also launched www.commonprayer.net, inviting individuals and communities to gather around these prayers and songs, celebrating a way of life that makes it possible for us to become the answer to our prayers. We said, “Common Prayer is more than a book. It’s a way of life.” Over 170 groups around the world threw parties to celebrate: http://commonprayer.net/parties

Over the past year, an extended community of 70K-plus pray-ers has grown steadily, mostly by word of mouth. (You can connect with some of them on Facebook.) We’ve received letters from people who met neighbors because they learned they were praying the same prayers, then started gathering to pray them together each morning. We’ve heard from Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland who wrote to say, “Thank you. These are prayers we can pray together.” We’ve heard from elderly couples who said, “We’d never found a way to pray together in our marriage, but this works.” Scores of new monastic communities, university fellowships, and churches have adopted Common Prayer as a rhythm of life in the neighborhoods where they live and work.

We’ve also heard from scores of pastors who’ve made Common Prayer part of their daily devotional life and are beginning to start small groups within their congregations that gather to pray the offices. One wrote to say that he gave a copy to every graduating high school and college student in his congregation this year. “We gave them a Bible when we baptized them,” he said. “Common Prayer is a book that will help them grow in their faith and put it into practice.”

A year later, I’m delighted that we’re able to release a Pocket (or Purse) Edition of Common Prayer this month. I got my first copy the other day.

I’m excited about this Pocket Edition because I believe the folks who say these prayers everyday are just the beginning of a movement. What we keep hearing is that when people share about a faith that brings prayer and action together in daily life, it’s infectious good news to their co-workers, neighbors, and strangers along the way. This is why I’m excited to be able to carry Common Prayer with us. Now we can hand these prayers to the person beside us on an airplane or bus, to the friend we meet for lunch to catch up or the young person who asks for spiritual counsel. It’s a portable form for regular users. But it’s also a sort-of tract to share with others. (We even included a few pages of FAQ’s at the back for someone who’s never heard anything about ‘liturgical prayer’ or ‘ordinary radicals.’)

To celebrate this movement (and to learn about the breadth of what’s happening with common prayer today), I’m conducting interviews with mentors and wise guides in liturgical prayer. I’ve already had a couple of great exchanges with Steve Harper and Phyllis Tickle. Look for more interviews in coming weeks.

If you have a story to share about Common Prayer in your life or community, I’d love to hear from you.