Gentle Words in a Raging Storm: Prayers for All Occasions

Gary Weaver says that "prayer is part poetry, part free-association, and part love letter to God. When spoken, it is the most intimate, sacred speech we utter. When written down, it becomes a diary of the heart." And that's a perfect description of this compelling collection of more than 160 prayers. Some are songs of celebration and joy that "dance before the Lord," while others are desperate pleas for clarity, direction, and meaning amidst loss, divorce, suffering, injustice, fear, and anger. But all of them bring the gentle words of thoughtful introspection and a sustained conversation with the Almighty to the raging storm of daily life with its overwhelming cacophony of motion, noise, and imagery.

These prayers can be used in almost any setting from the sanctuary to the stadium, as well as in study groups, prayer circles, nursing homes, or for private meditation. If you're looking for a prayer resource that speaks clearly about the Christian faith while addressing serious human questions, concerns, doubts, and distress, Gentle Words in a Raging Storm is a first-rate compilation you'll find yourself returning to again and again.

Themes include:

• Personal prayers

• Pastoral prayers

• Prayers about the seasons of life

• Prayers about suffering, dying, and grief

• Prayers for the journey of faith

• Prayers for special occasions

Gentle Words in a Raging Storm invites the worship leader to explore a rich variety of prayer topics, images, and metaphors. I would prescribe a careful reading of this book for anyone who suspects that repetition and sameness have invaded their public prayers.

R. David Steele

Pastor Emeritus, Christ Presbyterian Church

Terra Linda, California

Former columnist, The Presbyterian Outlook

Gary R. Weaver is the executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Pueblo (Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.) in Pueblo, Colorado. He has pastored churches in California, Utah, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Arizona. Weaver holds degrees from the University of Kansas, the University of New Mexico, and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.