Customer Reviews

Lord, Have Mercy: Praying for Justice With Conviction and Humility (The Practices of Faith Series)

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Jan. 13/08: and, Baptism of Jesus Sunday in church lectionary year

I look for compelling reflections on the justice theme, and how such aches for sharing; as my own faith denomination, sadly, retreats from such! Clarie Wolfteich's "Lord, Have Mercy: praying for justice with conviction and humility"[ via "The Practices of Faith" series, c/o Jossey-Bass, 2006 ] is such a compelling work. The sub-title summarizes well. The vivid, though anguished, case studies serve well. The modest yet forthright convictions, hunches, clues, and shareable affirmations assist well. As a spiritual director and teacher of such, Claire ablely takes the mere "contemplation and action" tension -- often put out there as commendable but seldom well illustrated -- to fresh depths and widths. I long for more, from her and others in the contemplation and social justice field arenas. Meanwhile, I too sense that justice on its own, as integral and central a Biblical, church history and social ethical theme as it remains, is not sufficient. Surely, prayer and hope also ache to be included, so that a dynamic, conjunctive triad assists us?!
Mind me, Claire also helps here, too. To cite but one among many a passage, thus: "[ evoking a social activists' cavaet that "prayer is a reminder of hope'] "Prayer, even,is a kind of humble pause in the midst of even terribly important work, putting our human efforts in perspective, helping to sustain the spirit and endurance of those working for social transformation",p.8. Prayer also, though, is surely and sorely a subversive act ( Barth )and clarion call for intercessory undergirding, oft groaning, from the Holy One.
Clear and careful writing here, and throughout. Again, while thankfully Professor Wolfteich is not alone -- thinking also of Jan Vannard and Glen Stassen's recent works on the peace-and-justice theme, with prayer implicit -- I ache for more, and pray it be so....
Yes?