Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace

By J. Philip Newell

We as Jews, Christians, and Muslims share a common spiritual descent, yet painful divisions between us lie at the center of much conflict and war in the world today. Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace articulates the deep longings for peace that unite these great spiritual traditions.

For each morning and evening of the week, John Philip Newell provides strikingly beautiful and profound prayers that call us to be the people Jesus named blessed: “those who know their need,” “those who weep,” “the humble,” “those who hunger for earth’s oneness,” “the forgiving,” “the clear in heart,” and “the peacemakers.”

Whether prayed alone or with others, these richly illustrated, simple liturgies invite and inspire us to live as those whose hearts yearn for peace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Release date: Jun 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467464789

J. Philip Newell

 John Philip Newell is a poet, scholar, teacher, and Church of Scotland minister recognized for his work in Celtic spirituality and passionate about seeking peace in the world and harmony between its great spiritual traditions. His books include Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality, Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter, and Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation. For more information about Newell visit his website at www.jphilipnewell.com.

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PREFACE

This is a time to pray for peace. And it is especially a time to pray for peace within the household of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar. As Jews, Christians and Muslims we are painfully divided, even though we share a spiritual descent. And our divisions are at the centre of much of the world’s most serious places of conflict and war today. Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace is an attempt to utter the longings for peace that are closer to the heart of the household, and closer to the heart of all earth’s spiritual traditions, than our divisions.

In the summer of 2008 my wife and I taught a spirituality course on peacemaking at Casa del Sol in the high desert of New Mexico with a Jew and a Muslim. Nahum Ward-Lev, a rabbi from Santa Fe, and Rahmah Lutz, a Sufi Muslim teacher from Abiquiu, reflected with us each day on themes of peace from our distinctive traditions. The pattern was to move into a half hour of meditative prayer after each teaching session.

On one of the days, we used Christian Scripture for our meditation, and I noticed Rahmah’s face at the end of the silence. Her countenance was radiant, even more than usual. And when we began to share, Rahmah said: ‘I so love Jesus, peace be upon him. He is so compassionate. He is so humble. He is so merciful. I so love Jesus, peace be upon him.’ I sat with wonder and tears in my eyes as I listened. And I realised that Rahmah was teaching me how to speak about Jesus, with reverence and with