Prayers
“The important thing about prayer is to keep at it.” Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking (1973).
Ed Christman, like any good pastor, learned to pray at the drop of a hat. He could write prayers quickly, scribbling on the back of a faculty meeting agendas. (Remember “God goes to faculty meetings?”) For longer and more formal prayers, such as those for memorial services and campus events, he would craft his prayers through several versions over many days. In either case, he aimed to reflect the moment at hand and also to inspire those present to glimpse something bigger.
As a chaplain, Ed delivered prayers for a wide range of events and situations. As chaplain, he served as the university’s worship leader at Convocation, Founders Day, Baccalaureate, and Graduation. He wrote and delivered prayers of invocation and benediction at these events. Year-around, he prayed at dinners and celebrations, BSU and other student gatherings, faculty meetings, weddings and funerals. He prayed with individuals in the quiet of his corner office, and he prayed in the ceremonies at Wait Chapel. Ed prayed in times of joy, and he prayed in times of despair. The right prayer always appeared at the right time.
These themes are found in Ed’s prayers: be present in your own life; look around at the world; have the courage to sail out of the safe port knowing you are always loved.
For all those good prayers, relatively few exist on paper. Following are a set of those found in Ed’s papers or through transcription of taped events. These cover the years 1970-2002. As more are discovered, they will be added to this document.
Here is a sample, the opening prayer from a faculty meeting in the early 1970s:
“Grant us, O Lord, an economy of words and an abundance of wisdom. Amen.”
We welcome your comments on specific prayers or on the nature of prayer in the university setting. Are there any prayers that you especially remember? If so, add your thoughts in the comments box below.
No comments yet
You must be logged in to post a comment.