Reviewer John Cowans: John lives in
retirement in Chester, NS ,where he has been an Instructor with
Seniors College Association of Nova Scotia.
He is currently working on a personal memoir, Other People’s Children, and his first poetry collection, Hope.
Author: Claire Coleman
Publisher: Westbow
Press, 2012,
ISBN: 978-1-4497-2595-2
Author: Claire Coleman
Publisher: Westbow
Press, 2012,
ISBN: 978-1-4497-2595-2
This is a book about prayer, or rather, a
book about praying. Other than sex, I can’t think of another
subject as private as this one. There are many books available
listing prayers for different occasions, but I cannot think of
another one that suggests whom we should pray for and the direction
that that particular prayer might take; the finished product, though,
is left to us.
The author states her purpose directly: “The concept
behind Special Intentions is simple: ‘Say one prayer, every day,
for someone other than yourself.‘ “ There is a caveat to all of
this, of course, and that is that one must first believe in a god of
some kind. Prayer to that god then follows quite naturally.
The
author Morris West expressed it well. “Once you accept the
existence of God - however you define him, however you explain your
relationship to him; then you are caught forever with his presence at
the centre of all things.” And, West might have added, ‘then
prayer makes perfect sense.’ Those who regularly say their prayers
probably pray for someone they know with a specific end in mind: a
prayer for Peter who is sick; a prayer for Ann who is traveling -
that sort of thing. Claire Coleman suggests that we be a little less
specific.
A native of Long Island, Claire Coleman teaches writing
at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey. She has
served on the Executive Board of such organizations as the Oak Knoll
School of the Holy Child and the Junior League of the Oranges and
Short Hills, and she has also been actively involved with a number of
organizations including the Township of Millburn’s Historical
Preservation Commission, and the Millburn-Short Hills Parent Teacher
Organization,. She lives with her family in New Jersey.
Here
are some examples of the kind of non-specific prayer that Special
Intentions: Remembering Others in Personal Prayer is all
about:
Homeless
The cities have hundreds of them, maybe
even thousands.
Small villages and towns might have one.
A
homeless person.......
...pray that tonight he or she is safe, and
sheltered from the elements.
Bullied
Somewhere,today a kid
will be bullied......
He wishes he could be invisible in
school,
and he does everything he can to be small, unnoticed,
or
to disappear from the sight of others .....
Please say a pray for
the bullied child today,
so that he does not disappear from
everyone’s sight.
When a Pet Dies
For many people their
pets are like family members,
so when the pet has to be put
down
the grief and loss cut deep into their hearts.....
Say a
prayer today so that someone mourning the loss of a pet
will find
comfort in the days ahead.
The Third Collect for Evening
Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer begins ‘Lighten our darkness,we
beseech thee O Lord ...‘ Claire Coleman’s thoughtful and creative
collection is designed to do just that. As ‘believers‘ she is
encouraging us to ‘Lighten the darkness‘ in which others may find
themselves at any given time. And if, as St Teresa Benedicta of the
Cross suggests, ‘Prayer is the highest achievement of which the
human person is capable‘ then Ms Coleman’s invitation is a noble
one indeed.