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This week I had the pleasure of hosting an afternoon workshop for Forma, the educational network oft he Episcopal Church, with the author of Rage Prayers, the Rev. Elizabeth Riley, and it felt especially timely. Having been alerted to a loss in the Needham HS community, attuned to our weekly prayers for the mental health of our young people, anger – even outright rage – can feel like a fitting response.
Rev. Riley's approach to prayer is simple: (1) we can't break prayer (something I've often said about church in general) and (2) we can say anything to God. What's more, and what struck me about her presentation, is that she observed that when we are more honest in our prayers, we steadily become more attuned to where we feel called to act, whatever that looks like.
I learned the heavy, "wet towel inside my chest" feeling of depression and the buzzing frightened alertness of anxiety early - and so did many of my peers. My door is always open for conversations, whether that's about how these feelings can coexist with our faith, the practical realities of living in a world with this grief, or to share stories that help us wonder about where we meet God in all of this.
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