One last quick note for the day and then I’m off to work for real:

Wednesday night I attended my daughter’s speech and debate awards banquet and was pleasantly surprised when it was time for the invocation. Fully expecting the “in Jesus’s name …” I was stunned to hear her say “tonight I’d like to share with you something from  Buddhism.”  So stunned was I, I thought she said “Foodism.”  I was also pleased to see that in this one small gathering in a town that is 90+% of european descent, the room held people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and some obvious representations of religious difference (head scarves, for example).

I was very touched by the display of interest in presenting prayer from a different angle.  Though I’m still curious what a “Foodist” prayer might sound like.

One Response to “Public Prayer: a Surprise in a small midwest town”


  1. How wonderful! Hmmm… Foodism? I don’t know… But – yesterday I was at an ecumenical gathering of ministers and the (Episcopal)priest was offering the opening prayer. “Gracious God, we are grateful for being together today. We are grateful for … coffee refills! Amen.” (We meet in the back room of a coffee shop & the barrista brought in a fresh pot during the prayer!) She got teased about being an almost UU with that kind of prayer.


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