"What does blessing mean in the dirty, busy streets of a city? What does it mean for believers and nonbelievers, for the suffering and foolish and angry and afraid? In this beautifully real book, Adrian Dannhauser shows how the hands-on practice of public blessing invites everyone to see, to desire, and to become more."
Ask Me for a Blessing (You Know You Need One)
$22.99
- In stock
-
Quantity discount
- For bulk discounting, please call Sales and Service at 877-373-0706 and ask about our Corporate Sales Program.
Buy on
What is a blessing? Do you have to believe to receive one? Can you doubt while you pray? And can you extend grace to others while still desperately in need of it yourself?
Once a week Episcopal priest Adrian Dannhauser stands outside her Manhattan church beside a chalkboard sign that reads "Ask me for a blessing (because God knows you need one)." Passersby stop, chat, and ask for prayer: for a sick friend, an addicted son, an upcoming job interview, the state of our nation, or the grief of our world. Bus drivers sometimes open their doors for a quick prayer before the light turns green, and someone once took her to meet their doorman so she could bless him too. Half of those who stop are in crisis. Someone always cries. A few are simply curious.
Through the heartfelt, frank, and sincere stories of her unique ministry, Dannhauser offers glimpses into the tender, holy, and sometimes hilarious moments of sidewalk prayers. With a potent blend of reverence and irreverence, as well as insights from Christian scriptures, she delves into the power that ancient ideas--blessing, forgiveness, miracles, and prayer--hold in a disenchanted world. For people of Christian faith, other faiths, or no faith at all, having spiritual conversations, even awkward ones with strangers on the street, can help us face our vulnerability, where we may discover a grace sufficient for all.