A collection of fresh, inspiring Prayers of the People that connect to the Sunday lectionary.
The needs of the church change from week to week, and the Prayers of the People should change with them. Hear Our Prayer features Prayers of the People that connect to the themes of the readings for each Sunday and principal feast in the Revised Common Lectionary. Originally crafted for the Subversive Undercroft podcast, hosted by Jon White and Lisa Graves, the prayers are contemporary, inclusive, and deeply relevant.
Based on the pattern for the Prayers of the People in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the prayers in this volume retain the familiarity of liturgical tradition, while offering a call to action to congregations in the present. Suggestions for customizing each prayer for the needs of individual worshipping communities appear throughout the book, and a concluding section includes prayers that respond to current events such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and elections.
Jon White is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, where he has served on the standing committee and as vice-chair of the diocesan board. He served previously in the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, where he was also the chair of the diocesan evangelism committee, an area dean, and a member of the diocesan council. Along with Lisa Graves he co-hosted the Subversive Undercroft, a weekly podcast drawing on the weekly lectionary to speak about Jesus’ call on us in our day to day lives. He was also the founder and co-host of the church focused podcast, From All Points. He has written for Forward Day by Day and was an editor of the Episcopal Café and Episcopal Journal. He is the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Following Jesus: A Practical Handbook to Get You Moving on the Way of Christ. White is a graduate of Bexley Hall Seminary and lives in Syracuse, New York.
Lisa Graves is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, where she is active in diocesan leadership, having served as dean and member of diocesan council, as a member of the commission on ministry, co-chair and chairperson of the evangelism committee and St. John's House After School Learning Center Board member. Previously, she served in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, where she was a member of the task force on mission and vitality, as well as in the dioceses of West Virginia, Chicago, and Southwestern Virginia. Graves is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, and before becoming a priest was a creative director in the advertising industry. She co-hosted the weekly podcast Subversive Undercroft with Jon White. She lives in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.
“Graves and White have gifted the church with Prayers of the People for every proper of the Revised Common Lectionary. This allows the prayers to rise as the people’s response to the scriptures.”
—Juan M.C. Oliver, former custodian of The Book of Common Prayer and author, A House of Meanings: Christian Worship in Plain Language
“The language is invocative and rich in biblical imagery, and the work lends itself to communal worship. I appreciate the care and depth of theological reflection that went into the writing of these collects.”
—Mark Van Koevering, bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington
“I heartily commend this new resource to broaden and deepen our communal prayer life.”
—Bosco Peters, chaplain, Christ’s College, Canterbury, New Zealand and author, Celebrating Eucharist
