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A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope
“ A Wing and a Prayer offers profound truths and vivid images of a more peaceful and just world. This powerful book will inspire people of faith and seekers alike to make its vision real.”―Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson, author of God's How Women of Faith Are Changing the World Katharine Jefferts Schori is a bishop on the move. She pilots her plane to remote parishes around the sprawling Diocese of Nevada and shares her passionate message of reconciliation and peace. As the first female primate in the 500-year history of Anglicanism, she has the opportunity to speak to a far wider audience. “A collections of micro-sermons grouped thematically around issues like social justice, the deep love of God, the need for interfaith understanding, and the responsibility of all baptized persons to participate in lay ministry. Jefferts Schori speaks from an Episcopalian perspective, but also draws on Orthodox, Catholic and other Protestant traditions, making this a thoughtful resource for many different Christian denominations.”― Publishers Weekly “Read this book as a series of daily meditations, and by the end of it you will not only know Bishop Katharine better, but you will find yourself filled with a livelier hope, reenergized for the ministry and mission of all of us baptized in Christ.”―The Rev. Linda Lee Clader, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Homiletics, Church Divinity School of the Pacific
- GenresReligionSpirituality
169 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 4, 2011
Meh. You know, the British comedian Eddie Izzard once joked that the Church of England was a church filled with "people with no muscles in their arms." Quipping that it was more of a social club than anything with vigor and passion anymore, he sent up the clergy with an imagined confession scene ("vicar, I've done many bad things." "Oh? Well so have I. Drink three bloody marys and you won't remember.") and a sermon in which the vicar desperately reaches to be contemporary by connecting Palm Sunday to a beauty magazine he found in a hedge.
Sadly, Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori does little to dispel such a caricature of the American branch of the Anglican communion in this collection of sermons. There is the tepid universalism, the lukewarm multiculturalism, and the dated 1970s hymn overtone of must about this whole book. I am disappointed, as it is exciting to see a woman raised to her office, but on the other hand, perhaps it is the best sign of progress that this woman-bishop is just as bland a writer as the average male in the office.
Sadly, Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori does little to dispel such a caricature of the American branch of the Anglican communion in this collection of sermons. There is the tepid universalism, the lukewarm multiculturalism, and the dated 1970s hymn overtone of must about this whole book. I am disappointed, as it is exciting to see a woman raised to her office, but on the other hand, perhaps it is the best sign of progress that this woman-bishop is just as bland a writer as the average male in the office.
October 13, 2018
A collection of short essays by Bishop Katharine explaining her faith and how she applies it to life, along with how we as Christians can apply faith to our lives. A lot of talk about how to make the world a better place and how the church itself must be more welcoming and open to new ideas.
Some of it feels a bit too much like recycled sermons, especially when themes repeat themselves a little too closely, but her strong belief that the people of God must do more to look out for all people, from helping in the community to looking at how our choices may impact on God' Kingdom on Earth are really strong and still resonate, 11 years later.
This was a random grab, and I'm glad I read it.
Some of it feels a bit too much like recycled sermons, especially when themes repeat themselves a little too closely, but her strong belief that the people of God must do more to look out for all people, from helping in the community to looking at how our choices may impact on God' Kingdom on Earth are really strong and still resonate, 11 years later.
This was a random grab, and I'm glad I read it.
May 21, 2019
Bishop Katharine's book is a must read gem. I recommend that you read one chapter at a time. You need to read one chapter & meditate on it. She is a poet. She plays with her words that bring delightful images to mind. For example, on page 58, she says, "Jesus is the Word bread..."
Thank you, Bishop Katharine for your lovely messages of faith & hope.
Thank you, Bishop Katharine for your lovely messages of faith & hope.
April 29, 2020
This is a solid devotional book with modern metaphors and insights.
August 17, 2020
... Yet it's, for me, one of those works where the chasm between its vision, so recent & hopeful, and the darkness and Dumpster fires of today, is excruciatingly painful.
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May 15, 2021A collection of sermons and, as such, inevitably somewhat repetitive in message if not in content. But it's a good message!
February 8, 2012
I am an Episcopal Priest, and therefore, Katharine Schori is my Presiding Bishop. From most accounts that I have heard, she is an able administrator and a good leader. When I heard her preach in my home city a few years ago, she preached an excellent sermon. She certainly seems to be a faithful Christian. I have no problem with women clergy and am glad that my church has a female P.B.
Unfortunately, authoring a book is probably a place Bishop Schori should not have gone. Her book, "A Wing and a Prayer" is intended to be a series of essays aimed at inspiring Christians and setting forth a vision of God's kingdom. There are a lot of short essays in the book, and in some, she does a nice job of setting forth her vision. To be sure, I found a few of the essays to be quite inspiring.
The rest of the essays, not so much. The problem with Schori's writing is that she is obsessed with symbols and metaphors. Not a bad thing if you employ them in making a concrete point. Sadly, in the majority of the essays, she drifts from one metaphor to another, without making any connection between them. She paints one pretty picture after another without connecting them to make a coherent point. Not only that, she appears to be intent on including almost every cliche employed by Episcopal preachers.
I led a discussion on this book for an Adult Education class, and found it hard to to prepare any discussion questions on these essays. Normally, I would assess the point of each essay, make sure that the class understood the basic thrust of the essay, then ask if people agreed or disagreed with the thesis. However, again and again, my main question was, "What exactly is the point of this essay?". Much of the time, we struggled as a group in trying to figure out what, specifically, Schori was trying to say.
Another annoying constant throughout the book was the meta-message that people who think like Schori does are bold, visionary, loving and open. Those who disagree with her are reactionary, fearful and to be pitied. Then again, she rarely has the boldness to state her point of view in distinct ways, opting instead for a more passive approach to those with whom she disagrees.
In the essays that work, she develops a theme, employs metaphors that support her theme, and gives the reader some oncrete ideas to put into action in their everyday lives. Unfortunately, only a few of these essays do that. The rest meander from one metaphor or vision to another without saying much of anything.
Unfortunately, authoring a book is probably a place Bishop Schori should not have gone. Her book, "A Wing and a Prayer" is intended to be a series of essays aimed at inspiring Christians and setting forth a vision of God's kingdom. There are a lot of short essays in the book, and in some, she does a nice job of setting forth her vision. To be sure, I found a few of the essays to be quite inspiring.
The rest of the essays, not so much. The problem with Schori's writing is that she is obsessed with symbols and metaphors. Not a bad thing if you employ them in making a concrete point. Sadly, in the majority of the essays, she drifts from one metaphor to another, without making any connection between them. She paints one pretty picture after another without connecting them to make a coherent point. Not only that, she appears to be intent on including almost every cliche employed by Episcopal preachers.
I led a discussion on this book for an Adult Education class, and found it hard to to prepare any discussion questions on these essays. Normally, I would assess the point of each essay, make sure that the class understood the basic thrust of the essay, then ask if people agreed or disagreed with the thesis. However, again and again, my main question was, "What exactly is the point of this essay?". Much of the time, we struggled as a group in trying to figure out what, specifically, Schori was trying to say.
Another annoying constant throughout the book was the meta-message that people who think like Schori does are bold, visionary, loving and open. Those who disagree with her are reactionary, fearful and to be pitied. Then again, she rarely has the boldness to state her point of view in distinct ways, opting instead for a more passive approach to those with whom she disagrees.
In the essays that work, she develops a theme, employs metaphors that support her theme, and gives the reader some oncrete ideas to put into action in their everyday lives. Unfortunately, only a few of these essays do that. The rest meander from one metaphor or vision to another without saying much of anything.
August 1, 2007
Bishop Katherine is the first female elected to lead an Anglican Province. She is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. This book is a collection of her sermons. It is delightful reading. She asks difficult questions, but provides much hope for a world that hurts. My women's spirituality group is reading and discussing this book now and the content has brought forth much fruitful discussion about hospitality, our call as Christians, and how we address needs in our community.
May 20, 2008
Fabulous book from Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori. The book is comprised of stories about faith and God and are basically little sermons that encourage deep thought about our nature as God's creation and our relationships with God and each other. She is such an eloquent writer and deeply spiritual. I enjoyed reading this book and refer back to it often.
July 2, 2009
Katharine Jefferts Schori's sermons are amazing. They really make you think as you read through them, and they propose a vision for the Church that can bring her out of her cultural irrelevance to a place where she can have an impact again. What an amazing book!
July 4, 2010
Katherine Jefferts-Schori is a very wise woman in my opinion. This book with separate, individual chapters has many valuable insights into the Christian faith and what it means to live out that faith in our culture.
August 14, 2012
Was great to get to know the leader of my church from her own perspective. I found it refreshing after trying to decipher the words of Rowan Williams, which made about as much sense to me as his public rhetoric has of late.
July 16, 2014
An interesting collection of inspiring reflections from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Each chapter is only a couple pages, making it easy reading either in story mode, or as a reflection for a chapter a day.
August 2, 2007
Inclusivity in the U.S. Episcopal Church and the personal odyssey of the Presiding Bishop.
June 12, 2014
This book could be read in a couple settings -- but I don't think that's the best way. Try using each chapter instead for a daily meditation.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews