Prayer Requests at a Mennonite Church

This is the poem from today’s Writer’s Almanac. I don’t know if [I’m] allowed to post this poem, but Garrison Keillor apparently got permission to post it on the Writer’s Almanac Archive.

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Poem: “Prayer Requests at a Mennonite Church” by Todd Davis from Some Heaven (buy it here). © Michigan State University Press.

Pray for the Smucker family. Their son Nathaniel’s coat and shirt were
caught in the gears while grinding grain. Nothing would give, so now
he is gone. We made his clothes too well. Perhaps this is our sin.

Pray for the Birky family. Their son Jacob fell to his death in the
granary. He was covered in corn before they could stop the pouring–
chest crushed by the weight, seed spilling from his mouth. We hope
something will grow from this, besides our grief.

Pray for the Hartzler family. Their youngest has left the church and no
longer believes that Christ died for her sins. She buys clothes at the
mall. Tongue pierced, nose as well. Her shirt shows her belly where a
ring of gold sprouts. We pray she will remember that her Lord’s side
was pierced, that His crown held no gold, only the dried blood of His
brow.

Pray for the Miller family. Last week their daughter, who lives in
Kalona, lost her baby at birth. Child only half-formed: head turned the
wrong way; heart laid on the outside of her chest; one leg little more
than an afterthought. Lord, help them know that life may come again,
that we are all made whole in heaven.

Pray for the Stutzman family. Their son fights in the war. We call him
back to the Prince of Peace, to our Savior who knelt to gather the
slave’s ear, brushed the dirt away, lifted it to the side of his flushed face.
May we leave no scars. May we ask no blessing for the killing done in
His name.

Comments (7)

  1. Hootsbuddy

    Very nice work, young man.
    I don’t have many readers but I linked your post this morning.

  2. Brian Hamilton

    What an incredible poem.

  3. Cynthia

    For Shane to make sure our babies are taken care of. Please help me get the job I need
    to help our family and for us to be able to get another car for our babies. For Shane to not give
    away our money to those who do not need it and can do for themselves. For him to realize how
    important it is for us to have our money for our new home. For him to make things right between us
    so our new home will be blessed by God. For God to put a protective shield around myself,myson,
    my daughter so that no one or nothing can interfere,interrupt our God fearing home.
    For my dad’s skin to be healed and for my skin to be healed as well. For God to continue to close all doors for Shane forever so he will appreciate the job God has given him here in Florida.

  4. Joanna Wong

    Please pray for me, to get out of my financial problem.
    I needed God’s miraculous help for my desperate and seemingly impossible cases.
    Thank you so very much.

  5. Eero

    We have Christmas celebration for inner-city people. It is 12.17.2012. We ask that you pray that God saves, heals and renews a lot of people and that all go well.

  6. Pingback: Laughter is Sacred Space: Memoir of an Anabaptist comedian » Young Anabaptist Radicals

  7. eben

    please pray for good grades in exam and a very good job

Comments are closed.