Augsburg Fortress

"An embarrassingly beautiful collection of prayers."
— Dr. William Muehl, Yale Divinity School

"Loder's creativity, blended with penetrating honesty and unexpected humor, lifts these prayers out of the ordinary, making them experiences to be savored and shared."
— St. Anthony Messenger

"These prayers liberate the imagination to new experiences of God, grace, and the stuff of life."
— Sojourners

Sustain Me in the Coming Then

O God, empty me of angry judgments,
and aching disappointments,
and anxious trying,
and breathe into me
something like quietness
and confidence,
that the lion and the lamb in me
may lie down together
and be led by a trust
as straightforward as a little child.
Catch my pride and doubt off guard
that, at least for the moment,
I may sense your presence
and your caring,
and be surprised
by a sudden joy
rising in me now
to sustain me in the coming then.


I Have So Few Ways to Pray

Lord,
I have so few ways to pray,
but you have so many ways to answer.
Keep me alert
to your unpredictable answers,
to your unexplainable surprises,
and by your grace,
make me one of those surprises,
for the sake of the One
who taught us the surprises
of moving mountains,
healing touches,
wondrous stories,
great banquets,
first suppers,
broken bread,
crosses,
and resurrections.