About the Book
What if prayer is not about having the right words, but about noticing the sacred in washing dishes, the rhythm of breath, or the quiet sharing of tea with a friend?
Margaret Somerville invites us to rediscover prayer as a way of living, not a formula to get right. With wisdom drawn from her Celtic roots, lifelong pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, and deep engagement with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish traditions, she reimagines prayer as presence in the ordinary. From her granny's morning ritual of lighting the coal fire to the contemplative kneading of bread, she shows how holiness shimmers in the small gestures of daily life.
Through six pathways - Sacred Space, Release, Naming, Wilderness, Nourishment and Peace - the author offers gentle practices and stories that carry us beyond unanswered petitions into a deeper communion with self, others and the divine mystery. Both memoir and spiritual guide, this book speaks to seekers who are weary of rigid traditions or silence from heaven, and to all who long for prayer that nourishes rather than disappoints.
With a foreword by Kaitlin Curtice.
Table of Contents:
CONTENTS
Foreword 11
Introduction 13
What Is Prayer? 14
How to Pray 101 15
Who Knows How to Pray 16
Prayer as Presence in Pain 16
Setting Prayer up to Fail 17
Part I: Practice Sacred Space 21
Chapter 1: Ritual and Rest 22
The Pattern of Prayer 22
Sabbath 25
Tending the Fire 27
Chapter 2: Creating Sacred Space 31
Ordinary Rituals That Create Sacred Space 31
Sitting in Sacred Space 32
The Posture of Prayer 33
Expanding the Posture of Prayer 36
Chapter 3: Becoming a Vessel 43
Emptied Space 43
Clay Pots 45
The Dancer as Vessel 48
What Spills Out 49
Immanent Light 51
Chapter 4. Knowing Your Limits 55
False Summits 55
Finding God in the Gap 56
Finding Something in Nothing 58
God as a Verb in the Space Between 59
Keeping Our Productivity in Check 59
Part II: Practice Release 65
Chapter 5: Ground Level 66
Teaching at Ground Level 66
Prayer at Ground Level 67
When Circumstances Don't Allow 69
Chapter 6: Contemplation in Community 74
Contemplation Does Not Have to Be Done Alone 74
Building a Community of Hope 76
When Prayer Becomes an Act of Service 77
Chapter 7: Letting Go of Labels 81
Shaped by Language 81
Missing the Meaning 84
Interconnected and Interdependent 85
Chapter 8: What We Let Go and What We Carry Forward 93
Threshold Moments 93
Liminal Spaces Looking Back and Forward 95
Prayer as a Liminal Space 97
Part III: Practice Naming 101
Chapter 9: Exchanging Our Exhale 102
Breath prayers 102
Tonglen: the Buddhist Practice of the Exhale 104
Anail na Beatha: The Breath of Life 106
Chapter 10: Naming God 113
Being Named 113
Hineni 114
Breathing the Name of God 117
Chapter 11: The Journey of Identity 121
Gender Identity 121
Seeing God Face to Face 124
Chapter 12: Claiming and Reclaiming 130
Turning to Our Pagan Roots 130
Saving Solstice 132
Embracing Darkness 133
Awaiting Light 136
The Turning 137
Part IV: Practice Wilderness 141
Chapter 13: Getting Lost 142
Following the Directions 142
Lost in Prayer 144
Chapter 14: Finding Direction 150
Messengers 150
At the Distance of a Bowshot 152
Sitting with Wisdom 156
Chapter 15: Taking a New Path 162
Chrysalis Soup 162
Companions on the Journey 164
The Wild Geese 166
Part V: Practice Nourishment 171
Chapter 16: Sharing Sustenance 172
Putting the Kettle On 172
Filling Our Cups 173
Drinking Water 174
Baking Bread 177
The Bread of Life 179
Breaking Bread 180
Chapter 17: Embracing Creativity 184
The Scent of Creation 184
The Shape of Creation 185
The Sound of Creation 186
Creating Movement 189
Painting the Cave 190
Part VI: Practice Peace 195
Chapter 18: Peace Through Connection 196
What Is the Point of Prayer? 196
Cultivating Connection 197
Prayers for World Peace 199
Epilogue 201
Notes 204
About the Author :
Margaret Somerville is an educator, interfaith minister, and founder of Interfaith Alignment.
Review :
At last - an honest book about prayer. One that's rooted in the Celtic tradition of wandering pilgrims who make a practice of being lost, who don't know where they're going, casting themselves adrift on the sea like Columba in his rudderless coracle. Prayer for them was an exercise in giving up specific expectations, while gaining a heightened awareness in their abandonment to risk. It led Columba to the island of Iona, a magical place that forms the heart of this book. Margaret Somerville considers prayer as an invitation to an uncharted wilderness, drawing on wonderful sources from various faith traditions.
~ Belden Lane, author of The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul; and Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice
Margaret's work is inspiring and necessary. This book is a trustworthy guide and a revolution of redefinition that empowers people to a path of deeper authenticity and wholeness with prayer, with self, with existence.
~ Chelan Harkin, author of The Prophetess, The Return of The Prophet from the Voice of The Divine Feminine
When Prayer Doesn't Work is not just a book - it's a wake-up call. At a time when our prayers for peace seem to echo unanswered, Margaret Somerville rethinks, reframes, and reimagines prayer as more than supplication. She invites us to shift from an I-Thou relationship with the Divine to an intimate oneness with Source, where each thought is sacred, each word is a prayer, and every action serves the wholeness of all that is. This book liberates us from the limitations of transactional prayer and reveals the profound truth that presence itself is prayer. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to embody a prayerful life, where connection replaces petition and wholeness dissolves separation. A deeply moving, paradigm-shifting guide for our times.
~ Arun Wakhlu, Executive Director, Foundation for Peace and
Compassionate Leadership; Member of the Board, Charter for Compassion
What is prayer? Can it happen anywhere, anytime? What are we even doing when we pray? Author Margaret Somerville invites us to consider these questions, along with the possibilities that open up when we recognize that prayers can fit anywhere, and challenges the notion that there's a 'right' way to pray. When Prayer Doesn't Work is a grounding and accessible book for everyone who seeks connection to the divine. Here is an essential companion on the journey created by allowing the holy to rise from the ordinary; a reimagining of what it means to pray.
~ Heidi Barr, author of Collisions of Earth and Sky, 12 Tiny Things, and Church of Shadow and Light
In When Prayer Doesn't Work, Margaret Somerville shares her own experiences of despair and joy, weaving them into a deeply personal narrative. As the Wise Woman, the Spinster, she becomes a guide - inviting us to reflect on our everyday lives as sacred texts, to sense the Divine in the ordinary, and to rethink, reframe, and reimagine how we approach prayer and contemplation.
'Margaret encourages us to broaden our spiritual vision, to embrace div erse perspectives, and to explore new ways of connecting with the sacred. She challenges conventional notions of prayer,especially at life's pivotal "threshold" moments:
Traditional prayers at threshold moments might ask for forgiveness for what has been, and for guidance for what is to be. But here's the tricky part: there is no reality other than the threshold itself. The prayer is standing in that moment of threshold. And being aware of the divine in the doorway with you. Loving you no matter what lies behind. Loving you no matter what lies ahead.
In the end, despite the wisdom offered by countless spiritual traditions and Holy Scriptures, we must confront ourselves - take responsibility for our actions, thoughts, and intentions - and, as Margaret puts it, "stand in that moment of threshold," facing our personal Web of Wyrd.
This book opens new pathways and windows into spiritual understanding. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking fresh inspiration in their spiritual practice. It is especially valuable for those involved in interfaith work, offering insight into a range of religious and spiritual traditions - some of which were new to me. As a Wiccan Priestess, I was particularly pleased to see respectful inclusion of paganism and nature-based religions. Thank you!
~ Morgana Sythove, Wiccan Priestess. International Coordinator for PFI/Pagan Federation International, The Netherlands.
This beautifully crafted book is a precious gem sparkling with insights and practices; it awakens our heart and mind to the "Glow of Presence" in the course of our daily life.
~ Imam Jamal Rahman, author of Spiritual Gems of Islam
When Prayer Doesn't Work is a wonderful invitation to practice being lost, to reframe and reimagine our vision in expansive ways that reach across myriad faith traditions to create a tapestry of care in a world that desperately needs it. This is the kind of book I would take with me along with Chodron's When Things Fall Apart. Lovely, poignant, and powerful.
~ Patty Krawec, Wabanan Anangokwe, author of Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future and Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds
In this beautiful and timely read, Margaret Somerville highlights how, despite our theological differences, the human yearning to connect with the Divine is something we all share. As someone from the Muslim tradition, I deeply appreciated her reflections on the physicality of prayer and the importance of creating safe spaces for it to be integrated into our daily lives, including the workplace. Margaret eloquently conveys how prayer is a sincere longing for peace, presence, and purpose. This book is a powerful reminder that prayer is a universal language - one through which we all seek communion with our Creator.
~ Kashmir Maryam, author of The Muslim Woman's Islamic Book Collection, including The Muslim's Woman's Manifest, Nafsi, and Be Soft, Be Strong: Inspirational Reminders for Muslim Women
A deeply inspirational and personal book. Moving from being lost to reimagining ways to pray. From seeing prayer as a petition that needs to be answered to one as being connected and in the presence of the Divine instead. From one's own tradition to learning from others. It gives me hope that peace is possible both within and in our troubled world.
~ Rev. Dr. Urzula Glienecke, Latvian theologian, artist and activist, member of the Iona Community, Interfaith Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh
