The Lettera Files: 28.05.2025

on prayer

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My Olivetti Lettera 32

Dear reader,

Today’s Lettera File is a quote about prayer from one of the highest selling Christian daily devotional books of all time (if not the highest selling). Translated into 39 languages and with 13 million copies sold, if you walk into any Christian bookstore there will probably be copies.

I’ve never been devoted to reading it daily but over the years of my faith pilgrimage I’ve dipped in and out of it. When I think about it, it has been somewhat magical. It was relevant to me in my more evangelical, charismatic younger years. It was also meaningful to me when I was dancing with postmodern approaches to faith. It has spoken to me while exploring contemplative and more mystical approaches to the faith. It has had things to say as I’ve explored eastern Orthodoxy, and Catholicism. That says something about the profundity of the book… that it would land during all of those phases.

In the image, I’ve typed it as being by Oswald Chambers. That is only partially true. the real hero of the publication was his wife, Gertrude. It’s a story worth knowing, but rather than me retelling it, head here to read the story about how the book came to be. The ‘behind the scenes’ is well worth knowing. Without Gertrude, there would be no Oswald Chambers as we know him, and the devotional book certainly would not exist.

As an FYI, I’ve been diving back into the work of Anthony De Mello, a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist that Dai Henwood introduced me to. It’s landing well at this point in my life, so some of his thinking may appear in coming articles.

If you’re new here, I publish a Lettera File every Wednesday. They are typed on my Olivetti Lettera 32 (pictured above). Excuse any typos and formatting issues since I am using a typewriter where I can’t easily correct things.

This feature is always a short thought for contemplation whether you agree, disagree, or anything in between.

Today’s file…