Bishop publishes prayers for burnt out workers

The Church of England has published a book of prayers and reflections to help commuters find peace in the midst of stressful journeys to and from work.

Pocket Prayers for Commuters has been put together by the newly retired Bishop of St Albans the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert. In it, he reflects on the “turbulent” beginning to the day faced by many commuters.

“It might have been dark, wet and miserable and then, once on the train, the carriage was packed. It’s not exactly a stress-free or easy way to begin the day, is it?” he writes.

He sympathises with workers who at the end of the day face a difficult journey home, making their way through “crowds in the street hurrying, heads down, eager to get to the station or the bus”.

“The subdued hubbub in the station concourse, and then an infuriatingly unruffled and disembodied voice saying ‘We apologise for the late arrival of …’. It’s a turbulent way to live,” says the bishop.

The chaotic commute, he continues, means that “some of the things that might give you a moment of peace or a time for reflection are crowded out”.

The bishop sets out a month’s worth of brief reflections and prayers for the morning and evening rush to help commuters to find peace in spite of their chaotic journeys.

“Put it another way suppose that God himself is actually present with you, waiting to be discovered; that still, small voice hidden inside all the turbulence that you and your fellow-commuters face each day,” he writes.

Bishop Herbert’s book includes prayers, Bible readings and reflections for the way into work, focusing on how readers can get into the right frame of mind for the day ahead.

They encourage Christians to consider some of the big issues that may get lost in the daily grind, such as facing up to the things that ‘imprison’ them or lead them to inaction, and what they can do to increase their spirit of generosity in society.

The book then offers further reflections and Bible readings for the journey home, encouraging them to rest and take stock, while a confessional prayer gives them the opportunity to bring before God anything that may have left them feeling “uneasy or with a troubled conscience”.

Bishop Herbert is the author of the original Pocket Prayers series, which has been in continuous print since 1993. Pocket Prayers for Commuters is out from Church House Publishing, priced £5.99.