Several years ago, my husband Andy and I noticed that the ratio of men to women in my Praying in Color Workshops® was a little low. For every fifteen to twenty women, there was one man. That seemed strange because we think praying with pen and markers in hand is a good fit for many men’s temperaments. It is concrete, physical, and practical. It is a process and a product—a prayer time and a prayer drawing.

So we wrote Praying in Black and White: A Hands -On Practice for Men, published by Paraclete Press. Maybe the title seems corny, passé, or sexist. The book is designed for men (or women) who are unlikely to tote around pink, yellow, and mauve markers. The practice uses only pen and paper and encourages drawing/praying anytime, any place.  But more than the specifics of what drawing implement to use, it’s a special invitation for men who see prayer as just the gift or parlance of women. It’s an attempt to invite men who have relinquished their power as pray-ers back to the prayer table. Praying in Black and White has simple, step-by-step instructions for praying for others, for praying Scripture, for praying with the breath…. For people who might be embarrassed about reading a book on prayer, the black cover and paperback-size make it innocuous and pocket-ready.

Praying in Black and White: A Hands -On Practice for Men is available through all the usual suspects: Paraclete Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Indie Bound–but not Borders :-(

If anyone is in Memphis on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, The Episcopal Bookshop is hosting an Open House from 10AM-6PM. Andy will sign books from 4:30-6 on Wednesday afternoon.