Brian Draper

The audio of my YouTube conversation with Ruth Valerio for autumn 2026 — about her new book How to Survive a World in Crisis (And Not Grow Weary of Doing Good). It's published by SPCK, 2026.

This is my 'turning prayer' for the autumn series, 2026. A shorter, simpler form of compass prayer, where I speak a couple of lines at each point of the compass in turn. Turn when I invite you to, and I'll leave a short pause between each point, for you to breathe and absorb. We finish by turning once more round the circle for an encircling prayer.

Turning east:

I turn to you, Lord, to welcome 

Your dawning life-light, sun-rising within me.

Turning south:

I turn to you, Lord, to stand 

tree-tall in the love-light presence of my Creator.

Turning west:

I turn to you, Lord, to yield 

to the sun-setting, soul-settling mystery of twilight.

Turning north:

I turn to you, Lord, to pin-point 

Your pole-star pulsing in the heart of the darkness.

Turning east again, in mercies new:

I re-turn to you, Lord, to welcome 

Your dawning life-light, sun-rising within me.

Lord return me to you,

In the passage of this day;

In the turning of this season,

In the cycle of my life.

Encircle me,

Encompass me,

Gather me, and those I name now, in Your love.

Amen.

The second of my conversations for Lent.

Martin Wroe 'is married to Meg, a painter. He fell into journalism while studying theology and ended up on the staff of the Independent and later the Observer. A former chair of Greenbelt, he has had long collaborations with the human rights NGO Amos Trust and the rock band U2 and contributes to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. He accidentally became a volunteer vicar in the Church of England. His most recent book of poems is This Heart: Poems from the Universe Inside, which followed Julian Of Norwich’s Teabag.'

My interview with Pastor Elizabeth Macaulay, for Lent 2026. She is the lead pastor of the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. 

Her church has been engaged in pastoral care, advocacy and community presence following the shocking deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and the continued heightened presence of federal ICE agents in the city.

One particular movement - ‘singing resistance’ - has sought to meet violence not with force but with communal song. And on the night Alex Pretti died, Pastor Elizabeth’s church hosted a ‘singing resistance’ event for over a thousand people, which helped the community in that moment to come together and light candles and hold a space together and sing. 

In this 30-minute interview Pastor Macaulay reflects on how we can meet these challenging days with a different way of being, and shine a different light on the way we can live. 

The Lent 2026 Compass Point Prayer

​We'll be using Psalm 23 for our Lent Compass Prayer, 2026. We'll pray three lines from it at each of the four points of the compass, which you'll turn through as you go. I've split each line in two: breathe in the first half of the line, and breathe out the second half of the line. Don't try to speak the words yourself - just listen to me.

East:

The Lord / is my shepherd 

You / are my shepherd

I shall / not want.​

South:

Let me rest / in green pastures,

By quiet pools / Restore my soul.

Guide me / in Your paths.​

West:

Even in the valley / may I not be afraid;

you are / with me,

Your rod and staff / they comfort me.

North:

You set me a table / Before my enemies

You welcome me / and fill my cup.

For all of my days / may Your house be my home.

East: 

Your goodness and love / will follow me always

You are my Shepherd / I shall not want

You are / with me.

​

A conversation for Advent with John Philip Newell.

The Compass Prayer for 2025.

Facing East:

Hush / be still (Mark 4.39) 

Prepare / the Way (Isaiah 40.3)

Dayspring / be my dawning day. (Luke 1:78-79)

Facing South:

Your kingdom come / Your will be done (Matthew 6.10)

Let it be to me / Just as you say. (Luke 1.38)

Good news for all / Great joy, I pray (Luke 2.10)

Facing West:

Word made flesh / Love come down. (John 1; 1 John 4.9)

As shadows grow / abide with me (Luke 24.29)

Be the eyes / that help me see. (Psalm 119.18; Luke 4.18-19)

Facing North

Be the treasures / in my darkness (Isaiah 45.3)

I am Yours / and You are mine (Song of Sings 6.3)

I shall not fear / this night divine. (Luke 2.10)

Facing East

Hush / behold! (Mark 4.39) 

My heart / is free (Isaiah 63 / Luke 4.18-19)

Morning star / Arise in me! (Rev 2.28 & Rev 22.16)

Compass  Prayer for Autumn 2025

Turn to the East:

In God’s tender mercy // The dawn will come. (Luke 1.78-79)

Your love never stops // You mercies are new. (Lam 3.22-23)

I arise and shine // for Christ now shines in me. (Is 60.1 / Eph 5.14 / 2 Cor 4.6)

And now turn to the South:

Fill me afresh / With Your fullness. (Eph 3.19)

Fountain of Life // My cup overflows (Ps 36.9 / Ps 23)

Your grace is sufficient // Restore my soul //(2 Cor 12.19 / Ps 23)

And now turn to the West:

Your ways are not mine // but I trust with my heart. (Is 55 / Prov 3.5-6)

You bring autumn rain // and the trees will bear fruit. (Joel 2)

From sunrise to sunset // I will praise You. Ps 113

And now to the North:

Though I have fallen // I will rise …

Though I sit in darkness // You will be my light. (Micah 7.8)

Those who sow with tears // will reap with songs of joy. (Ps 126.5)

And  turn back to the East

In Your tender mercy // The dawn will come. (Luke 1.78-79)

Your love never stops // Your mercies are new. (Lam 3.22-23)

I arise and shine // for Christ now shines in me. (Is 60.1 / Eph 5.14 / 2 Cor 4.6)

To conclude, turn full circle slowly for a final time, using St Columba’s ‘circling prayer’. (Circling prayers were used by the ancient Celts as prayers of protection and re-connection).

Bless to me the ground that is beneath me.
Bless to me the sky that is above me.
Bless to me the friends who are around me.
Bless to me the love of the Three, 
deep within me, and encircling me.

Amen.

Here's a compass-point prayer for the summer, containing summer themes of light, air, water, skies, sunrise and sunset, rest and zest! I hope you find it helpful. Have a beautiful summer.

Facing east:

In this beginning, Lord / “Let there be light!” (Gen 1)

Breathe into me / Your breath of life (Gen 2.7 +Ezekiel 37.5-6 / John 20.19)

In You / I live and move (Acts 17.28)

Facing South:

“Light, space, zest / that’s You!” (Ps 27.1 MSG)

I will walk with You / in the light of life. (Psalm 56.13)

From my inmost being / May your rivers flow (Psalm 42.7 /John 7.38)

Facing West:

I will trust in You / and soar on wings like eagles.

Where morning dawns & evening fades / you call forth songs of joy. (Ps 65.8)

I come to you / to seek your rest (Matthew 11.28)

Facing North:

At night my heart instructs me. / I set the LORD before me (Ps 16)

You quiet me with your love / You sing over me with joy (Zeph 3.17)

For all of my life / Your house is my home (Ps 23.6 GNB)

Facing east:

In this beginning, Lord / “Let there be light” (Gen 1)

Breathe into me / Your breath of life (Gen 2.7 (+Ezekiel 37.5-6 / John 20.19)

In You / I live and move (Acts 17.28; )

Awake my soul / Awake! (Psalm 57)

Circling Prayer

Be blessed, Lord

as you bless to me

this air, this light, this earth, this sea;

I stand here in your family.

Encircle me, O Three in One,

in shining stars and rising sun;

within, beneath, around, above

please bind me in your boundless love.

Amen

A poem-prayer by Brian Draper in collaboration with Simon Bray.

Music & photograph by Simon Bray: 'Falling, fallen, fell'. (Copyright Simon Bray.)