My Liturgical Loophole

How I’ve managed to avoid praying for a President I despise

As Christians go, I’m not particularly a standout. Too ornery, too desultory, too sweary. Pastoral instincts invariably overwhelmed by prophetic fire. Kind of a scorched-earth witness.

But when I go to church — something I miss, so much, during this pandemic — part of the service includes the “Prayers of the People,” and one part of that prayer time entails praying for the nation’s government and leaders. And for the last four years, that has been something of a…