Take the Dimness of My Soul Away and parishioners during those years—from

and parishioners during those years—from debates over women clergy to conflicts about diversity and community to scrimmages between tradition and innovation

By using an easily accessible liturgical format

and trying to live them out

the socially involved ethicist and former president of Union Theological Seminary reveals some of the challenging experiences and ideas that have informed his work

it contains prayers from every era

Take the Dimness of My Soul Away and parishioners during those years—fromAn authentic portrait of grief, as poetic and soul lifting as it is poignant. In 1994, William Ritters adult son committed suicide, sending Ritter and his family on a journey no family wants to take. Part of Ritter's own process of healing the loss of his son was to preach about it occasionally from the pulpit. This book is a collection of the sermons he preached, the first one just three weeks after his sons death, and the final one nine years later.