ADRIAN'S BOOK
Published September 20, 2022
What is a blessing? Do you have to believe to receive one? Can you doubt while you pray? And can you extend grace to others while still desperately in need of it yourself?
Through the heartfelt, frank, and sincere stories of her unique ministry, Dannhauser offers glimpses into the tender, holy, and sometimes hilarious moments of sidewalk prayers. With a potent blend of reverence and irreverence, as well as insights from Christian scriptures, she delves into the power that ancient ideas – blessing, forgiveness, miracles, and prayer – hold in a disenchanted world. For people of Christian faith, other faiths, or no faith at all, having spiritual conversations, even awkward ones with strangers on the street, can help us face our vulnerability, where we may discover a grace sufficient for all.
Ask Me For a Blessing (You Know You Need One) is in Publishers Weekly 2022 Holiday Gift Guide!
Praise for Ask Me for a Blessing (You Know You Need One)
“What does blessing mean in the dirty, busy streets of a city? What does it mean for believers and nonbelievers, for the suffering and foolish and angry and afraid? In this beautifully real book, Adrian Dannhauser shows how the hands-on practice of public blessing invites everyone to see, to desire, and to become more.”
—Sara Miles, author of City of God: Faith in the Streets and Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion
“If you’re confused about what a blessing is and does, it’s probably for good reason. These days, the word blessing is often reduced to a description of material wealth, cultural privilege, or just good luck. Got a new car for Christmas? You’re #blessed. Celebrating thirty years of marriage? Well, then, count your #blessings. Adrian Dannhauser knows that sacred speech and spiritual conversations are too important to be handled without care. She understands that a blessing is more life-giving and more life-saving than its popular usage. Dannhauser writes as someone who has spent years standing on the sidewalk of our culture, whispering good news to passing pedestrians. Ask Me for a Blessing is a much-needed renovation project for important spiritual ideas—blessing, yes, but also forgiveness, redemption, prayer, and even grace. What a gift!”
—Jonathan Merritt, contributing writer for The Atlantic and author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch
“Adrian Dannhauser removes the hashtag from the word blessing and returns all the grace, vulnerability, and love that a true blessing conveys. A nourishing book for everyone hungering for spiritual connection.”
—Sophfronia Scott, author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton
“Beautifully written, unabashedly honest, Ask Me for a Blessing is a refreshingly humble reflection on the soul’s ache for meaning. Like a late-night confessional among close friends, Adrian Dannhauser offers an intimate, compassionate, luminous reflection on the inner anxieties and struggles we all carry. I recommend this book to anyone seeking wisdom on the spiritual journey.”
—Mark Yaconelli, author of Between the Listening and the Telling: How Stories Can Save Us
“Imagine walking down a busy New York sidewalk. You see a blackboard that says ‘Ask Me for a Blessing.’ Curious, you stop. A warm-hearted and utterly approachable woman in a clergy collar listens to you and prays for you. You’re so intrigued, you want to learn more, so you set up a lunch meeting. This book is like that conversation over lunch. You’ll be (wait for it) blessed!”
—Brian McLaren, author of many books, including Do I Stay Christian?
“The world is starved for kindness. People are yearning to be heard. And the bulk of this population is not behind stained glass—they are in the streets. Through this beautiful book, we stand with Rev. Adrian Dannhauser as she courageously holds space in that pain, teaching us how to be present, vulnerable, and, most of all, a blessing.”
—Rev. Susan Sparks, preacher, comedian, and author of Laugh Your Way to Grace