God, give us grace to accept with Serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right, if I surrender to your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen.

For many years I had a mixed reaction to the so-called Serenity Prayer, or at least its first stanza. As a young man I was uncomfortable with what seemed an undertow of fatalism.

But the courage to change the things which should be changed would not allow me to dismiss the prayer entirely.

With years and experience, I better understand there are things that cannot be changed. (I first wrote, there may very well be things that cannot be changed. This remains a wisdom I resist.)

At some point in the last ten years or so I encountered the second stanza, beginning with, "Living one day at a time..."

Taking this sinful world as it is, gave depth to the things that cannot be changed. Learning that Reinhold Neibuhr was the author gave context to each word and phrase.

In the days ahead I will give the prayer close consideration.