Megan Explains: The Great Litany… for the rest of us!

When the world feels loud, chaotic, and just a bit too much, sometimes what we need most is an old prayer that knows how to hold us together.In this episode, Megan walks Adam (and all of us) through the Great Litany—one of the oldest prayers in the Episcopal Church and, honestly, one of its coziest. Often described as an “Anglican blankie,” the Great Litany is a long, responsive prayer designed to be prayed in moments of fear, crisis, and uncertainty… which explains why it keeps showing up whenever history gets rough.Together, Megan and Adam dig into where the Great Litany comes from, why Thomas Cranmer thought the church needed one solid, all-purpose prayer, and how its steady rhythm has helped Christians pray through plagues, wars, natural disasters, and national anxiety. They talk about how litanies work—why chanting or responding together matters—and how this kind of prayer reminds us we’re never praying alone, even when we feel isolated.They also reflect on how the Great Litany continues to show up today: during times of personal grief, communal stress, and moments when words feel hard to find. There’s comfort in knowing that people have been praying these same petitions for centuries—and yes, there’s even an app for that now.If you’ve ever needed a prayer that doesn’t require the right mood, the right words, or the right energy—just your presence—this episode is for you. The Great Litany doesn’t fix everything, but it does remind us who we are, who God is, and that we’re held by something bigger than the moment we’re in.As always, thanks for listening to For The Rest Of Us. Make sure to leave us a rating and review, and share with a friend.