IN AN ideal world, there would be time each week to write new
resources for the "soft" liturgical points in an all-age Sunday
eucharist, such as the introduction to the confession,
intercessions, and prayer activities. The reality is that sometimes
time is short and creativity is limited.
Roots for Churches is an ecumenical initiative that produces a
monthly magazine of worship and learning resources for use with all
ages, appropriate to a wide variety of church contexts, styles, and
traditions. For some years now, Roots has given a helping hand to
churches by offering these additional prayers that can make a
service feel fresh - and all rooted in the Sunday readings.
Now Gill Ambrose, Maureen Baldwin, Jean Harrison, and Pam
Macnaughton have compiled the best of the prayers into a three-year
lectionary-based book with CD- ROM, Prayer and Prayer
Activities: For worship with adults, children and all ages. Years
A, B and C (Canterbury Press £24.99 (£22.50 - Use code CT263 );
978-1-84825-263-9).
Each week has a wide variety of prayers, including calls to
worship, confessions, intercessions, and practical prayer
activities. The activities are ideal for those who like to pray
with actions, and are appropriately diverse, including images,
symbols, and imaginative reflections.
The list of contributors is impressively long, and includes some
of the country's best practical liturgists. The prayers are
designed to be accessible to all those gathered for worship, and
have been tried and tested. They feel fresh and imaginative,
although generally informal, and offer excellent variety.
Prayer and Prayer Activities is a book to be valued for
its inclusion of resources for all ages and learning styles, and
will become an important part of the resources to which many of us
turn when looking for imaginative weekly prayers.
Dana Delap, Priest-in-Charge of Blockley with
Aston Magna and Bourton-on-the-Hill, in Gloucester diocese
