Book of Uncommon Prayer, The

Group, Nov/Dec 2002 by Kurth, Tim

The Book of Uncommon Prayer

What it is: Steve Case has filled this book with enough prayers, responsive readings, psalms, and complete worship services to resource your youth ministry for a long time.

The scoop: The book opens with compelling argument for the return of liturgy and ancient worship forms. Case seems to have his finger on the pulse of today's youth and their hunger for finding the mysterious in their search for the divine. There's a wealth of powerful prayers and responsive readings that any youth worker will find useful. The "Eucharist Service" with the accompanying CD is sure to be a memorable experience for those who use it. I wished for a few more complete liturgies in the "Services" section of the book, which includes two that are very narrowly focused (I hope most youth ministries might never use them-"A Memorial Service for a Youth Group Member" and "A Service for a National Tragedy".) The nicest surprise came at the end of the book, where Case included some wonderful private devotions for youth workers. His insights and encouragement in this section will be a blessing to many.

Cost: $19.99

Available from: Youth Specialties, Zondervan Publishing, 800-727-3480, (616) 698-6900.

Reviewer Tim Kurth has 21 years of youth ministry experience.