Alternative Collects

Description

These radical prayers break the mould of the “collect” prayers that are so familiar to millions of Christians worldwide. They are the result of the author’s struggle with the blandness and predictability of so many of the church’s traditional prayers. Useful for both personal and liturgical devotion, these prayers will both challenge and nourish. Many churches use a traditional collect in their Sunday service. Some of the familiar collects stand out in our minds as we remember their helpful phrases and expressions. But many seem to pass us by as they appear safe or predictable. Graham Turner provides us with an exciting and challenging set of alternative collects. They adopt the direct and gritty style and language often found amongst the Psalms and prophets of the Old Testament, and are honest about the discomfort we often experience as we seek to live lives following Jesus Christ whilst also acknowledging the audacious grace of God towards us. These alternative collects are also different because they relate directly to all the readings for the Sundays and Principal Feasts of the Common Worship Lectionary. This means they better “collect” together the various elements of the service, while mindful its place within the church’s year.