Let Us Pray - by Jennie Turrell (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Kid-friendly, illustrated primer on the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Jennie Turrell walked into All Saints' Chapel on Good Friday, when her three-year-old son stopped her in the darkened doorway and quietly whispered, "Uh-oh." At that moment, she realized that changes in the physical space of the liturgy mattered to him. She had been whispering in his ear during liturgies since he was a baby, but it wasn't until that day that she knew he had been taking it all in--sights and sounds--all of it. In spite of squawking at inopportune times, crawling in the side aisle or narthex when sermons ran too long, drawing on the bulletin, dropping the heavy Book of Common Prayer on his toes, or standing on chairs, her son was present, aware, and sharing in the Eucharist.

This is how her little book for little hands came to life. Her son was a "consultant" on the book from beginning to end. An engaging book for children, ages 2 - 8, to follow the liturgy and participate in ways that are appropriate for them.

Review Quotes

"Jennie Turrell addresses an imperative in the Church's ministry to children. For the meaning of baptism to be fully claimed in the life of the Church, the giving of Communion to baptized infants and children is a pastoral priority which has gradually become a normal practice in many Episcopal parishes in the last few decades. But often this experience of the sharing of Communion has not benefited from a complementary engagement with those children's imaginations. Turrell's Let Us Pray is an important response to this need. It will enable even young children to experience Communion at their level of understanding and to place them on the path to eucharistic living."
--Louis Weil, James F. Hodges and Harold and Rita Haynes Professor Emeritus of Liturgics at CDSP

"During the baptismal rite, the members of the congregation promise to do all they can to support the candidates for baptism in their life in Christ. Jennie Turrell has responded to this call by creating this fun and important worship aid for children. We know that worship is the gathering of all of God's people. With this book, welcome and integration is all the more possible for the littlest ones in our midst."
--Roger Hutchison, author of The Painting Table

"Two of the gifts we can offer one another in a Christian community are honest story sharing and meaningful ritual and connection. Let Us Pray offers an engaging and insightful way to draw children and their families closer to our common story of God's redeeming love found in the Eucharist. This lively and engaging resource can be used in a variety of different formational settings--home, worship, learning communities, and beyond."
--Emily Given, Director, Children and Family Ministries Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, Texas