Questions on Kids Pray the Darndest Things: Effective Liturgy
1. Are you advocating the discontinuation of Children's Liturgy of the Word?
2. Will you publish Kids Pray the Darndest Things: Effective Liturgy as a traditional book? How can I get it in print?
3. Does your book deal only or primarily with Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)?
4. Does your book give practical solutions about how children can interpret liturgical symbols?
5. Do you only talk about the concept of liturgy for children without practical suggestions?
6. How do I order your eBook?
1. Are you advocating the discontinuation of Children's Liturgy of the Word?
I am saying that a Children's Liturgy of the Word should remain in the main liturgical space and not be moved to a separate room while the liturgy unfolds in the main space. The entire assembly at a family mass should experience the hard work that goes on for a Children's Liturgy of the Word.
A stand-alone Children's Liturgy of the Word as a distinct rite that is not part of a mass, say in school or elsewhere, is fine too.
2. Will you publish Kids Pray the Darndest Things: Effective Liturgy as a traditional book? How can I get it in print?
Kids Pray will only be published as an e-book. I designed the eBook to be read on screen for ease of searching out terms. I also designed it as an eBook so a parish could print out copies to help its liturgy committee to read it in a more timely fashion. If your parish has children's liturgy issues, why pass around one book over several months or buy multiple copies. By printing your own copies for your liturgy committee, you save time and money. The printed e-book consists of 224 pages.
3. Does your book deal only or primarily with Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)?
Kids Pray analyzes CLOWs plus a host of other considerations that arise when involving children with liturgy. Most importantly, it shows why we must allow children free access to liturgy, how the norms for Masses with children, the children's lectionary, the general instruction for the Roman Missal and other select documents actually work, and how children can help us understand what goes on in liturgy.
4. Does your book give practical solutions about how children can interpret liturgical symbols?
Kids Pray provides limited how-to examples. This is not a how-to book. It does offer a way of thinking about and interpreting what goes on in liturgy that can be adapted to the millions of fine details found parishes across North America. Remember that the liturgy of each parish, by virtue of use of the vernacular, is different. Once you have read this book, you will be able to discern what is going on in your specific parish situation. Then, you will be able to address your specific needs and challenges. Also, remember that liturgy is hard work. There are no easy answers. Good (full) liturgy demands time and effort to plan and execute.
My book also advocates letting children play with liturgical artifacts. Rather than adults providing solutions for meaning to children, let the children discover their own solutions. These solutions will be correct more times than not. Remember that children can use guidance in their play not micro-management.
5. Do you only talk about the concept of liturgy for children without practical suggestions?
All concepts found in Kids Pray come from the practice of liturgy, so that any theory is clearly rooted in practicality. It offers a long list of practical suggestions that help you judge whether any activity that you consider will actually work. It does not give you activities for the children. It gives you a practical framework within which any activity should be placed. If an activity doesn't appear to fit in that framework, you probably shouldn't use it. Its best practical advice, however, is to allow your children to show what they can bring to liturgy. Please go here to see an expanded table of contents that is not found in the e-book.
To order my eBook, you must download a free copy of Abode's eBook Reader. Once downloaded and installed, you must certify the software by opening it and choosing the certification option. Then, you may proceed to order the book from Powell's. You cannot buy the e-book without first downloading and certifying the eBook Reader. If you have run into problems with Amazon while trying to order this e-book, ensure that you have the reader software installed and certified.
© James O'Regan, 2003