What do you think?
Rate this book
Call and Response: Litanies for Congregational Prayer
A compilation of modern call and response litanies intended for congregational use. Whether your community is liturgical and looking for fresh language, or contemporary and looking to incorporate liturgical elements, this volume contains relevant, reflective prayers that call congregations deeper into the story of Divine Love. Written with attention to beauty, theological resonance, and justice-mindedness, these prayers probe the depths of what it means to live out faith in today's context. People of faith from various traditions can find helpful language for integrating spirituality and contemporary life in this rich trove of communal prayers.
134 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2018
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 16, 2019
Read more book reviews like this one on my blog at BeckieWrites.com
Call and Response by Fran Pratt is both poetic and powerful. It is an excellent resource for pastors and worship planners. As the pastor of two churches in Pennsylvania, I am constantly searching for prayers and litanies that I can use with my congregation on Sunday mornings. I am so glad that I came across Pratt's little book. It is a worship planning resources that I will use time and again.
Timely and Eloquent Prayers
Pratt writes with a style that is both clear and elegant. Her prayers read like responsive poems. Their language is both inclusive and life affirming.
My copy of the book arrived only a few days after the tragedy in Dayton, Ohio. My heart was broken over the sufferings in Ohio and throughout the world. Often, I would have written my own litany for use in worship, but I was too deeply troubled to find the words. Pratt's words were a blessing. Her prayer, "Litany for Chaos," was the perfect fit for my congregation. The language eloquently expressed everything that I wanted to say but could not find the words to pray.
Powerful, Poetic, and Diverse
The book is divided into five sections with three appendices. The sections include, "Litanies for Looking Forward," "Litanies for Looking Outward," "Litanies for Coping," "Litanies for Church Rituals," and "Litanies for Communal Worship." The Appendices include resources for advent and lent and two litanies for injustice.
All of Pratt's prayers are beautiful, but I was particularly drawn to, "Litany for Surgery," "Litany or Diversity," "Litany for Refugees," "Litany for Post-Disaster Trauma," and "Litany for Doing Hard Things."
From a Disability Perspective ...
One of the aspects of Call and Response that I truly appreciated was the author's commitment to using inclusive language. On her website, Pratt states, "I began writing litanies because I couldn’t find congregational prayers on the internet that articulated what I felt or addressed a particular subject or event in a way that suited my church’s casual, non-denominational setting. So I started writing them myself."
As a pastor with a visual impairment, I will admit that I often have trouble finding litanies that are inclusive of all ability levels that I can use for worship. Although Pratt does not specifically include a prayer for people with disabilities, her litany, "Litany for Privilege," manages to address the issue of able-bodied privilege (as well as other privileges) in a way that is both sensitive and rooted in biblical scripture.
The litany begins with an invocation to God, along with a recognition of the fact that life here on earth is a "mixed bag," that includes both "joy and pain," as well as "grief and exuberance." Although we cannot choose our circumstances, we are all God's children. For me, the most striking lines in this litany are the ones that reference the issue of disability and able-bodied privilege. "In many ways, we are born to pain. / Let us bear one another's burdens. / In many ways we are born weak and blind. / Let us be kind to one another."
I find the use her phrase, "in many ways we are born weak and blind," particularly apt in this litany. The simple addition of the words, "in many ways," and the use of the pronoun "we," reminds us that blindness in scripture and literature takes on a meaning that is both metaphorical and literal. We all suffer from some form of spiritual blindness. No human can fully "see" God's plan or understand God.
This gentle yet convicting litany would be an excellent choice when planning liturgy for a Disability Awareness Sunday. This litany provides the words to help the pastor and the congregation to address the unique privileges we all share, while also inspiring us to show the love of Christ to those who may not have the same level of privilege.
Perfect for Congregational Use & Personal Devotions
I highly recommend Call and Response for worship leaders. I also recommend it for those who enjoy reading spiritual poetry. Although the litanies are written for a congregational setting, they would also work well for personal devotions. I know that I will continue to use this little book for many liturgical seasons to come.
Note: I received a free copy of this book SpeakEasy in exchange for an honest review.
Call and Response by Fran Pratt is both poetic and powerful. It is an excellent resource for pastors and worship planners. As the pastor of two churches in Pennsylvania, I am constantly searching for prayers and litanies that I can use with my congregation on Sunday mornings. I am so glad that I came across Pratt's little book. It is a worship planning resources that I will use time and again.
Timely and Eloquent Prayers
Pratt writes with a style that is both clear and elegant. Her prayers read like responsive poems. Their language is both inclusive and life affirming.
My copy of the book arrived only a few days after the tragedy in Dayton, Ohio. My heart was broken over the sufferings in Ohio and throughout the world. Often, I would have written my own litany for use in worship, but I was too deeply troubled to find the words. Pratt's words were a blessing. Her prayer, "Litany for Chaos," was the perfect fit for my congregation. The language eloquently expressed everything that I wanted to say but could not find the words to pray.
Powerful, Poetic, and Diverse
The book is divided into five sections with three appendices. The sections include, "Litanies for Looking Forward," "Litanies for Looking Outward," "Litanies for Coping," "Litanies for Church Rituals," and "Litanies for Communal Worship." The Appendices include resources for advent and lent and two litanies for injustice.
All of Pratt's prayers are beautiful, but I was particularly drawn to, "Litany for Surgery," "Litany or Diversity," "Litany for Refugees," "Litany for Post-Disaster Trauma," and "Litany for Doing Hard Things."
From a Disability Perspective ...
One of the aspects of Call and Response that I truly appreciated was the author's commitment to using inclusive language. On her website, Pratt states, "I began writing litanies because I couldn’t find congregational prayers on the internet that articulated what I felt or addressed a particular subject or event in a way that suited my church’s casual, non-denominational setting. So I started writing them myself."
As a pastor with a visual impairment, I will admit that I often have trouble finding litanies that are inclusive of all ability levels that I can use for worship. Although Pratt does not specifically include a prayer for people with disabilities, her litany, "Litany for Privilege," manages to address the issue of able-bodied privilege (as well as other privileges) in a way that is both sensitive and rooted in biblical scripture.
The litany begins with an invocation to God, along with a recognition of the fact that life here on earth is a "mixed bag," that includes both "joy and pain," as well as "grief and exuberance." Although we cannot choose our circumstances, we are all God's children. For me, the most striking lines in this litany are the ones that reference the issue of disability and able-bodied privilege. "In many ways, we are born to pain. / Let us bear one another's burdens. / In many ways we are born weak and blind. / Let us be kind to one another."
I find the use her phrase, "in many ways we are born weak and blind," particularly apt in this litany. The simple addition of the words, "in many ways," and the use of the pronoun "we," reminds us that blindness in scripture and literature takes on a meaning that is both metaphorical and literal. We all suffer from some form of spiritual blindness. No human can fully "see" God's plan or understand God.
This gentle yet convicting litany would be an excellent choice when planning liturgy for a Disability Awareness Sunday. This litany provides the words to help the pastor and the congregation to address the unique privileges we all share, while also inspiring us to show the love of Christ to those who may not have the same level of privilege.
Perfect for Congregational Use & Personal Devotions
I highly recommend Call and Response for worship leaders. I also recommend it for those who enjoy reading spiritual poetry. Although the litanies are written for a congregational setting, they would also work well for personal devotions. I know that I will continue to use this little book for many liturgical seasons to come.
Note: I received a free copy of this book SpeakEasy in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2019
Call and Response
Litanies for Congregational Prayer
by Fran Pratt
A Book Review
October 12, 2019
The Reverend Fran Pratt in her book Call and Response: Litanies for Congregational Prayer puts together a book of liturgy that is contemporary, beautiful, inclusive, and speaks to people from all backgrounds--the doubters, the non-believers, and offers the hope of the God in Christ who welcomes everyone.
One of her litanies entitled Bonus: Litany for Heretics reads:
"God we lift up to you the courageous who go against the grain of the present age:
The Heretics: The ones who flout traditions or expectations; . . .
May there faith never falter,
Their feet never stumble,
Their resources never run out,
Their hope never die...."
This is a beautiful contemporary and inclusive book of liturgy that speaks to the contemporary Church and non-church people, and we invite you to pick it up, read it little by little, and savor its beauty.
Fr. River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.
www.temenos.org
Litanies for Congregational Prayer
by Fran Pratt
A Book Review
October 12, 2019
The Reverend Fran Pratt in her book Call and Response: Litanies for Congregational Prayer puts together a book of liturgy that is contemporary, beautiful, inclusive, and speaks to people from all backgrounds--the doubters, the non-believers, and offers the hope of the God in Christ who welcomes everyone.
One of her litanies entitled Bonus: Litany for Heretics reads:
"God we lift up to you the courageous who go against the grain of the present age:
The Heretics: The ones who flout traditions or expectations; . . .
May there faith never falter,
Their feet never stumble,
Their resources never run out,
Their hope never die...."
This is a beautiful contemporary and inclusive book of liturgy that speaks to the contemporary Church and non-church people, and we invite you to pick it up, read it little by little, and savor its beauty.
Fr. River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.
www.temenos.org
January 23, 2019
beautiful reflections that renewed my soul
July 9, 2020
Litanies for corporate worship, including seasons of the church year, coping with trauma, and other prayer needs.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews