Harry Boonstra

Even if you don't know very many Scripture choruses or praise songs, there's a good chance you'll know "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God." From the time it was written in 1972, the song has been a "hit" and has been incorporated into countless hymnals and albums. To its composer, Karen Lafferty, "Seek Ye First" has been a wonderful miracle which gives her daily joy.

New York: United Church of Christ, 1986,563 pages, $28.00

Every baptism should lead us to a new sense of gratitude I don't remember the hymns we sang, nor the Scripture we read, nor the sermon. But I do remember the baptism.

Spiritual nourishment for the shut-in We gathered around the kitchen table in the old farmhouse. The oilcloth with pictures of yellow pears and red strawberries was still on the table from lunchtime. So were the napkins and a few stray bread crumbs. There were four of us: the eighty-two-year-old widow who had lived in the house since her marriage sixty years ago, two elders, and myself.

by Margie Morris.Discipleship Resources, 1988. 66 pp. What can you do at home to make church more meaningful for your children? A Methodist author presents sensible, workable discussions, exercises, and games to help children understand worship and become a part of it. She demonstrates how we can explain various aspects of the worship service and how children can be participants who joyfully share in praising God. In some ways this is a simplified version of the Ng and Thomas book—a good place to start.

Discipleship Resources, 1988. This brand-new package by the United Methodist Church is an ambitious undertaking. It features a thirteen-session instruction program, aimed at systematically teaching children and parents about worship.

by Sheri Triezenberg and Susan K. Verwys. Grand Rapids, 1988. Available from the authors, 2551 Birchcrest SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. $28.50.

by Mary Catherine Berglund. The Pastoral Press, 1987. 137 pp. Gather the Children, a Roman Catholic resource, places more emphasis on Scripture than do most Protestant books on children and worship. The book is intended for "children's church," the period when children leave the sanctuary, but Berglund clearly expects them to return for the eucharist.

by A. Roger Gobbel and Phillip C. Huber. John Knox Press, 1981. 106 pp. Creative Designs is several cuts above most other books about children's sermons. The (Lutheran) authors begin (pp. 3-40) with a carefully reasoned explanation of the role of children in worship ("Not what we can do for children, but what we can do along with children"). The rest of the book is devoted to forty-three conversations (containing many questions) an adult can have with children as part of the worship service.

by Arline J. Ban. Judson Press, 1981. 128 pp. Children's Time was written in the context of rather traditional Baptist churches who want to make the worship service more meaningful to children. Ban considers the dilemma of children remaining in the service versus being separated to a another worship place. She opts (mildly) for the first and makes a number of suggestions for incorporating. children into the regular service.