We Review Spoken Worship

So much more than poetry, Spoken Worship is created to be read aloud as a fresh worship experience.

I have been privileged to hear Gerard Kelly's Spoken Worship first hand on many occasions. Gerard was part of the leadership team at the church I attended and I can testify to the power of the experience. Spoken Worship comprises of 40 poems and is divided into 8 sections, interspersed with practical advice. Each and every performance note and poem has been tried and tested in many different settings and these experiences have shaped the advice provided in the book.

Some of the poems are tightly focused for a seasonal event or specific occasion, others can be used for many different themes and in a wealth of circumstances, allowing you to engage a group large or small. Spoken Worship does include 40 pieces of poetry, but it's not a poetry book - it's a resource for anyone who speaks or leads, a tool to be used.

Of the poems included I have my favourites, One and I Choose to Forgive vie for second place if I was to compile a chart from the book - but another stands out as number one. At the beginning, just after the introduction is Rob's God. Written in memorial of Rob Lacey actor and writer of The Street Bible (now known as The Word on the Street), Rob's God paints a picture of the God that I want to find everyday.

Rob's God snowboards cloudscapes
and paints daisies on his toes
while watching Chaplin reruns on his iPod.
He smiles at cats and children,
jumps in puddles
with his shoes on;
he is a 'where's the fun in fundamentalism?' God.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak worship like Gerard Kelly - his ability to craft a picture with words is possibly unique, but Spoken Worship provides insight into how anyone can start to use poetry as part of a service or event no matter how much experience you have.