One of the editors of Anamchara Books (www.anamcharabooks.com) has very kindly sent me a couple of their books to read and review.

Anamchara Books are a small publisher of books on inclusive Christian spirituality, based in New York. Their catalogue includes the writings of authors from the USA and the UK, with a definite bias towards books on Celtic Christian spirituality.

The first of the two books that I have been sent is:

“Earth Afire with God – Celtic Prayers for Everyday Life” 2011, Anamchara Books, New York ISBN978-1-933630-96-0.

Collections of prayers are very much a matter of personal taste; in this instance the compilers (staff at Anamchara Books) have managed to collect together prayers ancient and modern that will appeal to a wide variety of people.

There is a wonderful selection of prayers collected from original Celtic sources, all of them adapted in language that is fresh and contemporary and updated with images that resonate with life today. There are prayers from classic sources such as the Carmina Gadelica, the “Poem Book of the Gael and Hebridean Alters as well as some from Kuno Meyer’s Ancient Irish Poetry.

Intermingled with these are prayers by a number of contemporary American writers; the prayers of Ellyn Sanna, who seems to have mastered the feel and form of Celtic prayers so well, are among my favourites.

The Celts had a deep sense of the immanence of God, and these prayers recognise the presence and concern of God for even the smallest detail of our lives. They are arranged thematically, taking us on a prayer journey through the day, through special times and seasons and in some of the people and places that are important in our everyday journey with God and each other.

I would happily recommend this collection, both as an aid to our personal devotional life and as a resource for those who are involved in leading others in prayer. It provides us with the tools to gain a fresh sense of the presence of God in every part of our everyday lives.