New Normal: Discerning the Rhythm of Lament, Thanks, and Praise in Bad Times and Good

Publisher Marketing:
These prayers of lament, thanksgiving, and praise arose out of worship at Bayside Uniting Church in Queensland, Australia after May 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic challenged worship "as usual," since services were restricted to online gatherings. During this time, Paul Mercer felt stirred to discern how he could contribute positively within his own faith community. Over Easter 2020, he recognized the possibility of writing congregational prayers, both for in-person gatherings as well as online use. These were based on the weekly morning and evening liturgical readings of each Sunday as the pandemic gripped the world stage. What emerged was an eclectic set of integrated Old and New Testament "psalms" that follow the liturgical year. As people gather in Christ, amidst both "bad times" and "good times," they can receive the strange gift of a "new normal" world. May the circulation of these "new normal" prayers be to the glory of God.

Commendation Quotes:
"Beneath the weight of ongoing conflicts and natural disasters, political upheaval, and social unrest, we need to be anchored by words that express our praise, fears, laments, and questions to the God we love and serve. These thoughtful prayers compiled by Dr. Paul Mercer are a profound gift for personal and corporate worship in these challenging days."

--Tim Costello, executive director, Micah Australia



"Paul Mercer offers us Spirit-fueled congregational liturgies for a new generation. Following the liturgical calendar and drawing on a breadth of Christian theology, these liturgies are steeped in the Christian tradition. And with poetic creativity, they shape the church to reflect the tenderness of Jesus today. I highly recommend New Normal to pastors and worship leaders."

--Mark Glanville, associate professor of pastoral theology, and Old Testament scholar, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia



"During the isolating time of COVID-19, Dr. Paul Mercer took the initiative with our Bayside Uniting Church congregation to engage us in prayers of openness before God, togetherness with one another, and responsiveness to the Scriptures. These prayers have become a catalyst in helping people encounter God through meaningful articulation, creative embodiment, and honest expressiveness amidst truly trying times."

--Craig Blackburn, pastor, Bayside Uniting Church, Queensland, Australia



"Paul's beautiful and poetic communal prayers sew together threads of Scripture with the day-to-day challenges and joys of our lives, drawing on Old Testament patterns of worship that anchor us in our earthly existence through seasons of weather as well as liturgy. His eyes range over the personal as well as the global, reminding the short-sighted of the wider world and the long-sighted that there are next-door neighbors. The pattern of corporate poetic liturgy in these prayers will encourage church leaders and congregations to think hard about how we draw near to God together and will be a blessing to all who incorporate them into their congregational worship."

--Greg Anderson, bishop, Northern Territory for the Anglican Church, Australia



"Dr. Paul Mercer's inspirational prayers open avenues to people in all walks of life to approach God amidst various types of distress--grief, loss, illness, homelessness, domestic violence, and mental health challenges. This book provides a pathway where people can seek God's peace, protection, and love through times of lament as well as praise. It will also be a resource for those who are supporting others going through the stresses and crises of different seasons of life."

--Bronwyn Herbert, Social Worker, Brisbane, Australia



"Paul Mercer is known by many as a physician of the body. His heart for people was shown to me as he cared for my parents in the closing years of their lives, where he demonstrated an understanding of the interaction between body, mind, and spirit. His personal faith has inspired this book of liturgical prayers, which are balm to our soul as they remind us of God's goodness, promises, and truth."

--David and Helen Smallbone, managers and promoters, Christian music industryRead less