Resplendent with the divine ‘creative Voice’, the meditative prayers reproduced and studied in this book celebrate the yearly cycle of the seasons and the Christian festivals. The prayers or ‘Epistles’ are an integral part of the renewed liturgy of The Christian Community, a non-sectarian church founded in 1922. In this invaluable companion, Alan Stott links them with the Psalms – prayers that every Christian priest could once recite.

Stott shares the insights of those who continue to hear the Voice or ‘musikē’ – sometimes called ‘melos’ (tune or musical line). Every tune focuses on the present moment; we recollect the note before and anticipate the one to come. The Australian aboriginals speak of ‘song-lines’, and we also refer to the ‘melody’ of a life. Through rhythms, the heart reflects, and we divine the music of Creation. The commentary in Seasonal Prayers reveals a ‘singing-speaking, speaking-singing’, that connects inner and outer life throughout the yearly cycle.

‘You have trodden ground that hitherto no one else has dared to regarding this most remarkable sequence of prayers… All in all, it makes a fascinating little work full of weighty content.’ – Taco Bay, Erzoberlenker of The Christian Community, 1986-2005.

‘A valuable stimulus. It contains many thoughts which are wide-ranging and useful.’ – Hans-Werner Schroeder, tutor at the Priests’ Seminary, Stuttgart.

ALAN STOTT (b. 1949) first came into contact with The Christian Community in 1966. He served with Alfred Heidenreich (London), a founder priest. Alan co-founded the Bristol Waldorf School (1974). Later he worked for six years in Germany as an accompanist – he has played for eurythmy in five continents and written commentaries on Rudolf Steiner’s eurythmy lectures.

With a small team, he published the Collected Works of Prof. Hermann Beckh, an outstanding personality. His translation of Living Renewal contains most of Rudolf Frieling’s work on worship, along with the rhythms in John’s Gospel. Works by Dr Rittelmeyer, Christoph Rau, Rudolf Meyer, Christoph Peter and Prof. Pfrogner followed. With Julian Pook he collected and edited service music, contributing instrumental pieces and songs. In 1999 a Cantata celebrating the first 70 years in the UK was commissioned and performed, with speech choruses, rounds and songs for everyone.