The Church Year in Limericks

Like an Advent calendar or a box of chocolates, The Church Year in Limericks is not meant to be enjoyed all at once. Each stanza exists on its own, and reading the entire collection straight through diminishes the individuality of its separate parts. Think of this book instead as a sort of hymnal, in which all the hymns happen to be written in the same meter but each one serves a different purpose in worship: contemplation, inspiration, insight, comfort, joy. Yes, there is perhaps a higher quotient of lively word play here than in a regular hymnal, but that’s all the more reason to appreciate each limerick for itself. -Christopher M. Brunelle