OMG!: A Bad Christian's Book of Prayers

by Dave Tomlinson, Lissy Tomlinson (photographer), Rob Pepper (illustrator)

Prayer is not so much a religious activity as a universal human instinct, something we all do, one way or another, whether we realise it or not. Feelings of gratitude, wonder, or helplessness are in themselves kinds of prayer.

Quite simply, prayer is the language of the soul, the unique bubbling up, or longing of the deepest self, uttered through whatever language, gesture, or practice we find helpful. It isn’t even necessary to believe in God in order to pray; belief is about words, concepts and ideas that may or may not appear plausible, but prayer isn’t bothered with beliefs or creeds, it’s much more instinctive, visceral, physical even.

This is a collection of Dave’s prayers, mainly written for his weekly Holy Shed podcast but also reflecting 19 years as a vicar in a north London parish.

Dave Tomlinson is a writer, broadcaster and an Anglican priest. He regularly contributes to ‘Pause For Thought’ on Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show on Radio 2, and his books include How to be a Bad Christian and a Better Human Being, and Black Sheep and Prodigals – an Antidote to Black and White Religion. He is married to Pat.

189 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2024

Reviews

[Anthea Wratten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any ‘shedster’ that’s a person part of the littlest parish in Christendom, will both love and be familiar with the prayers and stories behind them in this book.
Dave is delightfully non religious embracing life in a gritty real and beautiful way. There are prayers for all occasions and experiences. Dave is a gifted poet drawing on nature especially birds, wonderful observations. In his words ‘what is needed is a shift from overly transcendent notions of God which have done much harm, to a more imminent and incarnational understanding of the God who lives and breathes in every atom of the universe.’
Enjoy and be blessed by this book.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I drove along on a trip from Tauranga to Katikati listening to the Nomad podcast, very taken by an interview with Dave Tomlinson, and then on arrival home purchased the ebook even before I'd got out of the car, sitting in the carport.

It didn't disappoint. Lovely book that throws open the scope of what it means to pray, exploring how prayers might be languaged, or not languaged, simplicity without loss of profundity. The book's been a good friend these last couple of months.

[Natasha David · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Prayer is not so much a religious activity as a universal human instinct, something we all do, one way or another, whether we realise it or not. Feelings of gratitude, wonder, or helplessness are in themselves kinds of prayer.” Dave is so down to earth and manages to put into words how we all feel at different times in our lives. A wonderful book to inspire, encourage and touch your soul.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and beautifully written collection of modern prayers/poetry.