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21 Ways to Worship
In the inspiring new book, 21 Ways to Worship, best-selling author, Vinny Flynn, shares his favorite ways to pray in Eucharistic Adoration. Written in the author’s personal, conversational style, complete with puns and other bits of humor, 21 Ways to Worship is an easy to read, practical guide, jam-packed with inspiring ideas, techniques, and prayers to help you make the most of your Holy Hour. It’s a perfect resource for the beginner wondering what Adoration is all about, and for the veteran adorer looking for additional ideas.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2017
27 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Vinny Flynn
20 books42 followersVinny Flynn is Executive Director of MercySong Ministries of Healing, and best-selling author of 7 Secrets of the Eucharist, 7 Secrets of Confession, 21 Ways to Worship: A Guide to Eucharistic Adoration, and Mercy's Gaze. He is also a gifted musician and popular speaker for parish programs, conferences, and retreats.
Known to many as “the man who sings the Divine Mercy Chaplet on EWTN,” this father of seven has been involved in a ministry of mercy for over forty years, using his gifts to help people understand the teachings of the Church and open their hearts to the healing and transforming touch of God’s love.
To read Vinny's full bio, click here.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 10, 2017
If you are a beginner or relatively new to Adoration, this would be the book to take/use. Flynn is a lively writer and has many encouraging suggestions to inspire and motivate the novice, restless or conversely, sleepy soul.
If you have been a regular adorer for more than a couple years, you will probably find most of the material in this book what I would call light. A couple of books I would suggest are Could You Not Watch with Me One Hour?: How to Cultivate a Deeper Relationship with the Lord through Eucharistic Adoration or In the Presence of Our Lord. Fr. Groeschel also has several books on praying in the presence of Lord which I have not read as I found this historical and theological treatise inspiring enough. There is also the masterpiece: The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist.
I guess having read those it isn't fair for me to review this, to compare the books. For someone with fresh eyes and a young open heart coming to Adoration for the first time, this book could be everything they were searching for. It is certainly chock-full of good ideas, most of which I have tried and found efficacious in my love for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
If you have been a regular adorer for more than a couple years, you will probably find most of the material in this book what I would call light. A couple of books I would suggest are Could You Not Watch with Me One Hour?: How to Cultivate a Deeper Relationship with the Lord through Eucharistic Adoration or In the Presence of Our Lord. Fr. Groeschel also has several books on praying in the presence of Lord which I have not read as I found this historical and theological treatise inspiring enough. There is also the masterpiece: The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist.
I guess having read those it isn't fair for me to review this, to compare the books. For someone with fresh eyes and a young open heart coming to Adoration for the first time, this book could be everything they were searching for. It is certainly chock-full of good ideas, most of which I have tried and found efficacious in my love for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
May 21, 2013
I'll admit, I only read this book because my arm was twisted. I thought I knew the tone it would have and the attitude of eye-rolling it would inspire in me. I was, in fact, convinced I would have to work to write a favorable review.
Being wrong has rarely felt so great.
I've been a regular at our parish's Eucharistic Adoration program for over ten years, and I remember the days of dragging in a couple of books, a notebook, a rosary, and two or three prayer books. I'd kneel, say hi, and get to work.
And there's nothing wrong with that approach, though I have modified it over the years.
Each of the 21 chapters—which are short and easy-to-read—has a snappy title and usually about two or three pages of down-to-earth content. This is a man writing to ME: to the me who is sooooo busy I have an excuse for everything, to the me who wonders if anyone's listening, to the me who takes small LOUD people with me to Adoration.
In fact, I've gained more from this book than just suggestions for ways to pray in Adoration. I'm now looking at the pictures on my fridge as an opportunity to offer a prayer for loved ones. I'm thinking of the Psalms as letters TO ME now, instead of as 3000-year-old poems. I'm using the opportunity to pray as I breathe, an idea that was planted in me during a recent 8-week retreat with Father Gaitley's Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat.
In this book, Flynn brilliantly and concisely makes a case, not just for Adoration, not just for a deeper prayer life, not just for a gimmick-style Christian life, but for an approach to really living and transforming your life through small actions. Call it prayer, call it worship, call it Adoration: it is, at the root of it, encouragement for those of us who struggle, for those of us who juggle unsuccessfully, for those of us who wonder if what we're doing is ever enough.
There's no "Catholic lite" in this book, just a toolbox packed with approaches, ideas, and sincere devotion. You won't be able to help changing your life as you read this book. Mine's already better. I can't wait to read it again.
Being wrong has rarely felt so great.
I've been a regular at our parish's Eucharistic Adoration program for over ten years, and I remember the days of dragging in a couple of books, a notebook, a rosary, and two or three prayer books. I'd kneel, say hi, and get to work.
And there's nothing wrong with that approach, though I have modified it over the years.
Each of the 21 chapters—which are short and easy-to-read—has a snappy title and usually about two or three pages of down-to-earth content. This is a man writing to ME: to the me who is sooooo busy I have an excuse for everything, to the me who wonders if anyone's listening, to the me who takes small LOUD people with me to Adoration.
In fact, I've gained more from this book than just suggestions for ways to pray in Adoration. I'm now looking at the pictures on my fridge as an opportunity to offer a prayer for loved ones. I'm thinking of the Psalms as letters TO ME now, instead of as 3000-year-old poems. I'm using the opportunity to pray as I breathe, an idea that was planted in me during a recent 8-week retreat with Father Gaitley's Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat.
In this book, Flynn brilliantly and concisely makes a case, not just for Adoration, not just for a deeper prayer life, not just for a gimmick-style Christian life, but for an approach to really living and transforming your life through small actions. Call it prayer, call it worship, call it Adoration: it is, at the root of it, encouragement for those of us who struggle, for those of us who juggle unsuccessfully, for those of us who wonder if what we're doing is ever enough.
There's no "Catholic lite" in this book, just a toolbox packed with approaches, ideas, and sincere devotion. You won't be able to help changing your life as you read this book. Mine's already better. I can't wait to read it again.
May 29, 2013
How do I pray using the photos? I just look at them. "Prayer," wrote St. Therese, "is a surge of the heart." I just look at the pictures, one by one, and let my heart surge to God for each person. A photo captures much of the essence of a person. As I gaze at each photo, the person it represents becomes present to me, complete with personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, memories, conversations, needs, etc.21 Ways to Worship is chock-full of practical ways like this to lift your heart to God. The 21 ways each have their own short chapter where Flynn explains an approach, sometimes including his personal experiences, sometimes including a prayer he has written, and often including scripture or a quote from a spiritual master.
Sometimes actual words of prayer come to mind and are offered; sometimes there are no words. Essentially, I am simply lifting each person up to God in whatever way and for whatever period of time seems called for. It varies from day to day.
Although the book is written to help direct an hour of Eucharistic adoration (prayer in front of the Eucharist), you can use these ideas and techniques any time to help your prayer life. In fact, I often forgot that the direction of the book was toward adoration. I'd come away from a chapter thinking about my experience with a particular approach in prayer. That is not to say that Flynn is not focused on Adoration. It is just a wonderful reminder that prayer is always conversation with God. Adoration is conversation with God right at His feet in the Eucharist.
I particularly enjoyed the art that headed each chapter. I only wish that they would have been made larger so that I could have made out the details more easily on some of the complex pieces. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Flynn's corny headlines. I realize they are included to pull the reader in and make them more comfortable on the way. I think my tolerance decreased as the book went on since each chapter was so short they were continually popping up. However, they wouldn't keep me from reading the book and the rest of each chapter was not corny or homespun but very well written.
This review is part of a blog tour taking place at Happy Catholic on May 30, 2013. A free copy will be given away on June 6, 2013 so if you are interested drop by there and make a comment to enter!
March 28, 2015
Great book to help one find ways to spend time with Christ during Eucharistic Adoration. I found the book to be very useful.
March 1, 2020
Accessible and insightful, Flynn's approach to Eucharistic Adoration is a valuable tool for any lay Catholic. Flynn describes the value of Adoration and how to center one's focus when there are so many distractions around (and within) us. Each chapter is short and has a touch of humor, while simultaneously being very sincere and thought-provoking. This makes it easy for anyone to read, no matter your spiritual or educational 'level'. The book left me desiring to spend more time with God through that intimate and mystical practice of Adoration. I look forward to reading more books by Flynn!
April 2, 2023
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
Dynamic, innovative and extremely inspiring.
A book that needs to be on your bookshelf so you can read it over and over. So many different ways to pray before the Blessed Sacrament and in general.
Dynamic, innovative and extremely inspiring.
A book that needs to be on your bookshelf so you can read it over and over. So many different ways to pray before the Blessed Sacrament and in general.
March 7, 2019
Great ideas. He's kinda goofy, but great ideas to get you started.
March 23, 2014
I guess I was hoping for ideas when taking my students to Adoration. I liked all that was said, just wasn't what I was looking for. One gem I did take away was journaling during Adoration. I already tried it with my 4th and 5th graders and they loved it too!
September 19, 2024
Such an amazing book.
I’ve recently gotten into a routine of visiting the Eucharist every week and this book was a must during my time. It has definitely helped me open up my perspective to different ways to worship and talk to God in order to get closer to him in my own way.
I’ve recently gotten into a routine of visiting the Eucharist every week and this book was a must during my time. It has definitely helped me open up my perspective to different ways to worship and talk to God in order to get closer to him in my own way.
February 21, 2016
Interesting book with numerous suggestions on ways to get more out of Eucharistic Adoration. Many are excellent to very good. A few did not work for me but understandable for this type of book.
September 8, 2016
Fantastic!
March 21, 2018
An easy read. Good for all ages and all levels of faith.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews