Book Description

Jesus and Elvis offers a host of creative resources for use in schools and churches. Jesus proclaims the book's unabashed gospel-centered content, Elvis its unapologetic creative style. The book as a whole should appeal to both the young and the old, wide-eyed seekers, battle-scarred churchgoers, really anyone short of the musclebound atheist or bigoted believer. Categories include poems, plays, hymns, prayers, pictures, a communion service, participatory readings, and essays. ""In this information age, search engines make everything ever written available. What we need is someone we trust to filter through the galaxies of poems, plays, prayers, and essays to find the most brightly shining stars. That's what John McTavish has done for us in this book. You don't have to agree with every choice to realize that his choices are worth taking to heart."" --Jim Taylor, author and internet columnist ""With his keen and discerning eye as a playwright, director, and pastoral leader, John McTavish has selected a variety of evocative resources that deliver on his promise to help unlock creativity to deepen theological reflection. This book would be welcome on pastors' shelves as well as in congregational and school libraries."" --Joan Wyatt, retired United Church minister, Professor of Practical Theology, University of Toronto ""This book is a treasury. Many of us gather treasures, but some of us share them: John McTavish carefully curated pieces that make a first go-to when looking for seasonal resources. John Updike's poem 'Jesus and Elvis' glitters among the gems. A wide range of reflective and performance material, Jesus and Elvis brings together biblical traditions, ethics, and contemporary life--a shining collection."" --Catherine MacLean, Senior Minister, St. Paul's United Church John McTavish is a United Church of Canada minister and the author of Myth and Gospel in the Fiction of John Updike (2016) and the editor of Preacher: David H. C. Read's Sermons at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (2017). He lives in Huntsville, Ontario.