Special to IFN
The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Lee, a local pastor and author, has published his first children’s book.
“You are Mine and I am Yours: A Wesleyan Prayer for Kids,” which Lee co-wrote with the Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford of Kansas City, is an adaptation of the Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition.
“The prayer was written in the 18th century and contains rather archaic language felt inaccessible to kids and their families,” Lee explained. “Both Melissa and I have loved this prayer and wanted it to find purpose with those younger Christians who may not be familiar with 1700’s word usage.”
illustrated by Kasia Jakubowska, the book shows the ways in which the lives of Christians interact with God’s love for them. Lee said he and his co-author labored over the details and illustrations in the book.
“We wanted this book to show the diverse and large nature of the human family that God created. We wanted children to see themselves and their families in this book because we really believe that God is invested in all of us without exception,” Lee said.
The author and adapter of the original prayer, the Rev. John Wesley, was a reformer in the Anglican Tradition who lived from 1703-1791. His work and reforms birthed denominations such as the United Methodist Church, the Nazarene Church, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, among many others.
Wesley wrote this prayer as part of a Covenant Service that was often prayed at the beginning of the year as Christians offered their lives renewed to their Creator. Wesleyans in Britain have been praying the prayer since 1755, but few if any attempts have been made to allow for accessibility to young children.
This book, published by Barnsley Ink, is an attempt to change that.
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For more information about the book, visit www.roblee4.com/books.
About the Author
The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Lee is a Statesville native and graduate of Statesville High School, Appalachian State University, Duke University Divinity School, and Pacific School of Religion. He is an ordained American Baptist Minister and has preached across the world in both large and small pulpits. He is the author of five other books and his work has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, MTV, and ABC’s The View. He has written devotionals for the First Lady and President of the United States, along with offering prayers and invocations for events with the current administration. He is an associate member of Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, where he attends church with his family.
Photo Credit: Katelyn Alexandria Photography