Liturgical Longings from the Spiral’s Edge

by Jill Crainshaw

• Arts & Literature

• Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
• Published: 2026

Publisher's Description

Unburied Alleluias gathers poems shaped by grief and gratitude, silence and song. These poems linger at gravesides and kitchen tables, in classrooms and sanctuaries, attentive to what refuses to stay buried—hope, memory, praise, and the fierce tenderness of shared life. Rooted in the textures of faith, teaching, and lived experience, this collection listens for alleluias that rise not from certainty but from cracked ground. Here, lament and blessing are never far apart. Ordinary moments shimmer with sacred weight; voices long muted are honored; questions are welcomed rather than resolved. Written by a poet-theologian and longtime educator, Unburied Alleluias is shaped by years of communal listening alongside students, colleagues, and friends. These poems invite readers to slow down, to pay attention, and to notice what sings even in the midst of loss. This is a book for anyone who has learned that praise is not the opposite of sorrow but often its companion. Indeed, some alleluias rise only after the earth has been disturbed.