New Spanish Language Worship Resource: Fiesta Cristiana

Fiesta Cristiana: Recursos para la Adoración (Resources for Worship) is a new Spanish language book of worship written and compiled by Bishop Joel Martínez and Raquel Martínez. Just released in November, the 320-page book is a treasure chest of resources for planning worship through the Christian year. In many ways, it is modeled on The United Methodist Book of Worship (UMBOW) that serves as a companion to The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH). Fiesta Cristiana also supports and amplifies the worship resources of Mil Voces Para Celebrar (MVPC), the official United Methodist Spanish language hymnal.

Fiesta Cristiana has services for all the seasons of the Christian year, and it features the Revised Common Lectionary (Leccionario Común Revisado). Fiesta Cristiana is the first North American worship resource to offer the Revised Common Lectionary in Spanish. Like the The United Methodist Book of Worship, Fiesta Cristiana has worship resources for all the special Sundays and other special days. It contains a number of prayers and liturgies in both Spanish and English to meet the need of congregations for bilingual resources.

Fiesta Cristiana also contains culture-specific resources such as Las Posadas and Celebración de quince años. In addition, the book is in tune with the distinctive experience of many Hispanics in the United States who are immigrants. All United Methodists will be challenged to grow in the use of the "Creed of the Immigrant People" and the "Hispanic Creed."

The book is musically rich, and it reflects Raquel Martínez's passion for worship in song. It contains four musical settings of the Great Thanksgiving and a variety of service music for several occasions. Throughout the book, hymn and song suggestions are made for using The United Methodist Hymnal and Mil Voces Para Celebrar.

Fiesta Cristiana includes an index (in both English and Spanish) that cross-references hymns that appear in both The United Methodist Hymnal and Mil Voces Para Celebrar.

Fiesta Cristiana is available from Cokesbury.

Bishop Martínez is the episcopal leader of the San Antonio area of The United Methodist Church and of the Rio Grande Annual Conference. Raquel Martínez was the editor of Mil Voces Para Celebrar.