By Liturgical Element
Maundy Thursday: Commandments & Promises
This Service for Maundy Thursday focuses on the commandments and promises of Jesus. The congregation is drawn in as they read aloud the words Jesus spoke to his disciples in his final days with them. We are reminded that Jesus offers us both comfort and challenge, as we follow him. The responsive readings work best when not hurried. The mood should evoke remembering the last cherished words of a loved one no longer with us. Hymns cited are from the Chalice Hymnal. Leader reads regular type, congregation, bold. *=stand as able. DIVINE...
read moreCommunion Liturgy for Epiphany: Cinnamon Stars
Below is a Communion Liturgy, written for Epiphany 2016, by Rev. Amy Pitton. Unison Invitation We remind one another: Jesus welcomes everyone at this table. No one is turned away. If you seek God’s presence, come and eat. If you are hungry for this spiritual food, come and eat. If you have questions and doubts, come and eat. If you feel unworthy, come and eat. This table is spread for all of us that we each might experience God’s abundant and unconditional love. Jesus often ate with strangers. He ate with more than 5000 of...
read moreCalled to Lead
During the fall of 2015, a group of us gathered in the basement of our church for 6 Wednesdays to study Scripture and explore our own calls to leadership through a resource from Logos Productions, titled: “God Calls Leaders.” As our study came to a close, we decided to take our study out of the basement and into the sanctuary. Our motivation: to further explore our own calls to leadership while helping the congregation to the same. We were fortunate to have an artist in our study group who suggested that we find a way to...
read moreMore people, leading more worship, more often
“Let every living thing praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150 – Common English Bible) Chances are that your bulletin, like my bulletin (yes, we use a bulletin) contains words like this: TODAY’S MINISTERS: ALL OF US!! The Priesthood of all believers (and doubters), right? Chances are also, that in your church, like mine, the perceived worship leaders are the ones serving in formal roles “up front”: the pastor and other staff, the choir and other musicians, worship assistants (about 10 people who...
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