My kitchen is full of all sorta of ingredients to add spice to the body and soul. Many of these offerings were created for congregational worship but more and more are focused on personal prayer and retreat. May these gifts expand your palette and your hope.
Newest Resource for Worship
Resurrection Anytime
This brief worship service focuses on telling the story and using child-friendly contemplative practices to explore what this good news feels like.
The focus of our storytelling is in Mark’s gospel which is delightfully short and lacking in any sort of detail which leaves lots of room for imagination. Read more..
Resources for Small Groups and Personal Prayer
Prayer Partners
Most of us don’t know how to begin to pray — and far too many are looking for the perfect practice or method. But, there no such thing. Prayer Partners is a friend who will join you on the journey – who will encourage you and nudge you when you’re not doing the things you said you needed. It’s someone that will laugh and cry with you in prayer. It’s someone to talk to about what it means to be a Christian in a changing world. It’s not a method but a relationship.
This resource seeks to guide individuals, pastors and others looking to partner in prayer through the the journey of partnering in prayer.
Toward Transformation: A Lenten Discovery
Move toward transformation by choosing one thing — just one thing — in your life that you want to change.
In this six-week study, following the readings from the Book of Psalms in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, you’ll move through the wide array of human emotion in the Psalms as you realize the power of Resurrection in your very own body.
Resources for Personal Retreat
Inspired by all of our family’s travels around Europe, these downloadable retreat guides allow you to explore the wonder of place in the familiar or in the unknown. This series is slowly evolving and ever expanding to include new places that might allow for new awarenesses of God. Read about the current offerings here and here.
Resources for Pandemic Worship and Prayer
Twinkly Lights in Blue Days Group Discussion Guide
Through selections from scripture and conversation prompts, this discussion guide seeks to lead a group of brave souls to name the losses of the pandemic.
New Year Epiphanies
This is a service to begin 2022 when we pray that the pandemic will end — but we can never really know what God knows. We can, however, set intentions and look for wonder because there is always wonder to behold.
Christmas Eve Under Pandemic Skies
Written in 2020, this outdoor worship experience provides a socially-distanced opportunity to be together on Christmas Eve to share in the wonder of that old, old story and hear the warmth of familiar carols.
This Year
Based in the Gospel of Mark and intended for asynchronous online worship, this pageant focuses on the liminal space between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in seven scenes.
When the Night Has Already Been Too Long
Written for 2020 when the pandemic already seemed endless and we had no idea how much more loss there would be. this service seeks to express what is so difficult to name for the grieving and hopeful..
Shadows and Light
Imagine a Christmas Eve service where light increased and grew. This is a complete liturgy for online worship on Christmas Eve inspired by the Tenebrae tradition that is so familiar to Holy Week.
Our Whole Hearts
Written in 2022, these prompts, prayers, practices and gentle questions allow for the community to notice the edges of their sorrow after so much has been lost. It is enough to notice how much it hurts and where the pain still lingers. It is enough to make space for grief and whatever else the heart needs.
Kneaded Love
Designed for a gathering outside of any sanctuary during Holy Week, this brief worship service allows the congregation to take hold of this faith by kneading dough before it is baked over an open flame and shared in communion.
A Hopeful Lent
Captivated by Amelia Richardson Dress’ book, this offers families the invitation in the pandemic season of Lent to take on one small practice each week.
There are two options to purchase this resource. Purchase this version for congregational use and this version for family use.
Free Resources for Congregations
Fire and Ashes
A Ritual to begin the season of Lent
We can emerge from the ashes. We can imagine new life together. We can still be Easter people in a Good Friday world. This brief order of worship can be used at-home by individual families or shared in a corporate worship experience online or in-person centered on the daring belief that lighting a fire might prepare us for the work ahead.
Easter Watch
A Service to Share in the Hope of the Resurrection
Adapted from the Easter Watch service from the United Church of Christ’s Book of Worship, this service in the hope of the resurrection has some familiar notes from the Easter Vigil but this one is really focused around quiet contemplation around a bonfire as the sun begins to rise.
It’s a service to welcome the possibility without knowing really what will come next but there are things to wonder and ways to keep our hands busy as we wait for creation to reveal the promise of hope.
This is intended to be a socially-distanced gathering with masks for early on Easter morning. The service concludes just after sunrise when the possibility of the day awaits.
Wind Power
A Worshipful Moment to Be Together in One PLace
This is a socially distant experience to be shared as a whole congregation. It’s an opportunity to share in the Pentecost experience where the story isn’t told but felt. Without being a formal liturgy, this kite flying invitation provides structure for conversation and wonder while being outside and praising God.
Cooking with Elsa 