The words we speak and sing make a difference in how we view ourselves, the world and our place in it, and our relationship with all Creation. These Worship Life resources speak a language of responsibility and lament, of hope and community, and of justice-making. Under this umbrella category, there are four subcategories: (Liturgies & Rituals; Readings & Prayers; Reflections & Poetry; and Songs). The listing of posts shown below includes items under all of these five categories.
My church has not just one, but two (count ‘em, two!) Annual Meetings. Actually, one is called the Semi-Annual Meeting, but it’s the same thing. Lest you think we’re gluttons for punishment, rest assured we do have a good time. At one of the meetings, we hand out awards, often… Read More »Annual Meeting Song
In our congregation, the “Sacred Readings” section in the service makes use of readings not only from the Bible, but from other sources as well – poetry, song, essays, etc. This response is sung following the readings, and was co-authored by myself and our Music Director, Eric McEuen, a local… Read More »Living God, Touch Our Hearts
When we get serious about the healing of creation, we stop living smoothly in the world. We become rough edges: We snag on Conventional Wisdom and Business as Usual We do not just gently slip by. We become raggedy church. This is a liturgy exploring what it… Read More »Raggedy Church
With each species going extinct, a light is extinguished. With each glacier disappearing, a light is extinguished. With each child stunted by lead poisoning, a light is extinguished. With each transgender and Native American woman murdered and missing, a light is extinguished. With each river run dry, a light is… Read More »Tenebrae for Creation
On my first Christmas Eve as a newly-ordained pastor, I stood at the pulpit looking out at the gathered congregation in the soft glow of candlelight, basking in the “jolly holly” feel that I had known all my life on Christmas Eve. Then I really looked out at the congregation.… Read More »Deep into the Dark
As Christians, we are ordinary people living in not so ordinary times. And as always, we are called to extraordinary action. Voting is one such action, particularly when there are many obstacles to voting intentionally placed in the paths of many people, especially people of color. This brief ritual is… Read More »Blessing of the Ballots
As the overworked saying goes, “Denial is not a river in Egypt.” This reading speaks to our denial-laden attempts to make these Not Ordinary Times ordinary again, to capitulate to Business as Usual. But something tugs at us like a hungry toddler demanding our attention: something is not right. This… Read More »Not Ordinary Times
I’m a retired pastor. I’ve spent many years preaching Easter sermons. I’m allowed to say this: I sometimes wonder if we try to be too profoundly theological at Easter, when Easter is really – and simply – a time of wonder and questions, laced with a goodly bit of celebration… Read More »Easter
One Christmas Eve a few years ago, as our congregation here in Denver stood together in a circle in the dark sanctuary, singing “Silent Night”, I was incredibly struck by the power of a community holding candlelight and singing in the night. “This is who we are,” I thought, “This… Read More »Holding Light
I’m fed up with “dark” being equated with bad, and “light” with good. It just isn’t so. So I wrote this poem. It’s not about times of struggle between the light and the dark, with one being good and the other evil, but rather the struggle between evil – despair… Read More »Dark-Light Times