Thursday, 17 of May of 2012
Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
F. Richard Garland has written Gather Your People To Comfort And Love as an Advent hymn text closely related to the lectionary readings for Year B and set to the familiar Irish tune SHANE (Be Thou my Vision). http://bit.ly/rnqMe0
F. Richard Garland’s photo, biography, contact information and links to additional songs and choral music are available on the Global Board of Discipleship (United Methodists) website. F. Richard Garland
As summer winds down, many of you will be planning for the busy fall season. Although we may still be in “Ordinary Time” in our worship life, there are festivals coming up that give liturgical shape to the fall and other events in our life together that you may wish to mark in your worship life. Here are some of them:
September 11: 10th Anniversary of 9/11
September 25: Back to Church Sunday (an invitational evangelism project)
October 10: Thanksgiving
October 30: Reformation (Oct 31)
November 5: All Saints (Nov 1)
Check this listing of web links and resources that Sara has gathered together. We hope it is helpful!
Have you thought about enhancing your worship space for Pentecost Sunday?
Pilgrims Church, UCC Maple Grove, MN
Think reds, yellows, oranges: geraniums, candle holders, fabrics
Think sounds: windchimes, multi-lingual
Think movement: fans, mobiles
Just take a walk around your home or building and see what you already have that can bring fresh expressions….
Here are some websites to help spark your imagination:
Messy Church
http://www.barnabasinchurches.org.uk/5221
Ways to Enliven Your Celebration (United)
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/sr-pentecost-celebrate.php
Episcopal Visual Arts
Daily readings, prayers,worship ideas, Eucharistic prayers based on the lectionary…
http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/theologyandworship/worship-resources-lent/
Also check out this site http://chreader.org/contentPage.aspx?resource_id=688
This eight-week devotional is designed for the Christian season of Lent and invites you to cook simple, delicious meals as a part of your spiritual practice for this season.
The season of Lent is the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday and is practiced by many Christian traditions. Traditionally it is a time when we honor sacrifice as a way of remembering Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It is a period of fasting, a time when we honor simplicity, sacrifice and spiritual growth.
We invite you to “give up” unhealthy eating and “take up” the art and discipline of cooking as a part of your practice in Lent. Using the recipes below, you are invited to read the weekly devotionals and prepare the dishes for each day. We hope that this season of Lent will be filled with opportunities for spiritual growth and development and new ways to enjoy a happy and healthy Easter Sunday.
Is your congregation planning a narrative reading of the Passion story during Holy Week?
Here are a few interesting versions I’ve found….
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/a-passion-read-drama.php
http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_the_passion_story.htm
The Lenten Season lends all sorts of opportunities for visual images in the worship space. The congregation I serve, Bethany, Woodstock has borrowed a stunning piece of artwork At Golgotha.
How can your congregation incorporate art into your Lenten experience? Maybe a local artist will provide a piece you can borrow or rent. Sunday School & confirmation students can work on seasonal projects. Members could bring in crosses from their home. Banners may be commisioned. How about an interactive prayer station? Can you make a living display that changes from week to week? How can you enhance Holy Week services with artwork?
Browse these sites for some more ideas…
Visual art at Orchard Hill Reformed Church
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
While looking around for specifically Canadian worship resources, here are the major denominational websites I’ve found.
Do you have anything to add?
ELCIC: www.worship.ca
United Church of Canada: http://www.united-church.ca/worship
Mennonite Church Canada: http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resources/sermons&worship/
Presbyterian Church in Canada: http://www.presbyterian.ca/resources/online/140
Anglican Church in Canada: http://www.anglican.ca/faith/worship/resources/
Lutheran Church Canada http://www.lutheranchurch-canada.ca/resources.php
Liturgy Canada: http://www.liturgy.ca/newsletter.htm
Christian Reformed Church of N America http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc_worshipresources.cfm
Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative http://www.ceji-iocj.org/English/education/index.html
Canadian Centre for Worship Studies http://www.ccws.ca/serviceplans/
Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada http://www.wicc.org/resources/index.html
