Six New Things – Week of December 13, 2021
Bravery in the face of change; humility in the hopes of healing; seeing the Bible in new ways; preaching from different perspectives; and a few not-so-typical Christmas & Epiphany resources: things are looking a little different as we close out 2021…
ONE
Illustrated Ministry invited folx to share their favorite Christmas music – and compiled the suggestions into one giant and eclectic playlist. You can listen here.
Richard Bruxvoort Culligan has given all congregations permission to share You Are a Light on My Path (based on Psalm 119:105-112): a perfect Epiphany theme song with a great video!
TWO
It’s not new, but Kaitlin Shetler’s Sometimes I Wonder is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that might raise some eyebrows – and move some conversations when shared in Christmas worship.
Our Epiphany Service (free for members!) includes movement liturgy from Michel Gribble, music from Billy McLaughlin, and leadership from around Minnesota! Let us know you’re interested here; we’ll send you the link as soon as it’s ready (next week!).
Find additional Epiphany worship resources in our curated guide.
THREE
Revitalize worship year-round through revitalized preaching – shared by the whole congregation – with The Peoples’ Sermon: Preaching as a Ministry of the Whole Congregation (Fortress).
FOUR
While you’re rethinking who tells the story and how, take a fresh look at the Story itself with, In the Way of the Story: Reading Biblical Narrative (Wipf & Stock) and The Bible Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (part of Penguin’s Big Ideas series) – a secular, graphics-driven approach to learning the history and content of the Bible.
Find additional ideas for Bible study with Children & Youth, and Adult Small Groups in our curated lists.
FIVE
If you’re ready to change up music, worship, preaching, and Bible study, you and yours might be ready to change the church’s narrative around LGBTQIA+ depression and suicide. Humbly embrace the realities of our history and present with Christianity, LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer Folk (Lexington) as one step toward changing the future.
Find gentle ways to tend those and other wounds in Mending Life: A Handbook for Repairing Clothes and Hearts (Sasquatch).
SIX
Strengthen convictions around lived faith inspired by Ann Kansfield’s Be the Brave One: Living Your Spiritual Values Out Loud and Other Life Lessons (Augsburg Fortress), which follows Kansfield’s journey from being a “run-of-the-mill capitalist jerk” to a pastor and social activist at the heart of New York’s post 9/11 healing.
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