Six New Things – Week of January 4, 2021
One
Rev. Elsa Cook, in her Cooking with Elsa blog, offers several liturgical pieces for upcoming Sundays, highlighting this video of Shirley Erena Murray’s poignant song, Star Child, (which, by virtue of its title, still works in Epiphany!) and including Pandemic Prayers for Epiphany and Pandemic Prayers for Baptism of Christ (which is also a multi-generational Great Idea!).
Two
The Work of the People offer new and updated versions of Epiphany liturgical videos: The Great Reversal, based on Isaiah 60; Inaugurating Righteousness: A Prayer from Psalm 72; and A Celebration of Grace: A Visual Reflection for the Epiphany Season.
Three
Illustrated Ministry offers a free Epiphany Star coloring page and weekly freebies from Epiphany to Lent with suggested Scripture, discussion questions and prayer; activities connected to the text; and a related illustrated coloring page. Register for your freebies and check out their Lenten options, but know that they have new Lent materials on the way.
Four
A Sanctified Art already has Lent covered with Again & Again: A Lenten Refrain (Resources, Year B). Learn how they developed this theme in their Infographic; preview samples of their Devotional Booklet, Words for Worship, Poetry, Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Stations of the Cross Liturgy, and Sermon Planning Guide.
Five
Twin Cities area African American clergy and leaders have created a full worship service for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday. You can find the necessary links on Church Anew‘s website, where you’ll be able to preview the service starting January 12, when the link for sharing goes live, as well.
Six
Wipf and Stock published a wealth of useful works in December, including, Jennifer Baldwin‘s Through Dangerous Terrain: A Guide for Trauma-Sensitive Pastoral Leadership in Times of Threat; Alon Goshen-Gottstein‘s Coronaspection: World Religious Leaders Reflect on COVID-19; Ambrose Mong‘s Forgiven but Not Forgotten: The Past Is Not the Past; and Antonio LaMar Torrence‘s R.I.C.H. in Preaching: Transforming Strategic Leaders within an Afro-Caribbean Congregation to Become Agents of Radical Inclusive Christian Hospitality towards the LGBTQ Community through Preaching.
