Six New Things – Week of July 17, 2023

Splash some water on your face and wake up to the joy of folx – past and present – caring for creation and creating wonder along The Way.

ONE

OUR WATERTHREADS TOOLKIT IS READY TO SHARE!!!

Is your congregation ready to take a next step in:

  • environmental care?
  • antiracism work?
  • mental well-being?
  • intergenerational engagement?

WaterThreads – Woven Together: Water, Community, Well-Being is a congregation-wide invitation to read, learn, pray, worship, engage, and support Indigenous efforts to protect the water where you live.

The toolkit includes:

  • books by Indigenous peoples about Indigenous realities;
  • curricula for exploring your local watershed through multi-generational Bible-based studies
  • water justice themed worship resources
  • introductions to Indigenous-led movements already working to protect water
  • invitations to support Indigenous-led businesses and organizations that further the well-being of water and community

Contact curator Emily Meyer for a guided tour through the resources, tips on facilitation, an additional liturgy and the Welcome & Water sermon [available to members only].

TWO

For another approach to decolonizing creation care, check out Reconsider the Lilies: Challenging Christian Environmentalism’s Colonial Legacy (Fortress).

Make the serious theme more accessible with Illustrated Ministry’s music:

THREE

Speaking of rest: Wake Up to Wonder: 22 Invitations to Amazement in the Everyday (Baker) introduces practices, ‘grounded in the embodied spirituality of Christians who lived it best’.

FOUR

Jump into joy inspired by African American ‘history-makers and culture-shakers’ from every decade – shared through ‘nostalgic photography… vibrant, playful illustrations’, and the poetic, call-and-response cadence of I Love My People (Broadleaf).

FIVE

Music is having a moment!

The music of Wild Goose’s John Bell may be meaningful accompaniment. Listen to:

The Truth That Sets Us Free – whole album
The Truth That Sets Us Free – individual tracks

We Walk His Way – whole album
We Walk His Way -– individual tracks

And don’t miss Convergence’s new Music Project – featuring new and downloadable music from beloved musicians, including Minnesota favorite, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan.

Find more fun and accessible worship or anytime music in our Liturgical Arts / Music lib guide.

SIX

If film is more your style, check out Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies (Cascade) – an exploration of how ‘fright films artfully reflect our deep worries in a way that resonates with Christians experience’.

Our Pop Culture lib guide has more fun connections between media and ministry.