The Christian Calendar on Freedom

liturgy

Father: You shape and form us so each

Author

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:3, Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 11:25-26, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Father: You shape and form us so each is unique yet all are in Your image, when You breathe into us the breath of life. We praise You! Jesus, God the Son–Resurrection and Life: You chose to die and ri...

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Author

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, Titus 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 8:12, Matthew 5:3-10, Romans 12:2, Galatians 5:1, Genesis 12:1-4, Ephesians 4:22-24, Isaiah 1:18

Moonless darkness stands between. Past, the Past, no more be seen! But the Bethlehem-star may lead me To the sight of Him Who freed me From the self that I have been. Make me pure, Lord: Thou art holy...

liturgy

Prayer of Adoration Thine is the glory

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Prayer of Adoration Thine is the glory – risen conquering Son Endless is the victory, Thou over death have won. Jesus – You are amazing! You are wonderful! What we couldn’t do – You’ve done: Breaki...

liturgy

Almighty and merciful God, the fountain

Author

Alcuin of York

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:2-3, Romans 6:22, Acts 3:19, Isaiah 1:18, Philippians 1:6, Galatians 5:22-23

Almighty and merciful God, the fountain of all goodness, who knows the thoughts of our hearts: We confess that we have sinned against you. Wash us, we implore you, from the stains of our past sins...

liturgy

Gracious God, through that Easter

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Easter

Scripture

1 Peter 1:3, Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 11:25-26, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

Gracious God, through that Easter morning, you changed everything. Yet we don’t change the way we live. You have freed us from sin and death, yet we daily choose to distance ourselves from you and to ...

liturgy

Standing Together: Pardon

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 17:21-23, Exodus 14:13-22, Lamentations 3:22-23, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 2 Timothy 1:7, Ephesians 4:15-16

Nothing can stand against You Nothing No sin, no death No prejudice, no division Nothing can stand against our God You’re making us whole and holy in your mercy and grace Standing together in truth an...

liturgy

Memorial Day Blessings and Sacrifices

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 24:44–53, Acts 1:1-11, John 7:33-34, Mark 16:19

Leader: O righteous Father, Your Son obeyed Your holy will for the sake of our salvation. Through Your Spirit, give Your Church on earth unity of faith, that the world may know that You sent Your So...

liturgy

Memorial Day Weekend Prayers

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 28:17-30, Revelation 21:4, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 53:5

Leader: O righteous Father, Your Son obeyed Your holy will for the sake of our salvation. Through Your Spirit, give Your Church on earth unity of faith, that the world may know that You sent Your Son ...

illustration

Decision Fatigue

Author

Ashley Hales

Keywords

When every option is available to us, we don’t actually have freedom; we tend to shut down. I experienced what sociologists call choice overload (or paralysis) and decision fatigue. If you’ve ever tri...

liturgy

Adapted from Ephesians 3:10-12

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

The Epiphany

Scripture

Ephesians 3:10-12

Go now in the Epiphany of God knowing that through the church the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose t...

liturgy

A Prayer of Letting Go

Author

Ann Siddall

Keywords

O God, help us to use this season of Lent to examine our attachments, and to sense where You invite us to live more simply and deeply. Shine the light of Your love into the private corners of our live...

liturgy

Marked By Ashes

Author

Walter Brueggemann

Keywords

Ash Wednesday

Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . . This day — a gift from you. This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received. This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness ...

Quote

Author

Dorothy L. Sayers

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:3, Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 11:25-26, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

The story of Passion-Tide and Easter is the story of the winning of that freedom and of that victory over the evils of Time. The burden of the guilt is accepted (“He was made Sin”), the last agony of ...

Quote

Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 4:18, John 8:36, Matthew 1:21, Galatians 4:4-5

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.

illustration

The Passage from Despair to Hope

Author

Paul E. Hoffman

Keywords

Easter

Scripture

Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:1-18

The Greek word for Easter, pascha, means “passage.” It evokes so many different passages for us: the Israelites’ passage from slavery to freedom, our own passage from sin to forgiveness, Jesus’ passag...

blog

Praying for Israel and Gaza

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

World Communion Sunday

The Need to Pray In light of the shocking Hamas attack on October 7 and the Israeli response, urgent prayer is needed by Christians for the people of Israel and Palestine. In numbers, 1,400 people we...

blog

How to Write a Great Call to Worship for Lent

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

So, you’re staring at your laptop screen. It’s later at night than you’d like to admit. The Word document is blank and that vertical bar is flashing, daring you to write the first word. You need to st...

lectionary

Maundy Thursday

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Philippians 2:3-11

"Maundy" What? Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Latin version of John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are ...

blog

Sacrificial Giving—Stories for Epiphany

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 2:null, Leviticus 12:null

The Strain of Time Time marches forward for all of us, doesn’t it? There are 365 days in the Gregorian calendar. There are 365 days in the Liturgical calendar. While the respective beginnings and en...

liturgy

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth

Author

Ann Siddall

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 3:13-16

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John. On this day we come from many different suburbs—to remember his story, to offer our worship and to give witness to our fait...

illustration

Do Not Fear Death

Author

John Chrysostom

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 14:9

Do not fear death; the Savior’s death has brought freedom. He endured death and thus destroyed it. He descended into Hell and destroyed it. Even as Hell tasted his flesh he threw it into chaos. Al...

illustration

The Paschal Mystery

Author

Dorothy C. Bass

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:3, Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 11:25-26, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

This vortex of dying and rising—Jesus’ and ours in him—is the paschal mystery. Christians still tell it and taste it, especially when we gather for worship on Sunday. Christ’s Pascha—the word for the...

illustration

We Are Dust

Author

Luke A. Powery

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 3:19, Psalm 103:14, Job 42:5-6, Joel 2:12-13, Hebrews 12:1-3, Romans 3:20-26, Ecclesiastes 3:20

At the beginning of this season of Lent, on this Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that we are dust and to dust we will return. We are reminded of human fragility and failure. We are reminded that we are...

liturgy

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:78-79

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. RESPON...

liturgy

Gracious God, you freely embraced death

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Gracious God, you freely embraced death for us. Every day we choose our own will. We choose not to die to ourselves for you. We take the gift you gave us and squander it. Please give us the courage ...

liturgy

Friends, the Lord is our strength

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 118:14

Friends, the Lord is our strength and our defense. He has become our salvation. In the life, death, and resurrection of His Holy One, the repercussions of our sin are shattered. We have been brought w...

Quote

Author

Robert Brault

Keywords

Good Friday, and again we are reminded to never lose hope — or at least give it the weekend.

liturgy

Spirit of the Living God—Fall afresh on

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Romans 8:26-27, John 14:26-27, Psalm 51:10-12

Spirit of the Living God—Fall afresh on us this day. Spirit of God present and powerful, Spirit of God fruitful and faithful, Spirit of God filling and fulfilling us as children of the Father and foll...

liturgy

Hallelujah! Help Us Shine! An opening prayer for Christmas or Epiphany

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:null, Matthew 2:null, John 1:1-14, Matthew 2:1-12

Hallelujah! Help Us Shine! Welcome Glorious One Lord of Life and Light Dawn in us your power and peacemaking Hallelujah! Help us shine! You bathe us in the light of your grace, that we may be grace...

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The Man in the Arena

Author

Theodore Roosevelt

Keywords

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the ar...

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