The Christian Calendar on God's Work

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Author

Michael Joseph Brown

Keywords

God's movement is often abrupt and unsettling rather than predictable and settling.

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Yearning, Three Advents of Christ

Author

Tish Harrison Warren

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

Romans 6:3-4, Titus 3:5, John 6:32

Beginning With Waiting As the calendar year winds down, as the days darken and grow short, as Christmas songs spill from crowded stores and children set about making wish lists for Santa, the church’...

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Adapted from the hymn “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!”

Author

Chip Hardwick

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Scripture

Revelation 4:8, Revelation 4:11, Isaiah 6:3

Leader: Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! People: Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Leader: Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! People: All thy works shall praise Thy name, in ...

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Author

Corrie Ten Boom

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Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows ou...

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Father, in this holy night Your Son our Savior

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

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Scripture

Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25, Romans 8:38-39, Hebrews 1:3, Galatians 4:4-5, Matthew 1:23, John 1:14

Pastor: Father, in this holy night Your Son our Savior was born in human flesh. Renew Your Church as the Body of Christ. People: Holy God, hear our prayer. Pastor: In this holy night...

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Lord God, we adore you because you have

Author

Caryl Mickelm

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Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past. You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel. You have challenged us in the words of the prophets. You have shown us in Jesus what you ...

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Adapted from Luke 1:46-55

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:46-55

Pastor: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant." All: "for he who is mighty has done great things ...

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If we say we have no sin, we deceive

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:16 , John 1:12, John 3:1 , Psalm 51:10-12, John 15:16, 1 John 1:8-9

Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. People: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us fr...

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Walking in God's Holy Ways

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Isaiah 58:6-12, Romans 3:23-26, Ephesians 2:8-10, Psalm 139:23-24

Pastor: O Lord, in these Lenten days set our minds on Your things rather than the things of man, that we may listen for Your call and walk in Your ways. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear o...

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After Easter: Take it a Day at a Time

Author

Dan Baumgartner

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Recovering from Holy Week Whew. I’m dragging just a little. It’s a few days after Easter. The season has been full of richness, but I’m a bit tired. I’ve written daily Lenten devotionals, newsletter...

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An Order of Worship for a Blue Christmas Service (aka a Longest Night Service)

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 11:1-5, Psalm 86:1, Psalm 22:1-2, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 65:5

A Blue Christmas Service is offered especially for those hurting during the holidays. It’s often offered December 21, the longest night of the year. Some come because they are mourning the death of...

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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...

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Preaching Lent 2026: Balancing Repentance and Grace

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:, Psalm 121:, Romans 5:

Do you detect a little discomfort in your congregation when it comes to Lent? Maybe you feel it, too? We dedicate a whole season to repentance, confession, and spiritual disciplines like fasting, lead...

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How to Write a Great Call to Worship for Lent

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

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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...

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Digital Silent Retreat

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A Digital Silent Retreat This spiritual exercise is from Laura Murray, ordained pastor, spiritual director, and TPW contributor. Laura is sharing a "Digital Silent Retreat" with us. We en...

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Traditional Ash Wednesday Service

Keywords

Ash Wednesday

Scripture

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Isaiah 58:1-12, Psalm 103:, Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

This is a traditional Ash Wednesday service focused on a penitent and reflective beginning of Lent. It features traditional collects, an invitation to a holy Lent, and a confession structured as a lit...

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Holy Tuesday | John 12:20-36 | Touching Our Spaces of Sorrow

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

John 12:20-36

Reflection Sister Helen Prejean’s 1993 book Dead Man Walking , adapted into a 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, tells the story of her work with two convicted killers on death row. Sh...

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Preaching the Resurrection

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Easter after Resurrection Sunday One of the challenges of the Christian calendar for pastors is that we often put so much energy into Holy Week, that by the time we reach Easter Sunday , and parti...

liturgy

The King is Coming

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Zechariah 9:9, John 12:12-19, Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44

This liturgical reading could begin or close your Palm Sunday processions. While written for one reader, there is the option of adding congregational responses, such as giving the shouts of Hosann...

liturgy

God, you come to us and meet us in the

Author

Ruth C. Duck

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:11-12, Isaiah 41:10, Luke 2:19, Isaiah 52:7, Micah 6:8, Acts 2:17

God, you come to us and meet us in the strangest ways: sometimes in the stillness at the eye of the storm or in the midnight of our lives; sometimes in the raging whirlwind or in the high noon of our ...

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Making Room in Advent: A Guest post by Bette Dickinson

Author

Bette Dickinson

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

Isaiah 43:null, Luke 1:null, Luke 1:38

“God is doing a new thing.” —Isaiah 43 I have heard this scripture passage quoted multiple times in the last three years and it still stirs something within me. Do you feel it too? God is doing ...

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The Holy Spirit Births Faith

Author

Tim Chester and Christopher de la Hoyde

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:23, Titus 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:15-16, 1 John 5:6-8, John 14:15-17, John 7:37-39

Hannah was one of my wife’s work colleagues. She used to love spending time with our congregation, but she found the gospel message just plain weird. We did some Bible studies with her over the summer...

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A Dual Identity

Author

Mark D. Roberts

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 2:7

Some of my favorite heroes have a dual identity: Clark Kent is Superman; Bruce Wayne is Batman; Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The list goes on and on. You and I also have a dual identity, though, unlike...

liturgy

Adapted from Psalm 29:1, 3-5, 7-9, Luke 2:14, Revelation 4:8,11

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 29:1, Luke 2:14, Psalm 29:null

Leader: Then let us wait for the Lord, and in this season of Lent, let us wait by the cross. "Ascribe to the Lord, glory and strength." Glorify God's holy name. People: We worship the L...

liturgy

Inspired by Proverbs 15:1-16

Author

Dustin Ray

Scripture

Proverbs 15:1-16

Pastor: O wise and wonderful God, in our quick temper and selfish pride, we have not followed your example—you are slow to anger, abounding in love, and show steadfast faithfulness to your children. ...

liturgy

Living God, Holy Inferno

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 4:4, Exodus 3:1-15, Malachi 3:2-3, Acts 2:1-21, Exodus 13:21, John 1:4-5

Living God Holy Inferno Who revealed yourself as Burning Bush Pillar of Flame Dancing Tongues of Fire Illumine your children, so we may know your will Refine your children, till our souls burn to do...

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Ash Wednesday and St. Valentine

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 107:null, John 21:15-19, Ruth 1:16-17, Matthew 22:37-39, Isaiah 61:3, Romans 5:8

A Valentine’s Day Tradition What better way to say, “I love you,” than passing your beloved some sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, and glycerin wrapped in a chalkly Necco wafer heart? Maybe some of you re...

liturgy

Gracious and faithful God–our Creator,

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Psalm 25:4-5, Matthew 1:23, James 5:14-15, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Luke 2:10-11, Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 25:35-36, Proverbs 21:1, Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 28:19-20, John 14:13, Luke 2:1-20, Mark 5:25-34, John 11:17-44

Gracious and faithful God–our Creator, Redeemer and Comforter: When we don’t know the way–You show us the way; and when we can’t find a way–You make a way. Thank you! Thank you for Your gift of a Sav...

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The Lord calls us to examine the wounds

The Lord calls us to examine the wounds of the Risen One and to see there the depth of his love for us. Let us therefore approach the throne of God in confidence as we pray for the people of God in Ch...

liturgy

God, our heavenly Father–from whom all

God, our heavenly Father–from whom all families gain purpose, direction and life: When we need bread, you don’t give a stone; and when we ask for fish, you don’t give a snake; for you are good, you ar...

the christian calendar on God's Work

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