The Christian Calendar on Preparation

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Prep for Pentecost
Author

Jack Levison
Keywords
Pentecost Came Like Wildfire I’m lying on an ice pack early this morning, doing my back exercises and listening to Pray as You Go , a tool for meditation, with monastery bells, music, and a Bible re...
illustration

Which Advent Do We Prepare For?
Author

J. Neil Alexander
Keywords
- Advent
- Preparation
Scripture

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7, Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke 1:68-79, John 1:5, 9-14, Revelation 21:1-4, Romans 13:11-12
Is Advent a preparatory fast in preparation for the liturgical commemoration of the historical birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, or is Advent a season unto itself. A sacrament of the end of time begun in t...
Quote
Author

Phillips Brooks
Keywords
Scripture

Isaiah 7:14, Genesis 12:1-3, John 4:25-26
It was not suddenly and unannounced that Jesus came into the world. He came into a world that had been prepared for Him. The whole Old Testament is the story of a special preparation. . . . Only when ...
Quote
Author

C. S. Lewis
Keywords
- Advent
Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, Matthew 2:1-2, Luke 2:10-11
When the year dies in preparation for the birth of other seasons, not the same, on the same earth, Then saving and calamity go together make The Advent gospel, telling how the heart will break. Theref...
Quote
Author

Henri J. M. Nouwen
Keywords
- Advent
- Anticipation
The church set aside this four-week pre-Christmas season as a time of spiritual preparation for Christ’s coming. It is a time of quiet anticipation. If Christ is going to come again into our hearts, t...
illustration

Lent: Preparing for a Banquet
Author

Alan Jones
Keywords
- Lent
- Banquets
Not long ago, just as the season of Lent had got underway, a friend complained to me, “I know it’s Lent, but where’s the joy?” It is easy to understand why Lent is often misunderstood as a period of s...
blog

Pentecost for the Rest of Us
Author

Jack Levison
Keywords
- Pentecost
Scripture

Acts 2:1-41
Set Aside the Balloons, the Plastic Doves, and the Chips and Salsa for a Moment... When I arrived at church on Pentecost Sunday a few years ago, I sat down in the pews and looked up to see red and ...
illustration

The Beginning is About the End
Author

Karl Rahner
Keywords
- Advent
Scripture

Luke 21:25-33
It is a strange thing. At the beginning of our preparation for Christmas, the gospel is about the end of the world. And yet, it is not surprising. For what is already contained in a small beginning is...
blog

The Beginning is About the End: An Advent Illustration
Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.
Keywords
- Advent
Scripture

Luke 21:25-33
It is a strange thing. At the beginning of our preparation for Christmas, the gospel is about the end of the world. And yet, it is not surprising. For what is already contained in a small beginning is...
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...
liturgy

O God, whose blessed Son did fast forty
Author

Ernest Fremont Tittle
Keywords
O God, whose blessed Son did fast forty days and nights in preparation for his holy mission; beget in us, we beseech thee, the same desire which was in him to learn and do thy will. Forbid that throug...
blog

A Modern Ash Wednesday Service
Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Keywords
- Ash Wednesday
- Lent
Scripture

Joel 2:1-2, Matthew 6:1-6, Psalm 103:null, Psalm 103:8-14, Genesis 3:19, Psalm 51:1-3
Updated for 2026 Introduction to Ash Wednesday (if you are interested in a traditional Ash Wednesday Service, click here .) Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a season of reflec...
illustration

The Roots of Ash Wednesday
Author

Beth Bevis
Keywords
Scripture

Joel 2:12-13, Romans 3:20-26, Job 42:5-6, Ezekiel 9:4, Genesis 2:7, Ecclesiastes 3:20
Since the seventh century, the Western church has observed the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday—the fortieth day before Easter, not counting Sundays. In addition to providing ample time for self-examina...
liturgy

Holy Lord, in this time of Advent, we
Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Keywords
Scripture

Luke 10:41-42, Isaiah 55:2-3, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 25:44-45, Psalm 46:10, Luke 2:7, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 5:9, Luke 10:1-12, Romans 8:24-25, Luke 2:25-32, Luke 2:25-38, Philippians 2:10-11, Colossians 3:17, Luke 2:13-14
Holy Lord, in this time of Advent, we confess we often are distracted by the season’s busyness, by the stress of commitment, and even by putting our own traditions ahead of the true meaning of Christm...
liturgy

In our prayers this morning, when I
Author

Richard Herman
Keywords
Scripture

Isaiah 40:11, Isaiah 52:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Micah 4:3-4, Ephesians 2:14
In our prayers this morning, when I say, “Lord of all glory,” please respond by saying “Hear our prayer”. Lord of all glory... hear our prayer . Our God speaks tenderly to His people and cares for th...
liturgy

Leader: Come, let us be about our
Author

Ruth C. Duck
Keywords
- Advent
- Shalom
Leader: Come, let us be about our preparations for a new advent of love among us. people: The wastelands of life around us cannot shut out the promise of life-giving water. leader: Hatred and warf...
liturgy

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light
Author

Richard Herman
Keywords
Scripture

Matthew 4:12-17, John 1:1-14, Genesis 1:3-4, John 8:12-20, James 1:1-18, Ephesians 5:8-9, 1 John 1:5-10
Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are an...
Quote
Author

John Donne
Keywords
- Advent
Scripture

Luke 2:25-32, John 1:9-14, Titus 2:13
The church prepares our devotion before Christmas Day with four Sundays in Advent, which bring Christ nearer and nearer to us and remind us that he is coming to enable us by a further examination of o...
liturgy

Preparing for Holy Week Events
Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois
Keywords
Scripture

Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 118:26, Zechariah 53:5-6, Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118:1-29
Pastor: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. People: Amen. Pastor: Blessed is He who comes in the name of th...
blog

Last Minute Liturgy | Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
Author

The Pastor's Workshop
Keywords
Asking for a "Friend"... You are ready for Holy Week. You are probably reading this because you're already thinking about next year— you're just that organized and put together...
liturgy

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...
liturgy

Modern Ash Wednesday Service
Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Keywords
- Ash Wednesday
Scripture

Psalm 51:, Genesis 3:19, Psalm 103:8-14, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Joel 2:1-2, Joel 2:12-17
A contemporary Ash Wednesday service integrating music and scripture with the imposition of ashes. Service Order Prelude People are encouraged to enter in silence. Lights are dim. As people ...
blog

The Art of Remembering
Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.
Keywords
Scripture

James 1:17, Ephesians 4:null
The Necessity of Memory Memory—or, more actively, remembering , plays an all-important role in our lives. Our culture likes us to focus on the now, "looking forward rather than looking back&q...
lectionary

Maundy Thursday (Guide B)
Author

Paul Koptak
Keywords
Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Leviticus 19:18
Introduction Only John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus washed his disciple’s feet during his last meal with them. The other texts for this day remember the Passover and the context it sets for Jesus’s w...
liturgy

In the midst of frenzied shopping and
Author

Ann Siddall
Keywords
- Advent
In the midst of frenzied shopping and end-of-year weariness, we spread out a purple cloth,(a purple cloth is spread over the communion table) read again the ancient stories,(a Bible is placed on th...
Quote
Author

Max Lucado
Keywords
- Advent
Scripture

Acts 1:10-11, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 20:1-15
We celebrate the First Advent to whet our appetites for the Second. We long for the next coming.
liturgy

Come to the Table
Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Keywords
Scripture

Matthew 11:28-30, Revelation 19:9, Psalm 23:5-6, Isaiah 55:1-2, Luke 14:16-17, Luke 22:19-20, John 6:35, Psalm 34:8, Isaiah 25:6, Matthew 22:2-4, Proverbs 9:5-6
In the midst of all you are facing Your burdens Your responsibilities Your hustle Hear the invitation “Come to the Table” In the midst of all you are facing Your longing Your ambition Your distractio...
Quote
Author

Henri J. M. Nouwen
Keywords
- Advent
- Waiting on God
Scripture

Psalm 25:5, Isaiah 40:31, Lamentations 3:25-26, James 1:2-4, Matthew 11:15, Romans 5:3-5, Isaiah 30:18
Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about him for whom we are waiting.
liturgy

As we watch and wait for Christ’s coming
Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois
Keywords
Scripture

Ephesians 5:19, Zephaniah 3:17
This prayer can be used for all 4 weeks of Lent, with the small changes of saying "candles" instead of "candle" after the first week and by switching out the candle theme (Hope, et...
Quote
Author

Clement of Alexandria
Keywords
Scripture

Hebrews 11:8-10, Luke 1:38, Matthew 21:22 , Isaiah 40:31, Philippians 1:6, James 1:2-4
Faith is a voluntary anticipation.