Another 5-star review

This one is for the Year B volume in Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship. When Heaven Stands Open was the first of the four volumes to appear. If you don't have it yet, there is still half a year's worth of the current liturgical year to go. And the lectionary, being what it is, will come around again, sooner than you think!

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time [Proper 26]

Nahum 1:9-15 OR Ezekiel 20:32-49
Psalm 31: (105) 6-14 (15-16) 17-24 OR 40: (1-11) 12-17
Luke 23:26-32
Romans 15:1-3, 14-33


    

CALL TO WORSHIP [from GREATER ATTENTION: LERW, YEAR D]

Love the LORD, all you his saints.

         The LORD preserves the faithful,

         but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.

Let the lying lips be stilled that speak insolently

against the righteous with pride and contempt.

         O how abundant is your goodness, O LORD,

that you have laid up for those who fear you,

         and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,

         in the sight of everyone!

Those who have never been told of him shall see,

and those who have never heard of him shall understand.

For on my holy mountain, says the LORD God,

there I will accept them, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

INVOCATION [from GREATER ATTENTION: LERW, YEAR D]

O God our Father, who sent Jesus Christ into the world, not in order to please himself, but to graciously bear the insults that you and your saints have endured, to put up with the failings of the weak, to bless the barren, and to reveal your good purpose of building up those whom the enemy seeks to tear down: Come and refresh your weary people, refresh us with rest in your company, refresh us with the joy and the love of the Spirit. Rescue from unbelief and inspire us to earnest prayer, that our service to you may be acceptable in your sight and give none of your saints cause for stumbling. For by your grace we have come to share in the spiritual blessings, and we would glorify your name by uniting with your holy ones in the love of Christ and in the fullness of his blessing. Come, Lord Jesus, and refresh us in the power of your Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Year D at the God Box

Hearty thanks are due to the entire Consultation on Common Texts, esp. Taylor Burton-Edwards and David Gambrell for graciously hosting and coordinating this interesting conversation on "Patterns of Proclamation" at the Interchurch Center on Monday, April 25, 2016. Thanks as well to fellow presenters Will Weedon, Msgr. Alan Detscher, Fritz West, Martha Simmons, and Karoline Lewis for their respective presentations and their parts in the concluding forum. Here is my bit on The Year D Project, which I later discovered blew way past the time limit, since all the side comments I had edited out somehow crept back in.

One particular note of clarification. I did not mean to say Presbyterian polity requires use of lectionaries, though it sort of came out that way on my way to saying that the Directory for Worship charges Presbyterian "teaching elders" with responsibility not only for biblical material covered by RCL, but also for that which lies beyond its three-year cycle, i.e., for the rest of the canon or "the fullness of Scripture." (W-2.2002, 3) That is where, at this juncture, I think we need more guides, resources, and scholarship, albeit suggestive (not legalistic) in nature, to which I hope Year D can serve as an invitation or an overture of sorts.

In case you are wondering, the hat tip to my colleague Matt Schlimm was a reference to his wonderful new book, This Strange and Sacred Scripture. 

Penitential Rite for Pentecost (Year B)

Excerpts from When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B.

CALL TO CONFESSION

God alone has the power to breathe life into the dead, to redeem for vital service those who are otherwise lifeless due to the weighty burden of guilt and sin. This God who turns slaves into prophets, the young into visionaries, and the old into dreamers of the future glory, can be trusted with the truth about our sin.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Spirit of the Living God, we confess that change fills our hearts with sorrow, loss stirs up doubt and fear, and our memories of past unfaithfulness often make life unbearable. Yet you are more than faithful in providing for us and for all creatures under heaven. You are good to renew all things with your Holy Spirit and to give countless blessings with your open and generous hand. Forgive us, O God, for our shortsightedness, our lack of faith, our timidity. Empower us with your Holy Spirit to proclaim your good works and to do your will in all things, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

Surely all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved! The God, who takes care to proclaim the gospel to all peoples in their mother tongue, has made provision for forgiveness for every believer under heaven and redemption for the whole of creation under the governance of Jesus Christ. Receive the good news, even as you receive anew the promised Holy Spirit, for in Jesus Christ we are forgiven!

Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship

Consisting of one RCL cycle, plus Year D ...

       

One colleague suggested issuing them in a slip case. Now that would be nice, wouldn't it!

Have you visited the LERW Facebook page?

If not, head on over and give it a Like.

Lightning from the East now available on Amazon

For those tracking the RCL, there is still plenty of Year A to go. Order now, have it for Holy Week and Resurrection Day. 

Lightning from the East: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year A

I'm happy to introduce the latest volume in the Liturgical Elements series, this one for Year A, available now from Cascade Books. 

 

Coming soon to Amazon. Check back soon.

What? Another book on heaven?

Well, yes! Here's a handy flier from the publisher of my LERW series, with description, blurbs, and contact information for anyone who would like to request a review copy. Feel free to print, display, and share. Meanwhile, paperback and/or e-book copies can be ordered here.