Lent

This page is a collection of resources I offered to support worship curators during the season of Lent. The initial content came as a resource for the webinar series: Did you observe that? Rescuing weekly worship from the mundane, Episode 1 of 5: From Pancakes to Palm Trees. (Shrove Tuesday to Palm Sunday) on Wednesday 10 February 2021.

In the webinar we looked at resources and ideas for Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Mary getting pregnant (Annunciation), the six weeks of Lent, and Palm Sunday. We also looked at ways we could remember or celebrate in our worship services, a bloody anniversary in Aotearoa-New Zealand’s history, Waitangi Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, and a few other miscellaneous events.  

The resources listed below are all ones I have used or are currently using. There is no benefit to me from the promotion of any of them. They are all excellent.

Sign up for the next four webinars and to receive webinar recordings here…

Sample Orders of Service and liturgies to make your own.

(Acknowledge “Rhythms of Grace Church, Mark Pierson” if you want to. I apologise if I haven’t acknowledged someone else’s work I have used.)

Websites

Taking Flight: extensive weekly resources for worship through the year through New Zealand based Kereru Publishing (Caroline Bindon and Andrew Gamman)

GODSPACE: another extensive archive of resources for every festival in the church year, plus some. (By Christine Sine and other contributors)

Liturgy: Liturgical resources, explanations and discussions for the church year. Spiritual practices for a digital world. Bosco Peters (New Zealand Anglican)

Proost: UK site that offers contemporary poetry, images, prayers, ideas for new approaches to worship services and personal devotion.

Free Range Worship: Practical suggestions for worship, responses, stations. By Lily Lewin.

Every Moment Holy: A huge range of prayer and liturgies for responding to every circumstance of daily life.
Search YouTube for Every Moment Holy to see people reading some of these prayers etc.

APPS for Lent

Tearfund New Zealand, daily pushed reflections.

Australian Board of Mission, 2 older apps that can be used anytime once they are downloaded to your device. “Into the Desert” and “Deep Calls To Deep”. I reuse both of them for personal devotion at least twice a year. My favourites.

Lament & Confession

O Tender God, Have Mercy (Psalm 51), Richard Bruxvoort Colligan

Videos

Dust we are and shall return | The Brilliance
This behind-the-scenes interview with The Brilliance talking about their track “Dust We Are and Shall Return” could be used as personal background or as service content.
Palm Sunday by Holy Moly

Books & Downloads

Maggi Dawn, “Giving It Up.” Much more than a devotional book. Contains good solid content for the themes and major days of Lent.

Jonny Baker/Cathy Ross, “Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor.” 2020. Very thought provoking around issues of church, mission, worship. Each chapter ends with several pages of reflections and responses to creatively engage with the content.

Mark Pierson, “The Art of Curating Worship: reshaping the role of worship leader.” What it means to “curate” worship rather than “lead” it, and what the role of a worship curator who understands worship as an art form might look like.

NZ Anglican Lectionary (free download)