Dear siblings in Christ,
In the time after Epiphany our worship roots us in Jesus' earthly ministry. As he was baptized and sent to proclaim the good news of God's liberating love, we, too, are washed in those waters and sent out. One of our baptismal promises is to "strive for justice and peace in all the earth" (Affirmation of Baptism, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 236).
One way we can dwell more deeply in the Scriptures is to sing. This year, when we encounter a familiar Scripture passage on the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Micah 6:1-8, consider singing a portion of it at another time in the service using "What Does the Lord Require of You?" found in All Creation Sings (ACS 1057).
Below is the brief description of this song available to Sundays and Seasons subscribers (Library/All Creation Sings/Assembly Song Descriptions):
“The words of Micah 6:8 are set here in three parts that can be sung successively or simultaneously. The composer, Jim Strathdee, travels widely with his wife, Jean, to present concerts in which the audience members are active participants invited to sing along. The straightforward style of this song makes part-singing accessible to people of all musical abilities, including children. The tune name commemorates Robert W. Moon (1916—2011), a United Methodist pastor who worked throughout his life to advance peace and justice, including marching for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr.”
This piece can easily be sung unaccompanied and is best learned by rote. Music that Makes Community offers this four-minute teaching video to assist leaders as they prepare to introduce the song. A one-minute audio recording is provided by St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Calgary, Alberta.
Look for more information in the coming weeks on the availability of the Assembly Song Companion to All Creation Sings, which will include more background on this and all the hymns and songs in All Creation Sings.
Grace and peace,
Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity
Program Manager, Worship Resource Development |
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Readings for the Assembly (Emended) is available for provisional use
Readings for the Assembly was first published in the mid-1990s and presented the Revised Common Lectionary texts in a version emended from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. While these texts are still available, the provisional Readings for the Assembly (Emended) is newly available to subscribers in downloadable PDFs from the Sundays and Seasons Library. A helpful blog post from Augsburg Fortress provides further information about this emended version, including a link to additional background and principles. Content will be added to the Sundays and Seasons Library in quarterly installments. |
Sundays and Seasons
Does your congregation like to mark Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday with fellowship as you prepare for Lent? Did you know Sundays and Seasons offers "‘Fat Tuesday’: Blessing and Celebration." If you missed it a couple years ago in print (2021 edition), check it out on sundaysandseasons.com in the Library under "Seasonal Rites for the Time after Epiphany." As you plan ahead for midweek services in Lent, several options are found under "Seasonal Rites for Lent". |
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Compelling Preaching Initiative
The ELCA has received at $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the ELCA Compelling Preaching: Transformed Listeners Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to cultivate persuasive preaching by inviting ELCA ministry leaders to review research findings about current preaching settings; propose innovative ways to apply those learnings in their individual ministry contexts; participate in funded cohort learning initiatives in all of the ELCA's 65 synods; and produce successful preaching foundations for all lay leaders and rostered ministers seeking to transform lives through the gospel.
Lilly Endowment recently announced another round of grants as part of this initiative. Eligible charitable organizations in the United States may submit proposals to develop new and/or enhance existing programs that present promising strategies to further the aim of the initiative. |
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Call for Songs for the Global Achtliederbuch
In 1524, Martin Luther published his first hymnal, the so-called Achtliederbuch. It documented what was sung in the young congregations of the Reformation movement. To celebrate the 500th anniversary of this hymnal, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will release a hymnbook in 2024 titled Of Pilgrimage, Freedom and Belonging - A Global Achtliederbuch. It will contain music, prayers and blessings expressing the hopes and visions, from a global perspective, of being Christian in the Lutheran communion. The collection will stem from the seven regions of the LWF, and new arrangements and settings of Luther´s chorales will be included as a shared global heritage. Learn more about this project and how you can contribute to this work at https://www.hymnsandrites2024.org/ |
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| As we consider our relationships with Jewish neighbors, the new resource “Preaching and Teaching ‘With Love and Respect for the Jewish People’” explores challenging topics, lectionary selections, and Bible passages to inform Christian preaching and teaching so that they respect the integrity of Jewish tradition and avoid anti-Jewish interpretation of New Testament texts. |
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“Prompts for Prayers of Intercession”
As events in the world unfold, you may want assistance in contextualizing the prayers of intercession. ELCA Worship provides "Prompts for Prayers of Intercession" each Wednesday on its Worship blog and links to them from its Facebook page. For additional resources for crafting intercessions, visit this annotated list. |
Music that Makes Community
From residencies, workshops and “Community SINGS” to creative online programming such as “Composing Ourselves” and “Morning Grounding,” Music that Makes Community looks forward to a vibrant year of singing and learning together! In January, they will visit Alexandria, Va. and Olympia, Wash. for their first workshops of the new year, followed by a hybrid Lenten Worship Planning event in Portland, Ore. View the calendar on their website to register for in-person, online, and multi-access events in 2023. |
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Finding our Rhythm, in Fullness of Time
Valparaiso University
April 17-19
The 74th annual gathering of the Institute of Liturgical Studies will meet to reflect on our experience of time from temporal and eternal perspectives. Under the promise of Christ's return in the fullness of time, we live and work, we sing, and we pray in a liturgical calendrical cycle that recalls God’s past actions, locates Christ’s presence among us, and inspires our hope for fulfillment in a time yet to come. As we participate in these repeating cycles of remembrance and celebration, we gather ourselves with others in communal song and prayer, finding in that collective rhythm a way of being with one another where our expectation is not that we will all be on time, but that we are and will be in time. Register now to receive early-bird rates (through Feb. 25). |
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