RESOURCES FOR LITURGY & WORSHIP
Eucharistic Prayers
Here are two Eucharistic prayers developed for specific occasions:
An ecumenical Maundy Thursday Liturgy involved four different pastors, so I wrote a prayer, based around the Lord's Prayer, in which all four of us would have a role, and the congregation's part would seem more "accessible" to those not used to a celebrant offering a lengthy prayer of consecration. For those of you who don't like "con-celebration" or ecumenical eucharists, oh well!
Maundy Thursday Eucharistic Prayer, 3pp.; download PDF file.
Last Christmas, I fell in love all over again with "Divinum Mysterium" and its common text, "Of the Father's Love Begotten." So I developed the entire eucharistic prayer for Christmas Eve around this ancient melody and the well-known hymn text.
Christmas Eve Eucharistic Prayer; 6 pp., download PDF file.
Hymn Texts
Of all the writings which I would be happiest to leave behind as my mark on the world and the church of Jesus Christ, it would be a really memorable hymn. Alas, I am not so gifted or egotistical to suppose that my work will wind up in a future hymnbook, but I offer these for what they are worth. You are free to reproduce these as you see fit for non-profit use, as long as you acknowledge the authorship on your copies.
Thanksgiving Day. I was surprised that the familiar Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together" was not in the Lutheran Book of Worship. I found it elsewhere, and discovered it celebrated a 16th Century Dutch baval battle. So I re-worked the text, after the opening line, to present a more grace-filled and grateful hymn text. The music and new text is available here.
"We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing," View JPG file.
Advent Favorite. The wonderful Charles Wesley text for Advent, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" was paired with the Southern Harmony melody "Jefferson" in the Lutheran Book of Worship and Evangelical Lutheran Worship. This hymn text is hopeful with prophetic longing, but without either of the two sub-theme that usually confuse our observance of Advent (the end of the world/judgment day, or John the Baptist at the river Jordan). But Wesley's text is only two verses. I have written a third verse and placed it between his verses. The melody and 3-verse text are avilable here as a JPEG or PDF file.
Statements of Faith
Scriptural Study led me to develop this "contemporary "Creed" for our local use. It is based on 21 passages from the book of Hebrews (the one book of the New Testament that may have been written by a female theologian---Priscilla, who with her husband Aquila was a companion of Paul on his mission journeys. The first page contains the citations; the second page may be reproduced for liturgical use.
"A Statement of Faith based on the Letter to the Hebrews", 2pp.; view PDF file.
Presiding at a wedding
Prayers and Liturgies
I have been tired of the available Lutheran materials for Good Friday. Several years ago I was invited to attend a Catholic parish for a Lenten Friday evening for the Stations of the Cross, something I'd never experienced before. But I am uncomfortable with the Roman Catholic non-Biblical piety which has worked its wayinto that tradition ("Jesus falls the second time," "Jesus falls the third time": there is nothing in the Scriptures that indicates Jesus fell at all!)
Here is my version of an "Evangelical Stations of the Cross", with each station strictly tied to the appropriate reading from one of the Gospels.
Evangelical Stations of the Cross, References: 1 p.; view PDF file; Full Scriptural texts: 5 pp.; view PDF file.
Chancel Drama
Part of a series written for Lent 2005 was another look at the parable of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32; appointed for Lent 4 C in the common lectionary). This is a contemporary drama set in circumstances which would evoke the parable without trying to imitate it. The scene between the two brothers, after the homecoming party is over, imagines an exchange for which there is no direct precedent in Luke's Gospel.
"Jiff and Harry", a Lenten Drama, 8 pp.; view PDF Script.
For a discussion of the sigjificance of this parable in a reconciling ministry, see my paper, "The Fourfold Ministry", 4pp., also in PDF format.