A Liturgy for Setting Up a Christmas Tree
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When we think of liturgy, we tend to think in terms of a church service or “responsive reading,” as it was called in the tradition I grew up in. But the word actually means “the work of the people” —and that’s why we want to invite you to participate in the creation of Every Moment Holy.
Author Doug McKelvey has almost half of the book’s liturgies already written, and he’s hard at work on completing the project, but from the beginning it’s been part of the plan to open the brainstorming up to you, the people.
To that end, we want to invite you to suggest topics for liturgies you’d like to see Doug write for the book. Are there ordinary moments of life for which you wish you had a specific prayer? What milestones or annual events might your family want to mark with a liturgical reading? Are there daily or seasonal rituals and routines, or fleeting incidents whose importance is too often overlooked and might be well served by a liturgical moment of preparation?
We’re interested in any and all suggestions. We’ll gather your ideas together and give them careful consideration to determine which are best in line with our vision for the book, and if we choose one of your topic suggestions to use, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of the finished book as our token of thanks (we’ll contact you via the email on your comment if we choose to use your suggestion).
Disclaimer: Doug already has a list of well over 100 liturgies he’s drawing from, so as the Rabbit Room community makes suggestions, we’re looking for new ideas we like better than the ones he’s already planned. We anticipate that as you submit topic ideas, there will almost certainly be some overlap with what we already have—but don’t let that stop you from brainstorming! We’ll give credit where credit is due.
Note that we aren’t asking for the liturgies themselves (that’s Doug’s job), just potential subjects or titles, like “A Liturgy for Sunsets,” or “A Liturgy for the First Day of School,” or “A Liturgy for a Meal Eaten Alone.” (Those are all liturgies that will appear in the book.)
Leave us your ideas in the comments section, and if you like someone else’s idea, click the like button on their comment to let us know. Suggest as many as you like. We won’t necessarily pick those that get the most likes, but it’s a great way to let us know what you’re interested in (and who knows what may follow in volume 2—yes, we’re already thinking about volume 2).
Don’t forget, all donations to the project during the month of May are being matched by a generous donor! Help us put this over the finish line financially. Your contributions—both financial and liturgical—are what is making all this possible. Click here to visit the campaign page.
Oh, and please share the project with your friends (click here)!
Pete Peterson is the author of the Revolutionary War adventure The Fiddler’s Gun and its sequel Fiddler’s Green. Among the many strange things he’s been in life are the following: U.S Marine air traffic controller, television editor, art teacher and boatwright at the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, and progenitor of the mysterious Budge-Nuzzard. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Jennifer, where he's the Executive Director of the Rabbit Room and Managing Editor of Rabbit Room Press.
142 Comments
Joyce
A liturgy for saying goodbye to my dog
Dan
A liturgy for when things didn’t go like I planned.
Linda Rogers
I want a liturgy for setting up for a craft show. It could be broadened to any event that someone is putting a lot of effort into and has no idea how it will turn out. (Concert, dance recital, doing a song in a church meeting, etc.) But especially when I am not feeling my best, have not had enough sleep, and am worried about the results of the day, a liturgy that would help me remember who God is and that He is involved in my work and that the results I’m looking for are only a tiny thing compared to the Kingdom He is building would be REALLY valuable to me.
Jebi
I don’t mean for this to sound sarcastic, I hope it doesn’t sound that way: my friend Solomon asked me the other day if DKM was planning on making a prayer for broken appliances. He was particularly thinking of his favorite coffee grinder that is now dysfunctional.
I will try to think of things more worthy of a liturgy, but I thought this might be legitimate, maybe.
Pete Peterson
@peteTotally legitimate, Jebi. In fact we’ve already got a liturgy for home repair, which is in the same territory at the very least. Good suggestion!
Victoria
A liturgy for going on a road trip (or for going on a family trip). A liturgy for the first and last day on a job.
Bethany Winz
@bwinzI’m just spitballing here, but…
-A Liturgy for a Single Person at Close of Day (since there’s one for husbands & wives)
-A Liturgy for a Haircut
-A Liturgy for Changing the Toilet Paper Roll
-A Liturgy for Sitting in Traffic
-A Liturgy for Taking Medication (especially the daily meds that quietly keep us alive/functioning)
-A Liturgy for Picking Your Nose (every moment holy, right?)
-A Liturgy for Scrolling Facebook (think of the number of nasty comments that could be prevented!)
-A Liturgy for Going to Therapy
-A Liturgy for Changing the Oil
-A Liturgy for Waiting Rooms
Okay, I’ll stop there. For now.
Henrietta Willis
A liturgy for doing the dishes at the end of a long day
Jamie
Liturgy for when your car breaks down. At the rate I go to the mechanic, I feel this would be the most used by me ????.
Mary Ellen Tharp
A Liturgy for getting dressed for the day.
Mary Ellen Tharp
A liturgy for tilling and planting a garden.
Clay Clarkson
I think the table blessing is terribly under-served in our day of spontaneous evangelical “let’s pray” Christian lingoturgy. I have not found a resource that rises to the level of what I would consider a “blessing liturgy” in the form that Doug is writing. And I am wanting more than just one or two “thank you, Lord” liturgies. What I would like to see, at a bare minimum in EMH, is a week of blessing liturgies, one for each day of the week. They should not be long, but rich and theological blessings that would help me move beyond my default plugin prayers to offer words about God, creation, beauty, and joy that invite all at the meal into the feast of fellowship, faith, and food that every table should be. A month of short liturgies would be even better, but perhaps that would be for the next book, Every Meal Holy.
Patricia Hunter
@patricia-of-pollywog-creekA liturgy for leaving for vacation
A liturgy for coming home from vacation
A liturgy for visiting someone who is sick or in the hospital
A liturgy for conflict resolution
A liturgy for parenting, including parenting adult children
A liturgy for welcoming new members into the family: from babies to in-laws
A liturgy for delighting in nature
John Vassar
A liturgy for difficult conversations.
Mary Ellen Tharp
A Liturgy for getting dressed for the day.
A liturgy for tilling the soil and planting the garden.
A liturgy for chopping wood.
A liturgy for sweeping and mopping.
A liturgy for needle and thread.
A liturgy for packing for a trip.
A liturgy for ironing. (Does anyone still iron?)
A liturgy for making the bed.
Megan
A Liturgy for Insomnia
A Liturgy for Meetings with Difficult Bosses
A Liturgy for Homesickness
A Liturgy for Nightmares
A Liturgy for Moving Homes
A Liturgy for Anxious Doctor Visits
A Liturgy for Checking my Bank Account
Dan Rechlin
A liturgy for opening one’s eyes the first time in the morning
Dan Rechlin
A liturgy for opening one’s eyes the second time in the morning (liturgy for the snooze alarm)
Mindy
Liturgy for a miscarriage
Liturgy for the discovery of pregnancy
Liturgy for a vigil over a sick child
Liturgy for the reconciliation of family members
Liturgy for entrenched homemakers
Liturgy for a power outage
Liturgy for the first snow
Liturgy for a rainbow
Liturgy for the sighting of a new bird
Liturgy for a child’s fear in the night
Liturgy for fretful insomnia
Liturgy for a birthday dinner
Liturgy for renewed hope in battle
Liturgy for defeating despair
Liturgy for the outset of a journey
Liturgy for jumping into the lake
Liturgy for bathroom cleaning
Liturgy for a homecoming
Liturgy for the first tree blossoms
Of spring
Liturgy for the first red leaf
Liturgy for the planting of spring lettuces
Liturgy for the sprouting of seeds
Liturgy for garden firstfruits
Liturgy for childhood milestones
Liturgy for an answered prayer
I eagerly await this beautiful project. Thank you. We read a liturgy for feasting with friends this last weekend at my husband’s 40th birthday gathering. ♡
Mindy
Especially the miscarriage one and perhaps pregnancy after loss. It is so very difficult and there are no words to find. No words to read, no words to send. As a sad and horrible effect of sin, our culture has little regard for the unborn who die, wanted or not, they are not treated as fully real, and mourning them is difficult and fraught with confusion. In my own losses I deeply craved some sacred words to hold, to speak. And as I walk friends through this deep and dark disappointment, I crave sacred words to speak over their wounds.
Andy
@andytateLiturgy for smoking a cigar or pipe
Mindy
Liturgy for the meeting of parted friends
Andy
@andytateLiturgy for a divorcee
Mindy
Liturgy for the uncorking of champagne.
Mary Ellen Tharp
A Liturgy for the first day of summer!
Mary Ellen Tharp
A Liturgy for a young girl’s coming of age.
Lesley T
A liturgy for those who are living through infertility
A liturgy for new empty nesters
A liturgy for releasing your firstborn into the world
A liturgy for releasing your last-born into the world
A liturgy for when the days are long, but the years are short
Lesley T
Liturgy for parents of kids’ with special needs
Lesley T
A liturgy for home school families
Jamie
– Memorial liturgy for a loved one (anniversary of his/her passing or birthdays remembered)
– Liturgy for friends and family who do not know the Lord, and wisdom and words and ways to plant seeds of knowing in their lives
– For Godly (and of course book-loving) family culture in our homes
– For moral courage and discernment for our teen and pre-teen kids in their daily struggles
– For the change of seasons
Mike Whitaker
Liturgy for changing guitar strings.
Liturgy for the ride to drop the kids off at school.
Liturgy for waiting for someone who’s late for an appointment.
Liturgy for pastors and worship leaders after a church service ends.
Jamie
– Liturgy for kids doing their daily chores
– Morning and evening liturgies for special days (a child’s birthday, baptism, confirmation, a family outing)
– Liturgies that correspond with the church year
– Liturgy for reveling with delight and awe in His creation and power (watching a thunderstorm, star gazing, taking a hike through the woods, etc)
Megan
A Liturgy for Insomnia
A Liturgy for Long Meetings with Difficult Bosses
A Liturgy for Homesickness
A Liturgy for Nightmares
A Liturgy for the Library
A Liturgy for Falling in Love
Jamie
Liturgy for the moment you finish a book that made your life richer, and you close it with a sigh of mingled regret and contentment. Even if you’ve read the book many times before. 🙂
Lara EnglishHill
Liturgy for adopting / rescuing a pet
Carey
A liturgy for surrendering control.
A liturgy for bedtime battles.
A liturgy for everyday motherhood.
A liturgy for a burnt cake (or other kitchen disasters).
A liturgy for the parking lot.
A liturgy for entrepreneurs.
A liturgy for watercolor.
A liturgy for seeing others.
A liturgy for unplugging.
Jason Custer
I’m not exactly sure how to phrase this one, but the first one that comes to my mind is a “liturgy for summiting a mountain” or “finishing a hike” or something along those lines. I love the moment of sitting down after a long hike to admire the view, and always feel like I need some way to worship at that moment – I’d love a liturgy for that moment.
Lara
Liturgy for transitions both big and small
Liturgy for yard work
Liturgy for giving gifts
Liturgy for home improvements
Liturgy for little ones losing teeth
Liturgy for changing of the season
Jason Custer
Other times I’d have loved a liturgy:
Liturgy for chemotherapy infusions
Liturgy for losing hair
Liturgy for sitting in an airport (delays and cancellations)
Liturgy for flying (both takeoff and landing)
Liturgy for taking/finishing exams
Jenny Dorf
@jennydorfA liturgy for visiting and then returning from your childhood home…touching on homesickness, nostalgia, rootedness, and place.
Jennifer
A liturgy for moms with no children on Mother’s Day.
A liturgy for going to church when you don’t want to.
A liturgy for using Google Maps to go somewhere for the first time.
Javen Bear
@javenThere ought to be a liturgy for:
a fishless day of fishing.
getting a letter/package in the mail.
the finishing (pronouncing ‘done’) of a song or poem or story.
old, worn, out of tune pianos.
seeding a front lawn.
old friends around a campfire.
returning to the smell of your house after a long trip.
listening to a baseball game.
a faithful pair of shoes or pants or belt…
Kathleen Donnell
A liturgy for morning coffee.
A liturgy for afternoon tea.
Kathleen Donnell
A liturgy for a cancer diagnosis
Teresa Sayles
A liturgy for the packing of a suitcase
A liturgy for the rereading of a beloved book or poem
A liturgy for watching Netlix
A liturgy for thunderstorms
A liturgy for the painting of a wall
A liturgy for moving homes
A liturgy for a walk in the park
A liturgy for going to the grocery store
A liturgy for taking risks
A liturgy for foggy days
A liturgy for Christmas shopping
A liturgy for going to the doctor/dentist
A liturgy for playing in the rain
Collin Cockrell
a liturgy for a kid whose parents got divorced
Brian Porteous
A liturgy for apologizing to a child.
A liturgy for getting your blood drawn.
A liturgy for looking for someone else’s lost keys.
a liturgy for looking through used vinyl at a thrift store.
A liturgy for driving past a roadside BBQ stand.
A liturgy for finishing a book that you wish didn’t end
A liturgy for watching a movie with your kids that you hope will end soon.
A liturgy for taking apart pens piece by piece and putting them back together.
…okay, I’m done…
Sarah
Liturgy for changing diapers
Liturgy for a parent looking for strength to choose love again after being assaulted by their child with special needs (Or, more broadly, Liturgy for strength to choose love again after conflict and hurt)
Liturgy for receiving a difficult medical diagnosis
Liturgy for donating possessions
Liturgy for seeing and caring for a person begging on the street
Briana
Liturgy for the death of a pet.
Liturgy for the end of a beloved book series.
A liturgy for a great accomplishment.
A liturgy for a great sadness.
Christine cleary
A liturgy for my time during outreach to the homeless
a liturgy for when a new foster child/adopted child enters your home or returns to their forever home
Brandi Walker
Liturgy for taking care of aging parents.
Liturgy for porch swing visits with God.
Liturgy of giving of the first fruits/tithes.
Liturgy of giving to missions.
Liturgy when coming across the homeless.
Liturgy for our neighbors… friendly and the unfriendly .
Liturgy for those adopting… Gotcha Day… Adoption Day.
Liturgy for the child in Foster Care.
Liturgy for the Foster Parent.
Liturgy for the Parent who has lost a child…
Liturgy for the empty nester mother/father.
April McClure Stewart
I’d love a liturgy for:
– the reheating of a cup of coffee for the nth time because Motherhood
– for inadequacy in the face of a loved one’s self doubt
– for the smell of a baby’s head
– for the first time a child sleeps through the night
– for a return to lovemaking after a hiatus
– for the things we remember about our departed loved ones- the feel of a hand, the swoop of the hair, the way the skin at the sides of eyes crinkled when laughing
– for the feel of freshly made bed, or the scent of deep, rich coffee or the sound of the wind blowing through poplar trees
– for making an apology
– for receiving an apology
– for praying when prayer feels impotent
Naomi
For
Anxiety
Uncertainty
Goodbye
Remembering the past
For when you have an empty page in front of you and you are about to start writing, creating something on it
For making Kombucha, a probiotic nourishment for the whole family
For gazing at the stars
For weeding the garden
For talking to a child after he or she has done something he shouldn’t have
For apologizing to a child after saying hasty words
The One True Stickman
@theonetruestickmanI second Bethany’s suggestions of A Liturgy for Sitting in Traffic.
I also love the idea of a liturgies for broken appliances, or changing the oil – the idea I came here with was A Liturgy for Small Engines, having a few of them that need some manner of maintenance or resurrection at the moment. I think the common theme that draws me to those is the specific intersection between worship and work, blessing and sanctification and joy of vocation. This is something that seems less emphasized in technical or “blue collar” vocations, and particularly interesting to me since repairing things feels like such a tangible incarnation of redemption.
Dan Luce
A liturgy for the purchase or moving into a new home
Dawn
A liturgy for the first day back to your normal life after leaving the gathered family for a funeral. Not the death or the funeral itself, but the first day back in your real word when you feel shaky, alone, vulnerable, downtrodden, exhausted, relieved for normal, and numb – all at the same time – and you’re headed back to school or work and your daily, miniscule and vast responsibilities and duties. A liturgy for that day, the one when you go back to living.
Rebekah
Yes, liturgy for sitting in traffic or for sitting in an airport!
I also like the idea of liturgy of lament for unexpected death, especially when family can’t be in the same place to mourn. (I think we could use more liturgy, or awareness/teaching of liturgy, for lament in general.)
Thanks! Can’t wait to hear!
Dan Luce
A liturgy for selling your home
Dan Luce
A liturgy for the start of your school day (homeschool, sending your kids off on the bus, etc)
Dan Luce
A liturgy for the purchase, or first time playing, of a new instrument
Dan Luce
A liturgy for when someone is released from jail/prison
-This may seem like an odd one, but what a rock-bottom moment this can be for some folks. I teach a class on biblical conflict resolution to a group of men in our local jail and some upon release really strive to continue to walk out what they’ve been learning in the context of the church community. A liturgy for this occasion could be something really special and help solidify the realness of they are about to walk into: a life of more freedoms and the challenge that comes with trying to live a new life with a new community
Russ Ramsey
@russramseyA liturgy for a couple on their wedding night.
Josh Bishop
@joshbishopA Liturgy for the Brewing of Ale
A Liturgy of Gratitude for Finding Something You’ve Lost
A Liturgy for Baking Cookies to Welcome New Neighbors
A Liturgy for Getting the Winter Boots Out of Summer Storage
A Liturgy for When Friends Move Away
A Liturgy While Away from Home on Vacation
A Liturgy for the End of a Long Book
A Liturgy for When Your Parents Come to Visit
A Liturgy for Borrowing Something from a Friend
A Liturgy for Organizing Your Bookshelves
A Liturgy for an Aging Body
Clay Clarkson
A liturgy for losing a job/position/career.
A liturgy for starting a new job/position/career.
Clay Clarkson
A liturgy for graduating from High School.
A liturgy for graduating from College.
Doug
Clay Clarkson, I think the book you’re suggesting would be called Every Moment Hungry.
Rachel
A liturgy for:
– Choosing/cutting your Christmas tree
– Washing dishes, definitely!
– Bookbinding
– Waiting for a reply (mail, messaging etc.)
– The moments when you need a hug (but aren’t getting one)
– When it’s too late to go to bed
– Also, there might be something for the part of the day when you check the mailbox, hoping someone has decided to send you something in the mail, and realize there’s nothing for you.
Side note: Some of these are more for impromptu moments. Some are for moments that aren’t shared with others (personal liturgies I guess).
aimee guest
The Liturgy for the Library made me smile. I love the library.
Liturgy for 16th, 21st, 40th and other milestone birthdays
Liturgy for the last day of school
Liturgy for excercising when you don’t want to
Liturgy for the first gray hair (and the last gray hair, or the last hair, ha!)
Liturgy for the weird aches we didn’t expect to feel so early.
Liturgy for the first time your teenager drives a car!
Eddy Efaw
for artists (makers, making, creating)
for going to a museum (viewing art)
for texting
for social media(ing)
for mowing grass
for your lunch break
being home with a sick child
for dropping a child off at college
before diving into a new book
for the first day of school (student version and teacher version)
for making coffee
for splashing in puddles / playing in the rain
for taking a walk
for sitting in the park
Christine
a liturgy for acknowledging my great need from my Creator and Sustainer
a liturgy for seeing with love not reason alone, disadvantiging myself for the advantage of another when appropriate
a liturgy for a desire to move with intention, to be on the lookout for awe and wonder, the sacred everywhere
a liturgy of contentment and gratitude when dismayed, dissapointed, bruised, beaten and broken along the way
Dessa
For welcoming sons to manhood/inviting them to be men/making it clear that they have what it takes to be good-hearted men.
When your spouse has always been the spiritual leader, but you now feel like they need you to take the lead because life has served them some tough stuff and they are stuck. (They have never voiced this, but you know what they have been beaten down with the past two years (season) and you know you must follow Jesus hard and invite them to keep trying, keep being willing to be broken because broken people need Christ’s love.
Josh Bishop
@joshbishopA Liturgy for Simply Messing About in Boats
scott james
@scottjamesI stand by my previous recommendation:
A Liturgy for Remaining Calm When a Restaurant Thinks You Can Sweeten Unsweet Tea
Christine
@winterfinchI don’t have a succinct title for this, but a liturgy for one’s last day with a fellowship/group that has been woven tightly into his life before moving on to the next big adventure.
Similarly, a liturgy for the first day of college or the freshman commencement ceremony, when many young adults say goodbye to their family and live on their own for the first time, taking on the responsibility of their education and life.
Kathy Seeger
Josh Bishop
@joshbishopA Liturgy for Building or Mending a Fence
A Liturgy for Cleaning the Day’s Catch
A Liturgy for a New Business Endeavor
A Liturgy for Building a Relationship With Someone Unlike You
A Liturgy for the Peculiar Love of a Mother
A Liturgy for Sand and Waves
A Liturgy for the Buying and Selling of Goods
A Liturgy for Unseasonable Weather
A Liturgy for Felling a Tree
A Liturgy for Nursing Mothers
A Liturgy to Encourage Creative Play
A Liturgy to Open Family Meetings
A Liturgy for Words on the Tip of the Tongue
A Liturgy to Encourage the Discouraged
A Liturgy for Moments When Liturgies Aren’t Enough
Reesa K.
@reesakA liturgy for midterms and final exams
A liturgy for becoming an orphan
A liturgy for filling helium balloons
A liturgy for misspelling words
Laura
A liturgy for adoption or celebrating the day of adoption each year
Amy
@awfreerA liturgy for teachers on Thursday afternoon (or any day in May)
A liturgy for thunderstorms
Sara Masarik
@homeschoolsaraA liturgy for starting a new family read aloud (and hoping that it will build up family culture)
Sara Masarik
@homeschoolsaraA liturgy for discerning charitable giving (which charities, how much, how often, why)
Lynn
A liturgy for Surgery
A liturgy for Endings / Goodbyes
A liturgy for Parents and Birth Parents
A liturgy for Dementia / Alzheimers
A liturgy for Birthdays / Anniversaries
A liturgy for Walking
A liturgy for Aging
A liturgy for Conversations with Friends
A liturgy for Unplugging from Media
Lynn Holloway
@lhollowayA liturgy for Surgery
A liturgy for Endings / Goodbyes
A liturgy for Parents and Birth Parents
A liturgy for Dementia / Alzheimers
A liturgy for Birthdays / Anniversaries
A liturgy for Walking
A liturgy for Aging
A liturgy for Conversations with Friends
A liturgy for Unplugging from Media
Ambre Sautter
Aliturgy for releasing dreams- your own due to health changes, those for a child lost young/in the womb, those for a child with limitations or different gifting than anticipated.
Mandy
A liturgy for beginning a new book.
A liturgy for studying scripture together – I was thinking of this being used in our small group time, but it could be families or individuals as well.
A liturgy for hot cocoa with marshmallows by the first fire of the winter.
Alternatively, A liturgy for wearing shorts in January. (I live in Houston.)
A liturgy for resting in a hammock.
Sarah
A liturgy for moments you know are a “last”
A liturgy for moving away
A liturgy for unexpected laughter
A liturgy for coming across something that takes your breath away
A liturgy for the start of a trip
Robyn C.
A Liturgy for being up in the middle of the night with a sick kid.
Heidi Johnston
A liturgy for moving forward after an argument (when the apologies have been made, the air cleared and you want to take a moment to choose to let go of it and move forward with more understanding and more grace.)
A liturgy for pruning plants in autumn.
A liturgy for spring planting
A liturgy for the preparation of a meal
A liturgy for the first day of the new school term.
A liturgy for leading a Bible Study
A liturgy for unexplained sadness.
I can’t wait for this book!
Adam Ruffo
A liturgy for when “Your parents are in jail”
A liturgy for when you “Come to after another moment of relapse”
A liturgy for when “You’ve just broken up with someone”
Tyler Smith
A liturgy for disappointments
A liturgy for time wasted on the Internet
A liturgy for a song stuck in your head
A liturgy for painting a room
A liturgy for preparing to host a party/preparing to have houseguests
Janice Campbell
A liturgy of hope for the hopeless;
peace for the restless;
light for those who walk in darkness.
Tyler Smith
A liturgy for using screens (similar to Lynn Holloway’s comment above, but more about using screens faithfully than simply unplugging)
A liturgy for sermon preparation
A liturgy for retiring a favorite article of clothing
A liturgy for stressful deadlines
Heidi Johnston
A Liturgy for moving forward after an argument (When the apologies have been made and the air cleared but you want to take a moment to acknowledge that you are letting go of the argument and moving forward with a deeper understanding of grace.)
A liturgy for the pruning of plants
A liturgy for spring planting
A liturgy for unexplained sadness
A liturgy for the preparation of a meal
A liturgy for leading a Bible study
A liturgy for exam time
I can’t wait for this book!
Tyler Smith
On more:
A liturgy for waiting rooms
Bethany
Because my husband is in medical school (!):
A liturgy for giving a hard diagnosis.
Liturgy for reading over charts first thing each morning.
Liturgy for the first/last patient of the day.
A liturgy for beholding suffering.
A liturgy for a physical exam.
Liturgy for opening a medical textbook.
Liturgy for spending all day in the library studying.
A liturgy for stewarding knowledge well.
A liturgy for sifting information in search of the truth.
A liturgy for coming home.
Bethany
Because my husband is in medical school (!):
Liturgy for giving a hard diagnosis.
A liturgy for a physical exam.
Liturgy for beholding suffering.
Liturgy for reading over charts each morning.
Liturgy for first/last patient of the day.
Liturgy for opening a medical textbook.
Liturgy for spending all day in the library studying.
Liturgy for stewarding knowledge well.
Liturgy for sifting information in search of the truth.
Liturgy for coming home.
Karoline
@karolinedawnI haven’t read all the previous comments, so maybe I’m repeating some here, but… : a liturgy for moments of inexpressible, inexplicable longing (perhaps C.S. Lewis would call it Joy), like when I see a sunset that randomly brings me to tears, or a song that awakens something in me that I just cannot explain. And a liturgy for breaking something — I just broke my favorite teapot. I can replace it, but it will never be the same. A liturgy for the drive home after a looong day of work. A liturgy for sharing a new point of view with someone — I would say witnessing, but sometimes a new point of view is the first step. That’s it… for now…
And, I am so looking forward to this, and so thankful for RR. 🙂
Jaclyn
liturgy for attending weddings alone
liturgy for checking into rehab
liturgy for an impromptu visit, celebration, or roadtrip
liturgy for writing to your grandmother
liturgy for binge-watching
liturgy for overspending
liturgy for when the devastating illness ends
liturgy for accepting the nicest words ever said to you
liturgy for haunting memories
liturgy for choosing the place to go for lunch
liturgy for living on social media (Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube)
liturgy for selecting a donut
liturgy for starting late
liturgy for drinking too much caffeine
liturgy for bumper to bumper traffic
liturgy for when you overpluck your eyebrows, or get a terrible haircut
liturgy for staying up all night
liturgy for feeding the baby
…and my personal favorite: liturgy for becoming obsessed with writing liturgy ideas. Forreal, I want to write my own daily liturgies book now. This is so addicting. Probably the healthiest one I have =D
Jaclyn
whoops! I really enjoyed reading everyone else’s liturgy ideas, but it appears I repeated some anyway (i.e. “bumper to bumper traffic” and “feeding the baby again”).
Super looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Julie Silander
A liturgy for beginning a book.
A liturgy for finishing a book.
A liturgy for the first day of each season.
A liturgy for the first day of class.
A liturgy for camping out.
A liturgy for building something.
A liturgy for a first-time gathering (small group, dinner party, etc.)
Wow this is fun. What a fabulous project.
Laura
a liturgy for being stuck in traffic
a liturgy for being late to events
Laura
A liturgy for when the power goes out
Seth Lancaster
For the drive home after a frustrating morning at church.
For deciding what to read next.
For husbands comforting their wives when children cause pain.
For theological searching.
For the moment one realizes the workday will be longer than expected.
For the removal of animals from the attic.
VB
A liturgy for waiting for news that may alter the expected path of your life (medical diagnosis that could go either way, grad school application response, pregnancy yes/no)
A liturgy for a squabble
A liturgy for irreconcilable differences that yet have to be lived with
A liturgy for loneliness
A liturgy for food poisoning
A liturgy for a new object one has acquired
A liturgy for desiring an object that one doesn’t get to have
A liturgy for feeling like one has been taken advantage of
A liturgy for “but for the grace of God there go I”
A liturgy for upsetting and out-of-control news/world events
VB
A liturgy for too many options.
A liturgy for being interrupted. (especially by telemarketers)
A liturgy for returning to things after being interrupted.
A liturgy for tax prep.
A liturgy for watering the houseplants.
Jessica Boniface
A liturgy for the celebration of the success of others.
A liturgy for sleepless nights.
A liturgy for the reception of terrible news, be it the death of a relative or a terrorist attack.
A liturgy for releasing control (again)
A liturgy for being misunderstood
A liturgy for when emergency service vehicles pass you on their way to assist those in need
A liturgy for observing screaming children (or parents) in the store
A liturgy for encountering panhandlers
A liturgy for when your days blend one into another
A liturgy for engaging long term tasks
A liturgy for growing up and yet retaining childlike faith
Peggy
This may have already been suggested, but I would like to see a liturgy for the entering of rehab for addiction, as well as one for completing rehab. Perhaps there could also be one for significant markers along the recovery path–6 months of sobriety, a year. Perhaps another for after a relapse. So looking forward to this book.
Rusty Hammon
A liturgy for caring for aging parents.
A liturgy for parent/grandparent’s death
A liturgy for a child starting High School
Bethany
A liturgy for:
sitting alone in church
thrift store shopping
going home alone after a fun party
calling your parents
arriving at work
leaving work
sending a text message/email
online dating
walking the dog
considering a new career
William Jones
A liturgy for parents or grandparents whose children/grandchildren have lost their faith.
Reagan Dregge
@rdreggeI must echo A Liturgy for Losing a Pet.
A Liturgy for Loneliness.
I’d second A Liturgy for Baseball, but “Casey at the Bat” is my go-to on that subject.
Rebekah Ackerman
@tournesolA liturgy for:
planting a garden
weeding/watering a garden
getting poison ivy
bird watching
getting in touch with a long-lost friend
going to the wedding of a family member or friend
going through a loved one’s things after they have died
spring cleaning
organizing a closet/room
writing poetry
the birth of a niece or nephew
sitting on the porch at dusk
using up leftovers
painting a room
mowing the grass
being at home with the flu
Rebekah Ackerman
@tournesolThis is an addictive exercise. After posting I couldn’t stop thinking of moments when I would like words for communicating awe, remembering God’s guidance, and/or consciously inviting His presence.
A liturgy for:
morning birdsong
seeing a rainbow
star-gazing
going to a job interview
leaving a church family
looking for a church in a new town
doing algebra (or other hard academic work)
dealing with a child’s misbehavior
setting the alarm clock
driving to church
taking out the trash
a housewarming
going through physical pain
finding something lost or forgotten
walking with a friend through relational or emotional struggles
playing in snow
disagreeing with one’s boss
parent conferences
political debates/conversations
election day
driving through the mountains
walking on the beach
a picnic
Victoria
A liturgy for hunting
Hannah Hubin
@hannahhA Liturgy for Laughing.
A Liturgy for the Writing of Liturgies.
gllen
a liturgy for a rainy day
a liturgy for paddling quietly in a canoe
a liturgy for a flat tire
a liturgy for bearing wounds from others
a liturgy for a troubled world
Gwen
I’m not of a religion that practices liturgy, but I love the concept of recognising the holy in every moment and of ritual words to honor something. I mean no offense by my suggestions if I have misunderstood what exactly liturgy is.
I think there ought to be a liturgy for spring cleaning
For menstruation
And for being the one who stays behind.
Meagan M. Smith
@smithmeaganmA Liturgy for the poor.
Danielle
I echo from above: A liturgy for joy (or perhaps, a liturgy for small joys)
And submit: A liturgy for beholding another’s heartbreak.
Bailey Suzio
A liturgy for deployment comings and goings (military wife!)
A liturgy for meeting new neighbors
A liturgy for not knowing what to make for dinner
A liturgy for when things are too noisy
A liturgy for oversleeping your alarm
A liturgy for spilling your coffee
A liturgy for a bonfire
A liturgy for the first snow of winter
A liturgy for comforting a friend
A liturgy for surgery
A liturgy for questioning God’s goodness
A liturgy for infertility
A liturgy for a miscarriage
A liturgy for the birth of a baby
A liturgy for 1st birthdays
A liturgy for simple pleasures (hot tea, blowing bubbles, etc)
A liturgy for finishing a book.
M. Cockroft
Liturgy for moving from a house you love
Liturgy for when both your parent die and you find yourself parentless
Liturgy for when a grown child leaves home
Liturgy for when you become the caretaker of your parent
Liturgy for the bitter sweetness of your children growing up
Liturgy for turning 40
Liturgy for 50th anniversary
Liturgy for the mentally ill
Liturgy for family gatherings
Liturgy for a child (or adult) diagnosed with a chronic disease
Liturgy for suffering
Liturgy for an injustice suffered
Liturgy for faithfulness–of Christ, family, or friends
Liturgy for healings received
Liturgy for healings not received
Liturgy for hope
Liturgy for giving
Liturgy for God’s provision liturgy for the gift of prayer
Liturgy for the love of God’s people
M. Cockroft
Liturgy for chronic pain
Liturgy for God given gifts
Liturgy for kindness
Liturgy for creation
Aaron Wolcott
Liturgy for traveling abroad
Liturgy for your child’s first steps
Liturgy for naming your child.
Sarah Moss
A Liturgy for Ministering to the Heart of a Friend in their Loss
A Liturgy for The Awkward Social Moment
A Liturgy for After-Church Fellowship
A Liturgy for Awkward After-Church Fellowship
A Liturgy for Battling The Lies
A Liturgy for Meeting New Neighbors
A Liturgy for Finishing a Good Book When You didn’t Want it to End
A Liturgy for Marveling at the Image of Our Maker in The Other (the one different from us)
A Liturgy for Biking through the Neighborhood at Dusk
A Liturgy for Cleaning the Bathroom
A Liturgy for Surrendering to Noble Limits (Our Humanity)
A Liturgy for Getting a Phone Call from an Old Friend
kadubb
@kadubbA Liturgy for when you feel lonely in Church
A Liturgy for the Joy of Singleness
A Liturgy for the Sorrow of Singleness
A Liturgy for the Parents of Missionaries
A Liturgy for Caring for Aging Parents
A Liturgy for The Thorn in your Flesh (for me it is Multiple Sclerosis)
A Liturgy for the Softening of a Heart
A Liturgy for The Life You Weren’t Expecting (not what you hoped for)
A Liturgy for the Years of Wilderness
A Liturgy for the Day You Just Don’t Want to Get Out of Bed
A Liturgy for the Person with an Invisible Illness
A Liturgy for The Isolation of Chronic Health Problems
Emma Chmura
@emmajA liturgy for having broken something that was special to you. This is inspired by several painful instances of dropped dinnerware, but could also apply in the abstract to relationships or other things that one might regret one’s handling of. Regret is hard. One often wishes that life came with an undo button. In God’s sovereignty, it does not.
Emma Chmura
@emmajPerhaps a liturgy for chronic disappointment, desires unfulfilled.
Emma Chmura
@emmajI’m excited for this book. It’s such a beautiful gift. Thank you for your work on it, Douglas.
Jason Rummel
A Liturgy for Leaving Home When You Don’t Want to Go
A Liturgy for Staring at a Mountain
A Liturgy for Picking Fruit
A Liturgy for Mowing
A Liturgy for Weeding
A Liturgy for Trying to Find the Right Thing to Say
A Liturgy for Putting On Your Shoes (varieties of shoes, going places, etc.)
A Liturgy for a Glass of Wine
A Liturgy for Walking the Dog/Changing the Litter/Cleaning the Stall, etc.
A Liturgy for Thinking of Liturgies
Donn Herring
A liturgy of parting.
So often we treat the act of saying goodbye as unimportant, especially if we believe we will see that person again soon. The fact is that we have no guaranty that we will ever see a person again this side of heaven. As a result, I think a liturgy of parting might better recognize the uncertainty of the future and the significance of the relationship.
This is particularly personal to me as I will always regret that the last time I saw my kid sister I was distracted and failed to say a proper goodbye. Forty-eight hours later see was taken from our family by an act of domestic violence. While a liturgy of parting would not have changed the outcome, it would have provided a proper means of expressing the love I had for my sister.
Thanks and Good Luck with this exciting project.
Dana Daggett
@danadaggettA Liturgy before attending/presenting a live concert.
Dana Daggett
@danadaggettA Liturgy for Another Day of Waiting for a Prodigal to Return….
Dana Daggett
@danadaggettI know he would hate this, so I am not really serious, but selfishly this am I was thinking I wish there was a liturgy for missing Rich.
Kim
Liturgy for when my dyslexic, highly distracted daughter is resisting her reading lessons again.
Owen Fulghum
A liturgy for receiving news/diagnosis that a loved one has dementia.
Sheri Cornett
@sheripendragonA liturgy for coping with a migraine
A liturgy for insomnia
A liturgy for going on a date with your spouse
A liturgy for buying/selling a house
A liturgy for a rainy day
Sheri Cornett
@sheripendragonA liturgy for coping with a migraine
A liturgy for insomnia
A liturgy for going on a date with your spouse
A liturgy for buying/selling a house
A liturgy for a rainy day
Linda Rogers
@misslindaI’m rather late suggesting this, but I want a liturgy for when someone is doubting, something along the lines of “I believe, help my unbelief.” But more than just an individual prayer for that person to pray, I want a prayer that a whole group can say (either together or separately) that is identifying with, supporting, and encouraging the person who is struggling. I think this is something that is missing in most groups that I have been in- the ability to acknowledge that you are struggling and have the group respond well. Maybe with some guidance or a written liturgy to start with, we could do better.
Mike BROWN
A liturgy for reprimanding an employee or student. All things need to be done in love. As a school administrator I try to pray before dealing with my staff.
Linda Rogers
@misslindaI’m very late, but it is important. I need a liturgy for dealing with life’s disappointments when something I deeply want is out of reach for me. The way I wrote that, it isn’t clear whether this is big dreams or small temporary things, but maybe that is better than what I originally intended. (My post is inspired by having to miss church today because of health issues when I REALLY wanted to go. I’m missing lunch and a baptism too. But I cannot have what I want, and God is present in this disappointment too.)
Pete Peterson
@peteSee page 232.
Jacob
I litergy for when I don’t understand why people are writing litergies.
A litergy for when I doubt.
A litergy for frustration with other believers.
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