Epiphany Week 4 (Year C): Litany for Parts of a Whole

I find it interesting that the Lectionary always seems to speak so keenly to the current moment. The past few days I’ve contemplated the state of things, and Dr. King’s legacy, and how the Church (capital C) is doing, and how the country is doing. And I attended an MLK memorial/celebration march and service at a local sibling church, which was inspiring in some ways, but sobering in others. We have so far to go with dismantling white supremacy in this country, and within the American Church; and that is not a new or disputable fact.

What I’m learning from listening to and reading BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) activists is that we white people need to listen humbly, educate ourselves and our communities, and support the work. And a great way to support the work is by financially contributing to organizations that uplift BIPOC communities and meet their needs. I’m doing this as I can, and I encourage my white siblings to as well. Here are a few I’m particularly inspired by*:

Equal Justice Initiative
Million Hoodies
A Voice for the Unheard
Black Women’s Health Initiative
Partnership with Native Americans

I’ve written this week’s litany with the Lectionary selections in mind, which remind us of our unchangeable status as parts of a whole, as siblings, and as co-laborers. What hurts one sector of our Beloved Community, hurts us all. What uplifts, uplifts us all. Christ’s stated mission in Luke 4 is our mission, too. And…

We are all part of each other.
Our connectedness is unbreakable.
Any separation is only imagined.

If you’re looking for other litanies surrounding these topics, please check out
Litany for Justice and Equality
Litany for MLK Day
Litany for Addressing Racism
Litany for Embracing Race

*Even small amounts matter. But I know, not everyone can contribute financially. Do what you can, educate yourself via the multitude of free resources in local libraries and the internet, be curious, be humble. And may God bless your efforts.

2 Fun Bits of News

Bit #1:

Today on Patreon I’m sharing something new: tips for getting started writing prayers and liturgy for your own congregation. Teaching liturgical writing is a new frontier for me, but seems to be a theme coming up for 2019. I’ve learned a lot these last few years, and turns out, I have a lot to say on the subject. So head on over to Patreon, and if you aren’t already a patron, it’s easy - a few clicks and you’re done.

Bit #2:

Speaking of teaching, I’ve been invited to team up with Brian Doerksen and Cindy Rethmeier to teach at a summer retreat for songwriters and liturgists. It’s in August in Abbotsford, B.C. There are 12 spots, and they’re by audition only. Check it out!

Have a great week, and leave me a comment on Patreon!

Epiphany Week 3, Year C: Litany for the Party

This week’s Lectionary readings include the account of Christ performing his first recorded miracle: turning water into wine at a wedding. Also known as the time Jesus BROUGHT THE PARTY. There are so many interesting and fun details about the story: the way his mom talks him into it. The way the people react. The way he tries to keep it on the DL. His reluctance (I imagine a twinkle in his eye). The way he nonchalantly instructs them to “draw some out,” no big deal. 

And the most endearing part, to me, is what it says about celebration. That celebration is worth doing. That Jesus is able to look at this world, see it for what it is, accept it, forgive it, and still think it’s worth partying. 

… And this is the lesson that Christ is teaching us:
That just when we think the party is over
And all our resources have run out,
There is abundance yet…

For the full text of this litany, go ahead and …

You’ll get access to Weekly Lectionary litanies, plus other content I post on a weekly basis, and various other liturgy-related goodies. Many thanks to all the new folks who have come on board in the past couple weeks. The party has only just begun!

Epiphany Week 2, Year C: Litany for Flooding Love

This week’s Epiphany litany is up on Patreon! If you haven’t checked in in a while, you may be feeling curious about why I’ve made a shift this year to making most new litanies exclusive to Patreon subscribers. This post should help satisfy your curiosity.

The short answer is: SUSTAINABILITY. The long answer is: GROWTH. I’ll have more to say about these in the coming weeks, but for now I hope you can feel the love I’m sending you, and have always sent out into the world in each and every post on this website. The whole point of this work is and has ever been to FLOOD THE WORLD WITH LOVE. It’s the long game and the short game. The means and the ends.

You can also drop me a line via the contact link on the SUBSCRIBE page above if you have more questions. Got an idea? Send it my way. Got feedback? I’m all ears.

Oh, and don’t forget The Book! It’s compact and lovely to hold. It fits nicely in pew pockets. It smells like real paper. And its chock full of thoughtful modern call-and-response prayers. Grab one here in paperback or ebook.*

love,
f

*The ebook does not smell like real paper.

Big News for 2019

For the past 3 years, it has been my joy and privilege to produce hundreds of congregational litanies to the public, to the Body of Christ, free of charge on my website. My model has been: just be creative and serve the church. It’s been great - freeing, expanding, humbling! But it’s no longer sustainable for me to only do it this way. With the amount of time the writing takes, and the busyness of life in general, and the way my career is currently structured, I need to earn a living wage for the hours that I spend working. So. Starting in 2019, the majority of my weekly and monthly litanies will be available via Patreon.

As I’ve gone along, I’ve more and more embraced my own identity as an artist and creative. Patreon is a blessing for artists. (What is Patreon?) It is a way that fans can participate in the work of their favorite creators. It’s actually a beautiful model of partnership, and a way that people who don’t necessarily consider themselves creatives can support and participate in the creation of beauty in the world.

I will still offer a couple of free litanies per month here on my site, but the bulk of the work will be accessible via subscription. If my work has been a blessing to your community, and you value its continuing, I invite you to join in on it by becoming a patron. For less than the price of a latte per month, you can see all or most of my offerings. And you can help me make it so that I can keep on creating and actually start to cover the cost of creating, and so the Church can keep on praying these prayers.

This work is alive and dynamic. I’m responsive to current events, to what society is experiencing, and of course to the ancient resonance of the Lectionary. I’m so jazzed by getting to create liturgy that is relevant and timely, but also ageless and timeless. I’m just getting started, folks! Also, don’t forget to grab a copy of my new book, available in paperback and kindle!

The catalogue of work that’s available here will, for the most part, remain. If you have questions about the changes I’m making, please email me via the contact page, or send me a message on facebook. As always, I’m sending you all love and light.
-Fran

Patreon Only: Litany for True Power

I wrote Litany for True Power for our Beatitudes series at Peace of Christ Church. You can hear the sermons here.

If my work is of value to you and your community, please consider becoming a patron on my Patreon page. Many, many thanks to those of you who support this work there.

Patreon Only: Litany for Grieving

I recently sat with my grandmother in the last days of her life. My mom and I were there holding her hand as she took her last breaths. It was a profound experience that has brought me to think about all the forms grief takes, and my own experience of grieving - how unpredictable it is, how sometimes consuming, how suddenly past only to reappear again. We grieve events, losses, trauma, time passing, people passing… and I’m coming to believe that grieving is not just some mental or emotional space that we are plunged into by life events; it is also a skill we can practice and hold space for. And the only way to get through this life whole is to learn the skill. If we can’t accept pain and process it through appropriate grief, we will be constantly resisting the experience of life. Through grief, we learn to integrate experiences we (dualistically) judge to be “good” and “bad”, bringing them into wholeness. The more life I experience, the more I’m convinced that learning to hold the tension of grief is as powerful a life skill as, say, positive thinking or good communication or self-care. Here's a prayer for skill-building, available on my Patreon page.

If my work has value to you and your community, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon, where you get access to exclusive litanies and content. This month’s Patreon-only litany is Litany for Grieving.