We want to take a few minutes to, as the psalmist, intentionally “calm and quiet our souls.” This can help us turn our hearts toward God and prepare us for time in prayer and time in the Word. O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high;I do not occupy...
Category: Preparation and Liturgy
“How then to have our faith increased? Only by thinking of all that Jesus is and all He is for us: His life, His death, His work, He Himself as revealed to us in the Word, to be the subject of our constant thoughts. Not a striving to have faith … but a looking off to the Faithful One seems all we need; a resting in the Loved One entirely, for time and for eternity.” — Hudson Taylor
Writing a Personal Liturgy
A personal liturgy gives you the chance to repeatedly spend a dedicated period of time with Scripture portions, hymns, prayers etc. that you treasure. Such a liturgy can be used in connection with your quiet time, throughout the routines of your day, before going to bed, first thing in the morning, or at the beginning...
Personal Liturgy Example
Rest is not the absence of troubles, but the conviction that there is someone who will carry you through them. “Unless the LORD builds the house,those who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the citythe watchman stays awake in vain.It is vain that you rise up earlyand go late to rest,eating the...
Writing a Book Liturgy
A book liturgy gives you the opportunity to linger on key ideas or themes from a devotional book that God has been using in your life. Like a personal liturgy, you can use it in connection with your quiet time, a time of meditation or prayer, when you wake up in the morning, before going...
Book Liturgy Example
Based on The End for Which God Created the Worldby Jonathan Edwards Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(Psalm 103:1) It appears that when the Bible speaks of the ultimate end of God’s work, it can always be summarized by the one phrase — the glory of God. (102)...
Morning Liturgy
This is a general liturgy that we sometimes use for beginning a time of spiritual retreat. It focuses on themes of coming to Jesus and resting in him. It can be done individually, or responsively with the standard text being read by a leader, the bold text read by all, and songs sung by all....
Writing a Liturgy of the Moment
The idea of a “liturgy of the moment” comes from the book Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey. The idea is to have a short memorized prayer that you can use meaningfully when a specific circumstance arises. For example, a prayer for when you hear birds singing, when you’re waiting in line at the supermarket,...
Closing Liturgy
As you wrap up your time of spiritual retreat, writing a short liturgy is a great way to synthesize the key themes and takeaways from your time with God. This not only allows you a moment to reflect on what has been significant today, but it also gives a concrete and easy way to return...