In times of crisis, we search for words and rituals to ground us. Pastors and other worship leaders are often stretched in too many directions; moments for creativity can be hard to come by. In these times, we can turn to words and liturgies carefully crafted for such moments as these.

Scott Ransom / Brainerd Dispatch

Sundays and Seasons subscribers have access not only to resources published in current and past Sundays and Seasons volumes but also to numerous prayers and services in All Creation Sings, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and This Far by Faith, just to name a few. Hymns and songs are available from over twenty-five song collections!

For the moment of crisis we have been experiencing in the Twin Cities, I was able to quickly craft a brief service for my congregation using the “Service of Word and Prayer” in All Creation Sings (pp. 42-45) and the lament resources available there, specifically the “Prayer of Lament” and the “Service after a Violent Event” (pp. 61, 64). The overarching format from “Service of Word and Prayer” and specific prayers from that and the lament services were combined with elements from the recently composed “Blessing and Sending for Public Witness,” (Library/General Rites and Essays). See also the many ACS topical prayers, especially under “Civic Distress” and the prayer “Healing from Breaches of Trust” (pp. 49-50).

It can be such a relief to know you don’t have to reinvent the wheel; there are unexpected gems all throughout the Library. Hear My Voice: A Prison Prayer Book (also available in Spanish) was written primarily for people who are incarcerated and their families, but this resource is full of prayers that could be adapted for other situations. See, for example, “A Liturgy of Healing and Hope.” The notes on the service say that it can be used for a group of people healing “from any situation that calls for God’s healing and restoration of hope.” Or the “Prayers for Others” section includes many prayers that speak to our current moment.

Remember that resources created for a specific season can be utilized beyond that season. Elements of the Seasonal Rites for Lent that speak to times of suffering and lament, especially the service “Holy Lament: A Worship Series for Lent” could be adapted for other moments of lament and prayer.

Colleagues around the church have done the heavy lifting, giving you a starting place for your worship life at this time. As you are attending to pressing needs and caring for the people in your midst, don’t forget you can use and adapt these prayers and liturgies of the church. And when you do so, share with a neighbor who needs a helping hand.