What is ‘Liturgy that Matters?’
Liturgy that Matters is a lectionary resource companion for worship prep, bible study, and personal reflection for those who hunger to bring about God’s future in the here and now. Our wonderful and gifted writers help to produce this weekly resource that engages scripture and worship in diverse, engaging, and liberating ways. Each week we provide:
- Three distinct but related angles of scripture commentary – one essay prioritizing a lens on who/what god ‘is,’ one essay that focuses on social systems, and one essay that brings the interpersonal to the fore.
- A full order of worship including a call to worship, opening prayer, invitation to offering, prayer of dedication, and a benediction
- Questions for reflection on the text
- Words for inspiration
- Five news stories in the week to keep a finger on the pulse of the world
This resource aims to be a companion in the work of collective liberation by bringing the scripture into our current context and asking questions about power, theology, what it means to be human, and other concerns at the core of our shared lives. Our hope is to support communities of faith aiming to live a radical politic of Love by divesting from all systems of domination, taking care of each other, and working to build, day by day, a future where all life can thrive.
We believe paying attention to the Divine means tending seriously all that we have internalized living under systems of dominance and supremacies. Experiencing the Sacred means raging over white supremacy, grieving unnecessary loss, celebrating BIPOC and LGBTQIA lives and loves in community. Practicing faith means building courage, growing imagination, and nurturing community for the sake of collectively working for a world where love and justice can flourish.
We believe God takes on flesh through our lives, our choices, our bodies, the earth and all its creatures when we claim the power God has given us to live differently, resistant to norms that destroy life and open to all that nourishes and nurtures collective wellbeing.
There’s nothing holy about “transcending” the collective struggles and possibilities that surround us. The joy, the love, the companionship, the grace of God all meet us right in the middle of things. But we know it can be difficult to find lectionary materials that center liberation theologies, engage power analysis, and proclaim a God of solidarity. That’s why we created Liturgy that Matters – to be a resource companion for worship prep, bible study, and personal reflection for those who hunger to bring about God’s future in the here and now.
Each issue of Liturgy that Matters is written with our current context and all its pressing matters at the heart of our engagement with the texts.
New issues are added to the subscriber’s resource library every Monday morning, just short of two weeks in advance of their associated Sunday. Subscribers also have access to the prior 5+ years of issues.
Click here to purchase an individual issue.
Click here to view a sample copy
Click here to learn about our writing and editing team here.
If you or your community would benefit from this resource but you are unable to financially contribute, please be in touch at info @ enfleshed.com.
Subscribers do not need to worry about permissions regarding enfleshed material while livestreaming your worship services in this period. We appreciate attribution to enfleshed in bulletins, verbally, or on slides.
What is included in each weekly issue?
Each weekly issue includes:
Order of Worship:
Call to worship
Opening prayer
Invitation to offering
Prayer of dedication
Benediction
Sermon commentaries
based on one of the RC lectionary readings
Three questions for reflection
Three applications to the text: cosmic, systemic, and (inter)personal
Words of inspiration via poetry, song, lecture, or other creative voice
Links to current events, pop culture, think pieces, and other ways to stay in tune with the week’s happenings
How do I access my subscription?
Once you register, you’ll have a login and password that you can use anytime to visit our Liturgy that Matters Resource Collection. You can always login at enfleshed.com/login or under the “liturgy” tab at the top of the website. Once you’re logged in, you’ll be able to click the “LTM Resource Collection” link on the bottom right of the page.
There are no weekly emails associated with the subscription.
How many issues will I have access to?
We’ve been through the entire lectionary and then some! You’ll have access to every issue from the last five + years. Each cycle, we try to pick a different focus text. That means, if you’re not preaching on the text we’re focusing on this year, there’s a good chance our issue from this time three years ago will feature a different one. In total, you’ll have access to over 200 issues all covering different texts.
