Worship Planning Resources

The season of anticipation is almost upon us! How will your congregation mark it? Here are some suggestions toward a fuller celebration this Advent in your congregation.

Despite the well-established custom of midweek Advent services in our parishes, our worship book does not provide lectionary readings or suggestions for midweek. This allows for seasonal themes to be developed, but sometimes pastors look for some concrete guidance in this area. The following suggestions are offered for consideration in meeting this need. This guide provides a psalm and Old Testament reading for each day, plus a narrative portion of Luke 1 to introduce the story of our Lord’s Advent in the flesh.

Thanksgiving is, strictly speaking, a feast of the First Article. And so we confess that it is our solemn duty to “thank and praise” our kind and heavenly Father. And yet it is also a gift of the Second Article, since for the Christian, all thanks is offered in and through Christ. Finally, it is also a gift of the Third Article, for such thanksgiving is finally possible only for the one who has been brought to faith in Christ, and such faith is invariably the work of the Holy Spirit Who leads us to receive all things with thanks and praise.

Download Lutheran Service Book (LSB) Hymn Suggestions — Historic Series, compiled by Rev. William Weedon.

Download Lutheran Service Book (LSB) Hymn Suggestions — Three Year Series, compiled by Henry Gerike.

This is a document published by the former Commission on Worship which explores the Lutheran version of the catechumenate. Several churches that have catechumenal ministry for adults (as well as youth) are interviewed.

The Rev. Will Weedon, LCMS director of Worship and LCMS International Center chaplain, offers a meditation for Epiphany from Is. 60:1-6, Eph. 2:1-12 and Matt. 2:1-12.

The Rev. Will Weedon, LCMS director of Worship and LCMS International Center chaplain, offers a meditation for Christmas Eve.

The Rev. Will Weedon, LCMS director of Worship and LCMS International Center chaplain, offers a meditation for Christmas Day.

The following were anciently read on Christmas Day in the Daily Office, but they may also serve as an introduction to the Divine Service on Christmas Day, read by the pastor from the entrance to the nave and leading directly into “O Come All Ye Faithful” as the processional hymn.