Alternative Worship: Resources from and for the Emerging Church

If the church is to remain faithful and relevant in the third millenium, it must be in tune with alternative worship, a refreshing blend of first-century faith with twenty-first-century technology and language. Delivers an original collection of resources for receptive churches in the mainstream or those on the progressive edge.

Arranged around major festivals of the church year - Advent and Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost - its unique liturgies and prayers, innovative yet meaningful rituals, and informative and challenging views of the alternative worship scene make this book the most comprehensive postmodern worship resource available.

The accompanying interactive CD-ROM offers easy access to ambient sounds, visuals and modern music to enrich your alternative worship experience.

Contents include:

(includes CD with some of the material on it)

Part 1: Advent and Christmas

Resources

• 1 call to worship
• 5 meditations
• 2 reader's theater
• 1 responsive reading
• 1 communion service
• 2 statements of faith
• 1 prayer

Rituals

• candle lighting
• darkness and light
• incense
• wailing wall
• walking a labyrinth
• Christ present in Culture
• Icons of the Present
• The Rabbit Hole
• Great Reversal

Part 2: Lent

Resources

• 9 readings
• 4 meditations
• 1 parable
• 2 responsive readings
• 1 liturgy
• 2 blessings

Rituals

• Distractions
• Contemporary Desert
• Finding Identity in the Desert
• Impression
• Imposition of Ashes
• Prayers in Sand
• Sand and Water
• Letting Go
• Breathing
• Hands

Images

Liturgy

Music

Part 3: Easter

Resources

• 4 readings
• 1 responsive reading
• 4 meditations
• 1 Eucharist service
• 1 statement of faith

Rituals

• Christ in the City
• Cup of Suffering
• Nails in Wood
• Plant a seed
• Tent Station

Renewing Culture

Faithful Improvisation

Part 4: Pentecost

Resources

• 1 call to worship
• 3 responsive readings
• 2 prayers
• 2 meditations
• 1 statement of faith

Rituals

• Anointing with oil
• Wind
• Bittersweet ritual
• Drinking Water
• Firestarter

Incarnation and Popular Culture

Reframing Tradition

100 Routes to Resourcing Your Worship