Worst Church Ever Podcast Episodes, liturgy, Religion

Happy New Year!

Hello and a belated Happy New Year (and Epiphany)! We’ve been hard at work the last 6 weeks making new content and building out some new platforms. We have a new schedule for 2024 that we’re excited to share, and we want to invite you to check out our recent updates at Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook.

New Year, New Voices, New Schedule

Nathan Key has joined the Worst Church Ever family, and he and Chris are doing hour-long, 3-segment video episodes that publish every Monday on YouTube and Spotify. Worst Church Ever: Coffee Hour covers a broad range of topics with sincerity, heart, some humor, and, hopefully, a healthy dose of humility. Join us!

Tuesday and Thursdays will be for short-form content on platforms that favor that style. YouTube Shorts, Facebook/Instagram Reels, and, heaven help us, TikTok.

Wednesdays will see the continuation of our Narrative Journeys through the books of Scripture, continuing from where we’ve been in Genesis and moving forward with short, close reads of the text paying particular attention to repeated motifs of trauma and healing.

On Fridays, we’ll share a brand new feature called Songs from a Broken Liturgy. John Hardt joins the fold to tell the story of the Broken Liturgy gatherings. In the dying days of the emerging church movement, John, a pastor, musician, and creator, began convening radically different worship experiences in unlikely places. This is the story of where Broken Liturgy has been and where it might be going.

We hope you’ll add to the conversation in 2024!

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Resources

Resource: A Modern Affirmation of Faith

A modern Affirmation of Faith, for use at funerals or other times.

The love of God is immeasurable, seeking all depths and knowing no bounds. We are sure of this: neither life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation can finally separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Opening Prayer, poetry, Prompts

Prayer Based on Psalm 130:1-2

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD

You part the waters of chaos, 

you restore me with fresh springs of life.

Lord, hear my voice!

Master of Seas, you hear through the crashing of waves

            Convince me that you are enough in the storm.

Let your ears be attentive

(Let my mind be open)

to the voice of my supplications!

            (to your words of healing.)

Amen.

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Opening Prayer, Resources

Opening Prayer (Graciously, Gratefully, Generously)

Ever-present God, remind us today that when we seek you, you answer. Sharpen our minds and strengthen our spirits to see what you have already made known; condition our minds and hearts to do your will, to become ever-more like You, and to live your call graciously, gratefully, and generously. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Opening Prayer, Resources

Opening Prayer

For use any time:

God of all people, God of all seasons, God of past, present, and future; bless us as we gather. Center us in your presence, remind us of your love, strengthen us with your protection, guide us with your wisdom, move us to hear Your call and do the good work you call us too. Amen.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Closing Songs, liturgy, Resources, Songs

Hymns for Deconstruction: “Walkaway” by Cast

1996 was like my peak teenage year. Sometimes I don’t think I have much to offer people who are “deconstructing” now. I put that in quotes because it’s not what I called it when I did it. I’m in my 40s, I’ve done this work. Sometimes I’m triggered by people doing it now, because they don’t know (and I know they can’t know) that this isn’t a new thing. Fundamentalism is far newer than the balance of the Christian tradition. So sometimes twitter is hard. I don’t feel like I have much to offer. But, I do have this. Call it a hymn of deconstruction. Follow Jesus away from the bullshit. The album cut here is slow, but I always play it fast and happy.

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Resources

Sunday Night, Raymond Carver

Sunday Night
Raymond Carver

Make use of the things around you.
This light rain
Outside the window, for one.
This cigarette between my fingers,
These feet on the couch.
The faint sound of rock-and-roll,
The red Ferrari in my head.
The woman bumping
Drunkenly around in the kitchen …
Put it all in,
Make use.