As fall approaches, it's time for churches to plan their program year. Here I offer resources for you to use freely in worship and other contexts in your congregation. All I ask is attribution!
My BOOKS on Amazon -- Tenderly Calling: An Invitation to the Way of Jesus - an introduction to the faith for beginners - great for confirmation, young adult, and new member groups. Open Christianity (2000) - an introduction to progressive Christianity. Birdlike and Barnless (2008) - a progressive "book of common prayer" for use in churches. Hitchhiking to Alaska (2013) - the spirituality of service and social activism. SOULJOURN (2013) - a novel about religious diversity in America. Deeper Love: Faithful Rhetoric for Progressive Social Change (2016) - a handbook for activists and candidates. Mindful Christianity (2018) - how mindfulness is woven into the contemplative tradition of Christianity - a great resource for church prayer/study groups. Mindful Christianity - a video intro to my book .
LITURGICAL RESOURCES:
Jim Burklo's Book of Common Prayer - liturgical resources including invocations, benedictions, litanies, prayers, poetry, etc
NEW: Ritual Resources for Campus Religious and Spiritual Life
Deeper Love - a social justice song for communion -
Stations of the Cross: Confronting and Contemplating Climate Change (a Lent practice for churches and individuals)
SKITS - for worship - Against or Through? With or For? But or And?
RESOURCES FOR STUDY/PRAYER GROUPS:
How to Read the Bible- some basics for progressive Christians, good for study groups - related: Book of Nature, Book of Scripture - Sacred Myth of the Gospel - The Bible and Bob Marley
Resistance Bible Study What the Bible has to say about resisting tyranny in all its forms.
Contemplative Christian Practices - my series of 3 half-hour videos introducing the mystical tradition of the faith. Good for study/prayer groups. Each video introduces practices that take about 30-40 minutes, so devote an hour to each one - and add time for discussion, etc. Contemplatio - The Questions of Jesus - practices for study/prayer groups - Ten Ways to Meet God - more practices
Mindfulness Practice - five short videos that cover the basic content of the classes I teach at USC for Mindful.USC.edu - good for prayer/study groups: Mindfulness: an Introduction - Mindfulness of the Body - Mindfulness of Emotions - Mindfulness of Thoughts - Mindfulness and Compassion - Mindful Habits
The Varieties of God - an outline of different understandings of God, within and beyond Christianity - a great conversation-starter in study groups
A shorter study: Samaritan Care: Health Care in America
My short rendition on video of a mash-up of Wm Jennings Bryan speeches - he was a fundamentalist Christian who ran 3 times for the presidency as a progressive Democrat.
SPECIAL SUNDAYS, etc:
Fearless Sunday - 2nd Sunday in Sept (or any other Sunday) - a time for pastors and members of churches to "come out of the closet" about their real theological beliefs (or unbeliefs) - Questions to Ask Your Pastor on Fearless Sunday - What They REALLY Meant When They Signed That Statement of Faith
Election Day: Blessing the Hands That Cast Ballots - Voting Rituals - How to Be a VOTIVATOR (sharing with each other how we vote)
Christmas Poems by Jim Burklo
LENT: Mindful Christianity Practices - WORD JAZZ for Fat Tuesday and Lent
Tax Day: Blessing of the Taxes (in worship) - Prayer for Tax Day - Progressive Taxation and Christian Faith -
Pluralism Sunday (first Sun in May, or other Sunday of your choice) - celebrating in worship the religions of the world - and the principle that other religions may be as good for others as ours is for us! Religious Pluralism and the Bible - A Song for Pluralism Sunday - Seven Principles for Interfaith Engagement
St. Buddha's Day (Aug 26 - or whatever day you choose to celebrate it) - Buddha was once accidentally canonized as a Christian saint... let's revive that tradition as a way of celebrating religious pluralism, and of the striking parallels in the teachings of the Buddha and the Christ!
CHILDREN'S MESSAGES:
The Clay Bird (an interfaith message - Christian/Muslim)
For Sneeches, Both Starful and Starless - the Sermon on the Mount, Dr Seuss-style
Elephant Eggs - pure silliness! punch line: what you need is probably already here.
Of Seeds and Stardust - a poetic science-based creation story
Parable of the Parrot - short story about the heart of the gospel
The Tumbleweeds - a family of tumbleweeds rides with the wind (which blows where it wills...)
Breaking Free - a flower becomes a butterfly - and learns to appreciate flowers
PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY - "messaging" for progressive congregations:
SIGNAGE for progressive churches - "elevator speeches" - one-liners that set your church apart
QUESTIONS for "church shoppers" to ask - progressive churches' answers are "yes" to all!
A SHORT HISTORY OF PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY - good for new members groups, etc
THE FOUR SPIRITUAL AWES - a short "tract" that expresses the essence of progressive Christianity - print freely!
ABOUT MYSELF:
QUOTATIONS - my "one-liners" --