Advent & Christmas resources for worship

Litanies, poems, sermons and new lyrics to old hymns

by Ken Sehested

Poems

• "Silent night," an Advent poem

• “Annunciation

• “Advent longing

• “All flesh is destined for glory

• “Behold the Lamb

• “Boundary to Benedictus," a meditation on Zechariah

• “Joseph

• “The Singing of angels

• “The baptizer’s bargain

• “Portal of praise: Praise as presage to Advent’s treason

• “The quelling word: Emancipation is (still) coming," a poem inspired by Revelation 21:1-6a

• “The manger’s reach

• “Venite Adoremus (Come and Adore)”

• “The treasures of darkness,” a poem for Advent

Litanies

• “My soul magnifies you,” inspired by Luke 1: 46-55

• “Keeping watch: The angels appearance to the shepherds,inspired by Luke 2:8-15 and Lamentations 21:8-9, 14-15

• "Joseph," a litany for worship inspired by Matthew 1:18-25

• "Go tell John," a litany for worship inspired by Matthew 11:2-6

• “Big band or bluegrass,” a litany for worship inspired by Psalm 98

"Chords of Comfort," a litany for worship inspired by Isaiah 40

• "Comfort my people," a litany for worship inspired by Isaiah 40:1-5

• "Justice and peace will kiss," a litany for worship inspired by Psalm 85

• "Speak to the hungered of heart," a litany for worship inspired by Psalm 85

• "Anointed," a litany for worship inspired by Isaiah 61:1-2 & Luke 4:18

• "Acclaim the One whose breath is your bounty," a litany for worship inspired by Psalm 148

• "Enfleshed by the Word," a litany for worship inspired by Proverbs 8 and John 1:1-18

New lyrics to old hymns

Songs for Advent and Christmas: Old hymns, new lyrics

Articles

• “Undo the folded lie: Notes on the reckless folly of our season

• “The faux fight for Christmas: Backdrop on the annual year-end culture war

• “Watch night history: Awaiting the quelling word

• “Longing from below: An Advent meditation

Sermons

Watching and Waiting in a Half-Spent Night,” a sermon based on Matthew 24:36-44

• "Made Flesh Among Us," a sermon based on John 1:1-18

• “The Baptizer’s Bargain,” a sermon based on Luke 3:7-18; Zeph. 3:14-20; Phil. 4:4-7

• “The manger’s revolt: Mary’s Magnificat,” a sermon based on Luke 1:46-55

• “Same question, different outcomes: A meditation on Zechariah,” based on the story of Zechariah in Luke 1