Liturgies for the
Way of Love
An online library of:
- Liturgies
- Blessings and Prayers
- Seasonal Resources
- Retreat Liturgies
Available in pdf and MS Word Docx.
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Liturgies for all Seasons through the Way of Love
Over the years I have created numerous training and retreat liturgies and along with parishioners and fellow clergy in the parishes I have served we have created numerous prayers, blessings, and complete liturgies to meet the current needs of our times.
There is an old adage that if you want to truly know what Episcopalians/Anglicans believe then listen to their prayers. I will admit that I fall entirely into that category. I have also ensured that my prayers are consistent with the Appreciative Way and in turn that the Appreciative Way is consistent with my theology as manifested in my prayers. I invite you to make use of the liturgies. Please feel free to cut, copy, paste, edit, and correct these resources as you create prayer and worship opportunities to meet the challenges of our day in your own communities. Rob Voyle
Highlighted Liturgy for The Coming Season
Lessons and Carols for Peace and Justice Through the Way of Love
- A service designed for the Sunday after Christmas.
- No Sermon required. Preachers get the day off!
- Common prayer for the common need for civility in this day.
- Contains suggested Carols and complete Eucharistic liturgy.
The lessons are taken from the Scriptures, Omar Badley, Dwight Eisenhower, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Thomas Merton
Originally conceived at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon, at Christmas prior to our country's invasion of Iraq in early 2003, as a prayerful response to the immorality of singing "peace on earth" while simultaneously loading bombs on ships and aircraft. Over the years it has been adapted to focus on Respect and Dignity as we create peace in our own country amidst the growing fear mongering and hate. It has been well received and found inspiring in multiple parish settings.
We offer the liturgy with our hope that our common prayer will inspire and empower us all to Live the Way of Love and that, united in the newborn Christ, we will become the change we desire to see in our country and our world.
Daily Office For Our Times
In addition to these written liturgies we have created a complete App of: Morning, NoonDay, Evening, and Compline Prayer, services including the daily readings for the day.
Features Include:
- Fourteen Day cycle of Daily Intentions for different Social Justice Themes such as Creation, Health, Education, Hunger, Racism, Homelessness.
- Readily adaptable to include your specific personal prayerlists
for engaged in these ministries. - Complete Inclusive Language or Traditional Language option.
- Canticles and Prayers initially assigned to each theme can be changed.
Take the Daily Office and your Prayer Lists where ever you take your phone!
Acknowledgements and Gratitude
The foundations of these liturgies is the The Anglican Book of Common Prayer and its multiple expressions in the Anglican Community throughout the world. These prayerbooks are wonderful treasure troves of prayers and resources for deepening our spiritual lives and inspiring action in the world. Such books are however a frozen meal, they need thawing out, warming up, and seasoning with local spices. This is what these liturgies and resources seek to do: Adapt liturgies to meet specific contexts and needs as we respond to the needs within our communities.
Specific Foundational Resources
The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, 1979, available from The Church Hymnal Corporation, New York. Inclusive canticles and prayers have been adapted from a variety of sources including Enriching our Worship, 1998 also available from The Church Hymnal Corporation, New York.
A New Zealand Prayerbook, ©Copyright 1989 the Church of the Province of New Zealand. This prayerbook has been the inspiration for many prayers and collects. When many people think of the New Zealand prayerbook they will refer to the "New Zealand Lord's Prayer." As a New Zealander, I think it appropriate to acknowledge the source of this prayer is actually the Rev. Jim Cotter, an English priest and activist.
Inclusive Psalms were taken from The Saint Helena Psalter, ©Copyright 2005 by The Order of St. Helena, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
For prayers and liturgies in the Celtic tradition have been inspired by and used materials from the Iona Community Worship Books published by Grey Goose Publishing.
In general, Biblical passages are taken from The New Revised Standard Version, ©Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Many of the Eucharistic resources were developed in parishes I served, especially St. Michael's in Colorado Springs where we had a talented group of writers, poets, and liturgists who formed our Word Guild. It was this guild that created the threefold responsive blessings and the Eucharist in the Celtic Tradition.
I am truly grateful to all the people, known and unknown who have written prayers down through the ages and have shared their ideas and creativity with the world. Thank you for the beauty of your words and the times when a word becomes a sparkle of truth and a moment of transcendence in the depth of my being.
With Gratitude
Rob Voyle