Author Archives: carolhprickett

Confession Cycle: Finding God in the Flames

These unison confessional prayers were created to accompany the sermon series “Finding God in the Flames: Campfire Stories from the Bible.” You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.” Week 1: “Tongues of Fire” BlazingContinue reading “Confession Cycle: Finding God in the Flames”

Confession Cycle: I Give Up (But in the Good Way)

These unison confessional prayers were created to accompany the Lenten sermon series “I Give Up (But in the Good Way): Lent After a Year of Sacrifices.” You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.”Continue reading “Confession Cycle: I Give Up (But in the Good Way)”

I Give Up (But in the Good Way)

Some years, it feel like Lent never really ends, and we’re all forced to make sacrifices of the things that bring us joy. After a year like that, this sermon series encourages your congregation to give up what hurts them instead, bringing them closer to God and God’s abundant life offered in Christ. The scripturesContinue reading “I Give Up (But in the Good Way)”

Call to Worship Cycle: I Give Up (But in the Good Way)

These opening words for worship were created to accompany the Lenten sermon series “I Give Up (But in the Good Way): Lent After a Year of Sacrifices.” The bolded words are spoken by the congregation. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use theContinue reading “Call to Worship Cycle: I Give Up (But in the Good Way)”

A Prayer for the Empty Chairs (Thanksgiving in a Pandemic)

Eternal God, we come to you in prayer today over the empty chairs. We pray with longing for the friends and family who cannot come to the table today and while we give thanks for Zoom and text and phones it’s not the same as passing the rolls and hugging them tight. We pray withContinue reading “A Prayer for the Empty Chairs (Thanksgiving in a Pandemic)”

An Ode to the Pandemic Pastor

You never expected this. You never expected to be an epidemiologist, televangelist, crisis counselor, and innovation architect all rolled into one. Yet you’ve piled all those hats on your head, washed your hands and masked your face, and sallied forth into God’s hurting world. Well done, good and faithful servant. You never expected this. YouContinue reading “An Ode to the Pandemic Pastor”

A Deeper Well

This four-week stewardship sermon series is built around the theme “A Deeper Well.” It engages four scriptures with well/water imagery from both the Old and New Testament. Originally developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the series is designed to carry pastoral sensitivity for churches in times of economic uncertainty. It recognizes that giving money is aContinue reading “A Deeper Well”

A Deeper Well (Stewardship Sermon Series)

This four-week stewardship sermon series is built around the theme “A Deeper Well.” It engages four scriptures with well/water imagery from both the Old and New Testament. Originally developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the series is designed to carry pastoral sensitivity for churches in times of economic uncertainty. It recognizes that giving money is aContinue reading “A Deeper Well (Stewardship Sermon Series)”

Back to School Prayer (in a Pandemic)

Jesus, our friend, we are going back to school but not like we remember. We are full of feelings—mad, worried, scared, confused. We don’t know what will happen. We don’t know how to do this.   So remind us that you are with us every day, with us whether we are in a school buildingContinue reading “Back to School Prayer (in a Pandemic)”

Reflection Questions: Walking in the Storm

These reflection questions were created to accompany the sermon series Walking in the Storm: Spiritual Practices for a Resilient Faith. They could form the basis for a Sunday School class, a small group, or could simply be printed in the bulletin. You are welcome to use or adapt these reflection questions, with credit. When printingContinue reading “Reflection Questions: Walking in the Storm”

Call to Worship Cycle: Walking in the Storm

These opening words for worship were created to accompany the sermon series Walking in the Storm: Spiritual Practices for a Resilient Faith. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.” Week 1: “Walking inContinue reading “Call to Worship Cycle: Walking in the Storm”

Confession Cycle: Walking in the Storm

These unison confessional prayers were created to accompany the sermon series Walking in the Storm: Spiritual Practices for a Resilient Faith. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.” Week 1: “Walking in theContinue reading “Confession Cycle: Walking in the Storm”

Walking in the Storm: Spiritual Practices for a Resilient Faith

This eight week sermon series explores basic Christian spiritual practices as ways of building up resiliency in times of crisis, chaos, uncertainty, and distress. Centering on the story of Peter walking on water, the series looks at body care, grief, forgiveness, anger, connection, grace, and gratitude. Week 1: “Walking in the Storm”Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33An introductoryContinue reading “Walking in the Storm: Spiritual Practices for a Resilient Faith”

A Prayer for Impossible Choices

God, we scream to you “we can’t do this!” All the pieces won’t fit, no matter how many times we run through the questions. Nothing is good. Nothing is what we want. We’re stuck between impossible choices, and we wonder what happened to the God through whom all things were supposed to be possible. “I’mContinue reading “A Prayer for Impossible Choices”