The Work of Imagination Worship Liturgy

The Work of Imagination Worship Liturgy is a complete Lent–Easter worship resource with everything you need for planning worship, including prayers, communion liturgies, and seasonally grounded worship elements.

Theme Overview

Lent calls communities into honest worship—worship that does not rush past grief or gloss over injustice, but makes space for truth, lament, and hope held together. The Work of Imagination frames this season as a sacred turning, inviting congregations to journey with Jesus through wilderness, confrontation, shared meals, and the cross. Rooted in prophetic imagination, this Lent–Easter series helps communities confront despair, embody justice, and practice love that endures even in the shadow of empire.

Through gathered prayer, shared ritual, and courageous proclamation, this worship resource invites the whole community to participate in the holy work of imagination—envisioning a world remade by mercy and trusting that God meets us not in certainty, but in faithful surrender.

Weekly Themes:

• Ash Wednesday: Sacred Turning (Part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount)
  Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 and Joel 2:12–14
• Week One: Rooted Resistance (Jesus In the Wildness)
  Matthew 4:1–11 and Jeremiah 29:1–9
• Week Two: Disruptive Blessings (Sermon on the Plain)
  Luke 6:17–36 and James 1:19–27
• Week Three: Holy Confrontation (Jesus and the Canaanite Woman)
  Matthew 15:21–28 and Numbers 27:1–11
• Week Four: Accountable Leadership (Jesus the Good Shepherd)
  John 10:1–18 and Ezekiel 34:1–10
• Week Five: True Allegiance (Paying Imperial Tax to Caesar)
  Mark 12:13–17 and Titus 3:1–8
• Palm Sunday: Sacred Protest (Jesus' Triumphal Entry)
  Matthew 21:1–17 and Galatians 6:1–16
• Maundy Thursday: Risky Mercy (Passover and the Garden)
  Luke 22:7–46 and Isaiah 55
• Good Friday: Empire's Shadow (Jesus' Final Day)
  Mark 14:32–72, 15:1–47 and Psalm 22
• Easter: Fulfilling Imagination (Mary's Announcement of the Resurrection)
  John 20:1–18 and Philippians 2:12–18

Description

This resource provides everything you need to lead meaningful worship throughout the Lent–Easter season. Each liturgy is designed to be easy to use and adaptable across traditions and contexts, with clear language and flexible components you can shape for your community. Rooted in prophetic imagination, these worship resources support services that are honest and accessible—making room for lament, confession, communion, and hope without requiring extensive preparation or customization.

Each service includes:

• Call to Worship
• Opening Prayer
• Additional Prayer
• Call & Prayer of Confession
• Assurance of Pardon
• Passing of the Peace
• Prayer for Illumination
• Character Narrative
• Prayers of the People
• Prayer for the Offering
• Communion (Invitation to the Table, Great Thanksgiving, Words of Institution)
• Prayer Following Communion
• Affirmation
• Charge and Benediction

Additionally, we include liturgy for the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, and a Foot Washing Liturgy for Maundy Thursday.

What I Get

ZIP File Download

• PDF that includes all liturgies for Ash Wednesday, all Sundays in Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Also included are Character Narratives for the Sundays in Lent, including Easter Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
• PDF of Hymn Recommendations (still in development, will be sent as an update)