As you are planning for Lent, the Three Days, and Easter, All Creation Sings provides several resources for your assembly’s worship.
Lent
Explore the collection of “short songs” in All Creation Sings. These could be incorporated into a weekly Service of Word and Prayer (ACS pp. 42-25) for a Lenten midweek service or during communion, gathering, or other times in Sunday worship. This blog post provides video links and tips for using these songs in ACS.
Enrich your use of Setting 12 in All Creation Sings with the Ensemble Setting arranged by Anne Krentz Organ. You don’t need a full orchestra; even a single instrumentalist or a few handbells would be a lovely addition. Read this blog post for one congregation’s experience using this setting. Watch the composer share more about Setting 12.
Pray using several of the new prayers in All Creation Sings. Several collects, laments, and thanksgivings are offered. This video gives a very brief introduction to this content.
Holy Week and The Three Days
Teach a “paperless” setting for the procession with palms. Both “Pave the Way with Branches” (ACS 928) and “Blessed is the One” (ACS 929) could be taught and sung by rote, with harmonies being added as it becomes more familiar. Children could lead these as well.
Sing from All Creation Sings as part of your Easter Vigil service. This blog post provides several ideas. If you are considering “Earth Is Full of Wit and Wisdom” as an assembly response to the creation story, this video offers a brief introduction. Do you have a children’s or unison choir? See this setting in ChildrenSing Creation.
Consult the Indexes to Evangelical Lutheran Worship and All Creation Sings to see several suggestions from ACS for this week and throughout the year.
Easter
Teach a new Easter hymn such as “Woman, Weeping in the Garden.” This video provides background on the text and a singing of the tune. There is a short description of this and every hymn/song in All Creation Sings through Sundays and Seasons. This Augsburg Fortress blog post describes the value of these brief descriptions.
Introduce your congregation to other new Easter hymns through choral settings. “Touch That Soothes and Heals” by Thomas Keesecker offers a more meditative expression of Easter and is especially suitable for Easter 2. With its beautiful piano accompaniment and setting for SAB choir, a choir could introduce the assembly to this new hymn. Take a listen. Curious about what other ACS hymns and songs have anthem arrangements? This listing would be a great help to church musicians.
Discover All Creation Sings outside of worship with an intergenerational event using Gather Together: 8 Intergenerational Events to Explore All Creation Sings. Perhaps you have a session close to Earth Day and use the Creation Care event or Climate Justice event. You could have a “kick off” session in Easter and plan other sessions throughout the year.
