Lullaby for the King
With Lullaby for the King, award-winning poet and author Nikki Grimes has created a read-aloud Christmas story that families will return to again and again for its playful rhymes, delightful vocabulary and rich illustrations by Michelle Carlos. A whole host of animals makes its way to Bethlehem—Donkey brays, Hippo lumbers, Sparrow skims the wind and Lamb meanders. As they arrive at the stable where Christ was laid, their “gifts were given to the Babe, each a picture of love.” A new Christmas classic! (Beaming Books, 2023)
Ordinary Blessings for the Christmas Season: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations
This is the third book in the “Ordinary Blessings” series by Meta Herrick Carlson, an ELCA pastor. Focusing on Advent and Christmas, she offers readers a wide range of humorous, honest, poignant and poetic entries for this busy time: blessings for mall Santas, for church employees, for a delayed or canceled flight, for passing along a beloved family recipe and dozens more. It’s perfect for expanding your seasonal practices in fresh ways. (Broadleaf Books, 2023)
Spirit Wheel: Meditations From an Indigenous Elder
Readers will deepen their devotional life with Spirit Wheel by Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston. The book includes more than 200 meditations that invite readers into mystery, faithfulness, curiosity and openness as they read and reflect on meditations on four themes: “Tradition of the Ancestors,” “Kinship With Creation,” “Vision of the Spirit” and “Balance of Life.” Charleston says these meditations “will not be telling you something you did not know but rather something that has been part of you forever.” (Broadleaf Books, 2023)
Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We Are
Poet, activist and educator Joe Davis has published a second collection of poetry that will inspire, challenge and affirm you. Remind Me Again offers 41 poems that remind the reader of their deepest selves, their role in caring for each other and their place in the broader world. Each poem includes a practice for readers to dig further into its themes. If your congregation has poetry lovers, order the accompanying facilitator guide and explore the poems together! (Sparkhouse Books, 2023)
Unscheduled Grace: 40 Devotions and Prayers for College Students
Katie Fick and Matt Marohl, ELCA campus pastors, have authored a book for college students who need reassurance of God’s presence through all the changes, adventures and challenges that college living can bring. Unscheduled Grace includes devotions that connect Scripture to the experiences, emotions and uncertainties of young adulthood. Prayers range in topics from “New Beginnings,” “Roommate Problems” and “I Wish I Was Dating” to “I Dread Going Home,” “Stress” and “Before a Test.” This is a book for every college student in your prayers. (Sparkhouse Books, 2023)
The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration
Combine the joy of cooking and your love of community with The Just Kitchen by Derrick Weston and Anna Woofenden. Hosts of the Food and Faith Podcast, Weston and Woofenden have crafted recipes, reflections and liturgies that invite readers into questions, activities and action. A delightful (and delicious) way to go deeper into what is served on your table, this book is best read in community, so pick up a copy for a cooking friend and read it together. (Broadleaf Books, 2023)
Calendar of Word and Season: Sundays and Seasons, Year B 2024
Searching for a paper calendar that connects you to the church year and features vibrant liturgical art? Look no further than the Calendar of Word and Season: Sundays and Seasons, Year B 2024. Each month features a piece of art bursting with color by Mary Button, an ELCA pastor, along with visual reminders of the church year season and color, holidays and festivals, and space for recording events and reminders. The back pages include weekly readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. A great gift for church committee members. (Augsburg Fortress, 2023)
