About this series theme

“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting…rend your hearts and not your clothing.”
— Joel 2: 12-13

The Christian scriptures offer many images of where love, grace, forgiveness, righteousness, and healing can REALLY be found. And it is not in the “usual” places. Isn’t it as true of us today as it was of the scriptural authors? Don’t we often look for wholeness and happiness in places that offer only temporary “good feelings” and satisfaction? Lent is a wonderfully reflective time to reassess where we are searching for meaning and purpose. We’ll move through stories of Jesus to find out who offers the “real deal.”

“All we need is love!” Well, there may be some other things we need, but certainly we humans can feel when love is in short supply. And we know when the rhetoric of our world dishes out quite the opposite, as it is in this moment. There is a “hole” we feel when we aren’t experiencing enough love. We start to try to fill the hole with… what? So much distracts us from the depth of substantive love that really lasts, that really satisfies. Relationships, money, technology, and possessions are all necessary parts of life. However, we often become so over-focused and over-reliant (obsessed, and not in a good way) on them that, after a while, we are left feeling empty, and the hole remains.

Like Scrabble letters that just aren’t coming together to spell out anything of worth, we sometimes cobble together things we think will make sense out of our lives, only to be disappointed. Each week of the series features a kind of love that Jesus exemplifies. Through this Lenten series, we will explore the places where love and life-giving connection can really be found.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• 9 full worship scripts including Ash Wednesday, all six weeks of Lent, a Holy Week service, and Easter Sunday

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

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About this series theme

Lent is often known as a time of giving something up in order to make room in our lives for spiritual pursuits. Rather than just “giving up” in Lent, the scriptures ask us to consider all that Jesus is “up to” and all that he asks us to be up to in his name.

Instead of bemoaning what we can’t do, or used to do, in a culture where “measuring up” to external standards seems impossible, this Lent we will celebrate the small things that we can do right now to respond to God’s call in our place, for our time.

Greetings, friends. Dr. Marcia here. The scriptures from the RCL Year B for Lent have a recurring word... “Up!” I began to read the scriptures from this viewpoint. What is Jesus encouraging us to be up to? There was a lot there for us to consider. So this Lent series was born out of my love of word-play, the desire to see Lent in a different way, and also acknowledge that spiritual practice is also about active participation in the world, for the sake of the world.

But being “up to something” can also be construed as “you aren’t doing enough.” This is an opportunity to help our congregations see the small things they can do and affirm what they already do. Small practices, or micro-practices, are actually the only way that most big things happen. And so instead of bemoaning what we can’t do or that we can’t do what we used to do, I pray this Lent series will affirm and encourage small ways of being in the world that make a difference, even if we can’t solve all the big stuff in the blink of an eye. I think it will be a welcome, and empowering, message. I hope you join me on this “uplifting” journey.

Lent is often known as a time of giving something up in order to make room in our lives for spiritual pursuits. Rather than just “giving up” in Lent, the scriptures ask us to consider all that Jesus is “up to” and all that he asks us to be up to in his name.

Instead of bemoaning what we can’t do, or used to do, in a culture where “measuring up” to external standards seems impossible, this Lent we will celebrate the small things that we can do right now to respond to God’s call in our place, for our time.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Original liturgy for nine complete worship services (Ash Wednesday, Lent 1-6, a Holy Week experience, and Easter Sunday) and all the worship arts suggestions for bringing this Lent series to life

• A daily Lenten devotional for printing or for interacting online and small group study suggestions.

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

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About this series theme

We live in a culture bent on definitions of a good life as continuous upward mobility–climbing ladders of prosperity with increasingly fabulous experiences that we can post to ever-more-likable social media accounts. We may comb the shelves of the self-help section in search of just the right formula to gain success. Perhaps we even gravitate towards spiritual leaders who promise great rewards if we only do “the right thing.” But life happens, right? Most times we are not moving upward but trying to repair the rung we’ve just slipped from. So what if we stopped climbing and started fertilizing, watering, and blooming right where we find ourselves? Welcome to a Lent of affirming a faith in which we are blessed, regardless, and where we can lean into embracing our “good enough” lives.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters. Watch the extra Promo Video HERE.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Full worship scripts for Ash Wednesday, Lent 1-6, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday suggestions that include all liturgy and leader parts, scripture readings, and a communion liturgy

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

Lent is a time of reflection, and there’s nothing like a pilgrimage to conjure that up. Making intentional journeys has been a ritual of humankind across time and traditions. Inspired by passages in the Judeo-Christian scriptures that talk about the journeys, roads, and pathways of life, we will make our way together through this season. The popular and poignant movie, The Way, about a father’s pilgrimage in honor of his late son on the famed Camino de Santiago in France and Spain, accompanies us as our modern-day inspiration to live the life we’ve been given to the fullest.

Inspired by an unforgettable film

This series takes inspiration from the movie The Way, originally made in 2010 and recently released by director Emilio Estevez and star Martin Sheen. Watch this brief 4-minute interview with the creators to hear about the movie and how it relates to our spiritual journeys and the concept of “pilgrimage.”

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Worship scripts for Ash Wednesday, all six weeks of Lent, a Holy Week experience, and Easter Sunrise (including suggestions for hymns/songs/anthems)

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

Wish you were more “tuned in” to God, to life, and what you really want?

This Lenten worship series from Dr. Marcia McFee and the Worship Design Studio features ways to listen for the “still, small voice” within us in worship as well as in spiritual practices outside of worship such as lectio divina, contemplative prayer, praying with beads, walking/running as prayer and Bible journaling. Small group suggestions include a video series of the same name from our partners at Darkwood Brew or a book study from Parker Palmer (all sold separately). This series is a collaboration between Worship Design Studio and the Center for Innovation in Ministry at San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Full worship scripts including Ash Wednesday, all six weeks of Lent, a Holy Week pilgrimage experience, and Easter Sunday worship suggestions

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

Awe is a profound emotional response that can significantly impact our wellbeing and perception of the world. Awe often arises from experiences that transcend our usual understanding, such as viewing vast landscapes, listening to powerful music, encountering extraordinary acts of kindness, or feeling heightened devotion and a Divine Presence connecting us all. To be a “Purveyor of Awe” is to be intentional about curating a life of spiritual depth. This has implications not only for one’s own life, but also as motivation to tend to the wellbeing of others.

Friends, I’ve been on a journey of discovery for a few years now about “elements for curating a life of spiritual depth.” I have been curious about incorporating modern research from the sciences and wisdom from the mystics alongside biblical texts. What I discovered was that “awe” is at the core. My new Lent offering is a fully-scripted series about awe that explores the elements of Beauty, Wonder, Meaning, Curiosity, Delight, Connection, and Self-Giving as essential elements of our human experience firmly embedded in our faith traditions but also relevant for those who do not have a religious practice. I call it “Purveyors of Awe” because I aim to convince you, spiritual leaders, that one of the most important things you can do for your communities (churches as well as the wider community) is to advocate and provide opportunities for practices of awe. I am convinced it is what the world needs now, more than ever, and you are uniquely equipped to be a “Purveyor of Awe.”

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Eight full worship scripts adaptable for your context that include all liturgy and leader parts, scripture readings, and a communion liturgy

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

This theme draws on the need for self-care in order to continue our work of caring for others. It addresses the growing intensity and frenetic pace of life. The series invites worshipers to practices of making room, clearing out, slowing down, and prioritizing for the sake of holistic lives. This holistic life involves living with the rhythms that allow us to thrive, finding a balance between work, play, rest and reflection. Jesus calls his followers to more than just unbridled consumption or production. Rather, the Scriptures see our lives and bodies as gifts that should be nurtured.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Pre-Lent retreat (could coincide with the National Day of Unplugging)

• Ash Wednesday mini-retreat

• Ash Wednesday worship experience

• Full scripts for all 6 weeks of Lent

• Holy Week experience

• Easter sunrise vigil

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

Each of us is created a precious and holy vessel of embodied love. We live in harrowing times that often shatter our sense of wholeness–body, mind, and spirit–like a glass vessel fractured into pieces. In this Lenten “season of recovery” for our physical, communal, mental, intellectual, and environmental health, we will explore the healing narratives of Jesus that tell of divine solidarity with human suffering and remind us that we can begin a journey toward making something beautiful from that which is seemingly broken. Beach glass offers us a multifaceted symbol of this transformative process.

Anchor Image: Sea Glass

Our anchor image for this series is sea glass (also known as beach glass). Actual authentic sea glass is hard to find so you'll probably be playing with recycled tumbled glass (which is awesome because it is recycled and it looks so much like sea glass). Every week there will be an opportunity to do something symbolic with this glass in worship but you can also imagine how the crafters in your congregation could do other things with it. This series comes with lots of ideas for engaging visually with the central theme!

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• 8 full scripts for Ash Wednesday through Holy Week

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources

• Visual and Media Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Daily social media posts to use on your accounts

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

Inspired by New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine's book, Entering the Passion of Jesus, this worship series moves through the last week of Jesus' life over the course of 6 weeks, "freeze-framing" various parts of the Holy Week story so we can dive deep into the narrative–one that has as much relevance for our time and our lives as it did for the disciples who witnessed it first-hand. Every week a work of art from the Vanderbilt School of Theology's digital collection will inspire us to consider what it might have been like to be there. Getting people to Holy Week services can be difficult. This series will help your congregation be touched by the power of love, grace, forgiveness, and heartache that is part of Jesus' story, and ours.

The events of Christ’s Passion, which take place during the last week of Jesus’ life, often don’t receive enough time in our worship and study. These stories are important to our faith journey and our identity as followers of Jesus. And yet we often move too quickly from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday with little time to take in the dramatic story of that last week. How might taking a closer look at the ancient story open us to deeper conviction for our role in its ongoing message?

As I worked with the book that was the inspiration for this series (Amy-Jill Levine’s Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginners Guide to Holy Week), I was struck with how this Jewish New Testament scholar was helping us dive more deeply into each scene, “framing” the moment with the historical and cultural context.

The artwork on the cover of the book inspired me to create a way to incorporate the amazing collection of artwork at the Vanderbilt Lectionary website, which I have enjoyed for many years (special thanks to Anne Richardson, Special Projects Librarian at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, for her assistance). I was also aware that they had recently added more contemporary works of art (aided by my friend, Dr. Kathy Black) by artists from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds.

I am excited to introduce you to the collection if you do not already know about it. Throughout the season, we will “frame” our own current events and stories so that we might dedicate ourselves again to our work as disciples of Jesus. My prayer is that you and your congregation will learn much from Levine’s resource as well as from your own experience of reframing life along the lines of the Divine Artist.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Full scripts for Ash Wednesday, Lent 1-6, a “First Dinner” experience and a “Last Supper” ritual

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Scripts for Children’s Time by Guest Expert on Children and Worship, Mark Burrows

• Original theme song music by Chuck Bell and Dr. Marcia McFee, plus bonus prayer song by Rev. Marsha Moors-Charles

• Tons of suggestions and resources for bringing the series to life through visual, media, dramatic and music arts

• Small group study suggestions and individual reflection pages based on the books study by theologian Amy-Jill Levine

• Series logo and trailer

• Sermon fodder to help jumpstart your sermons

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

This Lenten series is inspired by Amos, a prophet whose message is that God calls us to let "justice roll down like waters." Worship without justice is not acceptable, rather our songs must move us to action on behalf of the oppressed. Utilizes the music of WDS Guest Expert, Mark Miller and the poetry of Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling.

Why this series for Lent?

Lent was originally a time of preparation for baptism. We reclaim the waters of baptism as our call to love ourselves as children of God, understand God’s love for all people and then “go and do likewise” as we love the world and its peoples–resisting evil and alleviating suffering in all its forms. To connect Lent with our call as disciples to acts of justice–making a better world–we see the development of our inner spiritual journeys as essential to our work.

“Justice is what love looks like in public.” - Cornel West

And there is no more important time than now for offering more love in this divided world.

Marcia McFee and Mark Miller have created worship in many settings together over many years, weaving their belief in the power of worshiping together as a catalyst for moving hearts, mind and bodies into greater empowerment for good. As we worship together, our voices and actions solidify our bond to God and to one another. When we are active participants in worship, we are formed as active disciples in the world.

Wondering if this series is accessible for your congregation?

“Last year, Mark teamed up with the General Commission on Religion and Race to offer a Lenten study that would invite congregations into conversations about reconciliation with neighbors near and far. I was inspired by this format and decided to create worship to accompany the study. The prepared worship scripts allow for a spectrum of experience, serving as the theological and spiritual guide for hearing the prophetic call to let justice roll down.” - Dr. Marcia McFee

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Full worship scripts for Ash Wednesday, all six weeks of Lent, a stand-alone communion liturgy that could be used any week of the series, a Holy Week Pilgrimage Experience, and Easter Sunday. These scripts will give you all the language for litanies and prayers, music suggestions, and a cohesive vision for the flow of worship that you can then adapt and tweak to fit your own context.

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Threshold moment music featuring the “Roll Down Justice” anthem by Mark Miller, plus lead sheets for several of Mark’s anthems from the Roll Down Justice: Sacred Songs and Social Justice songbook

• Children’s time scripts created by Mark Burrows

• Sermon fodder and small group study materials suggested by the General Commission on Race and Religion (UMC)

• Visual and Media Arts ideas

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinar HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

Access the Series

Purchase A La Carte Now

When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

Subscribe now

Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

Read more

About this series theme

This Lent series is based on the book by the same name by Dr. Eric Elnes and is about how experiences of life through the "dark wood" (uncertainty, emptiness, lostness, etc.) can be seen as gifts. How can the struggles of life be the seedbed of spiritual awakening to the fullness of life?

In January of 2015, Dr. McFee and Dr. Elnes led a retreat for the BTS Center in Maine based on the manuscript for Eric’s upcoming book, Gifts of the Dark Wood: Seven Blessings for Soul Skeptics (and Other Wanderers). This retreat was so compelling that the seed was planted to create a worship series based on the book. And since then, Dr. McFee and her team at Worship Design Studio have created over 40 fully-scripted worship series for every liturgical season! We are so honored to be in ministry alongside thousands of churches through these resources!

The book that inspired the first series is compelling because it addresses something we all deal with... moments in our lives that are filled with uncertainty, failure, emptiness, lost-ness, temptation, and so many other challenges. And yet, there are gifts to be found if we embrace them. Uncertainty can help us let go of our fear of the unknown. Emptiness can leave room for new possibilities. Thunderstruck moments can offer insight. Getting lost invites us to heighten our awareness. Temptation can help us know our true path. Reaching out to other “misfits” on the journey enriches our experience of life and love. And through it all, God is with us.

Watch the series trailer

This clip is included in the downloads as an unbranded video (without the WDS logo) for you to share on your church website, on social media, and e-newsletters.

This fully-scripted series includes:

• Nine worship scripts for Ash Wednesday, all 6 weeks of Lent, a Holy Week drama, and an Easter sunrise vigil

• Original music by Dr. Marcia McFee and Chuck Bell: includes “There’s a Path” threshold moment song and “Come and Rest” prayer song

• More music ideas, including choral and handbell piece suggestions from guest expert Stephanie Rhoades

• Visual and media arts ideas, including a series trailer and prayer video

• Three get-ready webinars featuring discussions with our guest experts to help you get ready for the series!

• Based on a book that gives you lots of sermon fodder

• Communion liturgy that can be used any week

• Individual and small group study resources suggestion

• Visual Arts ideas to bring the series to life in your worship space

• Children’s Time scripts to engage the youngest members of your community

• Series logo and Canva template for complete customization

• Series video trailer to get the word out (customizable)

• Watch the “Get-Ready” webinars HERE and HERE (some references in the video to former platforms where the materials resided are obsolete… you will simply download files in this new format… EASY!)

Click HERE to go to the chat thread for this series (see and add photos, ideas, experiences, questions)

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When you purchase the series a la carte, you will be redirected to the file-sharing site called Hightail/Open Text immediately. You do not need an account in Hightail, simply download all the files to your computer. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marcia@marciamcfee.com.

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Marcia McFee, PhD is the creator and visionary of the Worship Design Studio. Find out more about her work HERE. Questions? E-mail marcia@marciamcfee.com

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These are the earliest series I created before I began to create fully-scripted worship series. They have lots of ideas for every Sunday, every worship art (too many to use, FYI) but you are tasked with creating your own scripts/orders of worship. These are available only to paid annual subscribers, not a la carte. Go HERE to subscribe if you’d like to add these resources to your access!

Are You Kidding? (NL Year 1) - This series was originally created for Lent following the Narrative Lectionary, Year 1. It focuses on the "become like a child" directive and looks at Jesus' parables through the eyes of a child. Can be used any time of year.

Ready for a Change (Non-Lectionary) - This non-lectionary series originally designed for Lent offers a journey of taking inventory of our lives and considering the places where we’d like to “turn around.” Can be adapted for use any time of year. Please note that this series was the inspiration for the fully-scripted anytime series, “Re-Shaped,” which can be found HERE.

Watch and Pray (Non-Lectionary) - This non-lectionary series focuses on the practice of prayer. Originally designed for Lent, it offers the congregation a deeper understanding of various kinds and aspects of prayer and can be adapted for use any time of year. Please note that this series was the inspiration for the fully-scripted anytime series, “All My Days,” which can be found HERE.

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