COVID-19 and Worship: Resources for Churches Adapting to Social Isolation

 Zeteosearch.org: The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship supports and collaborates with Zeteo Preaching and Worship. Visit this site for more than 500+ resources that are tagged "COVID-19"—resources from and reports about a wide range of Christian worshiping communities, updated daily. 

Table of Contents

• Voices from the World Church: Shaping Worship During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Resources in Spanish about COVID-19 / Recursos en español sobre el COVID-19 
• Prayers 
• Sung Prayers
• Congregational Song
• Watch Online Services
• Service Ideas
  • Advent 
  • Lent and Holy Week
  • Easter Season
  • Pentecost
• Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Reflections
• Reflections on Online Sacraments
• Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary Faculty Reflections
• Resources for Children and Families
• Technology
• Denominational Resources
• Additional Resources

Voices from the World Church: Shaping Worship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Chantel Varnado: Offering Hope at Grace and Peace Christian Reformed Church, Chicago, Illinois
• Mark L. Macdonald: Jesus’ Presence among First Nations Anglicans in Canada
• LaTonya McIver Perry: Sparking New Connections at New Mount Zion Baptist Church, Roxboro, North Carolina
• Dale Sieverding: Maintaining Community via Virtual Worship at St. Monica Catholic Community, Santa Monica, California
• Fr. Chris Flesoras: Ministry of Presence at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, Roseville, California
• Herbert Tsang: Asking Good Questions in Chinese-Language Evangelical Churches in Vancouver, British Columbia
• Constance Cherry: Reviving Wesleyan Discipleship at Grant United Methodist Church, Fairmount, Indiana
• Jaewoo Kim: Multicultural Community at Proskuneo Ministries, Clarkson, Georgia
• Yvette Lau: Livestream at Christian & Missionary Alliance Churches in Hong Kong

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Prayers

• A Prayer to God in Anxious Times by Cornelius Plantiga, Jr.
• A COVID-19 Prayer Based on Psalm 51 by Chad Engbers
• Prayers of God’s People during COVID-19 by Larry Doornbos
• God Go Before You: A Family, Care Home, or Small Group Blessing to Learn and Practice by Barbara J. Newman
• Prayer for a Pandemic by Cameron Bellm
• A Blessing for Healthcare Workers in a Time of Covid-19 Pandemic by Kate Williams
• Bendición para personal médico en tiempo de pandemia by Kate Williams
• Seeking God's Face, a daily prayer book: here is a link to the free download of Lent section.
• COVID-19 Prayer Calendars by Dominique Gilliard
• A Prayer During Times of COVID-19 by Richard Bott
• Prayers for a Time of Suffering by W. David O. Taylor
• Guidelines for Prayer from the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
• Consult The Worship Sourcebook for additional prayer texts and outlines.

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Sung Prayers

• God Go Before You 
• Pelas Dores Deste Mundo/For the Troubles and the Sufferings of the World (Brazilian Kyrie) sung in Portuguese, Spanish, and English
• Jehovah Sabaoth (God of Angel Armies) sung by The Aeolians of Oakwood University   
• Don’t Be Afraid (Scotland) by John Bell
• Washing our Hands and Forever in God's Hands (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow)
• Come, Holy Ghost
• Christ Our Hope in Life and Death by Keith and Kristyn Getty
• Prayers for Protection in Places of Exile, Fear, and Uncertainty by Debra Paxton-Buursma

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Congregational Song

• Gathered, Scattered, a quarantine communion hymn by Greg Scheer
• Small Church Music from Hymnary.org. These are mp3 recordings that are suitable for congregational singing. All of the tunes are public domain and free to use.
• Jesus, You Are Here, a hymn for sheltering in place by Greg Scheer
• Hymns in Times of Crisis from The Hymn Society 
• Ten Hymns with Testimonies of Comfort in Times of Trouble
• A Congregational Lament, Text by Calvin Seerveld; tune Genevan 51

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Watch Online Services

• My Soul Finds Rest in God led by Sandra McCracken with Bruce Benedict and musicians
• Do Not Be Afraid based on Isaiah 43, Mary Hulst preaching
• The Good News for the Hurting
• The Comfort of God based on 2 Corinthians 1, Tim Blackmon preaching
• Journeying to the Light based on Psalms 15-24
• Lectio Divina 
• Lectio Divina: A Morning Prayer Service

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Service Ideas

• The Wings of God: A Service based on Psalm 91
• A Liturgy During A Pandemic by Porter C. Taylor
• Peace Surpassing Understanding
• A Liturgy in the Wake of the Coronavirus by Todd Atkins-Whitley
• Prayers for Healing
• The Lord's Supper Liturgy
• Jeff Barker on Combining Music and Public Scripture Reading
• Creative Scripture Reading for Virtual Worship

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Advent 

• Advent Resource Guide
• Healer of Our Every Ill: Online Lessons and Carols Servies for 2020 Advent
  • Advent I, November 29
  • Advent II, December 6
  • Advent III, December 13
  • Advent IV, December 20
  • Christmas Eve, December 24

Lent and Holy Week

• Lent Resource Guide
• Ash Wednesday Worship
• Ash Wednesday Meditation by Debra Rienstra
• Holy Week in Uncertain Times by John D. Witvliet
• Holy Week Resource Guide
• My Care Runs Over - Psalm 23, Matthew 9 (Palm/Passion Sunday)
• Palm Branch by Elizabeth Steele Halstead
• Holy Week Prayer Walk by worshipers in Blacksburg, Virginia
• Singing the Story: Hymns for Holy Week by Awet Andemicael and David Cherwien
• Palm Sunday: Another Advent by Chan Gyu Jang
• Palm Sunday Prayer by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
• Holy Week at Home Experience: Ideas for Families
• Tenebrae: A Service of Shadows
• Silence and Stones: A Meditation on Good Friday.
• Holy Week & Triduum Kit, resource from St. Monica Catholic Community
• Jesus Praying in the Garden, Calvin chapel with University Chaplain Mary Hulst
• A Solemn Prayer During the COVID-19 Pandemic. A prayer for Good Friday written by Chris Schoon. 

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Easter Season

• Ascension Day Resource Guide
• Good Shepherd Sunday
• Psalm 23: Psalms for Families, Devotions for All Ages 
• Easter Resource Guide: The "Great Fifty Days" from Easter Sunday to Pentecost
• The Wardrobe of Easter: A 15-part devotional series for Eastertide 
• A Common Song for Easter, Greg Scheer and Gerardo Oberman
• Songs for Easter
• The Empty Tomb: Artwork for Easter
• Download the Easter section of Teach Us To Pray: Scripture-Centered Family Worship through the Year
• Una oración para la Pascua / Easter Prayer by María CornouA 
• This Easter Celebration. This new hymn is a prayer to be used in Easter 2020 worship services. Listen to it sung here. 
• A Quieter Easter by Scott Hoezee

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Pentecost

• Pentecost Resource Guide
• Ordinary Time Resource Guide

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Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Reflections

• "Biblical Quarantines: A Survey," The Reformed Journal, by Debra Rienstra
• Pandemics and Public Worship Throughout History
• "Coronavirus and the Communion of the Saints" by Bruce Hindmarsh
• "The Pope and the Plague" by Frans van Liere

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Reflections on Online Sacraments

• Chris Ganski and Benj Petroelje (Christian Reformed)
• Kathy Smith (Christian Reformed)
• Office of the General Assembly (PCUSA)
• Dirk Lange (Lutheran)
• Jonathan Warren Pagán (Anglican)
• Carolyn Pirtle (Roman Catholic)
• Fr. Jim Sabak, OFM (Roman Catholic)
• Mark Stamm (Methodist)
• United Methodist Church
• Cynthia Wilson, Derek Weber, and Diana Sanchez-Bushong (Methodist)
• Deanna A. Thompson (ELCA)
• Andrew McGowan (Episcopal)

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Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary Faculty Reflections

• Amanda W. Benckhuysen, Professor of Old Testament, “Telling the COVID-19 Virus Story” 
• Neil Carlson, Director of the Calvin Center for Social Research, CSR COVID-19 Pandemic Resources
• Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Professor of History and Gender Studies, "Some evangelicals deny the coroavirus threat. It's because they love tough guys."
• Chad Engbers, Professor of English, Coronavirus and Lent
• Scott Hoezee, Director of Center for Excellence in Preaching
  • “Be Not Afraid”
  • Preaching in the COVID-19 Moment 
  • Is God in COVID-19?
  • "A Quieter Easter"
  • Laughed So Hard I Cried
• Jennifer L. Holberg, Professor of English, "Small Shrines"
• Mary Hulst,University Chaplain, Reflection on Psalm 42 (University virtual chapel service on April 1)
• Irene Kraegel, Director of Center for Counseling and Wellness, "Pandemic”
• Irene Kraegel, Director of Center for Counseling and Wellness, and Matt Kucinski, Assistant Director of Media Relations, "Cultivating Mental Wellness during a Pandemic"
• Debra Paxton-Buursma, Professor of Education, Prayers for Protection in Places of Exile, Fear, and Uncertainty
• Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Senior Research Fellow, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
  • A Prayer to God in Anxious Times
  • The Wings of God - Psalm 91
• Debra Rienstra, Professor of English, "Biblical Quarantines: A Survey" 
• David I. Smith, Professor of Education and Director of Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning
  • “Sticking with the Task: Some Reflections on Hope and Co…us.”
  • "Digital Learning: How is it Shaping our Families?"
  • "Consider the Snail: Teaching Online and Learning to Breathe"
• Kathy Smith, Senior Associate Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Church Polity and Online Sacraments in the Christian Reformed Church
• Frans van Liere, Professor of History, "The Pope and the Plague"
• Cory Willson, Assistant Professor of Missiology and Missional Ministry, COVID is Devastating, but Decentralized Worship is a Gift 
• John D. Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
  • Holy Week in Uncertain Times
  • Funeral Practices during COVID-19: Praying for Wisdom in Pastoral and Liturgical Adaptations

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Resources for Children and Families

• Together for a Meal: A Mealtime Liturgy for a Family Unit or Small Group
• All Night, All Day: Nighttime Prayer with Children in Time of Uncertainty 
• God Welcomes Our “Why” Questions
• Teach Us To Pray: Scripture-Centered Family Worship through the Year, plus free downloads of the Lent section and the Easter section. 
• Don’t Be Afraid (Scotland)
• Washing our Hands and Forever in God's Hands (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow)
• Ideas for Creating a Routine, including the rhythm of morning prayer
• En la escuela de los Salmos / At Psalms School, book to purchase plus free guide for adults

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Technology

• Record Podcasts with friends
• OneLicense Gratis Licenses
• The Super Basic, Low-Budget Guide to Livestreaming for Churches
• Facebook Live
• Streaming Worship Services and Copyrights in a Time of Social Distancing

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Denominational Resources

• AME Zion Church
• Christian Reformed Church in North America
• Church of England
• Church of the Brethren
• Covenant Order of Presbyterians
• Evangelical Covenant Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America
• Faithward (Reformed Church in America)
• Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
• Mennonite Church USA
• Methodist Church (United Kingdom)
• Moravian Church
• National Baptist Convention
• Presbyterian Church USA
• United Church of Christ
• United Methodist Church

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Additional Resources

• Worship Resources in Times of Natural Disasters
• Worship Resources in Times of Crisis and Trauma
• Ideas for Community of Belonging for People with Varied Abilities during the
  COVID-19 Pandemic by All Belong
• Back to God Ministries International
• Trauma, Culture Care, and Public Worship
• Worship in Difficult Times
• Worship that Ministers to the Afflicted
• How To Lead Online Worship Without Losing Your Soul--Or Body
• Funeral Practices during COVID-19: Praying for Wisdom in Pastoral and Liturgical Adaptations
• Free art download: Uncertain Waters by Betsy Steele Halstead
• Faith in a Time of Pandemic by Bruce G. Epperly
• Congregational Resources Guide (CRG)
• Resources for Christian leaders during the coronavirus pandemic from Faith & Leadership, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
• Sonnets of Worship During COVID-19
• Resuming Care-Filled Worship and Sacramental Life during a Pandemic

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