Anything but Ordinary
A Creative Series Inspired by the Abrahamic family Narratives
The summer is considered a season of Ordinary Time in the life of the Church—a season in between the mystifying resurrection of Jesus at Easter, and Jesus’ birth, visited anew, at Advent. The lectionary texts for these weeks follow the family narratives of Abraham, which are stories that make the title “ordinary” seem laughable.
Ordinary time is punctuated by a God who keeps showing up—persistently, creatively, and lovingly—in ways that are surprising, transformative, joyful, reconciling, and unifying. The movement of the Spirit is anything but ordinary.
While we originally created these resources for Ordinary Time (Year A), we have adapted them so they could also be used as a worship series, focused on the Abrahamic family narratives, in any season. We hope these resources help us as we pay attention to the ways God continues to use what is ordinary for radical transformation and love.
{We consider your purchase a form of patronage to support our work and ministry. To make our resources accessible to congregations of all sizes, we offer tiered pricing on our bundles. Please choose the price below you are able to give. Your support makes our ministry possible!}
$200 TOTAL BUNDLE VALUE
Note: ALL RESOURCES ARE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS. Upon purchase, you will receive a link to a download. Download this file IMMEDIATELY, as this link expires within 24 hrs. The immediate download includes a password and link to a password-protected page where you can then access and download all of our Anything But Ordinary resources whenever you need them throughout the season.
Please review our Licensing Terms prior to purchase.
What's included in the bundle:
Resources for 12 weeks
[FYI, all of the following resources are included in our bundle, but you can purchase the resources separately by clicking the "Resource Details" buttons below]
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
Jacob Wrestles at Peniel
Joseph’s Brothers Sell Him into Slavery
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
Moses’ Birth
Moses and the Burning Bush
Abrahamic family stories featured:
A Child Promised to Abraham and Sarah
Hagar and Ishmael are Cast Away
The Binding of Isaac
The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah
The Birth of Jacob and Esau
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
1. Summer Study Journal
We've crafted a 12-weeks-long study journal following the Abrahamic family narratives—messy stories fully of complexity and promise that often hold a mirror up to our current society, perhaps more than we'd like. To dig deep into these narratives, we've created a printable booklet that is part devotional, part scripture study, part personal journal.
Each week dives into one of these family stories through art, visio divina meditation, scripture study, artist reflections, creative writing prompts, and prayer. The beginning of the journal has planning pages to help you add a touch of organization to the events that fill your days. We hope you will work through the weekly prompts at whatever pace/timeline you choose.
The journal is formatted to print in color or in black and white (for a budget-friendly option). Even if you're not following the RCL this summer, we hope this will be an engaging tool to print for your church members to use during their summer travels, vacation, and weekly devotions.
UPDATE: We have adapted the study journal so that it no longer includes dates and is useable throughout any season.
“Joseph is so selfless in this text. He forgives his brothers. He saves their lives through the next five years of famine. I wanted to portray the moment Joseph reconciles with Benjamin as they both weep on each other. Forgiveness is an act of cleansing. It allows us to move on from past frustration and anger. Here, I imagine forgiveness as water flowing over the brothers as they embrace.”
—Hannah Garrity, "Reconciliation"
“Jacob enters the world gripping for power, reaching for what he believes he is entitled to receive. Different colors surround each of the children, marking their barrier in Rebekah’s womb. Jacob’s hand becomes our own, forcing us to confront the ways in which we, too, grip for power, control, and entitlement. Gold dances along the boundary between Jacob and Esau, representing how God will work through their discord to create more diversity among the nations.”
—Lisle Gwynn Garrity, "Gripping"
This is a collection of 12 visual art pieces inspired by the Abrahamic family narratives in Genesis and Exodus noted above. The full collection includes visuals formatted for print and projection, and artist statements and a short visio divina study guide.
This is a collection of 8 hand-drawn designs inspired by the Abrahamic family narratives (featured in our visuals collection and summer study journal). Print the designs (3 size options) to invite members of all ages to dig deep into these complex and messy stories through color, line, and form.
The download includes artists' statements and a short visio divina guide to encourage you to incorporate coloring into your Sunday School, bible study, or other educational programs.
These reflection and planning pages are designed for those longing to be intentional about their own worship experience or worship planning.
For those in the pews, we have designed a worship reflection page that invites a kinesthetic note-taking or doodling response to the scripture and sermon. For clergy, we have created a preaching prep page with creative brainstorming space and reflection questions to help you craft cohesive worship experiences.
Download includes files for printing as sheets (11x17 or 8.5x11) or for inserting the graphics into the layout of your bulletins.