On the Practice of Celebration
- Celebration Is a Spiritual Discipline by Dorothy Greco on RelevantMagazine.com explains why celebrations are “crucial to the spiritual life.”
- Celebration: A Practical Guide by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun on Renovare.org is an excerpt from her foundational Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
- Richard J. Foster, author ofCelebration of Discipline, dives into Understanding Celebration on Renovare.org. His book also contains a chapter on the discipline of celebration.
- The books Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home by Traci Smith and Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey are full of ideas for celebrating everyday events and special occasions at home.
- Eastertide: How to Party Like a Christian by Lacy Finn Borgo on Renovare.org is a great resource for families looking to make Easter celebrations more meaningful.
- In this episode of Open to Wonder, April Fiet explains how watching asparagus grow, holy rhythms, and holy interruptions can help appreciation grow.
On Joy
- Check out Rich Villodas’s in-depth sermon series on joy.
- Henri Nouwen writes a brief but inspiring meditation on Christian joy.
- Joy: The Missing Ingredient by Paul Detterman on ReformedWorship.org looks at how the experience of joy, or the lack of it, shapes life and worship.
On Feasting
- Kendall VanderSlice’s book We Will Feast explores the connections between food, feasting, and celebrating in the context of the dinner church movement.
- The film Babette’s Feast is a beautiful example of the power of food and celebration to build community. Plan a movie night and feast together while you discuss the film.
- Listen to this podcast episode on feasting and fasting from the folks at The Bible Project for some food for thought.
Resources Especially for Churches
- Celebrating the Milestones of Faith: A Guide for Churches by Laura Keeley and Robert J. Keeley helps you and your church identify faith milestones and celebrate them together. Includes a "Faith Milestones Sourcebook" filled with practical ideas for celebrating baptism, first communion, profession of faith, and much more.
- The article Child Reminds Us to Be Joyful Receiving Communion by Agnes Tirrito makes a great discussion starter for talking about truly “celebrating” the Lord’s Supper.
- Marking Passages: How the Church Can Celebrate Stages in a Member’s Life by William R. Miller explores how “Christian life candles” can help congregations celebrate together.