Slowing Down: Resources for Lent from the CICW

As Lent approaches, many church leaders find themselves circling the same set of questions every year. How do we invite people to slow down in a world that rarely does? How do we make room for confession, lament, and honest prayer without making the season feel heavy or inaccessible? And how do we plan worship that tells the truth about brokenness while still holding on to hope?

Check out an excellent (and free) Lenten resources from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, the worship institute housed at Calvin University, the CRCNA's affiliated post-secondary institution.

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has gathered a wide range of resources that help churches navigate those questions with care. Their Lent Resource Guide isn’t about prescribing one “right” way to observe the season. Instead, it offers companions for the journey, drawing on Scripture, theology, music, art, and lived experience to support congregations through Lent and into Holy Week.

What’s especially helpful about these resources is the way they start with meaning, not logistics. Lent is framed as a time of returning to our baptismal identity, returning to prayer, returning to the truth about ourselves and our need for grace. From that grounding, the practical pieces begin to take shape.

What you’ll find in the guide

Rather than a single program or curriculum, the guide brings together a collection of tools that churches can use in different ways, including:

• Resources for planning worship across the season, from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday
• Prayers and liturgies that give voice to confession, longing, and trust
• Ideas for quieter, more contemplative services, including prayer-centered and Taizé-style worship
• Thoughtful song suggestions and hymn reflections that match the tone of Lent
• Visual art and creative practices that invite reflection, not just decoration
• Devotional materials for individuals, families, and small groups
• Age-appropriate ideas that help children and youth engage the season meaningfully

Churches don’t need to use everything. Many will find that one or two pieces are exactly what they need this year, and that’s the point. Adapt this guide to your specific context.

Questions to begin the conversation

This guide can also serve as a starting point for discussion among worship planners, councils, or ministry teams. You might ask something like:

• Where do we see our congregation longing for deeper honesty or slower rhythms in worship?
• What parts of Lent feel most meaningful in our context and what parts feel hardest to engage?
• How might silence, music, or visual elements help people pray when words fall short?
• How are children and youth experiencing the season, and what might help them feel more included?
• What do we hope people carry with them when Lent ends — not just into Easter, but into everyday life?

Used thoughtfully, the Calvin Institute’s Lent resources offer guidance for churches walking the Lenten road, trusting that God meets us not just in celebration, but also in reflection, waiting, and prayer.