I did not grow up following the church year. In fact, I had never even heard of Advent until I was 19 and taking a course on Worship at my small evangelical undergraduate college in West Palm Beach, FL. But at 21 years old, while most of my peers were stumbling into bars, I was stumbling into the Episcopal church, intoxicated by the liturgy. Intoxicated because it’s beauty was stunning and also completely disorienting. I had never experienced this kind of common prayer, of bodily worship, and I had so many questions about it.

Why do we have to do the SAME thing every week? Why does it matter whether I kneel or stand? Why do we awkwardly shake people’s hands and say “peace of Christ” rather than just saying “hello”? Then, once we started a family, a whole new set of questions arose. How do I teach my children to pray? How do I introduce them to the church’s calendar and the lives of saints? How do we observe Lent and Advent and Easter as a family?

I know how overwhelming, yet rich and wonderful, all of this can be, so here’s a round up of the resources that I’ve found helpful in my own life and ministry.

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Where to Start: What is liturgy?

These two books are the place to start if you are new to the concept of liturgical living, or want a deeper understanding of how liturgy and the church year shape our daily lives.

Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren is a lovely, approachable introduction to sacred practices for every day life. Walking readers through an ordinary day, Tish pauses to reflect on moments such as making the bed and eating a meal, viewing them through the lens of liturgy—”small practices, and habits that form us.” Tish is an Anglican priest, campus minister, and mother, and she links these liturgies of daily life to the liturgies of Sunday worship (communion, sabbath, prayer), explaining how each of these habits form us.

If you’re looking for an introduction to what liturgy is, why it matters, and how it is, in fact, unavoidable—You Are What You Love by James K. A. Smith is it. Smith teaches theology and philosophy at Calvin College, and this is a more accessible version of his dense book, Desiring the Kingdom, which I would highly recommend if you’re a theology or philosophy nerd.

Guide to the Church Calendar

Living the Christian Year by Bobby Gross is an excellent, user-friendly introduction to the Church Year and the ways in which it draws us deeper into God’s story. Bobby works with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and began following the liturgical year as an adult. Because of this, he doesn’t assume any prior knowledge of the church’s calendar, making it a great read whether you are completely new to the topic, or are just wanting to dig a little deeper into the history and meaning behind it all.

Guide for Liturgical Living

I’ve gifted Faithful Families by Traci Smith to numerous families I’ve ministered to over the years. It’s chock full of simple, sacred practices for turning ordinary moments in to holy moments at home. There’s plenty of ideas for day-to-day living as well for the liturgical seasons. When the companion guide, Prayers for Faithful Families, is released next month (you can pre-order now), I’m confident it will become a staple in our household.

Catholic All Year by Kendra Tierney is the most thorough and practical liturgical living family guide I have come across. She is a mother of 10, so she’s seen and done it all. She shares all of her wisdom in this thoughtful little book, walking readers through the Church’s calendar date by date and explaining what her family does for each feast day and season, including everything from meal suggestions to how to talk to your kids about the Santa Clause/St. Nicholas minefield. She’s a high-energy, wonderfully faithful domestic genius. She is also Catholic, as the title suggests, and as such, some of the feast days and practices she discusses aren’t as relevant to Protestants, but it is absolutely worth owning a copy regardless of your ecclesial affiliation, or checking out her blog by the same name.

Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family is another guide to liturgical living by Maria Von Trapp herself—from the Sound of Music! (Yes, she was a REAL person and a faithful Catholic, which I’m sure you knew, but I most certainly did not.) Full disclosure, I have not read this book yet myself, but it’s a classic, and I love that she includes her own liturgical traditions from Austria. Plus, it’s Maria from the Sound of Music, and “nobody solves a problem like Maria.” :)

What books have been helpful to you in your journey to inhabit the church year? Let me know in the comments!