What’s a Playlist?
A Playlist is a set of activities exploring a topic. The activities might include reading an article or scripture, listening to a podcast or sermon, watching a video or movie clip. Each month we’ll post three Playlists designed for Children, Youth, and Adults. All of us will explore the same topic, but the Playlists will be designed for each age group. You can work your way through the Playlists at your own pace throughout the month.
Remember you can always share your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of this page.
Epiphany Playlist
Shine
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
1/1/26
Introduction
After Christmas comes the liturgical season of Epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden appearance or a discovery, but in the liturgical sense, Epiphany is a season that celebrates when the Magi went to see Jesus. The story goes that the Magi were knowledgeable men who could read prophecies and saw a bright star shining in the sky. They took the star as a sign that there was a birth of a great man who would one day become King of the Jews.
The Magi, wanting to meet this great king and pay tribute to him, followed this star which is known as the Star of Bethlehem. Not much is known about the Magi outside of them being from a country to the East of Israel. It isn’t even known how many Magi there were on this journey, but we do know they traveled a long way to reach Jesus. The Magi would have been traveling for weeks if not months during the night using the stars as their map. When they saw Jesus, they presented him with expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi knew that the birth of Jesus was special and paid him tribute.
Pray
“O God Among Us, may we be visited by angels, may we follow stars, may we bring the gifts we have to offer. May we embrace the journey and travel in love. May Christ bless our homes and find a home in our hearts throughout the year. Amen.”
From: What Does This Season Mean? Handout for Epiphany at Home
Jennifer McNally and Anna V. Ostenso Moore
“Jesus, light of the world, let your bright star stand over the place where the poor have to live; lead our sages to wisdom and our rulers to reverence. Hear this prayer for your love’s sake. Amen.”
From: A New Zealand Prayer Book
Watch
This is the live performance of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” featuring The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East
Read
“This Little Light of Mine” is a classic Christian song that many know as a children’s song, but the history of the song is inspiring. The song grew in popularity during the Civil Rights era as a message of hope. Click the link below to read more about it.
History of “This Little Light of Mine”
December Playlist
Journey
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
12/1/25
Introduction
The term Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning arrival or approach. This liturgical season is the time that we prepare for the arrival of Jesus into the world and celebrate his birth. The Advent season leads to the celebration of Jesus’ birth on Christmas and also emphasizes his promised second Advent.
When Jesus first arrived, Luke tells us that his family traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem due to a census ordered by Augustus Caesar. Men were to register themselves in their home town so they could be taxed by the Romans. Joseph and his family, as descendants of King David, are from Bethlehem. This journey would have taken a few days of travel if not weeks due to how pregnant Mary was at the time. Nazareth is north of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary would have to travel 65 miles south to Jerusalem and then another 5 miles south to Bethlehem.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room at the inn. Mary and Joseph had to stay where they kept the animals which is much like a barn. After Mary gave birth, she placed the newborn baby Jesus in a manger which is a feeding trough. While we would think that God would have an ornate life, the fact is Jesus had very humble beginnings as shown in the story of his birth. Jesus Christ’s care for the meek and humble is shown by how he lived among them. As we journey to Christmas, let us keep up a spirit of giving in honor of that.
Watch
Salt and Light Media have a YouTube playlist that shares how Christians around the world celebrate Advent. It includes songs, recipes, and crafts from many different cultures.
Make
ELCA World Hunger has an Advent calendar that is a printable nativity scene. Each day gives us a new person or creature to color and add to the nativity scene. It also has a different prayer, hymn, scripture, or an activity to do leading up to Christmas.
Listen
“Christmas Dreaming” by Laufey
Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey sings her original Christmas song in this YouTube video. There is no official music video, but she has officially released this song with a clip of her and her twin sister, Júnía, as children dancing by a Christmas tree.
November Playlist
Promise
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
11/1/25
Introduction
In the Bible there are many promises made by God to God’s people. He promised to free the Israelites from Egypt, he promised to save Noah from the flood, and he promised salvation to all who believe in his son. Christians believe in the last promise because we believe he fulfilled his previous promises. Making and fulfilling promises build trust. If we have a friend who always promises something and then breaks the promise or cancels on us at the last minute, we no longer trust that friend.
In the book of Genesis there is a powerful promise made between Jacob and his father-in-law Laban. Jacob leaves Laban’s house in the middle of the night and takes his wives, Laban’s daughters, with him. When Laban catches up, he is hurt but realizes that Jabob is serious about leaving. They make a vow to each other, and Jacob promises to take care of his wives and treat them well. The men then erect two towers of stone and make this promise with God as their witness.
These towers were called watchtowers or mizpahs and became representative of their deep promise. Now people use the term mizpah to represent a deep promise or emotional bond between two people separated by distance. Oftentimes, it is physically represented with jewelry inscribed with the text, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.” This text is from Genesis 31: 49 which is the promise between Laban and Jacob.
Watch
A video showing multiple real life stories of people talking about the promises they made and the good that has come from them.
A variety of people talk about what they believe a promise is.
Listen
“Promises” by Maverick City Music is about the promises made by God.
Read
Here is a list of many, but not all of the promises made, in the Bible and their importance. It shows the moral importance of keeping a promise as well as the consequences for breaking them from a biblical perspective.
October Playlist
Gratitude
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
10/1/25
Introduction
There are plenty of studies that show taking a moment to think of what you are thankful for will improve your overall mood. One such paper, “The Science of Gratitude” (2018) by Summer Allen PhD, stated that “grateful adolescents are more interested and satisfied with their school lives, are more kind and helpful, and are more socially integrated.” The same study referred to gratitude as a “social glue” because it strengthens relationships and builds a stronger society.
Perhaps the scientific studies are proving what the Bible already knew – that practicing gratitude is good for you. 1 Timothy 4:4 states “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving,” and Philippians 4:6 states “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Both of these verses encourage us to rely on the Lord and let us know that things will be all right.
Activity
Write down ten things that you are grateful for and see if any of the things can be attributed to a person. Perhaps a friend helped you with homework or a parent took you to a movie. Now make that person a thank you card. It doesn’t need to be fancy. The card can be a piece of notebook paper and a pencil. When you give the person the card, note how they react and seem to feel. Now pay attention to how you feel giving them the card. Reflect on the experience and see if you would do it again.
Watch
Read
“We Thank Thee” by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a poem expressing his genuine gratitude to God for the wonders of the earth. Emerson is a poet who often describes the beauty of nature and this poem is no different as he praises the Lord for such beauty. Click the link below to read the poem.
Listen
September Playlist
Neighbor
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
9/1/25
Introduction
Who is our neighbor? The parable of the Good Samaritan tells us that it should be everyone. In this parable Jesus tells of a man who was robbed and left for dead. Those who we would expect to help him left him suffering on the side of the road. In the end it was the Samaritan man who ended up helping him. This would be like a University of Arizona fan helping an Arizona State University fan. Something you wouldn’t expect.
Sometimes it can be hard to know what neighborly treatment looks like in a digital world. We don’t often know our actual neighbors. How will we make funeral potatoes when someone is grieving? Do we mow the lawns of our elderly neighbor to help them out if we don’t know them? In those cases maybe introduce yourself to them. There is plenty we can do to be neighborly aside from these specific examples. For those in school it can be paying attention to the teacher or helping a student pick up books that they’ve dropped.
Read
Activity
On a piece of paper write all the ways you can be kinder in daily life. Now on the back of the paper write down acts of kindness that you have experienced in the past week.
Try to implement some acts of kindness in the upcoming week and reflect back on your week. What did you do? How did it make you feel? How did the other person respond to your actions?
Watch
Epiphany Playlist
Shine
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministry
1/1/26
Introduction
After Christmas comes the liturgical season of Epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden appearance or a discovery, but in the liturgical sense, Epiphany is a season that celebrates when the Magi went to see Jesus. The story goes that the Magi were knowledgeable men who could read prophecies and saw a bright star shining in the sky. They took the star as a sign that there was a birth of a great man who would one day become King of the Jews.
The Magi, wanting to meet this great king and pay tribute to him, followed this star which is known as the Star of Bethlehem. Not much is known about the Magi outside of them being from a country to the East of Israel. It isn’t even known how many Magi there were on this journey, but we do know they traveled a long way to reach Jesus. The Magi would have been traveling for weeks if not months during the night using the stars as their map. When they saw Jesus, they presented him with expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi knew that the birth of Jesus was special and paid him tribute.
Pray
“O God Among Us, may we be visited by angels, may we follow stars, may we bring the gifts we have to offer. May we embrace the journey and travel in love. May Christ bless our homes and find a home in our hearts throughout the year. Amen.”
From: What Does This Season Mean? Handout for Epiphany at Home
Jennifer McNally and Anna V. Ostenso Moore
“Jesus, light of the world, let your bright star stand over the place where the poor have to live; lead our sages to wisdom and our rulers to reverence. Hear this prayer for your love’s sake. Amen.”
From: A New Zealand Prayer Book
Watch
This is the live performance of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” featuring The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East
Read
“This Little Light of Mine” is a classic Christian song that many know as a children’s song, but the history of the song is inspiring. The song grew in popularity during the Civil Rights era as a message of hope. Click the link below to read more about it.
Desert Cross Faith Formation 