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.
May Playlist
Lead
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
5/1/25
Introduction
In the Bible God has called many people to be leaders who felt like they didn’t deserve it or weren’t fit for the role. Moses felt like he wasn’t fit to lead his people and proclaimed that he was slow of speech and tongue and pleaded with God to send someone else. God dismissed his reasoning and said, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” Jonah is commanded by God to go to Nineveh to prophesize their downfall. He tries to run away from his duties and is consequently swallowed by a large fish. Jonah is released from the fish and goes to Nineveh.
Leadership takes its form in many different ways in the Bible. Not all of us will be called to be leaders of nations like Moses. However leadership takes different forms in the Bible such as when Moses’ sister Miriram led the Isrealites in song during the crossing of the Red Sea. There are many ways God calls people to lead, and although it can be nerve wrecking to step into a leadership position, it is an important responsibility.
Watch
Read
Here are some articles on different Christian leaders.
Pray
Dear God, please help guide your leaders on Earth to follow in your stead. May they guide us to act in your name and follow the path you lay before us. Please help us know when we ourselves are called to lead and give us the courage to do so. Amen.
March & April Playlist
Lent
Everything in Between
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
3/1/25
Introduction
Lent is the season of the fish sandwich or so fast food advertisements would have you believe. McDonalds has their Filet-O-Fish, Culver’s has the North Atlantic Cod Sandwich, and some churches do a fish fry. With all of these tasty seafood feasts it can be hard to remember that Lent is a season of fasting. The fasting in question for Lent can often lose its intended meaning.
The Lenten season is meant to reflect the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism by John the Baptist. In the desert Jesus resisted many temptations set before him by the devil. As such, it is a period for us to reflect on temptations in our lives that might pull us away from God. Some choose to fast from certain foods as a reminder of temptation, and others choose to add good works and habits into their lives. As a season that leads up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the season is full of spiritual reflection and spiritual renewal.
Lenten Ideas
Social Media. Limiting time or cutting it out altogether can be a difficult thing to do, but many of us spend hours on end scrolling through social media. There are many good things on social media such as uplifting stories and cute videos, but it can also be filled with negativity. Try replacing social media time with connecting with friends, reading a book or helping around the house.
Gossip. Try not to talk badly about others or judge them too harshly. It can be easy to make judgements and gossip about others, but we do not always know the full story. James 4:11-12 “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?”
Reading the Bible. Few books are as influential as the Bible. As To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee once said, “The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that.”
Prayer. Take some time out of your day to talk to God. The Bible states multiple times how important prayer is. James 5:13-16 “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”
Lenten Trivia
- How long does Lent last?
- When does it begin?
- When does Lent end?
- What does Mardi Gras translate to?
- What is Mardi Gras?
- What does Lent commemorate?
- What day of the week does not count in the 40 days of Lent?
- Where does the phrase you are dust and to dust you shall return come from?
- What word is buried aka never said or sung during Lent?
- What snack originated during Lent because it contains only flour, water and salt?
- Who helped Jesus carry the cross?
- What Liturgical color is Lent?
- What do churches traditionally use for ashes?
Answers: 1. 40 days 2. Ash Wednesday 3. Easter Sunday 4. Fat Tuesday 5. A day to indulge before fasting 6. Christ’s 40 days in the desert 7. Sundays 8. Genesis 3:19 9. Alleluia 10. Pretzels 11. Simon of Cyrene 12. Purple 13. Last years palms from Palm Sunday
Lenten Memes
February Playlist
Wisdom
Tessa Faust, Director of Youth Ministries
2/1/25
Introduction
When we think of wisdom, the first images that often come to mind are elderly sage figures—Dumbledore, Gandalf, Uncle Iroh, and Solomon. The saying goes that with age comes wisdom, but does this mean we’re destined to wait until our later years to truly understand life? Do we just wake up one day, magically wise, when we hit a certain age? This certainly can’t be true.
An example of wisdom coming from all ages is from the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The two characters who are the wisest are Uncle Iroh, an older man, and Aang. Aang is only 12 years old at the beginning of the series—if you don’t count the century he spent frozen in an iceberg—and yet, he’s filled with wisdom well beyond his years. So, what is it that makes both these characters so wise, despite their age gap? The answer lies in two key qualities: open-mindedness and a deep connection to their hearts.
Both Aang and Uncle Iroh take the time to slow down and truly listen. Aang is constantly learning from those around him such as from his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph, as well as the many people he meets throughout his journey. He doesn’t just accept the teachings of others without thought; he’s open to new perspectives, always seeking to understand rather than judge.
Uncle Iroh embodies this wisdom too, especially in the way he teaches his nephew Zuko. Iroh didn’t learn firebending in the traditional way. Instead, he observed waterbenders, taking note of their techniques, and applied their principles to his own bending style. This innovation is a clear example of how wisdom comes not just from experience but from being receptive to the world around us.
Yet, despite their openness and willingness to learn, neither Aang nor Iroh follows others blindly. Aang, for instance, is tasked with defeating the Fire Lord. Everyone tells him he must defeat and kill the Fire Lord, and yet Aang’s moral compass determines there must be another way. In the end, Aang’s wisdom lies in his ability to stay true to his values and find a solution that doesn’t compromise who he is.
This theme of gaining wisdom through experience, relationships, and moral integrity is seen throughout many other stories. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins bears the weight of an incredible responsibility, yet manages to avoid temptation and greed where many have failed. Katniss Everdeen, in The Hunger Games, is forced to grow up quickly, lead a resistance, and figure out what is right in a morally grey world.
All of these characters are thrust into positions of leadership and responsibility, yet they gain wisdom through experience, relationships, and staying true to themselves. They show us that wisdom can be cultivated at any age, through openness, learning from others, and following your heart.
Read
Jeremiah 1:6-10
Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”
7 But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the LORD.”
9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
Watch
“The Gambler”–Kenny Rogers
Pray
God,
We pray for open ears so we may hear what others have to say.
We pray for open minds so that we may understand
the perspective and cultures of others.
We pray for open hearts so that we will act with compassion and care.
We open our mouths to proclaim your name.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
Resources for Exploring your Faith
You’ll find a list of resources below for exploring your faith. We hope you find these tools helpful.
Faith Lens: Faith Lens is a weekly blog from the ELCA, our parent church. Each topic connects the weekly lesson from worship to a current event–something in the news, music, sports, etc. You can sign up to receive the weekly lesson via email. Check it out below.
Bible Project: You’ve seen videos from the Bible Project on our Youth Playlists in the past. Below you’ll find a link to their website. It has lots of videos, a podcast, and Bible studies to explore. If you’re interested in a particular topic or Bible story, use the search bar.
Student Devos: Maybe you’d like to read a daily devotion written for students. Check out Student Devos using the link below. It’s a great way to start your day!
Desert Cross Faith Formation 