Author: katyandtheword

Pastor Katy has enjoyed ministry at New Covenant since 2010, where the church has solidified its community focus. Prior to that she studied both Theology and Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She also served as an Assistant Chaplain at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital and as the Christian Educational Coordinator at Bethany Presbyterian at Bloomfield, NJ. She is an writer and is published in Enfleshed, Sermonsuite, Presbyterian's today and Outlook. She writes prayers, liturgy, poems and public theology and is pursuing her doctorate in ministry in Creative Write and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She enjoys working within and connecting to the community, is known to laugh a lot during service, and tells as many stories as possible. Pastor Katy loves reading Science Fiction and Fantasy, theater, arts and crafts, music, playing with children and sunshine, and continues to try to be as (w)holistically Christian as possible. "Publisher after publisher turned down A Wrinkle in Time," L'Engle wrote, "because it deals overtly with the problem of evil, and it was too difficult for children, and was it a children's or an adult's book, anyhow?" The next year it won the prestigious John Newbery Medal. Tolkien states in the foreword to The Lord of the Rings that he disliked allegories and that the story was not one.[66] Instead he preferred what he termed "applicability", the freedom of the reader to interpret the work in the light of his or her own life and times.

Pentecost

Romans 8:14-39
Acts 4:1-4

Call to Worship 
All Creation is laboring
God is even now creating
The first fruits of the Spirit are Here
We are freed into Jesus Christ
Come let us rejoice with creation
Come let us worship God

Call to Confession: Let all who long to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit confess themselves to God

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that I do not always see all of creation laboring for Good. I confess that it is hard to find God. And it is easy to think that God does not want me. That I am orphaned instead of adopted by God. Forgive me. Teach me that God longs for an ecosystem of love and understanding. Continue to send your Holy Spirit to intercede and encourage I pray. (Silent Confession)

Assurance of Pardon: The Holy Spirit is with us, loving us and reconciling us, know the good news:  In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.  Amen. 

Prayer of Dedication:  Let us go into the world remembering that God is creating and birthing the world towards good, and participate in that as much as we can. Amen. 

Narrative Lectionary: God’s Love Poured Out

Romans [3:28-28-30] 5:1-11
Matthew 11:28-30

Call to Worship
God welcomes all of us into God’s arms
Come let us rest with God
God comforts us and eases our burdens
God calls us home
Come let us worship our mother God
Come let us worship God

Call to Confession: God calls us all to confess our faith, for faith is enough, come let us confess ourselves to God

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that sometimes we do not feel like we are good enough to be your children. We shy away, not convinced that faith is really enough. We are worried that we have the endurance or the hope that we need. We are convinced that we have not suffered enough. Help us when we are weary or scared, to remember, that you walk with us and are gentle and humble with us to ease our burden, and that you want to ease our burden, like any mother would. Comfort us when we feel anxious or afraid we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God says God will give us rest for our souls, know the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Let us go into the world remembering that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have accessed Grace, and that grace is even now spilling out into the world. How can we not share it with everyone we meet? Let us go and do so we pray. Amen.

Mother’s Day Prayers

Call Me Mara (a bitter prayer)

Call me Mara Today,
God Because I am bitter,
and the back of my throat aches
from too much crying,
as the grief hits me again,
and again

And the place I call home
is a nation that likes to “protects” the unborn,
but locks up immigrants
& Black and Brown kids,
and cannot
strike that will not feed thousands of children,

Corners the the market on formula
and then doesn’t regulate it properly,
stops the payments for vulnerable families,

totally and actively
destroys queer
bodies
children
and families,

and reopened the nation
before any babies could receive vaccinations.

Call me Mara,
God, Embittered
that people want “young families” don’t come to church
in a culture where parents,
especially mothers, are expected to do every single thing on their own,
and are judged for every imperfection*

Call me Mara, God,
For I am broken;

When there is a market for bulletproof backpacks,
and its somehow acceptable for THIRD GRADERS learn Tourniquet techniques, God no!

when the news is about the latest, becomes background noise
domestic violence
and white supremacy is acceptable
And there are no warning signals are put out for terrorism

Lord God Almighty, Seems we that we are stunned..unable respond to violence.
Call me Mara, God. Because despite voting, and letters, and marching and the sobs of countless families…

Not

one

thing

has

changed.

Call
us Mara
God.

Because, these too are our Children
And tomorrow, my throat will still be sore from crying and I will still taste the bitterness of tears–that’s what home tastes like now.

I bet you want to be called Mara too, God. Because they are your children too!

We are all Mara.

Selah! Mara, Selah! Amen.

*And then we say Happy Mother’s Day as if its a “Good” thing and not further gender violence

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

2023 version

Radical Mother’s Day Confession

God, we confess we want some kind of Hallmark Mother’s day. But this is a complicated holiday, where not everyone is included, where people have complicated relationships with their mothers, where those of other sexualities and genders are forgotten or mocked or excluded.

Or those for whom mother’s day is just too hard or lonely–

For whatever reason.

We confess that we breeze over those who deal with infertility or who do not define themselves by their gender or motherhood, and we too often only value “women” by how many children then have produced–and place even more value if they have produced sons, even today.

We confess that all too often we through in God as mother as a token, and then move on. We confess that we throw in Mary as meek and mild, which she is never described as, and then move on. And we admit that we do not honor Mother’s day roots as a feminist, empowering and a day to start to bring equity to all of the genders. Forgive us, and teach us to do better we pray. In your nonconforming, mothering child Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Anti-Mother’s Day Prayer: Supporting Abortion

More Traditional Mother’s Day Confession

Mother’s Day Litany

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Support my Writing!

Matthew 25

Jesus: when I am hungry
Don’t choke me

When I knock on your doors
Don’t shoot me

When I seek Gender affirming care
Don’t legislate me

When I seek asylum
Don’t arrest me

When I’m an orphan
Don’t put me to work illegally

When I’m suspected by police
Don’t kill me

When I’m sick
Don’t tell me to do yoga

When I’m in mental crises
Don’t call the cops

When I’m lonely
Don’t hand me a pamphlet

When I do sex work
Don’t judge me

When I am frail
Don’t ignore me

When I am imprisoned
seek my freedom

When I hear the racism so loud, if you notice
Interrupt

When I am a rape victim
Listen and believe

Do not ask where was
When you reach my Kingdom

You met me, it is I
I am within all of your human siblings

You have but to look
You treat me, how you treat those you consider the least of these

How I long to hold them under my wing
And give them the care they need

NL143 Gospel as Salvation

Romans 1:1-17
Matthew 9:10-13

Call to Worship
God you call us to one another
You call us together
God your Gospel is for all
Come let us celebrate Good News and Praise God today

Call to Confession: God calls everyone to confess, for everyone is invited to find comfort in God. Let us know that nothing is too big or small for God to hold.

Prayer of Confession: God I confess that I do not always long to see people the way that Paul does in this letter. I sometimes have trouble finding the wisdom in those who are different from me. Too often I use the word different to mean that I do not like something, instead of a word of wonder. Forgive me, teach me to remember that the Gospel is a word of wonder, teach me not to be ashamed, help me to celebrate the wonders of your creation, prayer. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, Jesus longs to be with us, and forgives us as soon as we asks, so we can be assured of the comfort: In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God may we go into world, longing to see one another through the eyes of God we pray. Amen.

Paul’s Mission

Acts 13:1-3; 48-18
Matthew 10:40-42

Call to Worship
When we are welcomed
God you call us
When we heal
God you call us
When we feed one another
God you call us
Come let us serve the Lord
Come let us worship the Lord

Call to confession: Let us confess ourselves to the God who loves us and welcome us exactly as we are

Confession: God we confess that we do not believe that those who welcome us welcome Christ. We confess that we have trouble believing ourselves one minute to be imposters and the next taking on too much for Christ. Help us to find balance in serving you. Give us the strength, patience and understanding we need. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Be assured, Christ loves us and walks with us in disciples, so know the truth In Jesus Christ we are forgiven, Amen

Prayer of the Day Dedication: May we walk with Christ, as he walks with us our discipleship we pray. Amen

RCL: Trust Your Neighbors

John 10
Psalm 23

Call to Worship
Let all who are afraid come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who are weary come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who hunger come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who are looking come
Truly, the Shepherd here. Let us come, and find the Shepherd together

Call to Confession: Come, the gate is open, we do not need to fear the one who is calling, let us confess ourselves to God.

Confession: Jesus Christ we are weary, too long we have put our trust in money and stuff and weapons and governments and institutions and we look around and realize, that we are still not but confused sheep. We long for your voice. We long for green pastures and still waters, we long for goodness and mercy. We want a land where good food is so plentifully even our enemies get it. Forgive us, teach us your voices, so we can hear it, and follow it, and live in fear no more we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news, Jesus is calling us towards grace, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Fear not the angels said, Peace be with you Jesus said. God, you come and comfort your sheep, reminding us to live without weapons or fear. You remind us we are meant to flock together. God may we go forth building a world of green pastures, safety and hope we pray. Amen.

Topical prayer: The Lord is my Shepherd Sheep Scale Prayer https://katyandtheword.com/2020/08/20/the-lord-is-our-shepherd-a-sheep-scale-prayer/

April 23 Peter’s Vision

Acts 10:1-17, 34-48
Matthew 9:36-37

Call to Worship
God we are the sheep and you are the Shepherd
Come Risen Christ
In Christ there is neither male nor female, slave nor free
Come Risen Christ
We are ready to greet Jesus Christ
Come Risen Christ

Call to Confess: We are truly all made clean in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, come let us confess ourselves to Christ.

Prayer of Confession: Dear God, we confess that we would like to pick and choose our Christians. We often would like to say, we are not like those Christians, or we would like to tell people who is included in our congregation and who is not. Forgive us. Teach us how to be both inclusive, and still to tell be brave enough to denounce wrong when we see it. Help us to continue to act in love we pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Remember that Christ came returned saying “Peace be with you” and so we can be assured of the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven. Amen

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God may we go into the world blessed that any may be given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, may we recognize these gifts when we see them we pray. Amen.