Author: katyandtheword

Pastor Katy has enjoyed ministry at New Covenant since 2010, where the church has solidified its community focus. She now works at Capital CFO plus as the Non Profit Director. All opinions expressed on this blog are her own and do not reflect those of Capital CFO plus. 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.

Never Forget, a Prayer of Mourning

I remember staying up all night,

And waking up to the phone in my dorm

(landline, yes)

It was the 2nd week of Freshman Year.

And God, all I can remember

Is that everyone was so angry.

Because no one seemed to know

How to be sad.

Never Forget–

How to be angry I wondered?

As we marched off to war?

As I viewed the Holocaust museum in embattled Israel?*

As we became more embittered against Brown people.

And now,

After Iraq, and Afghanistan,

and a million Covid deaths later,

God, I think that maybe,

we are way more apt to get angry–

because we as a nation are not good at getting sad.

How often do I see our leaders cry?

How often do we encourage mourning?

So Today I’m glad that you are the God who weeps with those are weeping.

Today I’m glad that you affirmed

that

Jesus wept.

A tear for every life.

God does not need to get even for justice to be done.

And today, I am so thankful, for a God that weeps.

As I remember the first day,

that I realize that justice is so separate from anger–

and mourning is too.

So today, God, I think I’m going to concentrate on mourning,

and nothing else.

Please sit with me, again,

while I cry

whatever more tears

need to be cried.

Amen.

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

If you enjoy my work, please consider giving to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing

Pandemic Prayers & Resources

*The Nationally Funded motto of all the museums in Israel is also Never Forget, which I discovered upon a pilgrimage there in 2010.

No Trucks, No Supply: a Prayer

Have mercy on us,

The sign didn’t say.

Instead it said,

We apologize,

that we may not have all of the items

you need, for our truck,

didn’t come in today.

And that is exactly how I feel today, God.

After a week of emotional wraughtness

(which spellcheck tells me is not a real word)

Of good school start, and scary Covid news,

and exhausting abortion, masks, Natural Disasters, Afghanistan, 9/11 and more…

After a week of reopening church events, and finally getting some rentals of the building

and reopening the Nursery School

and seeing the smiling faces of tiny students

behind the masks that we have put into tiny

and hopefully safe classes.

(Please, Lord in your mercy, help us to keep them safe)

I find that I am all out of emotions.

So if you could give me a week God,

or even a weekend off,

of big emotions.

I would be very grateful–

because when I reach for an emotion I need

be it happy or sad or mournful or contented.

Sometimes, I’m not sure that I have what I need.

For I have used up way more than a week’s supply,

within the last week.

How does one take a break from emotions, God?

And I mean this, of course, in a healthy way.

When the world keeps on turning,

and the kids keep asking questions,

and life seems to be restarting,

If you could help me to figure out

some more ways to recharge–

I would be grateful.

In the meantime I will pray, and seek sunlight and read and do yoga,

and call friends and do the church thing and spend time with family,

until I figure out what else to do…

or how to change the world.

Thank you for listening God.

Amen.

With thanks to @KendraWrites for the inspirational tweet.

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

If you enjoy my work, please consider giving to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing

Pandemic Prayers & Resources

God’s body

Jesus’s “body broken for you” as a call to action

https://revgalblogpals.org/2021/09/09/pastoral-is-political-embodied-politics/?fbclid=IwAR0aFQv0jW29rrtQORxhXq-g2CqsE1Gy0i60PykqPORUDSK6voV0NRmTnvo

Sept 26: Jacob’s Dream

Living Into this God Given World: Dreams and Blessings

Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17

John 1:50-51

Psalm 121

Call to Worship:

God of unlikely blessings, be with us today

Help us as we journey, give us what we need

God of dreams, go where we go

Let us journey with God today.

Confession: God, we confess that sometimes our blessings and dreams confound and confuse us, like Jacob. At times we are uncertain what it is God wants us to do next. Help us on journey. When our steps falter, be with us. When the future is uncertain, comfort us. When the world is overwhelming, help us to rest. When we realize we are imperfect, equip us. Remind us that you are our God no matter what, and help us along the way we pray, Amen.

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that sometimes, I am like Jacob. Sometimes, I am not even asking for help, and yet you are there. Present with dreams and blessings that I did not know I needed. Please continue to give me what I need I pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Be assured, your help will always come from the Lord. Know the truth, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God you are mighty in your mercy. You do not need to be tricked into blessings, for they are abundant. Let us go into the world assured of your blessings. Amen.

Children: Talk about how Jacob thought he was tricking a blessing out of his father, but actually God gave bonus blessings to Jacob and that was the real trick. Perhaps use the illustration of an overflowing cup as to how blessings work. God fills our cup til overflowing and then it is our job to use our cup to fill other people’s cups

Hymns: There is a Wideness to God’s Mercy, Take My Life, O Jesus I Have Promised, Guide My O Thou Great Jehovah

Some Writing on Jacob being a Heel

More Narrative Lectionary Year 4

If you find these resources useful please consider contributing to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing! I have already Successfully funded year 1, and am now working on Year 2!

Sept 19 Binding of Isaac

Living into this God Given World: Struggling with Trauma

Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14

John 1:29

Call to Worship

God without name

You are the Great I am

As we journey up the mountain with Abraham and Isaac, may we offer only the sacrifice of Praise.

Come let us praise God together.

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that it is hard to know who it is who is hearing you right. Do you call us to sacrifice children? Will you provide for us when we forget to bring the sheep? We confess that sometimes we do not have the answers to hard questions. We confess that sometimes the struggle is real. Help us God, when we do not know what to do, or who to ask for help. Help us to make the right decisions, help us to do that which is right we pray. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus promises that all we need to do is confess, and already our sins are forgiven. Know and be comforted by the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, we give thanks for the sheep, for the clarification, for the opportunity to give God the sacrifice of Praise. May we go into the world knowing, that Our God is good and merciful, may we go into the world assured that our God will only ask for acts of love and grace. May we be dedicated to do only those things today and everyday we pray. Amen.

Hymns: Immortal Invisible God Only Wise, Amazing Grace,

With Children: Discuss sacrifice, and how our God would never ask us to sacrifice our children and only asks for the “sacrifice” of praise.

Some Things to consider when interpreting this very difficult text:

From the perspective of a parent trying to explain the story to her child: by author Cindy Wang Brandt who wrote “Parenting Forward” https://cindywangbrandt.com/child-abuse-in-the-near-sacrifice-of-isaac/

From the perspective that Abraham was abused and that might have figured into his own response to one of his children being exiled and the other being potentially sacrificed from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: https://lifeisasacredtext.substack.com/p/why-didnt-abraham-protest-on-behalf

More Narrative Lectionary Year 4

If you find these resources useful please consider contributing to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing! I have already Successfully funded year 1, and am now working on Year 2!

Resource on modern lament

My colleague April Fiet is putting together a resource in Lament and included one of my prayers in her resource on how to lament—which makes sense a lot of my pandemic prayers are laments or psalms. Or as I like to put it “I like to write angsty prayers” which is luckily a very Biblical thing to do. Angst is Biblical.

April Fiet is really thoughtful and this is a really good resource about lament and how to do it. A lot of the Bible is about the importance of grieving and I’m excited to see more as she works on the topic.

Henri J. M. Nouwen said “I’m beginning to see that a lot of praying is grieving”

If you feel overwhelmed by everything I invite you to check her resource out.

https://aprilfiet.com/my-thoughts/how-to-grieve-in-an-unfeeling-world-resources-for-creating-space-for-lamenthttps://aprilfiet.com/my-thoughts/how-to-grieve-in-an-unfeeling-world-resources-for-creating-space-for-lament

Sept 12 Creation by the Word

Living Into this God Given World: God Gives Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

John 1:1-5

Psalm 33: 1-12

Call to Worship

God you created all the things

Combining the Light with the Darkness, the Sky and the Earth, the Water with the Land

God, you are not a God of singularities, but combinations, yielding all kinds of crops and animals and sunsets

And you saw that this was good.

Let us rejoice in the manifest glory of your creation today and everyday!

Let us praise God, mysterious, manifold and and always creating. Glory to our God, the creator!

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that sometimes we ignore the manifold of your creation. It is hard to imagine that you created so much that you needed to rest aftewards. It is hard for us to imagine that you hallowed every aspect of creation. It is hard to imagine that you designed the earth out of abundance so that every single being should have enough. We confess that we are very limited in our understanding of your creation. Forgive us, teach us to have a better understanding of your creation we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God promises God’s mercies are new every morning. Let us tell one another the good news today. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Day: God as you first shaped the world and breathed life into it, we ask for your continued inspiration and shaping. Grant us the gentle breeze of your your Holy Spirit, especially when we are weary and out of breath, to cool and inspire us. Continue to minister to us in your gentle way as we go into the world, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Children: Play with Legos, Cooties or some other interchangeable toys, discuss how many variations there are, discuss how God made so many varieties of the earth. Talk about the our human job to do science discover, create and name things with God as “Co-creators.” Read God Gave Us You.

Hymns: “Spirit” “This is My Father’s World” “God of the Sparrow” “Morning Has Broken”

More Narrative Lectionary Year 4 Fall Resources

(If you appreciate my work donations for my Creative Writing Doctorate in Ministry accepted for my GoFundMe here)

Narrative Lectionary Prayer Resource Year 4 John; Fall 2021

Living Into this God Given World

If you find these resources useful please consider contributing to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing! I have already Successfully funded year 1, and am now working on Year 2!s

Sept 12 Creation by the Word

Living Into this God Given World: Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

John 1:1-5

Sept 19 Binding of Isaac

Living Into this God Given World: Struggling with Trauma

Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14

John 1:29

Sept 26: Jacob’s Dream

Living Into this God Given World: Dreams & Blessings

Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17

John 1:50-51

Trickle Down Grace, A Prayer

Oct 3 God’s Name is Revealed

Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15, 4:10-17

John 8:58

Living Into this God Given World: Food

Oct 10 God Provides Manna

Exodus 16:1-18

John 6:51

Living Into this God Given World: Calling

Oct 17 God Calls Samuel

1 Samuel 3:1-21

John 20:21-23

Living Into this God Given World: Judgement

Oct 24 God Calls David

1 Samuel 16: 1-13; Psalm 51:10-14

John 7:24

Living Into this God Given World: Holy

Oct 31 Solomon’s Temple

1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-3

John 2:19-21

Living Into this God Given World: God’s Voice

Nov 7 God Speaks to Elijah

1 Kings 19:1-18

John 12:27-28

Extended Advent?

Living Into this God Given World: Justice

Nov 14 Amos: Justice Rolls Down

Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24

John 7:37-38

Living Into This God Given World: A Savior (Promised)

Nov 21 Isaiah: A Child is Born

Isaiah 9:1-7

John 8:12

Living Into This God Given World: Hope

Nov 28 Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14

John 14:27

Advent Resources: The Fullness of God/Fulfilled By God

If you find these resources useful please consider contributing to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing!

Jonah, A Prayer

When people complain

About how hard

it is to help others.

The inconvenience to put cloth across

their face–

or that “they can’t do that to their children”

when we ask them to teach them to mask.

And I shudder when they refuse to put a highly tested medication

into their bloodstream, to bolster our bubble of protection.

I think about what happened to Jonah

When he was sent to help Ninevah.

God followed the boat with a storm

and the ocean, with a big fish.

I wonder how it feels to be

in the belly of the fish,

praying to be thrown up,

so that you can go out,

covered in vomit,

and realize,

that you are still called to help people.

Welp, here we are God,

Covered in Vomit,

help us to take those steps–

in flood and fire, in hurricane and disease,

in senseless war, horrific evictions and systematic racism

even when things are completely overwhelming help us

to pick ourselves up, and remember that even cover in goo

we are still called, to be the helpers

and maybe take a nap under a tree now and then

when we need one,

so that we can look back,

and see the work that we have been doing,

counts.

It all counts, help us to see how it all counts

I pray.

Amen.

People Shaped Prayers

I’m tired of my prayers

Being shaped like sick children

and full emergency rooms

and humans struggling to breathe.

Debates about policies and masks and vaccines make me want to scream and rage,

and do not bring out the Jesus in me.

Lord God, I long for the dandelion seed shaped prayers,

the ones that look like shooting stars, and tiny mustard seeds.

Instead, I am here, cursing fig trees,

Screaming at the stormy waves to “Shut up”

and licking my lips to whisper when I see the rioting crowd

“forgive them Lord–how can they know not what they are doing?”

I’m tired of the shapes of these prayers that tumble from my lips–

But I do not have any other prayers to pray.

Maybe the Holy Spirit can pray some other shaped prayer for me too,

like a bonus; if she has the time.

And meantime, I’ll keep praying human shaped prayers,

at least they are a kind of prayer, I know how to pray,

so I will keep praying them. Until I know what else to do.

Amen.

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

Pandemic Prayers & Resources