Processing with God: Narrative Lectionary, Liturgy, Prayers
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.
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!
Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that sometimes we are like Moses. We feel unworthy to be called upon. We are ware that we lack. We feel that the burden is too heavy. Forgive us, and call us again to be the helpers we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God is with us, forgiving us. Know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Let us dedicate ourselves to God, who sends his servants to free the earth. The one who promises to make wars cease. Come let love and serve the Lord. Amen.
Children: Discuss with children Mr. Roger’s famous “consider the helpers” when things are scary or bad conversation. (Keeping in mind that us grown ups are the ones who are supposed to be these helpers setting this example)
Hymns: God of Compassion in Mercy Befriend Us, God of the Ages Whose Almight Hand, Wherever I May Wander, Live Into Hope, When Israel Was in Egypt’s Land, Be Thou My Vision, Called as Partners in Christ’s Service
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!
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
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!
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:
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!
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.
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 thatsometimes 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”
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
katyandtheword 