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.

Bulletin Christmas Eve: Short, No singing

Hey folks we are doing Christmas Eve where we light a bunch of Candles and then doing carol singing in our cars afterwards. Feel free to adapt or use.

Welcome
Psalm 62:5-8For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress;
I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah

Second Reading Luke 2:1-4
Light Candles

Third Reading Luke 2:5-7
Light Advent Wreath

Reflection Roger Held

Sermon “Christmas Disasters” Pastor Katy

Holy Communion
Invitation from Christ
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift our hearts to the lord
Give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise….(prayer continues)

Jesus, you are here. In the manger and the elements, and the Holy Spirit. We confess we do not know how to fully imbibe your presence. So we pray that we can practice taking you in as we experience communion: we pray that it binds us together, that the taste on our tongue tastes like grace, and we pray that you send your Holy Spirit to bless us as we do. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer (unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Bread & Cup
Prayer after Communion

Luke 2:8-14 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, ‘Fear not; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’

Matthew 2:8-12
Light Candles

Luke 2:15-20
Offering

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, & the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
Light Candles

Advent: Follow the Star Day 22

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Prayer

Lord God, this is the first year I’ve been able to write Christmas cards to the Congregation.

You know that I just don’t have the mental acuity to do it usually, too many details.

And God, you know that sometimes I lose the details. Especially in Advent and Christmas.

Usually my mind is boggled with Pageants and Parites and Decorations and Huge Lists of traditions, so I lose track.

I wonder if Mary and Joseph felt that way. If in planning their trip to Bethlehem, they weren’t able to think everything through.

Or if they ended up staying longer than they thought they would, and she reached the “fullness of her time.” then.

Or God, I wonder if baby Jesus came early! Anxious to be a part of the world he came at 8 months!

I remember being pregnant, God. I would not be surprised if Jesus coming was a surprise or not, because even with a scheduled C-section, birth continues to be a surprise.

I often think that Mary and Joseph might not have been the type to write Chrsitmas cards most years too.

Each and every card was a prayer, like this one, I put my whole heart into the card

I listed

Safety and Protection, calling upon the angels to come down

I encouraged comfort: and tried to say both comfort in cozy PJ’s with tea, and comfort like the warm hug one needs when the stress or hurt or anxiety overwhelms

and I prayed for some measure of joy.

And God, I resisted the temptation to just write “tidings of comfort and joy” and assume everyone knew what that meant.

I confess, I don’t know what that means. When we say have a merry, little Christmas, what do we mean by this?

Can any Christmas be Little? Is Christmas really about being merry?
Or is joy more serious than that!

Did the shepherds dance and the magi sing? Did Joseph cry in wonder? How fierce did Mary feel when she was giving birth?

God I’m still praying for some measure of joy.

Whatever that means

I’m praying for safety and protection, and all the kinds of comfort, and some measure of joy.

I’m praying it over and over again. Holy Spirit grant this to us all, I pray.

Amen.

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

If you use my prayers, please consider supporting my journey to pursue a Phd in Creative Writing in Ministry! gf.me/u/y8n94m

Missing Christmas

This is a post I put on my TrailPraisers ministry fb page–which is an inclusive worshiping community for disabled and non-disabled individuals. We haven’t been meeting. Leadership was changing, then I was sick, then the pandemic hit. so I’ve been pondering and missing this ministry a lot. https://www.facebook.com/TrailPraisers. I think there is a lot of pieces of this holiday and this expresses some of it.

This is the time of year we would be just finishing our monumental Breakfast with Santa event. I love this event, because it is an attempt for New Covenant to provide a really accessible and easygoing way to meet Santa.

I like to joke that we had a Sensory friendly Santa before there was such a thing as a Sensory Friendly Santa. I mourned when the bacon went on sale—because normally I’m calculating what the maximum amount of bacon we can afford to buy and hit the big bacon sale in early December, as well as the pancake mix and/or egg sale. (Note You can never make too much bacon for these things). I miss the ease of telling people they can absolutely show up last minute, that a child can take all the time they need to meet Santa and simply sit on the stoop in front of him if he’s too overwhelming, or (like Westley) get in line to hug him 60 times if they need to.

Christmas isn’t easy for families with disabilities, we have to pick and choose our traditions, and deal with tantrums during “fun” things and true heart ache when things change too much for our disabled family member.

I want to give you full permission to miss people and help and hugs and traditions. God knows that is where I am. And also give you permission to feel a little relief that this season isn’t as busy. I love Thanksgiving but it was the least stressful one ever because we didn’t have to pack, travel and get back in time for work and church.

I know Westley misses meeting Santa 5 or 6 times this season, Franklin (my eldest with ADD) is missing being able to show his flair for drama with a Christmas Pageant at our church, and Ashburn (who has speech and reading problems) is bemoaning that everything is different this year. Everything cutting down the Christmas tree, which he confided to me felt pretty normal actually.

Here are some things that have worked for us; We chopped down a tree, and that was so great we went and store bought another one to decorate, we hung candy canes on the tree, we are moving the elves every night (which is not my favorite but whatever), we are watching Christmas movies a lot and switching which one is our favorite daily, we are playing Christmas Music during dinner, occasionally lighting an advent candle in a homemade wreath when we get a chance, we are opening our advent calendars, and writing Christmas cards to friends.

We made sugar cookies (and have the 2nd batch still in the fridge to make again later), and bought, decorated and devoured gingerbread houses. We also zoomed Santa, signed up for the portable north Pole videos of Santa and walked (we didn’t know you could walk it) the Capital lights at Washington Park, we might go again to walk or drive it. We might also be looking into Ellms and ChristmasLand for outdoor/safe holiday things to do.

I miss Trailpraisers and I miss all of the Christmas traditions. I know that Christmas will come somehow, but I also know it’s hard for us families for whom leaving the house is huge undertaking alone. I am praying for everyone, and hoping you are having little moments of joy. And am reminding myself that this is a difficult season, but it is just a season, and it will end.

And also, that Jesus comes somehow anyway always on Christmas.

No matter what we have or haven’t done, or how we’ve pulled it together, or whatever difficult decisions we’ve had to make, Jesus always comes.
Merry Christmas

Katy

Feel free to share with Credit to Pastor Katy

Also, if you appreciate my writing, please support my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing! gf.me/u/y8n94m

Advent: Follow the Star Day 21

Image

Advent: Follow the Star Day 20

Christmas is not Cancelled: The Struggle is Real!

A gentle reminder that Christmas is not cancelled. Because it can’t be.

It’s never been about the presents (Grinch) or the to do lists (Charlie Brown) or even the beautiful worship (Best Christmas Pageant Ever).

It has never been dependent on family being able to make it: there has always been weather and travel delays, there has always been illness and other unforeseeable hurdles (Skipping Christmas).

It has never just been about being joyful (Blue Christmas worship and song).

It hasn’t even been about being home (I’ll be Home for Christmas).

Or being perfect (A Christmas Carol, Gift of the Magi).

And sometimes it’s just chaos! (Mixed Nuts, “A Lot Like Christmas” by Connie Willis).

My housekeeping style is best described as "There appears to have been a struggle." Teeheehee...Yep! Nowadays that is a fact. | Funny pictures, Haha funny, Funny

And reaches out unexpectedly (Dear God).

Why do we have all of these stories and songs and movies about how Christmas happens anyway?

Jesus was born in the middle of the first census, in the middle of an unjust system, where his people were occupied and oppressed, where the powers and principalities only cared about their own comfort and wealth.

Jesus was born unexpectedly, in a weird place, to an unmarried self-possessed woman and an open minded and understanding father. He was born far away from his home, and had to flee to Egypt where he probably lived with distant relatives for a while.

Jesus comes in the most imperfect circumstances to remind us, Christmas is not dependent on us.

Just like we said at the beginning of the pandemic the hope and love and family is not cancelled; Christmas is not cancelled, it can’t be.

And if you feel overwhelmed, or mournful that’s ok. Those are legitimate feelings for Christmas.

And if you need to tell yourself one of the many, many Christmas Stories to comfort yourself, do.

Look at how many disastrous Christmases we’ve thought of, because disaster is a part of Christmas, but it’s ok because Christ is too.

Christ is not cancelled, and neither are we. Let us mourn, be lonely, love and celebrate in whatever way we can this year, because I promise God understands.

That’s why Jesus is coming in the first place.

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