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.

Narrative Lectionary Advent 2 Bulletin by Rev. Dr Barb Hedges-Goettl

Prelude Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates Gramophone Ghana Chorus

Opening Prayer1

The coming of our Lord is near, And we wait in joyful expectation,
Draw close, Lord Jesus Christ,
Shed your light on all that is filled with darkness.
The coming of our Lord is near, And we wait with hope filled hearts,
Draw close, God’s beloved son,
Teach us the wonder of your all-embracing love. Amen.

Call to Worship and Advent Candle-lighting2

O God, in this season of waiting, of longing, of looking for you to come into our world. We are seeking light

In our own lives We are seeking light

In our neighborhoods We are seeking light

In our families We are seeking light

In our work and in our homes We are seeking light

In Grace We are seeking light

In our nation We are seeking light

In our world We are seeking light

We seek, Lord, that we may find

We knock, Lord, that you will open the door

We ask, Lord, that it may be given

Light of the world, lighten our darkness. Amen

Hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,

born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;

by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne. (interlude)

by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

Call to Confession (Joel 12:13-14, The Message)

God’s personal Message is that it is not too late.
“Come back to me and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!”

^13-14Change your life, not just your clothes.
Come back to God, your God.

Prayer of Confession

Spirit, you are alive in me.

And sometimes I’m afraid.

Spirit, you nudge me. You whisper in my ear.
You blow around me, Urging me to action.

And sometimes I’m afraid.

Spirit, you are alive in me. And you are always here.
Always moving, always calling. And I am unaware.

And sometimes I’m afraid.

Afraid of the task. Afraid of caring.
Afraid of responsibility. Afraid of myself.

(Silent Confession)

Assurance of Pardon

The Spirit will lead you. You will hear the Spirit call.
You will journey with the Spirit, even when you are afraid.

The Spirit is alive in you, and you are alive in the Spirit.

Thanks be to God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father

Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

Hymn of Dedication O Little Town of Bethlehem Kaleb Brassee

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above
While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love
Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth.
And praises sing to God the king, and peace to all on earth.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by (pause)
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Doxology (Blue, #592) Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivaDXu27_IY

Prayer of Dedication 3

Holy One, this Advent season we wait in hope.
And we give in hope: Hope for your coming reign,
Hope because of your presence with us even now.
Receive and use these gifts and our very lives for your work

of healing and hope in our world. Amen.

Prayer for Illumination Break Thou the Bread of Life

https://youtu.be/NQpj4TSe-Ec (no intro)

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!

Old Testament Reading Joel 2:1-3,12-13, 28-29 (NRSV)

¹Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—
²a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
    a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
    nor will be again after them
    in ages to come.

³Fire devours in front of them,
    and behind them a flame burns.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
    but after them a desolate wilderness,
    and nothing escapes them.

¹²  Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³    rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,   and relents from punishing.

²⁸Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
²⁹Even on the male and female slaves,

in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

New Testament Reading Luke 11:5-13

⁵And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

⁹“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks fora fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹²Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spiritto those who ask him!”

Sermon

Affirmation of Faith (John 1, NRSV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God.

³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines

in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Closing Hymn It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth, good will to men From heaven’s all gracious king
The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing

Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled

And still their heavenly music floats O’er all the weary world
Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing
And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing

All ye, beneath life’s crushing load Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow
Look, now for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing

Charge and Benediction

Postlude It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Josh Groban

1 Prayer by Christine Sine (2012), posted on GodSpace.

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/prayers-for-the-journey-advent-prayers-for-the-week/

2 From the website of Grace Church in Ealing, London. http://www.freshworship.org/

3 From https://spaciousfaith.com/2017/12/01/offertory-prayers-for-advent/

Advent: Follow the Star Day 3

Advent: Follow the Star Day 2

Advent Follow the Star: Day 1

Its Complicated: a holiday prayer

God, I’m sitting with the fact that all holidays are complicated. Thanksgiving is the worst–because let’s be honest, the next one is always the worst one.

We try to remember to give thanks in a country where taking, enslaving and abusing people, land and…well everything is a part of our DNA.

And then there are the complications of not seeing family this year. And perhaps for some people, it’s emotionally safer to not see their family. Queer people who are rejected, disabled people who are forced to pass, victims of abuse or neglect trying to build bridges in a broken system.

So I’m praying for this complicated holiday, where everyone gets to feel especially lonely this year.

Teach us thanksgiving,

The Thanks part, and the giving part too.

Help us to find ways to safely connect and support one another. Help us to find the moments of security in this turbulent times.

But also, let us give ourselves permission for these holidays to be complicated.

Let us take them as they are, and struggle to acknowledge who and where we are this year.

This I pray in the name of the Holy Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

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

Read about my journey towards a doctorate in ministry in creative writing and give a small donation towards my tuition! About Me: My Story & My Writing

More Pandemic Prayers and Mundane Prayer to Survive the Day to Day

Pieces of Joy & Thanksgiving

God, I’m a the point in the chaos where I am wondering if I am allowed to be happy

Because the world is shitty right now. People are sick and dying. Politicians and governments do nothing and there is real suffering in the world.

And God knows the last recession, we were living on the edge, skirting bankruptcy, playing Russian Roulette with the bills, the credit cards, the job searches

I remember counting property after property for sale in 2010

This time the hurt is less visible. Those who are sick are quarantined, the hospitals are off limits, and poverty is hidden again and again (like we did) because it is a sign of shame.

I am all to aware the the suffering I know is but a microcosm of what is really going on.

So when things go right, when I realize we have enough room to live in, or we enjoy celebrating the youngest turning 9, or I get in to the program I applied for. I wonder is it ok to be happy?

Lord, I thank God for things like the Nap Ministry and Queer Theology and Black Girl Magic which remind us of the value of rest and joy, and that these things must be practiced especially in the midst of chaos.

Lord I give thanks for a moment to soak in the sun, the opportunity to zoom and pray for one another, and the early Christmas tree lights and carols that are seeping into consciousness.

Lord God I thank you for the beauty of snowflakes, the reminder that safe at home can mean cozy at home and the gifts of pets, hot chocolate, and my favorite music.

Help me to celebrate the little things, God. Help me not to forgo joy, but instead to embrace it, and let these moments strengthen me so that I am more able to go on.

Remind me that you give joy to everyone, even those who suffer, and that denial of joy is not helping anyone, I pray.

This Thanksgiving, please give me, and help me to celebrate whatever pieces of joy might happen. Especially give me the spirit and strength to recognize when these pieces of joy sneak up and surprise me.

Help me to enjoy them.

And appreciate them.

And give thanks for them, I pray.

Amen.

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

Read about my journey towards a doctorate in ministry in creative writing and give a small donation towards my tuition! About Me: My Story & My Writing

More Pandemic Prayers and Mundane Prayer to Survive the Day to Day

I GOT IN!!

I GOT IN to Pittsburgh Seminary’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing!

I’m so grateful for every single person who has read my writing, and prayed with me or shared my resources!

I am now officially working to gather enough resources for tuition.

I apprecaite any and all help including using and sharing my writing, praying with me, and supporting my tuition costs through my go fund me.

Thank you so much!

Exponential Growth Selah!

God, I’ve heard on the radio that it’s hard for us to grasp exponential growth.

That the concept that a 2×2 foot closet can become the size of a country a week is hard for our meager human brains to grasp.

And here we are, face to face with a disease that has exponential Growth. And God as the numbers stare us in the face.

Remind us that our actions are exponential. Please God, help our, you know we are only human, brains to process.

Selah!

For we know we cannot take in the magnitude of the grains of sand in the world, of the variety of species and genders and loves and in the mulitude of stars and planets in the universe.

This is why it is so hard to understand your exponential grace God, for it is beyond counting!

God I admit, I have trouble even grasping what a million of something means.

Help us process the growth of this illness, help us to have eyes to see and ears to hear, and bolster our hearts for we are Covid-weary and slipping into habits that are not safe.

Remind us that just as COVID19 multiplies, every single act we take for safety also is multiplied. That when we was our hands, or wear a mask or decline an invite or meet outside we are protecting millions of people.

Multiply our intentions to care for one another we pray. Make them twofold, fourfold, twelvefold, a hundredfold, for you know we need the support!

Increase our fortitude so that it burns on even when we feel like we are completely out of oil.

Bolster our socialization, so that a little bit on zoom or through car windows or across a field, might be nourishing enough for us to make it through winter.

Increase all of the good in the world God, so that the evil that is this virus can be defeated, I pray, and as I pray increase my prayer so it is your prayer, and your neighbor’s prayers, and let it become the prayer of the world. Extend this prayer, so that as we see Coronavirus surge, our mutual uplifting will flood as well.

Remind us that many waters of Covid19 cannot quench our love, neither can coronavirus flooding the very hospitals that heal us, even then Love cannot be drowned out.

Intensify our love for one another, especially in the midst of this crises we pray to you Oh God.

We pray all of this in Christ’s name, and in the abundance of the Holy Spirit, Lord hear our prayer. Amen.

Permission to Use/Adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Read about my journey towards a doctorate in ministry in creative writing and give a small donation towards my tuition! About Me: My Story & My Writing

More Pandemic Prayers and Mundane Prayer to Survive the Day to Day