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.

#Christianity, you keep saying that word, I don’t think it means what you think it means

A timely reminder of what Christianity actually is to me

katyandtheword's avatarkatyandtheword

1. Christianity to me isn’t about finding all the answers, but asking the essential questions (look at the Gospel its people asking Christ ?s and Christ asking people ?s) gathering together and acknowledging that God is bigger and greater than our understanding of things, and we’d rather see thing more God’s way than our own way, because our way is too small

2. Church is a the practice of community and worship so that when moments of extreme trouble come, you have a healthy way to bring them to God and process them. (Like fire drills). Every week isn’t revolutionary but every week is important.

3. Church is about community, there are few places where we commit to practice community with whoever comes thru the door Church is a practicum in faith just as its a place to explore spirituality.

4. Prayer is the ongoing conversation between you and God…

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Imprisoned: #narrativelectionary

Acts 17:16-31, Luke 6:18-19 , Alternative: Psalm 142

Call to Worship

Lord, you have opened the door for us
Help us to come out, blinking, into the light
Lord the resurrection is the beginning of healing
Let us celebrate and share the resurrection with one another in worship here today.

 

Prayer of Confession: (unison) Mighty God, we confess that we feel the weight of our chains. Our sorrow and suffering, our prejudices and petty judgements, our hurts and helplessness. Each one of us has something binding us. Give us the hope and inspiration that we need to live life freed from chains we pray. (Silent Confession). Amen

Assurance of Pardon:We know that even when our persecutions seem too great, you God are stronger than any chains that try to bind us. Your resurrection frees us from all prisons. Hear the good news, in Jesus Christ we are freed: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Prayer of Dedication: Let us go into the world free children of God, energized by hope and empowered to tell the good news, passing the freedom of justice to every person we meet! Amen.

 

Also anyone else have this running thru their head?

P(s)aul #Narrative Lectionary

Acts 9:1-19a. and Matthew 6:24

Alternative 2nd Text Psalm 42

 

Call to Worship Lord we come to you, blind to the opportunities to be your instrument Teach us to be instruments of your grace, Take the scales from our eyes oh Lord, for we want to see your beauty. Let us begin to tell to story of your Gospel, in our worship here today.

 

Prayer of Confession: Lord, we confess that at times we breathe murder on our breath. We tear one another down, we complain, we whine. We confess that we breathe out hate of people, places and things. Sweeten our breath, we pray. Allow us to breathe in the Holy Spirit: inhaling her inspiration, her hope, her courage, so that we might breathe out the Holy Spirit exhaling: creativity, aspiration and encouragement in every particular action we perform.

Assurance of Pardon: If your soul thirsts for God, the way a deer longs for the stream, Know that our God is steadfast in love, and in the darkest nights, God’s song is with you, so go forth, singing this song of the truth to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication: Let us do as the the Lord commands, Let us get up and go, gaining strength from our baptism for the work you have set before us today.

When in Doubt: Easter Sunday Resource

John 20: 1-18 and Psalm 118:21-29

Call to Worship (from Psalm 118)
One: Jesus Christ is risen;
ALL: he is risen indeed!
One: And so I thank you, O God, that you have answered me.
ALL: You have become my salvation.
One: The stone that the builders rejected
ALL: has become the chief cornerstone.
One: This is the Lord’s doing;
ALL: it is marvelous in our eyes.
One: This is the day that the Lord has made;
ALL: let us rejoice and be glad in it.
One: For Jesus Christ is risen;
ALL: he is risen indeed!

Prayers of the people* (Silence may follow each refrain of “we seek the Lord.”)
One: People, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? Many: They have taken away the Lord, and we do not know where they have laid him.
One: In the darkness of our mornings and our nights Many: we seek the Lord. One: When hopes have been tampered with and things are not going as planned Many: we seek the Lord. One: When our nation is deeply divided and violence abounds Many: we seek the Lord. One: When jobs are lost or never found Many: we seek the Lord. One: When darkness overcomes the health we try to hold onto Many: we seek the Lord. One: In the darkness of divorce and bankruptcy, eviction and addiction Many: we seek the Lord. One: When the usual situations and explanations reduce us to tears Many: we seek the Lord.
ALL: O God, in our grief and anguish, we seek you. Call us by name so that we know you and proclaim your living, risen presence. Amen.
*These images are adapted from Taylor, Catherine E., “ ‘Who are you looking for?’ I Corinthians 15:19; John 20:1-18,” Journal for Preachers, 28:3 (Easter 2005), 31-33.

Call to Confession:
We do not always live as people of the resurrection. While it is still dark, we come to the tomb, expecting only death, and the risen one meets us and calls us by name.
Prayer of Confession:
One: Confessing the darkness of our lives and our world, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing our part in dealing death and denying hope, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing that it is hard to love others as ourselves, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing harsh words expressed and kind words unsaid, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
One: Confessing the decisions we make about our time, our energy and our loyalties, we come to you
Many: God of grace and mercy, hear our prayer.
ALL: God of hope and resurrection, free us from the stones that block us from living as resurrection people. [Silent confession.] Amen.

Assurance of Pardon:
God has removed the stone from the tomb. The resurrected Jesus meets us, calling us by name, that we may proclaim him as the risen Lord.
Thanks be to God for the Good News:
ALL: In Jesus Christ, we are resurrection people. Thanks be to God.

More Lent Prayer Resources

Rev. Dr. Barbara Hedges-Goettl has her doctorate in liturgy and has worked on the new Book of Common Worship for the PCUSA, she is particularly interested in Communion, and uses her writing skills for bulletins, sermons and IEPs for children with special needs.

 

 

An entire Communion Liturgy is available at https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/when-in-doubt-prayer-resource-maundythursday-communion-liturgy-lastsupper/

 

#HolySaturday musings

Saturday is the breath caught, chest aching,

Its the moment when you don’t know if you are going to celebrate or cry

The heartbeat of one in the womb, the phone call with good or bad news, the applications that are awaiting decision.

Saturday is running the race, but not yet knowing who is going to win,

Its crying so much that you can’t recognize the person standing in front of you

Its the why moment.

Why, why, why? Why does this happen? What does this mean? What is the purpose behidn it all.

Saturday is the day of unanswerable questions,

the time of tangled mysteries,

the moment of mindless emotions.

Remember, God gives us that uncertainty, blesses it, and reminds us that we all have that moment of throat-catching, almost-not breathing.

The moment of full humanity,

Because God wants to remind us that our God is the one who catches us by surprise.

Even when we supposedly know what’s going to happen.

Maybe its should be known as Surprising Saturday Instead.

 

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

When in Doubt: Thomas Narrative Lectionary Prayer

John 20: 19-31 and Psalm 145: 13-21

Call to Worship: Lord we come to know you, So Lord we come to taste and see the kingdom through communion, Lord we are full of doubts, So Lord, we come to touch and believe that you are the crucified God, Lord we are full of worry, So Lord, let us confess together, here, that you are “My Lord and My God” today. 

Prayer of Confession: Lord we confess that we are much more likely to remember people’s moments of doubt, then their acts of belief. We call Thomas the doubting one, when he was the one cheered Jesus’s return to Lazurus, willing to risk stoning and death. Too often we worry about our doubts, instead of embracing our triumphs. Remind us, here and now, that you are our Lord and God in times of both doubt and certainty. Let us confess you as our Lord and God, even when we aren’t sure, we pray.

Assurance of Pardon: God is faithful in all God’s words,and gracious in all deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. Therefore, we can be confident in the truth In Jesus Christ we are forgiven, Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering Prayer Lord, let us go into the world, ready to find and hug Jesus. Do not allow doubt to be a stumbling block, but instead teach us how to share the love of Jesus Christ in such a way that all might hear it, so that we might be better dedicated to you we pray. Amen.

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

When in Doubt: #GoodFriday, Tenebrae Nail #liturgy based on the book of John

Good Friday
New Covenant Presbyterian Church Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVICE
The service tonight is known as the “Service of The Nails”. It is a series of readings, responses, and silent reflection and prayer designed to help us enter more deeply into the meaning of Good Friday. Everyone is requested to take a nail to keep it with them for use during the service. For the service, you are asked to remain seated

Call to Worship
L The Lord be with you.
P And also with you

THE NAIL OF BROKENNESS*
“We are a resurrection people” we like to say
And we say it often
“But resurrection doesn’t erase or replace the real life that happens before, during and after, the real life that we all know.
The places where we are broken.
Where we are grieving
where we are sad
where we are angry
where we are hurting
where we are anxious
Where we are lonely
where we are human—fully
And we each carry around the expreicnes of trauma, and loss and hurt, that are a real part of our life.
Those experiences live within us, and they exist before, during and after resurrction. Yes, we are a resurrection people
But we are also human—fully.
and that means that we know death, just as surely as we know life.
Death is real, it is excruciating, and painful, and it is a part of life.
But God is not afraid of death. God is big enough hold us in our hurt, in our brokenness, in those places of death where we cannot hold ourselves. When we find ourselves in those places, when we cannot imagine ever feeling joy again, may we remember, that although God will not erase the pain. God will hold us, God will stand with us.

John 18:2-5
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, ‘For whom are you looking?’ 5They answered, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’* Jesus replied, ‘I am he.’

Sung Response: Extinguishing the Light
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (silence)

Prayer*
O God, will your stars never shine again?
Will they never again sing their songs to my soul?

THE NAIL OF HATRED
JOHN 19:1-6a Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3They kept coming up to him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and striking him on the face. 4Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.’ 5So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’ 6When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’

Sung Response: Extinguishing the Light
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross? (silence)

Prayer*
O God, will your stars never shine again?
Will they never again sing their songs to my soul?

THE RESPONSE
ACT OF CONFESSION
You are invited to have your sins nailed to the cross

Meditation and Prayer
Prayer*
O God, will your stars never shine again?
Will they never again sing their songs to my soul?

THE NAIL OF STUMBLING JOHN 18:15-17, 25-27
15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17The woman said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ 18Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing round it and warming themselves. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ 26One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ 27Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

Sung Response Extinguishing the Light
Were you there when left him on the cross?
Were you there when they left him on the cross?
O, Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they left him on the cross? (silence)

Prayer*
O God, will your stars never shine again?
Will they never again sing their songs to my soul?

THE NAIL OF DEATH JOHN 18:28-30
After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Sung Response Extinguishing the Light
Were you there when the sun refused shine?
Were you there when the sun refused shine?
O, Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when the sun refused to shine? (silence)

Prayer *
O God, will your stars never shine again?
Will they never again sing their songs to my soul?

RESPONSIVE READING: THE PROMISE OF MERCY*
O God of my heart, peel back the night and let the straight pour out upon my upturned face, Let my eyes drink a day of stars. Let my heart bathe in the stunning light, until my soul sings again with the conviction of the faithful. In your mercy and justice, O God of my heart call me by name, and the stars will shine once more, as they did on that morning when they first began to sing.

 

Communion
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We life them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise….(Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer)
Jesus came into the world, not to judge it, but to save it.
We are so grateful for God’s infinite love, and we celebrate with all of creation, the saving work, of our Suffering Saviour. On the night before he was nailed to the merciless cross,
Jesus shared His last meal with His friends. He took the bread, He broke it, and He gave thanks, and then He passed it among them saying,
This is my body which is broken for you. Eat it and remember Me.
He took the wine, and He gave thanks, and then He passed it among them saying,
This is my blood which is shed for you. Drink it and remember Me.
And so, we take, we eat and drink, and we remember:
There is no greater love, than this sacrifice which You, Jesus, made for us
God is with us, even when we fear
Come, let us taste and see the Lord

Sung Response: Extinguishing the Light
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (silence)

 

*These Prayers are  from Dying Liturgy of NextChurch national gathering 2018

 

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

When in Doubt: #PalmSunday #PassionSunday

John 19:16b-22 Opt: John 12:12- 27 and Psalm 24

Call to Worship: Hosanna, Save us! All Creatures up Our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us Sing. Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is the one who come sin the name of the Lord. Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, Let us all cry Hosanna together.

 

Prayer of Confession: Lord we confess that sometimes it is hard to see you as the crucified God, we decorate ourselves and our spaces with crosses, but forget the full meaning of the cross as a symbol of your love. Teach us Lord Jesus. Teach us how to honor your life and your death and resurrection, and teach us the fullness of your restorative work we pray.

 

Assurance of Pardon: Know this, God loves us and forgives, us go out into the world proclaiming the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering Prayer Lord, help us to remember your glory, by serving others as Christ has served us. Willing to do what is needful for justice in the world. Give us the strength to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with Jesus on his path we pray. Amen

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

#Walkout #Prayer #Neveragain (The this is not enough prayer!)

Walkout Prayer

We come for sanctuary Knowing the world is not safe, so we do not trust in the power of mortals or princes but in the Lord, who executes justice–the one who feeds the hungry, and frees the captives.
Breath departs & plans perish, but our God is the God who promises peace, the God who says #neveragain, the God whose kingdom welcomes both the lion and the lamb.
We pray for that day to come.

And then we move, we ring bells, we sing out, we walkout, we post signs, we weep when 6 year olds play lock out, we listen as closely about the 17year old Trayvon Martin as we do to the 17 Parkland Students. We befriend one another, we call mental health when a friend feels violent, we take time to listen to those who are bullied, we report domestic abuse, we give homes to the homeless. We do the hard work of worrying about each other’s safety. And then we work to MAKE the places where we assemble safe. The movie theaters, the churches, the colleges, the kindergartens the high schools, the middle schools, the elementary schools, the daycares, the malls, the homes, the libraries, the public spaces.

And we make our prayer with the work of our hands, each and every day.

May we all pray this prayer together

#nationalschoolwalkout

Amen