Category: Uncategorized

Forgive us Our Debts, A Prayer

Jesus Christ, Mary and Joseph

That’s what my mother-in-law says
and that’s where I am at,
when I hear the reactions to the the forgiveness of debts.

Because, I know exactly who your God is
when I hear how you feel
about forgiveness

What kind of God, do you believe in
When a sliver of grace, is too much for you?

What does it mean, when you think every single person
Should earn their place?

What does that mean when all three of my kids have disabilities

No I do not want to hear “I didn’t mean you”

What does that mean for my friends who have debt
but no degree

The people who I know who are $100,000 in debt
born and raised in NYC, for whom this will not make a dent

for public service workers, for whom this will ease all the burdens?

And the hope that the new rules will actually, ACTUALLY help

God, you know the verse in Ezra where the sounds of joy could not be discerned from the cries of mourning when the temple is rebuilt? (I googled it it’s Ezra 3:13)

God, we need more,

Thank you God for the sliver of grace it is.

God thank you for what is being rebuilt;

God help us to tear down and rebuild even more

for teachers, students and those who need even more help today

God, forgive us our debts;

God we are are all Ezra today.

Amen.

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

If you want to support my work, follow my blog or please give to my Go Fund Me for Creative Writing (year 2) Doctorate or become a supporter with perks on Ko-Fi

My Friend, God, A Prayer

God,

Sometimes I wonder if you want to just be friends,
When I hear the rather cringy Jesus is my lover Christian rock songs
filter over my neighbor’s fence, into my yard
and I see the latest news of extremists rallying for or against things
in your Holy name–I think of how you used to walk,
with Noah in the garden, and just hang out.

I think about Jesus, and how much he loved to go to friend’s house a grab a meal,
or wash their feet
or chill under a tree.
I think about how the relationships Jesus sought the most
were friendships,
and how Jesus cultivated those
Like the gardener he was.

I think about the Holy Spirit,
How she is an encourage, inspirer, and comforter
and that I love to picture her in a room of artists
or an anonymous group
or on the grass with students who are doing nothing
coaxing the miracles of communication and consensus
building community, wherever she goes.

I think about our friendship God,
How sometimes I’m mad, sometimes we talk
Sometimes we do not

And you get it either way.

And I love that you value friendship,
because truly you created us because you value
companionship.

It’s so beautiful God.

Thanks buddy.

Amen.

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

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God’s Potent Promises: Joseph in Prison

Full Resource

God’s Potent Promise for the Outsider: God is with You

Joseph in Prison
Genesis 39:1-23 Joseph in Prison, God with Him
Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed when People Revile you
Psalm 146

If you want a document version of this entire series for easy viewing and formatting just email me at Katyandtheword at gmail and title it Narrative Lectionary and I will be happy to send it to you.

If you would like to support my work, please give to my gofundme for my D. Min in Creative Writing or in an exciting new prospect become a Patron for only $3 a month!

Call to Worship

God you call to the outsider 

You care for those who are imprisoned, different or are alone

You are with the marginal

God you are the God of the least of these

How mighty is our God, who cares for those we forget

Praise be to God, let us bless God 

Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 146)

Praise the Lord, O my Soul

God made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, and keeps faith forevers

God executes justice for the oppressed, feeds the hungry, and sets the prisoner free. Thisis our God!

Come let us Praise the Lord!

Call to Confession: Come let us carry any piece of ourselves that is different or imprisoned to God.

Confession: Holy Spirit, I confess that I am not Joseph, but there are times in my life where I have felt like an outsider or trapped by my actions. There are times where I have felt different. God I confess it is easy to become embittered about those harsh times in life, or to hate as a result. I confess that it is easier to believe in a God of winners and powerful ones, than a God who wants to care for those who are vulnerable and powerless. Remind me that you came as a baby to show me that you are not interested in power, but love. Help me to understand a hope that is different and a freedom that is not political I pray. (Silent Confession). Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus comes to free you from all sins, you have already confessed, so you can now rest, safe and secure in the good news, come let us whisper the truth to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, help us to see and accept and free the Josephs of the world. Remind us that you are always working towards justice and good, and human machinations are nothing towards your mercy. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Hymns: Live Into Hope, We Meet You Christ, There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy, O God of Every Nation, If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee

Image: https://ps11showmedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/sneetches.png?w=620

Children: Talk about God being the God of the “Marginal.” Define that word to mean not in charge. Explain that this means that God is not interested in Christianity being in charge or in control, because God is most interested in caring for those left behind and forgotten. Brainstorm who those people might be. Book Suggestion: “Martin Luther King Jr: A Kid’s book about advancing Civil Rights with Nonviolence” by Mary Nhin “The Star Bellied Sneetches” by Dr Suess

If you want a document version of this entire series for easy viewing and formatting just email me at Katyandtheword at gmail and title it Narrative Lectionary and I will be happy to send it to you.

If you would like to support my work, please give to my gofundme for my D. Min in Creative Writing or in an exciting new prospect become a Patron for only $3 a month!

Full Resource

Worry Prayers

God,

If worry were a string,

I’d be tied up.

If worry were my food.

I’d always eat, and never be filled.

If worry were my companion;

I’d be haunted til the end of my days.

But instead worry is my prayer–

allowing me to shape in sighs

and words and silence

all the things that tense my neck and shoulders

and fidget my fingers

and make me lose my keys and phone (again).

And because worry becomes my prayer–

you take it like a gift,

and don’t let it tie me up, or become my food, or my companion.

Instead you tame it, and teach me to live with it, and remind me that it is just one piece of life.

And that there are other things like kittens and clouds

and children blowing bubbles.

And sunshine, and raindrops to cool the summer days.

And you teach me to cry tears of relief,

and to call a friend,

and to turn the worry into prayer,

as many times as I need to.

So here’s a worrisome prayer–wrap it up for me Jesus,

and spin it with the Holy Spirit, so it loosens up around my soul I pray.

And be with me while I pray it please, God.

So I might breathe a little easier, I pray.

Amen.

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

If you want to support my work, follow my blog or please give to my Go Fund Me for Creative Writing (year 2) Doctorate or become a supporter with perks on Ko-Fi

Birthday Announcements

I’m 39

My birthday was yesterday officially.

It was a big workday as I run a farmer’s market at my church, and we have a zoom prayer group every Tuesday, plus my boys and some friends decided to sell water. It was a nice day full of people. A good contrast to the past couple years of isolation, outside and relatively safe.

I made my fundraising goal for year 2 of Creative Writing Doctorate in Public Facing Writing! Thank you everyone who shared, prayed and donated! All the info is here, and last year some people made bonus donations, so I guess I’ll try not to be shy about putting that opportunity out there: https://gofund.me/70a114f9

I start my Publishing Lab class in August and my final paper for the Power of Storytelling is due at the End of this week (it’s a manifesto, I’m manifesting it as best I can)

I am starting a Patron Program Here for as little as $3/month

https://ko-fi.com/katyandtheword/?hidefeed=true&widget=true&embed=true&preview=true

I still have 2 sermon Series available One based on Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering/Unbinding the Gospel and One based on Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh

I also have a Psalm 23 4 Week Series

I continue to write Narrative Lectionary Liturgy Resources.

I also saw that one of the major conduits for my prayers and friend groups revgalblogpals is shutting down which means I need to think hard about what I am doing to disseminate my prayers. Do I need a separate Facebook Page or is WordPress, Twitter and my personal Facebook enough?

Anyway that’s a life update on my writing. If you want to join my mailing list or follow me feel free 🙂

Thanks for Praying with me

Katy “KatyandtheWord”

Multeous God (yes I made up that Word)

God,
I love to consider the stars
That I am inconsequential
Ok not really,
but there is something comforting that I am small
in a great huge universe
That there are many humans and we collectively matter
more than my small mistakes.

Jesus Christ, I love the weather
That I cannot accurately tell you if it will rain
or hurricane 4 hour from now
Much less what it will be like tomorrow
It keeps me humble in all the right ways.

Holy Spirit, I do not always love my body
it needs food and water all the time
and sleep, and exercise;
its so needy, and I’m not very good at listening to it.
I don’t know why I don’t appreciate it like I do the stars
and the weather.

I guess because it’s mine and I’m supposed to be in charge it.
But you and I know that it is really yours God, and that it is still
imperfect and as unpredictable as the weather
and as colossal as a universe.

God I wonder at all the systems of the world
That you have made them just so.
And maybe be ok with the fact that
You were not so into perfection huh?
You were more into variety and beauty and multiplicity.

How beautiful is the fact that you are a multeous God
(Yes I made that word up for you God)

I love you,
Thank You

Amen.

Feel free to use/Adapt/Share with Credit To Pastor Katy Stenta

And if you like my work please consider contributing to my Go Fund Me. I am only $235 away from this year’s goal for my Creative writing degree. Also you can sign up for regular liturgy or extra prayers here: https://ko-fi.com/katyandtheword

A Prayer for the Church National Gatherings (just had or having)

This is a prayer for the church government people

NOTE: not for the people who try to make the government into the CHURCH (that is a imprecation that I will save for another day)

This is a prayer for the church government people

A prayer for those who work or even spend their precious vacation time in often windowless rooms, or staring at screens to discern the Holy Spirit–

Truly God, when human beings agree with one another, it is a miracle,

Alleluia.

And when we disagree,

When definitions, get called into question,

when the same white man stands up yet again, to say that he feels left out

Lord, have mercy on the church, and all those who patiently listen

And bless all the tech gurus, the behind the scenes organizers, the administrators who make it happen.

God bless those in the church who are wonky, and those who will never be, but have taken the time to be a part of this process.

And God bless all those who have always been outnumbered, or at least outshouted in the spaces: the People of Color, the LGBTQIA siblings, the young, the otherwise disenfranchised.

Jesus I know you hear them the most, and that always, always, the more we can listen to the marginalized, the better the church is,

because the church was never meant to be a hegemony (or perhaps even rules by Rogers Rule of Order)

God bless those who stand their ground;

who don’t get muddled by mis-founded accusations,

the ignored, forgotten, or glossed over

after hours of sweat, work, and love have been put into this church government thing.

May there be naps, chocolate and hugs in their future.

God bless the church, which is not the governances,

but needs government, because we are only human and know no other way.

Bless our gatherings,

keep us safe.

Help us to listen better, each and every time,

Expand our inclusion and compassion,

flip the tables that need to be flip,

scatter the money across the floor if we need to;

and remind us to love one another as we go we pray.

Amen.

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

Doctorate in Creative Writing in Public Theology Update

Hello Folks,

I am about halfway through my Doctorate in Creative Writing Doctorate in Ministry in Public Theology. The degree is through Pittsburgh Seminary, and my colleagues have been truly amazing!

The whole deal is I take a lot of classes in a plethora of writing and storytelling things, I learn how to publish, I pick a final project and I publish the project.

I just finished being in Pittsburgh for my 2/4 in person classes and signed up for my publication lab class. I have turned in 3/4 papers for that class which was “Storytelling in a time such as this.” (The last paper is a manifesto on why I write, which may even be fun, I’m hoping to get the bulk of it done next week when 2/3 kiddos are in sleep away “not scary” Bible Camp)

I am still writing prayers and liturgies and contemplating making a subscription model thing for the fall?!? Where some prayers are free, but more content is available to those who subscribe, but we shall see. (I really don’t know if its worth it, etc.)

I am also very, very close to my goal for this year’s tuition. I don’t know if you recall but I’m trying not to take on debt for this 3 and 1/2 year program which means I’m using my continuing ed funds, self funding and fundraising and cutting costs as much as possible to make it happen.

At this point I have $2, 265 of my $2,500 goal, which is really close and great! I’m hoping to close this out so I can stop worrying about this year and move on to next year.

If you are interested in helping me to cross the finish line I appreciate any and all help. Data shows that I get 100ish views a day (which is amazing) so even if you can contribute $5, $10 or $20 I bet we can knock out that just under $300 in no time: More of the details of my journey are also available on my go fund me page as well. https://gofund.me/70a114f9

I appreciate all the support, shares and all those of you who pray with me!

Katy “KatyandtheWord” https://gofund.me/70a114f9

Bad News, A Prayer

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

18-20yr Old Gunman, White
Kills 6 Onlookers, And injures 24 more
Independence Day Parade; Highland Park, Chicago suburb, IL

This is not News to You God.

10 Year old Pregnant by Rape,
Just over 6 weeks,
Denied Abortion

This is not News to You God

LGBTQIA reporters being denied access,
to writing articles and opinions, Don’t Say Gay Laws in Effect
Being told their voices are Not Needed

This is not News to You God

God, I fully admit I’m following you,
Not cause its glamorous–
have you seen what people are doing in your name?

I know, I know,

This is not News to You God

But I have nowhere else to go.
Your way is not easy, but it is Just and inclusive;
Because I know you know God, we don’t know what we are doing

This is not News to You God.

So I am not going to turn off the News (much)
But I am going to follow you,
Your promises are more solid than anything human
And…I have nowhere else to go;

This is Not News to You God.

So I’ll Scream and Sigh to You God,

And remind myself, that You Know, and You Know us,

This is Not News to You God.

And take comfort in that fact. As we strive to do better
to make things better.
Amen.

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

With thanks to Rev. Tawnya Denise Anderson about her thought provoking fb post about how the disciples stuck with Jesus because they had nowhere else to go, i.e. it wasn’t always exciting to follow Jesus, but it was the best option they had, and sometimes that’s what following God means