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Why #holyweek? #drwho & #depression

Here is one of my favorites–why we do this Palm Sunday thing: Here is the Dr. Who clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drTN3rIIf74

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Why Palm Sunday? Why do Christians do this crazy Holy Week thing, where we parade Jesus one week fully knowing he will be betrayed and die.
 
Dr Who’s (possibly best) episode in the reboot is a visit to Vincent Van Gogh who struggles with depression. He and his companion Amelia visit, and spend time with this amazing man who could see beauty amidst the the terror. They return to the present and Amy is convinced he would have lived longer, not died by suicide, and made more paintings. Seemlingly, nothing changed. And yet, it counted, Dr. Who says that the way he sees it (and he has had to struggle with his own darkness and good days). Life is a pile of good things and a pile of bad things. The good things don’t fix the bad things, but the bad things don’t ruin the good things either.And Dr…

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Perfect: A Blessing

Perfect

Perfect like no mistakes?

or perfect like a feather—

bent all directions, bendy, soft and misshapen.

Or perfect like sand, where every grain is unique, 

and together sand is sand 

and apart sand is sand

and it’s still identifiable and beautiful either way. 

Perfect like light or like shadow, that moves and changes

according to its circumstances,

and becomes more or less strong, but is always present, 

and can have hard or soft edges

—Depending.

Perfect, Perfect like a curled feather 

shining against the sand 

in the light

with a shadow.

Yeah, that kind of perfect.

(I hope your those kinds of perfect)

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

I wrote this in my Creative Writing Class, if you want to support my writing please give at https://gofund.me/70a114f9

Creative Writing as a Public Theologian Degree Update

I got a Satisfactory in my favorite (and super tough) C.S. Lewis theology class. I compared “The Magician’s Nephew” with “A Wind in the Door” and how they both deal with with how personal choices effect creation. I’m (trying to be) satisfied with a satisfactory grade as the professor is very brilliant.

Also that’s when I wrote this short Narnia sequel piece about Susan which I really am proud of: https://katyandtheword.com/tag/c-s-lewis/

I am still in the midst of taking my children’s literature class, which will wrap up in about 5 weeks. It is very fun and exhilarating to be reading and talking about kids books, which I still read to this day. Because, I am a kid at heart. I am still working on writing my own story—though as I hinted at in my last post breaking into children’s publishing is actually the hardest kind of publishing to break into, so I do not know if it’s actually a realistic project or more of a imaginative exercise. Anyway, it’s good to keep practicing writing.

If you find my work helpful please consider contributing to my degree by donating to my go fund me.

Teaching No More War, A Prayer

God,

Today I am thinking about how much

We humans have to devalue one another to go to war.

God, when I think of all of the lying that war involves.

Of all the hate and dehumanizing.

It chokes in my throat, and makes it hard for me to breathe.

Was this what it was like for the Hebrews,

walking in the desert,

homeless,

landless,

without water

immigrants.

Is this why you admonished them never to forget

that they were victims of war?

Is this why you promised them a land of milk and honey?

Does this symbolize a land where all people are valued as humans.

Does the promised land signify a place

where Terfs lies about trans individuals are muted

so we do not even hear their voices?

Is this a place where the bullying that

the right honorable judge,

and so many minorities had to stand by

and just take

Is not only unacceptable

but laughable.

If that is the Kingdom,

God–sign me up.

If that is peace,

I want to be there yesterday.

Teach us the ways of war no more, Lord.

Help us to pray for our enemies in such a way,

in such a way that we do NOT dehumanize one another.

Please teach us God.

we pray.

Amen.

Feel Free to Use/Adapt/Share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ea/31/cd/ea31cd3b48ced7e685e9a03d959cd68b.jpg

Peace Makers-A Prayer

Blessed are the peacemakers

The ones who craft safety and sanctuary,

so that parents can read to children in their own beds at home,

instead of hiding in bunkers.

Blessed are the peacemakers, who stand up to bullies

for they value lives over money–

Flipping tables along the way…

and life over the color of ones skin or religion

knowing that God does not say “only let the white Christian people in”

But instead says “It is your job, always, without fail, to care for refugees, for you were once a refugee people.”

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they do not hide from conflict

but face it, head on, and name the injustices, in voices clear and strong.

God bless the makers of peace–who reach into their pockets

and pull together whatever bits and pieces they have on them,

and commit to make peace with whatever they have on them at the moment.

They are never silent in oppression,

They ask the right questions like “What happened here?” and “Let the one without sin throw the first stone?”

they never worry about inconveniences or being uncomfortable,

but choose to act out of the giving of their very selves–to make peace.

God bless the peace makers,

The rainbow promise keepers, the food-givers, the stranger welcomers, the least of these carers. God bless them, for theirs is the Kingdom.

And while you’re at it, God, help us to pay attention, so we too may be makers of peace we pray.

Amen.

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

A Blessing for (Surviving) Today

Lent isn’t always about giving something up…sometimes it’s about walking through the desert, and surviving without giving into hate, or the voices in your head that tell you that you aren’t worth living.

Here’s a blessing for you.

Because you are still here,

And it’s been a year, of ::gestures inarticulately:: everything.

And we need all the blessings we can get.

So here’s a bless this mess.

A blessing on your head,

one that grants you good dreams,

and moments of respite,

and times to let go,

and moments to connect with your beloveds,

and reminders that your worth is not defined by your productivity

and that its ok not to be ok

and that this is not the new normal, nor should it be.

So all the blessings–

for being here,

and doing the things

and being you.

Keep at it! Take breaks,

Drink water, take care of yourself,

and be blessed,

For you are a beloved child of God.

No matter what.

God bless you, Child of God.

Today, Tomorrow, and Always.

Amen.

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

Betrayal, a prayer for the brokenhearted

Cw: Abuse, victimization, implied sexualization

God,

One of my kids former teachers

betrayed the school,

(himself, his family, his students, and most of all his fellow teachers)

and got arrested today–

and my eldest,

with tears streaming down his face

said he couldn’t believe it.

And I had to say, I wouldn’t lie to you about this

and sometimes people make bad choices

and sometimes those people are especially nice to hide their faultiness.

And I thought about, how, almost every place I lived,

there was an adult lurking, who wasn’t safe.

Was this how it felt Jesus?

When Judas betrayed you?

Even though you knew it was coming,

surely at some point he was a true disciple,

Surely you really wanted him to be your real friend Jesus.

And so I wrapped my child in my arms, and I told him:

The bad doesn’t take away the bad one does, but the bad doesn’t take away the good either.

And that we hoped he would get the help he needed, to truly and actually change.

And I imagine that you do the same.

Wrapping us in your arms,

coaxing us towards love, and grace, and forgiveness.

Because, sometimes we feel that brokenness all too sharply.

Please be with us when we betray or are betrayed we pray.

Because Christians and leaders and mentors are not perfect,

and it’s so important to have people we can trust in our lives.

When we are brokenhearted wrap us in your arms,

and remind us of that we are loved and worthy of love, we pray.

Amen.

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

March 20th Peter’s Denial: Lament & Denial

Peter’s Denial: Lament & Denial

John 18:12-27

Psalm 17:1-7

Call to Worship

I call upon you

You will answer me, O God!

Wondrously show your steadfast love!

Come, let us seek refuge in our God. 

Call to Confession: God we have things to confess like Peter, let us confess ourselves to God

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we have things we cannot face, we have phone calls we cannot make, emotions we cannot process, grief we cannot handle, even problematic behaviors we have not yet identified in ourselves or others. There are even habits we have tried to stop, but somehow haven’t been able to, and so denial lives on, and when someone asks us if something is true we hear our mouths so “no” even when our brains say “yes that is true.” Forgive us, and help us break these patterns and to learn how to forgive ourselves when this happens we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God’s mercies are new every morning, every single time we need them, they come, let us be comforted by the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen. 

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, give us the space to seek refuge in you as we go into the world we pray. Amen.

Children: Peter’s Denial: Discuss why Peter lied, what his feelings must have been, why we lie, how it’s human to lie, how Jesus not only foresaw Peter’s lie but understood what was going to happen. 

Hymns: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Amazing Grace, Guide My Feet, Help Us Accept Each Other, Jesus Thy Boundless Love to Me, Love Divine All Love Excelling, Make Me Captive, Lord 

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary.

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources