Category: Uncategorized

12 Days of ….

Black and White image of a Patridge perched in a pear tree found https://www.englishstamp.com/product/partridge-in-a-pear-tree/

You know God,
as my husband takes down the Christmas tree
Christmas eve
(quick before we get distracted)
and the relations make their way home
and the songs
and candlelight fades

that we need time
to sink into Christmas
because Christmas is a journey..
I say this not to tsk about
Advent vs Christmas vs Epiphany
But to think about deep rhythms
of the body, winter and the universe

And how we need a good couple of weeks
of Christmas-tide
to rest
think
and pondering

There is so much
journeying
and pondering at Christmas

not to mention comforting of one another

Yet we seem to burst onto the scene in joyfulness
and glory
and demand a quick wrap up with the wise ones
before we rush home

I wonder how wonderful it would be
if we gave
one another the time
of slow
and fruiting
Christmas
with a full couple of weeks of rest

(I thought this especially during Covid “Shutdown”
what if we emphasized a quiet holiday time home
protecting one another?)

How I long for a time of cozy recovery
built in to our culture
Tricia Hersey suggests we snatch
this kind of of rest
whenever we can

So I pray that you
steal some
cozy
restful
comfort
and
recovery
this
holiday-tide

And if you have
not
I hope that you build it in
As I imagine

Jesus
longing for Peace for all
as he lay
with his parents
snug
after all of the festivities

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

Pride and prejudice archive. The days between Christmas and New Years. A woman reading by the fire, another reclining on the couch, the third writing. all look languid.

Advent Day 19 O Come Wisdom

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily:
to us the path of knowledge show;
and teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel
Shall Come to Thee o those who Seek

O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat version verse 4

#Advent Day 10, North of Whoville

I think that our Christmas tree looks remarkably like the Grinch one this year

A Decorated (unevenly and crowded) Christmas tree, lit, with a red star on top

When our eldest was little approximately 3
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas–the 22 minute cartoon
became their favorite movie;
it was one of the few things they watched on TV
They would watch it on repeat
(You’ve all had that DVD right the one you were tempted to hide?
What do parents do now with streaming…the advantages of disks)

This meant that I started to read it to them every night as well–
It was not long until I had the entire book more or less memorized.

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…
but the Grinch, who lived just North of Whoville
Did Not

I am spending my first Christmas not working for a church
in 17 years
The isolation is tough,
I am not feeling Grinchish,
but I am feeling a little North of Whoville

All the things I unconsciously hold together
as Christmas are not there
which is hard, because tradition are important
rituals help to make us human
and keep us rooted

And though I long for a church
that is more flexible
open and able to communicate
to the world at large

It doesn’t mean that I do not miss
all the pieces that I cherished
About leading through Advent

All the carefully chosen pieces
that others might not have noticed
but I knew were full of meaning
and nudging people to open their hearts
to teach about the full humanity,
humility and the wonderful
accessible salvific work of Jesus

But I also know that Christmas
doesn’t come from what we do
or say
It comes all the same

And though I’m between jobs
and making new traditions
and trusting in God for these next steps
Somehow or other
Christmas [will come] all the same
as it has come, every time before

In pandemics, wars and God knows what else
and though they are foregoing Christmas in the West Bank
in solidarity with Gaza, and I agree
I think, somehow or other
I have to believe

Christ is here all the same.

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


Still time to sign up

Want some help Getting ready for Advent?

Write an Advent Wreath Liturgy in a small personalized environment

Limit 10 people per workshop
This Zoom Workshop is designed for all levels and experiences for people to engage in prayer writing–using the scripture as your guide. This will be an instructional, small group (limit 10) and experiential workshop.

Mon Nov 27th 6-8pm (Eastern) $50 Per Person Tues Dec 5th 12:30-2:30pm
(As Advent will have already started, Katy will have an Advent Candle Liturgy for use, she will send you)

Led by Katy Stenta, Pastor, Writer and Educator
For more information to sign up, email Katyandtheword at gmail.com. Titled “Liturgy”

Katy Stenta is a regular contributor to Sermonsuite, (formerly) RevGalBlogPals, and is published in Enfleshed, Presbyterian’s Today and Outlook. She received her undergraduate in English and History and Minor on Philosophy at Oberlin, her M. Div. and MA in Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is currently pursuing her D. Min. in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She also writes personal prayers regularly at katyandtheword.com.
(Min. 3 People to run)

Extended Advent

RCL
Matthew 25:31-46
Psalm 95:1-7a
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1:15-23

Preparing for One another, Prophecy of God’s Coming

Call to Worship (Based on Ezekiel 34:11-6)
God promises to seek us out, and gather us together
Even as we seek Jesus, Jesus seeks us
We are preparing for Christ, Christ is preparing for us
Come let us seek the face of God together

Call to Confession: God is even now preparing the table for our feast. Let us lay down our yokes, bags and heavy burdens, so that we might be better able to recognize Christ’s presences among us.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we are so anxious to see you that sometimes we are unable to see the needs in front of us. We forget that you are the Good Shepherd who longs to care and feed all of your sheep. We forget that your mother Mary proclaimed your birth with cries of justice and the hope of filling the earth with good things to eat. Teach us to celebrate your arrival with generosity and thanksgiving as an ongoing practicum throughout our lives we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: We are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of God’s hand–today we have heard God’s voice and are forgiven, let us proclaim the good news to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Collect: Let us come into God’s presence with Thanksgiving, ready to see the face of Jesus in the least of these, the hungry, the poor, the impisoned, the immigrant and the thirsty. And then God, help us, empower us and energize us to be your arms and hands, and to go into the world to help all those in need we pray. Remind us that we are doing this in your name, and that every time we demonstrate belatedness, we see the face of Jesus, in your name we pray. Amen.

Candle of Thanksgiving/Preparation:

We light this candle in anticipation
We gather this candle for all the people are going to be fed this week
we light this candle in thanksgiving for good things to eat, clothing, and water
We light this candle in anticipation of the day everyone gets what they need and the world will be at peace
God we are awaiting you
Jesus help us to prepare the way




Sign Up Now

It is not too late
Sign up for this morning workshop/retreat
and learn how to write prayers.

Do you want to learn how to write prayers and liturgy? Psalms and Calls to Worship? Confessions and Personal Prayers? This Zoom Workshop is designed for all levels and experiences for people to engage in prayer writing–using the scripture as your guide. This will be an instructional, small group (limit 10) and experiential workshop.

Friday November 17th 10am-12pm (Eastern) $50 Per Person

Led by Katy Stenta, Pastor, Writer and Educator

For more information to sign up, email Katyandtheword at gmail.com. Titled “Liturgy”

Katy Stenta is a regular contributor to Sermonsuite, (formerly) RevGalBlogPals, and is published in Enfleshed, Presbyterian’s Today and Outlook. She received her undergraduate in English and History and Minor on Philosophy at Oberlin, her M. Div. and MA in Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is currently pursuing her D. Min. in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She also writes personal prayers regularly at katyandtheword.com.

(Min. 3 People to run)