Year 1 – katyandtheword

Longest Night Christmas Prayer

Nativity, 2022 (Ukraine) by Irenaeus Yurchuk.

Jesus,
Sweet Baby Jesus
Born in the midst of a collapsing empire
Hidden in plain sight from everything and everyone official

When different factions of the religion
were all claiming to be the “truer” one
Each saying if you don’t worship our way
You don’t belong to God.

You were born when a Messiah
Seemed to be around every corner
Lamps were left on at night and demagogues and dynamic cult leaders
Were followed at whim, because people needed hope

And the gulf between who was poor and who was rich
The distinction between who was citizen and who was not
The taste in one’s mouth when people called one another
Foreigner, Outsider, or Different was sour and full of hate

Violence was everywhere
Children, the Poor, The Elderly, The Lonely, the Sex Worker
were Ignored or Forgotten
Laws were passed against anyone deemed Unclean in any way (oh my Queer siblings!)

Jesus Christ, you were born in a time
When no one was receiving proper healthcare
So people banged down your door
for a bit of healing

And my heart aches
With the familiarity, you could be born today
Is this why you have to be born into today’s world?
Have we forgotten why we need you?

Sometimes I wonder if you haven’t returned
Because we haven’t learned enough?
Heretic thought I know
But I sit in the hate and terror and worry Jesus

Jesus Christ, we need you. A baby
A sneak king full of healing and mischevious teachings of Grace
Jesus we need someone who will sit in the dirt with the marginal
and embody the Peace so much that we will sit in the dirt with you.

Sweet baby Jesus, though I know we picture angels, shepherds, & magi
I think that a baby born in the war-torn dark
might be the truth
Help us to sit with that, in the shortest day and longest night I pray.

Amen.

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

Magnificat

The Rich are against my religion
God,

I am ready to magnify
Pregnant calling for the downfall of the mighty
and the poor being filled with good things

Raising up all those who have
Never
Ever, Been empowered before

I can picture Mary and Elizabeth
glowing and tired, demanding you step up and step in God

In a world, where the hospitals are full of sick children
again
I am more than ready to demand healing

God I am tired of this human nonsense:
where money is ready for war, but not for childcare, food or healing

I am am ready for magnficat
to Magnify
All the things you promise (instead of the humans)

I am hungry for the time when justice turns the world upside down
the moment when we can see the hope of all children
incarnate
in a baby

I am pregnant with it.

As my kiddos say
Lets Go, God

Let’s Magnificat,
We have been waiting for it
Forever

Amen.

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

Magnificat Artwork by Katy Stenta on Canvas feel free to use/share with credit

Joy And Justice, Advent 3

God,
God of joy
that tastes like justice
on the tongue

God of comfort
that are the warm embrace of
to be one’s full self on the street

God of blessings
that cannot be divided or mangled
that are not confused with wealth or greed

God, I hear your voice
establishing justice on the earth–
in the midst of all of this! Still, we hear it!

Under the stars, there is justice
You breathe it into your people–
A dignity that is inborn, that all people
are beloved and worthy of love

We are inherently made in God’s image
There is not one single exception,
and Mary’s Magnificat, calls down Justice

Come let us Sing with her
And Call down Food
and Fill those in Need with Good Things

Come Jesus, I Cry in Joy for your Justice
I cannot wait, so I too will dream and wrok
And Dream for this World.

And say a prayer for it too.
Amen.

Advent Unleashed

Advent
Is the prayer
For justice
And healing
In the midst
Of impatience
And pain

It’s the cry of love
In a world of no

The grace of yes
Reaching out
To the whole of humanity
Without question
Qualifiers or pause

All Amens and Alleluias
Of Mary’s Magnificat

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

Love, A Prayer for Such a Time as This

God,
I know what it is
to love
And have nothing else.

I know what it is to be sick
for a week, a month,
a year
and pray and hope for treatment
And be stuck with nothing but waiting
And illnesses wash over you–and you are stuck with surviving
at such a time as this

I know what it is to see your beloved stuck in the throes of psychosis
Screaming for you to help them
And you are right there
But they can’t hear or see your love
at such a time as this

I know what it is to be the one talking to estranged family members
hearing both sides of the story
Knowing that both sides are right in their own way
seeing the irony of how similar they
and bearing the sadness of their loneliness and hurt during the holidays
at such a time as this

I know what it is to worry about your kids getting sick
And the dangers of gun violence that seem to be around every corner
but that society has deemed that the economy is important, so you send them
To school, to the theater, to the shopping center, to activities
at such a time as this

I know what it is to act in love
To make the best choice one can
When there is not right choice
Only the best choice at hand-
After years of “once in lifetimes” wars, violences, protests, recessions and pandemics, until we learn the truth God
at such a time as this

We are in an apocalyptic times: a great revealing of truths.
In such a time as this
I keep learning the authentic sacrifices of love:
communication, doing one’s best, forgiveness, boundaries
God, you don’t have to be Queen Esther to live in this advent world
at such a time as this

We are all holding each other’s hands
And walking each other home
In such a time as this–
God, I know you understand too
I’m hanging onto that with both hands
this advent, as I’m waiting
at such a time as this

Let’s light a candle of love,
especially at such a time as this,
light this candle with us I pray
Amen

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

Full Advent Resources

Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian through donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Dec 18th Jesus as Emmanuel

Justice Mercy & Light Extended Advent

Jesus as Emmanuel
Matthew 1:18-25
Psalm 23:1-4 (or 23:4)
Psalm 42:1-2

Advent Candles Liturgy

Topical Prayer: Joseph

Call to Worship
God, we long for you to be with us
God be with us
God we can almost taste your presence
Come let us celebrate the Prince of Peace Coming

Call to Confession: God knows us and loves us. Come let us confess ourselves to God.

Confession: God, sometimes it is hard to believe that you are with us. We confess that we are often more like Joseph than Mary. Ready to set things aside quietly, ready to avoid scandal, ready to believe to take the easiest path. Maybe Joseph was too ready to think that he was alone in the world. God remind us we are not alone, especially when we feel that way we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God is for us. No matter what. No heights nor depths nor angels nor demons can get between us or God, so we know and proclaim the truth: In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Love is love. God is with us not matter what. May we carry that in our pocket wherever we go we pray. Amen.

Hymns: Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, God of Peace: To Silent Night,

With Children: Beauty and The Beast (probably any but check what happens to the sisters), Talk about how God transformed God’s very Self into a human being to be God with us, to turn us into even better versions of human–like Beauty loves the Beast

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Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologianthrough donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Full Extended Advent Resource

Dec 11th Justice & Joy, Magnificat Realized

Justice, Mercy & Light Extended Advent

Dec 11 Joy Candle
Light of Nations
Isaiah 42:1-9 Through Spirit bring Release to Prisoners
Matthew 12:15-21 Spirit of justice, fulfilling the prophecy
Psalm 146:1-10 Joy & Justice for All in Need
Luke 1:46-55 Magnificat

Advent Candles Liturgy

Joy and Justice, A Topical Prayer

Call to Worship
God, what Joy is it when there is justice
God, your mercy is from everlasting to everlasting
Come let us worship Jesus, healer of nations
Come, let us worship our God

Call to Confession: How wonderful is it that we can bring everything to God? Come let us stand in the shadow of God’s care

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we do not understand your justice. It is foreign to us, completely different from human structures of justice and accounting. We confess that your mercy and healing and accounting makes no sense to us, and we spend far too much time trying to figure it out. When we could, instead, spend time sitting with Jesus. Why do we do that God? We confess we do not know. Teach us to spend time with you. Teach us to look for Jesus in unexpected places we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus forgives us, anytime, anywhere, always. Hear, feel, breathe the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Hymns: Live Into Hope, Lord I Wanna Be a Christian, I’ve Got Peace Like River, Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, Away in the Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Magnify the Lord, To O Come All Ye Faithful

With Children: Aint’ Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around by Kirkwood, Kathlyn J. Or Justice Is by Preet Bhara Talk about Justice and What that really means.

Image Found Here

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Full Extended Advent Resource

Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian through donationshttps://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Dec 4th Love and Justice

Justice, Mercy & Light Extended Advent

Dec. 4
Esther Love Candle
Esther 4:1-17
For Such a Time as This, Esther was Made Queen
Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and Light
Psalm 89:1-13

Advent Candles Liturgy

Topical Prayer: Love, A Prayer for Such a Time as This

Call to Worship
God we need your justice
For such a time as this to light our way
When salt and light is not enough, Jesus we need you
Come, let us look for God
God we are looking for your love
Come, let us love God together

Call to Confession: God you call to your love in the good and the bad times. Come let ourselves to God

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that it is hard to come to you in uncertain times. How can anything be worthy of love at such a time as this? Who can sort out there feelings in this mess? We want time, to clean up, to get things in order, to research, to know things. God, you remind us that you are the city on the hill, not us. You are the salt in our food, not us. Be our salt and light, and remind us that we are allowed to be a mess and still love we pray. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus comes in the midst of emergencies, full of grace, so we know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven, right now. Amen.

Prayer of the Day, Dedication: God, remind us the Grace does not wait, because we need its immediacy. Let us go forth full of grace we pray. Let it spill from our hands, our mouths and feet as we go, so that we may become the very embodiment of your love. May this be our prayer as we go about the world. Amen.

Hymns: We Are One In the Spirit, Here I am Lord, O Come O Come Emmanuel, I Love the Lord Who Heard My Cry, I Wonder as I Wander, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

With Children: Warm Fuzzies https://reenchantements.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/warm-fuzzy-tale.pdf Sharing Love vs. Hate in times of Trial
I feel its very important to note that we call Dandelion fuzz: Wishies in my family and also link “warm fuzzies” to dandelion seeds

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Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologianthrough donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Full Extended Advent Resource