Because Dirt is beautiful nurturing, rich, Smelling of life
Because God took dust Formed humanity and breathed, pneuma, life into it
Ashes
Because, God walks with us from the mountaintops to the sand on the beaches
God kneels with us in dirt, helping to ease the load and when we look at our hands and feet, worried about how dirty we are God sits with us in the grime
And then God kneels, and washes between our toes counting the grains of sand, the remnants of our work and days reminding us of the Abrahamic promise
Ashes, because we are mortal And nothing is forever, and it is good to remember Our time is limited
But enough
Created from dust–to dust we will return Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Amen
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
To Support me as a Working Public Theologian Donate via Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail, Cash App $bookkats GoFundMe to send me a check email KatyandthWord at gmail receipts available upon request
Kneeling with Christ The Promise of a New Kin-dom Breaking [A World Beyond] Capitalism
Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting Suggested Donation for entire Liturgy $75 (you can decide what is fair for portions) Receipt Available upon request Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
Breath Prayer Option Breathe in: Jesus I will serve you Breathe out: Jesus I will follow you
Call to Worship Jesus we are following you into Lent Your laws are perfect, so we follow you Jesus we long to love and serve like you Here we are, starting the journey into Lent, Journey with us God Come let us journey with God Come, let us make space for this holy time together.
Call to Confession Jesus calls us to follow him, because we are heavy burdened, let us lay down what we are carrying to God, so we might find rest
Prayer of Confession: God we know that what you have to offer is more desirable than God and sweeter than honey, but we confess that we are not ready to give up all of our possessions and follow you. We confess that we find the idea of changing everything, difficult. We confess that we are uncertain, sometimes, what following you even means sometimes. Forgive us when we are afraid, teach us how to serve beside you in ways that are life giving and hopeful we pray. In the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News: Jesus promises that he is preparing a way full of grace and mercy for us, so we can be assured of the good news, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven, Amen.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Let us go forth proclaiming the good news, that faith is not about who is first or who has the most. It is not even about being perfect. For it is God who will teach us to serve, and we will carry that throughout the world. Amen.
Hymn Suggestions: They will Know We are Christians By Our Love, I Wonder as I Wander
Taize Option: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Children’s Activity: Play Simon Says, Stoplight, Duck Duck Goose depending on Ages, talk about how these games who wins “it” the person in control, how you lose, and then play them backwards, where the loser WINS
Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting Suggested Donation for Entire Liturgy $75 (you decide what is fair for portions) Receipt Available upon request Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting Suggested Donation for Entire Liturgy $75 (you decide what is fair for portions) Receipt Available upon request Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats GoFundMe
(Invitation to write something you want to give to on a valentine/heart: a hope or a burden. This can be written in the order of worship, and dropped in at the end)
Let us gather together in the name of God, Happy are those who confess themselves to God When we keep silent, our bodies feel heavy, we can feel them growing We grown all day long, everything feels heavy upon me, but the weight of it all can be taken by God How beautiful is it, that God knows us and loves us? We are the children of God. Come let us gather close to God.
How wonderful is it to know that there is no competition for Jesus. We will all be fed by him. Let us approach God with the wonder and questions of children. Come let us celebrate the feast of our Lord Jesus and
(Celebrate communion together in your tradition)
As we have all been fed and brought to God with one another, now we can remember that we belong to God in life and in death. We can give our heart to God, and accept the truth, that we are ashes, and to ashes we shall return.
(Imposition of ashes, bringing of hearts valentines or end of service with the passing of the plates)
Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting Suggested Donation for Entire Liturgy $75 (you decide what is fair for portions) Receipt Available upon request Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
katyandtheword 