Nov 27 Hope Candle Faith as a Way of Life Habakkuk 1:1-7; 2:1-4 3: [3B-6], 17-19 Prophet grieved by injustice: Faith as a way, not an answer Matt 26: 36-38 Gethsemane Jesus is grieved, asks Disciples to watch Hope
God, what does hope taste like? Does it taste like clear cool water after a faithful run God says, faith is a path. God light our path with Hope Help us tp the light the Hope candle So we might find your justice, mercy and light.
Suggested Hymn V. 1 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence or V. 1 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Dec. 4 Esther Love Candle Esther 4:1-17 For Such a Time as This, Esther was Made Queen
Salt and Light
Too often we feel in our souls the meaning of for such a time as this! We need love candles, to light our way. God sends the Esthers, to love us in terrible times. God light our path with Love Help us to light the Love candle So we might find your justice, mercy and light.
Suggested Hymn V. 2 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence or V. 3 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
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
Light of Nations, how we desire you We long for the taste of freedom God sends the Holy Spirit to free all prisoners God light the path to freedom with Joy Help us to light the Joy candle So we might find your justice, mercy and light.
Suggested Hymn V. 3 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence or V. 2 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Dec 18th Peace Candle Jesus as Immanuel Matthew 1:18-25 fPsalm 23:14
Holy Spirit, we cannot even fully conceive your peace But how we need the fullness of God’s Shalom in our souls God be with us, our Emmanuel, tell us the story until it lives in us God light our path to Peace Help us to light the Peace candle So we might find your justice, mercy and light.
Suggested Hymn V. 4 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence or V. 1 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Dec 24 Christ Candle Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-14 [15-20] Psalm 96 (10-13) God, you are coming to us in Christ We long to fill your presence here God what a miracle you become, a baby a human translation of God’s love Come let us welcome Christ Come let us find you in justice, mercy and light
Suggested Hymn It Came Upon A Midnight Clear or O Holy Night
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
If you enjoy my work please consider giving to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing https://gofund.me/554d36e3
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.
Sunday November 20th 4pm-6pm (Eastern) $40
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, 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
Do I complain about this speed bump now? The Covid standing in the way of surgery?
I’m taking a deep breath–of gratitude for quadruple vaccinations And so few symptoms that I did not know
And thankfulness for masks
and frantic prayers that I didn’t infect anyone–and really that I didn’t infect anyone vulnerable.
And for a Day of Work that somehow came together in Coverage really its a miracle, so easy that I feel guilty about how easy it was I know you gotta be laughing at that one God How easily we humans feel guilty, right? (But I planned to be there and had been excited to see all the people and miss them)
But really, I long for deep healing The rest and restoration that I could almost taste
The baby-sitting, rides, meals, work, set-ups, coverage, therapy, bracing
I really do not want a drop of it to go to waste, and the idea of setting it all up again is Daunting Wearying Soul-wrenching
So I pray that you have this figured out already Just like the Church Government meeting I obviously could not go to this week–what with the surgery and/or covid (that I thought I wanted to sign up for)
And so many other things as they go past that I thought, oh I thought I wanted to sign up for that, but I’m glad I didn’t because I realize now that I did not really have the time for that.
Ok God,
What now?
The wait for Monday is a Lot– And this feels more like a speed bump to healing It feels like a mountain, or a quest
I lift my eyes to the hills the annoying, freaking have to climb them hills From whom will my help come?
Fine it will come from the Lord my God…
But I don’t have to like it today.
Here’s hoping for surgery on the other end.
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
God I remember–when you came out of the closet– Flaming!
And Moses, said, What are your Pronouns? And God says, I am what I am
And Moses says, Cool, I gotch-you, You’re the God of Pronouns!
And, God says, Good, because I have a feeling, This will get more complicated!
And then People were doing Violence to one another So God turned the World On and then Off again
And sent the animals two by two Upon a boat And hung up God’s weapon, a Bow (that’s an old school gun)
And said, I’m hanging up my weapon, so you will hang up yours As a sign that Love is Love is Love is Love
And Noah said Cool And God said, Cool, Because I have a Feeling this might get misconstrued someday
God I remember when Joseph Draped themselves in a Lady’s Coat
And their bros made fun of them And tried to feed them to the Lions
And God said, Nope, I claim the Queer One And then we “retranslated” it as a Rainbow coat, so no one will understand them as Queer
(And you laughed again God, didn’t you? You mysterious and all knowing I Am)
And then Joseph said what you meant for Evil, God meant for Good No one can take away my God, And God said mmm-mmmmm
And I remember Isaiah, where the prophet saw God, And clearly identified God as multiples, and referred to God as them
And scholars thought up a new word Trinity– And we ignored the singular/multiple thing–and God waited, patiently as only God can, for it to dawn upon us.
And then there was when Ruth declared her love and devotion for Naomi And said where you go I will go, your people will be my people, your God will be my God
And God laughed and said, this will be the foundation text for weddings This found-family declaration between too women, shh! Don’t tell the Conservatives.
And then came Jesus who instructed us, “Care for the Least of these” and “Let no one revile you in my name” and “Welcome the Stranger”
And we nodded along like we knew what he meant and then we disciples whispered among ourselves about exceptions
And God, God you knew You knew. You knew before we knew
You know, the Bible is so Queer; It would not even be the Bible, if it did not include rainbows and flames
It would not be Holy without found families and radical, unconventional love
God only knows, that it is not us who gets to say who belongs to God; it is but our job to practice welcome and hospitality
Someday, perhaps we will get the laughter of angels right
And so Coming Out Day Blessings to those who can celebrate And safe spaces and sanctuary to those who can’t
May those who are Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Ace, Bisexual, Nonbinary, Queer, Androgynous, Demi, Intersex, Questioning, Omnigender, Poly, Pan, and of Two Spirit find the space to be their full self.
And may they scream or yell or ignore or bless God as wish– Because,
Because You are God, and you care to endure all those things when your children have suffered so
May we create a world where Coming Out day that is a true celebration and choice
May all people be celebrated in their fullness we pray–not because of the Bible, but just Because, We pray this together!
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
**Grocery prices have gone from–I’m worried To Good Lord**
God, How many prayers do you get at the grocery checkout Line?
I remember how many I gave to you when we scanned the credit cards that one of them would not bounce
Two kids, then three, in the card Aware that people around me were thinking judgmental things
Or back when WIC coupons were paper Ostentious, Obvious Burdensome and Slow And I prayed I picked all the right items So I wouldn’t hold up the people behind me While the babies fussed
And everyone judged how many cookies and healthy and whatever expensive foods I bought that week.
These days my prayers, I admit, are less desperate, But I pray a little prayer because every single week the grocery bill goes up
And I feel the panic in my gut the awareness of days past (PTSD, yes?) when I would gather up the kids cereal and yogurt and milk Putting every drop back when they finished Loathe to waste a drop, because we could not afford it
Jesus You and the Widow know that you can’t budget your way out of poverty Only money can help
God, I’m saying a prayer For all of us who are stressed Or holding our breath Or trying not to cry in the checkout line
“Feed my Sheep” You said
“Feed my Sheep” is our prayer in the checkout line. Feed us, we pray. Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Enjoy my work? Please consider donating to my Creative Writing Doctoral degree at GoFundme! I am now fundraising for my THIRD year (Hooray): https://gofund.me/554d36e3
Here’s a Prayer for all those who collapse at the end
Who are just holding it together Somehow Til the end of the Day
And then lose it When they get in the door Or are asked to do a thing Or have to leave their comfort zone/thing/activity
Here are for those for whom the “Simple” tasks are not easy Socializing Being Organized Paying Attention Meeting People’s Eyes Going Outside Sensory Overload New Things Exposure All the Things the one has to Weather
Here is a prayer for those whose bodies react with twitches, or sleep disturbance, or accidents migraines or other body aches
This is a prayer for those who have to acclimate to this STRANGE thing everyone else calls the norm
I want to tell you, God thinks you are beautiful and perfect, exactly as you are and I hope you are safe and beloved–and you have spots of sanctuary moments of hope and experiences of full self
Here’s a prayer for those who experience after school restraint collapse Like ripe apples or rainbows of leaves in the fall or tacos that are too full of good things to eat or cake that is overfull of icing and sprinkles–
We all fall apart sometimes, Jesus wept, and ran away and napped on a boat and cursed a fig tree. And went alone to a garden to pray– but asked his disciples to body double him while he was there.
Here’s a prayer for all of us who collapse, because we are overloaded May we, like Jesus, rage or weep or pray or rest.
Whenever we need to, and find what we need along the way God. We pray this in the name of your Counselor and Comforter the Holy Spirit– Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
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 (based on Psalm 41) Bless is the Lord, the God of Israel God is from everlasting to everlasting God we love to be in your presence Come let us worship God
Call to Confession: We come to God to confess those things that still hurt and need healing
Confession: God be gracious to me and heal me for I have sinned against you. I know you consider the poor and the sick and care for them. God, I know there is all kinds of healing in the world, and that you are a healing God. Help us to heal and to continue whatever healing you are doing in the world. We pray this in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God you are gracious and promise to raise us up and to heal all sins, so we know the good news In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God you empower us, like Naaman to pursue healing. We pray this in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymns: There is a Balm in Gilead, I’ve Got Peace Like a River, O Christ the Healer, Lord I Want to Be a Christian, Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Children: Talk about Baptism and how it cleans sin permanently with the help of confession—its kind of like a bath. Talk about Naaman and how he wants to be special but he just needs a bath. The Pigeon Needs a Bath by mo willems or Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day
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!
katyandtheword 
