because I don’t even know what my ducks are anymore.
How do I prioritize when everything is important? How do I do self care when my hours are chunked in weird ways and the schedule remains nebulous and to the wind.
Even when I breathe sighs of relief, or take moments of joy…I know that the ducks are waiting.
Sometimes they quack at me in the middle of the night, awakening me with all the things I’ve forgotten, or all the problems I’m not sure how to solve.
Lord knows, (that’s you God) that I don’t have my ducks in a row.
My work is never perfect no matter how much I try, my kids need more attention than ever (not to mention socialization) and I can’t seem to find a minute for myself.
wouldn’t be–and so they wept a thousand tears, and said goodbye
before they had an abortion.
Here’s a prayer for those for whom the decision was quick,
and definite, because there was no time for anything else–and no room for any other decision to be made. And you know that God.
Here’s a prayer for those who felt too young or too old to bring a child into their lives; there are reasons why Sarai laughed folks,
This is a prayer for those who had too many children–do we know why Abraham and his coat of many colors and his stepmother died– and those who work too many hours, and those who do not feel like they would make good parents–Abraham I’m looking at you.
This is a prayer for those who were raped–like Bathsheba , whose bodies were violated who then had to make a hard decision afterwards.
Here’s a prayer for the widows or those hungry or alone or in hard situations like Naomi and Ruth. Here’s a prayer for those who choose sex work, who cannot be pregnant right now, the Rahabs who work in good faith.
This is a prayer those who might have wanted a child, but were definitely too unsupported–the would be Marys if they could have been–but they would have gotten thrown out, or who would have been in danger if they had said child–the ones who gave up their child, physically or medically because was just not to be–the Moses’s mothers of the world.
Here’s a prayer for the trans and the nonbinary people for whom healthcare and pregnancy or cost or some other piece was just too dangerous, I’m so sorry.
Here’s a prayer for the black and brown women, for whom birth control and abortion has become a tool of white supremacy to poke into their sex lives and to make them feel dirty–for all the Hagars of the world.
Here’s a prayer for all those who are not mothers, for whom abortion was healthcare, may you feel affirmed and blessed,
and know that there is no excusing faith becoming a weapon, to hem you in or to beat you up.
This is a prayer for all those who had moments of not-being mothers,
because Jesus knows that are beautiful, you are important, your choices are valid.
And he greets you by the well, and understands and affirms your decisions, and calls you lovingly, by name.
This is an anti-mother’s day prayer for you.
May you hold this prayer close when things get hard,
and know that God loves your full self,
the part that said no,
to say yes to a thousand other things–
God knows you and loves you.
May you feel blessed.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
The Resurrection of Tabitha/Dorcas is truly a wonderful miracle. There is Peter, and there are all the widows taking care of her who stand as witness as he says, Tabitha get up. To me, the most amazing part is, she does. She must have loved her discipleship. She must have had things to do on earth. Because part of me wonders if Tabitha laid down because she was really, really tired, so tired that she was burned out. In a time where more than half of women admit to being burned out according to Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/deloitte/2022/04/26/women-continuing-to-face-alarmingly-high-levels-of-burnout-stress-in-the-new-normal-of-work/?sh=12cd72432e5c.
What kind of world are we running where we decide that the women of our society are allowed to be run off their feet? It’s ok to work our women to death—a truth I think which has only been laid bare by the pandemic. Certainly, most of our churches are primarily run and kept in order by women. And the more that is put on women’s plates, the less the church is able to do—plain and simple.
One of the main reasons Christianity grew was because it empowered women—it is shocking to see it as a place that now conversely hems women in. Shutting them up, taking away their individuality, sexuality, independence and power—regulating them to baby making volunteers for Jesus. A place where abortion becomes a dividing vote: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/03/politics/abortion-politics-analysis/index.html Meanwhile, Acts makes it clear that the women were the original founders and financiers of the church, making disciples and decisions going forward.
I imagine that Tabitha wanted to get up because she had more good works to do—because she found the charity work in her life fulfilling, because she was a woman who empowered women. Why else would all the widows be there? Widows, who are politically powerless, but clearly have purpose beyond baby making in Tabitha’s world. They are the ones who are present. They are very, very important.
That my queer siblings are unsafe, that genders are clearly & stupidly divided (by baby making abilities) and uteruses are a commodity to be bought and sold and that my value to many is about how many Christian white babies I can make—and that I am not a real pastor to most because I am a woman. I am tired, and very, very angry.
But I am reminded, that resurrection in Jesus Christ, is complete resurrection, one of joy and energy and that the work is good, and moreover—the widows are waiting. So I guess I better get up and get to work.
A version of this appears in the resources available in “The Immediate Word” section of The Sermon Suite subscription resource that gives all kinds of help in sermon writing and worship planning: https://www.sermonsuite.com/the-immediate-word. I am a regular contributor, and my colleagues are fantastic writers if you are interested.
Invitation to Confession: Let all who long to be of one mind with Christ, come to confess
Prayer of Confession: Jesus, we confess that we are so distracted by your Godliness, that we forget that often miss you–kneeling beside us.And that when we pray, you pray with us. Amen.
Assurance and Pardon: Christ who washed our feet, remind us again that you came to save us, so we can always know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, be at work in us. Stoop to be beside us, teaching us how to serve–and loving us into the kingdom work, we pray. Amen.
Hymns: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Hands, Come Ye Faithful Raise the Strain, The Strife is O’er, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, Jesus the Very Thought of Thee, Come Down O Love Divine, Love Divine All Loves Excelling, My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less, O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit
Children: Talk about how parents and older stoop to talk to babies, and that’s how Jesus emptied himself, knelt, became human to talk to us
Call to Confession: God is here, to listen, always. Come let us confess ourselves to God.
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that sometimes we feel like we are in competition with fellow Christians, or that our work is not good enough, or that we do not know how to be evangelists for your faith. In truth, we do not often agree with people who call themselves Christians, and we do not know what to do with that. We confess, that we do not really believe that all good works will somehow be brought into fruition in Christ. Help us: to keep at it, to have courage, to take joy in the work and to keep teaching and praying. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God’s Love is from everlasting to everlasting. Let us live into the assurance of the truth: In Jesus Christ you are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: May we go into the world thanking God every time we think of one another, and knowing that the good works that have begun here will be brought into completion by Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymns: Every Time I Feel the Spirit, I Love the Lord Who Heard My Cry, Lord I Wanna Be A Christian In My Heart, O God Our Faithful God, If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Me, Just As I Am Without One Plea
With Children: How do you know prayers are answered? Talk through about what praying for another person is, and what to do when prayers are answered and when they aren’t. Talk about God’s perspective versus the human perspective.
katyandtheword 