A Blessing for (Surviving) Today

Lent isn’t always about giving something up…sometimes it’s about walking through the desert, and surviving without giving into hate, or the voices in your head that tell you that you aren’t worth living.

Here’s a blessing for you.

Because you are still here,

And it’s been a year, of ::gestures inarticulately:: everything.

And we need all the blessings we can get.

So here’s a bless this mess.

A blessing on your head,

one that grants you good dreams,

and moments of respite,

and times to let go,

and moments to connect with your beloveds,

and reminders that your worth is not defined by your productivity

and that its ok not to be ok

and that this is not the new normal, nor should it be.

So all the blessings–

for being here,

and doing the things

and being you.

Keep at it! Take breaks,

Drink water, take care of yourself,

and be blessed,

For you are a beloved child of God.

No matter what.

God bless you, Child of God.

Today, Tomorrow, and Always.

Amen.

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

Empty Handed Prayer

Ok God,

You know that sometimes,

Ok let’s be honest,

All too often,

My hands are outstretched!

Not because I’m throwing my hands up in praise

but rather

because they feel WAY too empty.

And I can’t find a way to help–

So I pray.

So here I am Sweet Jesus,

In the middle of a veritable plague,

on the edge of what could be World War 3,

while dictators invade innocent nations,

while families are treatened to be ripped apart

for supporting and loving and affirming

your God imaged trans and lesbian and gay and nonbinary children

and black and brown people are still killed without warrant or warrants

and books are being banned and burned

and gun violence is up everywhere

and home prices are through the roof–

Is this how it felt Jesus, when you were born

in the middle of occupied Jerusalem

Is this how the disciples felt

when they asked you the same questions

over and over (and over) again.

Did you have compassion for them,

because you knew their questions were a form of prayer?

God why is this happening?

How do we stop it?

Why do we fall into these patterns of evil again and again.

Hosanna! Save us! Help us!

God, as we enter this lonely time time of Lent,

Help me to walk with you, I pray.

because, God knows,

You know,

I at least don’t want to walk it alone.

And so here I am,

with an empty handed prayer,

knowing that I’m asking for something to do

and what you ask will not be easy…

but I choose to pray anyway,

Because I don’t want to be empty handed anymore!

Lord hear my prayer,

Amen.

Amen.

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

With thanks to @Thomaslhorrocks for the inspirational tweet

God of Trans 🏳️‍⚧️ Kids

Because Trans Lives are Sacred

God of Trans 🏳️‍⚧️ Kids
Change every politicians mind
For I do not understand their hearts of stone

I still do not understand the state sanctioned and sponsored violence that takes children

From first Disabled kids, Then Native American families, then Black and Brown families,

And now Trans Kids from their families

But Jesus descendant of and Rahab,

Prophet chased out of Egypt like Moses, Child of the lineage of Jesse like Esther.

You know & You know, how important family is..Both blood family and found family.

Lord God you know that government cannot define your name or your family and when you are asked these things so often you reply:

What do you say?

Because you know the truth, and God knows the truth of your identity and no one can take that away from you.

But that doesn’t mean that the jeers and stones do not hurt

when they are thrown at you—”Let those without sin throw the first stone.”

Lord I’m a little bit lost at what to pray for right now (bc I’m so ANGRY) except to pray for my trans brothers & sisters and non-binary siblings

Because you God are trans! Making male and female, all of the varieties in between, each in your image. And proclaiming each and every individual GOOD! exactly as they are.

Protect those who are trans* and gender no conforming, help their families and defeat our enemies as only you can I pray. Amen.

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

Feb 27 Man Born Blind

Psalm 27:1-4

John 9:1-41

Reflection by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Call to Worship

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life, whom shall I fear?

One thing I seek, to live in the house of the Lord forever.

Come, let us seek the Lord together.

Prayer of Confession: God I confess that I worry that my body is not perfect, or I am not perfect, because I have sinned. Too often I buy into the myth of health and wealth. I think that you reward those who do not sin with perfection. Yet you remind us, again, and again, that isn’t how grace works. You remind us that every single body works differently, and we are beloved, and forgiven no matter what. Glorify us exactly as we are we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Remind us that your forgiveness is unconditional, tell us the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Day: God, remind us that you bless our very mundane bodies with the very simple dirt and mud of the earth, knowing that our bodies are limited, we are also blessed. Bless us today we pray. Amen.

With Children: Talk about the Olympics and the reality about the amazingness and very real limits of our bodies and how each of our bodies are so very different and yet so very beautiful and how each and every one of us are somehow made in the image of God, including those of us with disabilities, discuss how Jesus had holes in his arms and ankles after the crucifixion. Discourage ableism. Glorify all bodies.

Hymns: Here I am Lord, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Amazing Grace,

Boiling Over

God,

I see the schools

that are closing up

due to violence

and protests

and the likes–

and I’m reminded

All Behavior is Communication

All of it–You knew God, when

Helen Keller was throwing a tantrum

when Elijah was crying out

when Moses said

don’t call me

when the disciples

woke Jesus in the midst of the storm

terrified…

All behavior is communication.

So, God I’m wondering

as we start to boil over,

what are we trying

to communicate?

As we are forced

to work

and school

and carry on

in the middle of a storm

as though everything is normal

and haven’t even paused to grieve.

Help us–not to behave,

God no.

But to communicate,

because clearly we are crying out,

and boiling over.

Help us, we pray.

Amen.

Please feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Betrayal, a prayer for the brokenhearted

Cw: Abuse, victimization, implied sexualization

God,

One of my kids former teachers

betrayed the school,

(himself, his family, his students, and most of all his fellow teachers)

and got arrested today–

and my eldest,

with tears streaming down his face

said he couldn’t believe it.

And I had to say, I wouldn’t lie to you about this

and sometimes people make bad choices

and sometimes those people are especially nice to hide their faultiness.

And I thought about, how, almost every place I lived,

there was an adult lurking, who wasn’t safe.

Was this how it felt Jesus?

When Judas betrayed you?

Even though you knew it was coming,

surely at some point he was a true disciple,

Surely you really wanted him to be your real friend Jesus.

And so I wrapped my child in my arms, and I told him:

The bad doesn’t take away the bad one does, but the bad doesn’t take away the good either.

And that we hoped he would get the help he needed, to truly and actually change.

And I imagine that you do the same.

Wrapping us in your arms,

coaxing us towards love, and grace, and forgiveness.

Because, sometimes we feel that brokenness all too sharply.

Please be with us when we betray or are betrayed we pray.

Because Christians and leaders and mentors are not perfect,

and it’s so important to have people we can trust in our lives.

When we are brokenhearted wrap us in your arms,

and remind us of that we are loved and worthy of love, we pray.

Amen.

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

Burying Jesus, Good Friday Worship: Virtual or in Person

Supplies: Communion, Nail nailed to wood or a cross, Cross and black cloth, Aloe Hand Sanitizer, Dirt, a lit candle

If doing the worship at virtually, Send home 1 nail, 1 packet of aloe sanitizer, and 1 candle to light. Ask the congregant to be ready to bury the nail at the end of worship. Ask them to light their candle at the beginning of worship. Do the removal of nails and the covering of the cross with a black cross from your main location onscreen.

We will be symbolically burying Jesus by burying nails,

Read John 19:30-33: Remove the nails and pass one out (have each congregant pick one up from by their seat depending upon your Covid Proticols) to each congregant (symbolically you can just remove 6 nails while the nails are being passed out)

Were You There When They Crucified the Lord (v 1)

Read John 19:38: Remove the Cross, Cover it in Black cloth

Read John 19:39-40: Have each congregant use the aloe Sanitizer for their hands and their nail

Were You There When the Nailed Him to the Tree (v. 2)

Celebrate Communion (optional)

Read John 19:40-42: Have each congregant come up and drop the nails in the dirt and then bury them, or have them symbolically do it at home.

Were You There When they Laid Him in a Tomb? (v. 3)

Blow out the Candle

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary. 

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources

Jesus Last Words: A Worship Service for in Person/At Home

Worship Suggesting (at home or in person, or as stations)

Supplies bracelet sized band of light cloth, OR piece of paper tape/stapler

permanent market, 

pad and paper, 

bowel of water and soap to wash hands/sink

Optional (depending on your virtual/in person options) Communion

Lit Candle

Read John 19:23-30

Tying Up Loose Ends: Take a band and confess something you want not torn from you and attach the band to your wrist. 

Read John 19:25-27

Found Families: Write down those who you consider as close as family, meditate on the experiences that drew you close together. 

Read 19:29

Communion or Wash your hands and think about how Jesus served communion and washed his disciples feet all at the same night then was given wine at the end.  

Read 19:30

Blow Out Candle, Invite everyone to sit in the dark for a moment

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary. 

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources