Enough for Grace

Holy Spirit, as I live and breathe I consider my requirements and hold them up against your grace.

How is it I am enough for you? On the one hand I am never enough. I have this drive to achieve and perfect. But though this drive is a part of being human, I know this is by no means your requirement.

For who is perfect but you, God?

Sometimes, when I imagine heaven, I know I get it all wrong. Picturing it like a Hall of Fame of acheivements or a place of perfection.

When, instead, you promise it to be the feast where everyone gets fed, and no one is too late to join.

Instead, you promise it to be a place where participation is valued, not perfection.

What a balm, to remember that you want each of us to participate.

There is no such thing as perfect communion. If you required perfection for communion, it would unravel–becoming a practice of the singular being a Christ.

Instead, you invite us to come, in all of our messy, fumbling, clumsy ways of love. Instead you encourage any and all to participate in whatever way we can. Jesus stands at the table with open arms, tearing the bread apart with his own hands, his eyes twinkling.

And then, God you make communion: miraculously happen, by being present!

You are there when the lips of the ill or frail touch the elements. You are there when the cup of grace is overfilled and drips and spills over. You cross the great expanses of screens and bring us into communion with one another and you even over the internet. The miracle of your promised presence each and every time we practice communion is perfection itself.

Communion is perfect.

And we are it’s participants, not its perfecters.

Lord, help us to remember you value true and honest participation over any attempt at perfection. You are perfect so we don’t have to be. You created communion so we can be a part of perfection, a part of you, together.

Only you, O God, would see perfection as something to partake in, rather than something to strive for.

In this way communion is truly a foretaste of the kingdom meal. And for that I give you thanks and praise.

Amen.

This Prayer can be used/adapted with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta 

More Mundane Prayers: for surviving the Day to Day

Here is the Link for Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”

Childcare

Lord God Almighty, you know that childcare is a tricky endeavor.

I remember when I had three preschoolers and the babysitter would cancel, and I would get to feel like a bad professional and a bad parent both at the same time.

Today, I still feel like “balance” is a misnomer for what it is a parent has to do to care.

As we enter into this new kind of school year it is with many deep breaths (Come Holy Spirit, Come!) and the attempt to set reasonable expectations.

You know, God, that caring for a child never ends.

How many times have I told my children “Nope, sorry can’t stop worrying and caring it’s my job” (although I do try not to worry all the time).

Help all those who have inadequate childcare in their life right now, which I’m going to guess is pretty much every parent of a young or disabled child. Please Lord, walk with them as they try to do all the things that need to get done.

Lord God, this is a new landscape. One in which we in my country are asking ourselves the very important question–do we care about our children? Is child-care a part of our community?

I’ll never forget the one church I worked at, where children ran around and were loud and were let to be children. And my baby was always being held by someone else. Because it was a church that valued nurturing my child.

When my child was baptized there, I knew they took their baptismal vows seriously.

Does the kingdom of heaven look like childcare?

Today I think it does, please God help us to bring that reality to this kingdom here today.

Amen.

All Prayers can be used/adapted with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

More Mundane Prayers: for surviving the Day to Day

Here is the Link for Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”

Parenting Take Five Podcast

Hey folks I got interviewed by the amazing Jen Evans who is super wonderful to talk to about faith and parenting and priorities on her podcast which is designed to be quick check in

I love Parents Take Five | Episode 56 – Special Needs Parenting with Katy Stenta, let’s play it! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parents-take-five/id1452300981

Confessions in the Garden of Eden

(Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17, 3:1-8 and Genesis 3:20)

Lord God Almighty,

I confess know how hard it is, to see your child stumble and fall.

o stand by why they make mistakes. 

Someone once said the hardest thing in their lives was when when their children were no longer old enough for their parents to solve all of their problems anymore. It started in sixth grade with algebra, and all went downhill from there.

How hard must it have been to watch not one but both of your children take the bite from the apple. Did you cringe and shudder when you watch? Did you put your hand over your mouth so that you wouldn’t interrupt their free will?

Was it then you started planning how to set them on their own, to learn what they had to know? Was it before, during or after that you realized you could at least clothe them in love before you sent them on their way?

Lord, I know how hard it is to balance free will and responsibility. I confess that we do not always practice it well when we see others making decisions. How often do we just want to swoop in and judge or try to put our ideas onto others’ lives. Forgive us we. pray. 

Help us to find the right balance with all kinds of people: those in power, those with all of their needs met, those who struggle with addiction, those who are hard working yet poor, those who are confused or uncertain or unable to take on too many responsibilities. 

Teach us to be family, to love and clothe one another. Teach us to keep safe boundaries and practice responsibility. And, always, always, teach us to practice grace we pray in your son Jesus Christ’s name, we pray.

Amen.


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

More Narrative Lectionary Year 3 Resources Here

Art Prints available here

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Bulletin Genesis 2

God With US

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Creation and Fall: Bulletin & Confessions in the Garden of Eden
Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17, 3:1-8
Luke 11:4 Opt Psalm 18:31-36

Prelude The Warrior is a Child Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu0vJg3RSA

Opening Prayer (1)
O Creator God,
open us to a new awakening, a new beginning,
where we look through the lens of the goodness of Your creation,
experiencing all possibilities in You.

Turn us away from the negative lens, and lead us to the light.
In the name of Jesus, who leads us into life, and the Spirit who sustains us,
we pray. Amen.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 33:6-9 Good News Version) (2)
6The Lord created the heavens by his command,    the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word.
8 Worship the Lord, all the earth!    Honor him, all peoples of the world!7 He gathered all the seas into one place;    he shut up the ocean depths in storerooms.
8 Worship the Lord, all the earth!    Honor him, all peoples of the world!9 When he spoke, the world was created;    at his command everything appeared.
8Worship the Lord, all the earth!    Honor him, all peoples of the world!

Opening Hymn How Great Thou Art https://youtu.be/1NnLRMWj1Z0?t=22 (3)
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonderConsider all the worlds Thy Hands have madeI see the stars, I hear the rolling thunderThy power throughout the universe displayed

CHORUS: Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art (repeat the two lines)

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin CHORUS (interlude)

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art CHORUS
God calls us to repentance and new life.
Let us confess together our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Prayer of Confession (4)
Gracious God,
You are always looking out for us: finding us when we wander away, waiting for us when we are stubborn, loving us when we can’t love ourselves, welcoming us when the world has turned us away, comforting us when we are hurting.

We forget that we should live that way, too. We forget that what everyone needs most is a hand to hold, a place to belong, a word of hope. Forgive us, Lord, and remake us in your image.
(Silent Confession)

Assurance of Forgiveness
God calls us as light in the darkness, a voice for the powerless, grace in the midst of chaos, and a reminder of divine love. Thanks be to God for the Good News:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.


Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUBxpypSblw Sharing of the Peace: The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)
Celebration of Birthdays and Anniversaries

Hymn of Dedication Fight the Good Fight https://youtu.be/2oxRRxtQdaE?t=3 (5)

  • Doxology (Blue, #592) Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivaDXu27_IY
  • Prayer of Dedication (6)
    Creator God,
    As we are made in Your image, we give You thanks for the seed of creativity 
    You planted within each person. We praise you for the clean lines of the sculpture, the complexity of the concerto, the beauty of the poet’s words. We thank you also for the simple gifts of daily life: gracious words, soft hearts, impassioned actions. Make these gifts and all of our lives live up to who you create us to be. In the name of the One who was, who is, and who is to come, Amen.

Prayer for Illumination He Lives https://youtu.be/MLKGO5FzDsY?t=89 (7)
In all the world around me I see Christ’s loving care
And though my heart grow weary, I never will despair
I know that he is leading through all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart.
You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart.

Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17; 3:1-8

New Testament Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Message The Run of Your Life Rev. Dr. Len Hedges-Goettl

Confession of Faith (2 Timothy 4:6-8, New Living Bible ) (8)
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me— the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. Thanks be to God!


*Closing Hymn Now Thank We All Our God https://youtu.be/6g0BSC7eNXQ (9)
1 Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices,who wondrous things has done, in whom his world rejoices;who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our waywith countless gifts of love, and still is ours today
2 O may this gracious God through all our life be near us,with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,preserve us in his grace, and guide us when perplexed,and free us from all ills till heaven we possess.
3 All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,the Son and Spirit blest, who reign in highest heaveneternal triune God, whom heaven and earth adore;for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
*Charge and Benediction

Postlude Make My Life a Prayer to You Keith Green https://youtu.be/PNww8F6G9U8?list=PLF0C522B84843C1D4

(1) Adapted. from a prayer written by Rev. Mindi, and posted on Rev-o-lution. http://rev-olution.org

(2) Good News Translation (GNT) Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

(3) Tune: © 1949, 1953 The Stuart Hine Trust CIO. All rights in the USA its territories and possessions, except print rights, administered by Capitol CMG Publishing. USA, North and Central American print rights and all Canadian and South American rights administered by Hope Publishing Company. All other North and Central American rights administered by the Stuart Hine Trust CIO. Rest of the world rights administered by Integrity Music Europe. Text: © 1949, 1953 The Stuart Hine Trust CIO. All rights in the USA its territories and possessions, except print rights, administered by Capitol CMG Publishing. USA, North and Central American print rights and all Canadian and South American rights administered by Hope Publishing Company. All other North and Central American rights administered by the Stuart Hine Trust CIO. Rest of the world rights administered by Integrity Music Europe.

(4) Adapted from prayer from The Village Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village, KS 66208, found at https://www.villagepres.org/uploads/3/1/1/5/31151741/vpc_bulletin_06_05_16_readers.pdf

(5) Music © OCP.

(6) Inspired by a prayer written by Jennifer G. Brownell and posted on RevGalBlogPals.
http://revgalblogpals.org/2016/01/23/with-thanks-for-creativity-saturday-prayer/

(7) Words and Music ©1990 Belwin M

(8) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

(9) Words and Music – ©OCP

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

God of Gaps

Dear God of all things missing, imperfect and forgotten, I appeal to you today.

Fill in the gaps, like kintsugi, remolding them with gold to make them beautiful.

I am aware that when we humans fill in the gaps, we do so clumsily. Like children trying to fix a things with school glue.

And oftentimes I can feel overwhelmed with all the gaps that exist: gaps that lead to homeless, the gaps that lead to human injustices, the racial gaps, the gendered gaps, the disability gaps, the hetereo-normative gaps, the gaps in environmental care.

There are so many gaps once you start looking gap years, gap employment, gap babies, gap relationships….

And I confess we are a people of gaps. Trying to place everyone into easy categories of work and care. God. Help me to see and accept that we are a people of gaps.

And when I see the gaps, help me to truly acknowledge and try to understand where those gaps come from.

Help me learn how to handle others’ gaps of knowledge, which are perhaps even more frustrating than my own. (It’s easier to ignore my own gaps than others).

Remind me to love my neighbor, and their gaps, as I love myself and my own gaps.

And encourage me to know that you don’t ignore or just fix gaps.

God, you inhabit the gaps. Those small hidey-holes we hide or forget.

These places of mysterious are a part of your very Godly Being!

You are the God of gaps.

How wondrous is that.

Be the God of Gaps today and everyday we pray.

Amen

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

For More Mundane Prayers: For Surviving Day to Day Life click here

More Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”

Mundane Prayers: Prayers for surviving Day to Day

Procrastination as a Spiritual Practice

The Lord is My Shepherd: Sheep Scale Prayer

Stealing Time: Sabbath & Rest

End of My Rope Prayer

God of Gaps Prayer

Childcare

Enough for Grace

God Hold My Anxiety

Looking for a Sign

Dropping you a line: A Prayer

A Different Kind of Rest

A Week of Hard Questions (Anti-Racism)

Here is the Link for Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”

Fall & Advent Narrative Lectionary 2020 Year 3

Under Construction: prayers and resources will be added as they are written

Theme: God Incarnate: God with us, God for us, God among(st) us

Alt Theme: Waiting for God to Show up, God is always on time

God with us: A God who is always with us, not obscured by place or time, God’s covenant to always be our God and God we are always
God for us: A helper, merciful God, a God of action (not just promises)
God among(st) us: Advent, the God who loves our humanity, our very selves, Holy Spirit & prophecies, Emmanuel

Also I propose you start Advent as early as you want

If people sat outside and looked at the Stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.

God With Us
Sept 13
Creation and Fall: Bulletin & Confessions in the Garden of Eden
Genesis 2:4b-7, 15-17, 3:1-8
Luke 11:4 Opt Psalm 18:31-36

Sept 20th
God’s Promise to Abraham Bulletin and Sermon & Consider Prayer
Genesis 15:1-6 alt Gen 17: 1-8
Luke 3:8 Opt. Psalm 8

Sept 27th
God Works through Joseph: God of the Rainbow Coat , Bulletin 1 with sermon by Rev Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl Bulletin 2 by Pastor Katy Stenta
Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21
Luke 6:35 Opt. Psalm 105: 1-5, 16-22

Oct 4
The Promise of Passover: Sermon & Bulletin 1 by Rev. Dr Barbara Hedges-Goettl, Bulletin 2 by Pastor Katy Stenta, Passover Prayer
Exodus 12:1-13; 13:1-8
Luke 22: 14-20 Opt Psalm 105: 31-36

God For us: God in the presence of the Pastor: Change from always being with us—God realized that we aren’t always aware that God is with us, so God became for us
Oct 11
Golden Calf: Bulletin by Pastor Katy Stenta (includes Communion Prayer)
Exodus 32:1-14
Luke 23:34 Opt Psalm 97:6-9

Oct 18
God Answers Hannah (Extended Advent Opt 1) Bulletin by Pastor Katy & Imprecation: Shatter Them
1 Samuel 1:9-11, 19-20; 2:1-10
Luke 1:46-55 Opt Psalm 96

October 25
God’s Promise to David: Bulletin by Pastor Katy and Missing God Prayer
2 Samuel 7:1-17
Luke 1:30-33 Opt. Psalm 89:1-6

Nov 1
God’s Care for the Widow bulletin 1 by Pastor Katy Stenta & bulletin by Rev Dr Barb Hedges-Goettl
1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24]
Luke 4:24-26 Opt Psalm 146: 5-10

Nov 8
Jonah and God’s Mercy: Bulletin by Pastor Katy Stenta, Bulletin by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl, Jonah Prayer
Jonah 1:1-7; 3:1-10 [4:1-11]
Luke 18:13 Opt Psalm 88:3-7, 13

Nov 15
God Calls Isaiah: Bulletin Prayers by Pastor Katy Stenta & full Bulletin by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl, Sermon by Pastor Katy (tech glitches but ok)
Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:8-10 Opt Psalm 138

God Amongst Us: Compiled and Themed Resources from Katy are all available here: Extended Advent Full On Resources: Bulletin Prayers, Advent Candles, Daily Devotional Calendar, + Videos to add to digital resources Please donate if they help!


Nov 22 (Extended Advent Option 2)
God’s Promises a New Covenant
Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-28 then 31:31-34
Luke 22:19-20 Opt. Psalm 89:31-37

Nov 29
Daniel’s Hope in God
Daniel 6:6-27
Luke 23:1-5 Opt Psalm 91:1-6, 11-13

Dec 6 (Regular Advent)
Joel: God’s Promised Spirit
Joel 2: 12-13, 28-29
Luke 11:13 Opt Psalm 139:1-12

Dec 13
Spirit of the Lord Upon Me
Isaiah 61:1-11
Luke 4:16-21 Opt Psalm 143: 4-10 or Psalm 139: 13-18 (this works next week too)

Dec 20
Jesus’s Birth Announce
Luke 1:26-45 [46-56]
Psalm 113 Opt Psalm 139: 13-18

Dec 24
Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-14 [15-20]
Psalm 96

Dec 25
Shepherds’ Visit
Luke 2:8-20
Psalm 123:1-2

Dec 27
Simeon and Anna
Luke 2:21-38
Psalm 131

Procrastination as a Spiritual Practice

Lord God, I don’t know how you built us so that we will forever do one step above the hardest task before us to avoid doing that hardest thing.

But I know that cleaning the house, so I don’t have to write a difficult email…..

Or suddenly figuring out how to pitch another really important idea when I’m supposed to be working on the one in front of me is a uniquely human quirk.

Lord, I am practicing being thankful for the laundry that gets done when I’m avoiding something else.

I am thinking of the number of times I have prayed, desperately or defiantly because I don’t have the energy to do anything else at that moment.

How about you God? Do you save the most horrible tasks for the end? Did you play with judgement for a millennia before it suddenly struck you that you could delay the apocalypse by coming down to earth with/as Jesus’s humanself?

Are you breathing life into this grace period. This moment of waiting between Christ’s ascendancy and the second coming to save every last soul you can? Could procrastinating be in all of humanity’s favor?

My favorite is when I put off a task so long, that it feels too big to ever accomplish, and then I finally must, must do it and it takes mere minutes and does not in fact wound my soul.

Were you holding your breath in heaven, hoping not to have to send your only son, only to come down and realize that you love being human and 33 years is not that long to have after all?

Dear God, procrastinating is not always the best decision, but sometimes I take in the beauty that you designed us to give ourselves time to process things emotionally, that you allowed us to fill that time with more enjoyable or other important things.

And I ponder how, in the creativity of the Holy Spirit of procrastination, we are made in the image of God.

And I offer up to God my procrastinating as a form of thanks and praise.

Thank you God.

Amen.

Image found at https://clare-ofarrell.com/2018/06/01/map-of-procrastination/

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

For More Mundane Prayers: For Surviving Day to Day Life click here

Here are Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”

Stealing Time

God, remind me to steal some time.

To look at the clouds

to be bored

to take the scenic route…

Tell me how it is ok if the house is messier than I’d like, that it’s good to claim the smaller victories of keeping everyone fed and (at least starting out) in clean clothes…

Remind me that Jesus stole time all the time!

Napping in the storm, snuggling a fig tree, sneaking off to a lake

When you lead me beside the (sort of) still waters of a small lake beach on a stolen afternoon, help me to embrace the experience.

When the power or internet is out and I’m forced to relax…

If the best I can muster in thought is half written sentences…

When time is given, as a gift, remind me that it isn’t stolen.

Remind me that Holy Spirit herself might be intervening.

Whisper to me that I am beloved. And that my worth is not based upon my productivity.

    Image: Your Work is Not Measured by your Productivity

    I’ll never forget my first year in full time ministry when there was a snowstorm every single Wednesday of November, forcing me to slowdown.

    Sometimes, I need that reminder God.

    And if I need to take the longer way to Jerusalem, if I need to mull and mutter and forge out some time to relax before I do the next hard thing, that is okay.

    Remind me, God, that you built me, and all humans to be this way.

    And that Jesus knew full well that breaks for food, laughter with friends, and time with family are essential to our humanity, and Jesus was indeed fully human.

    Rest is essential, Sabbath is commanded, time is precious–let me live these truths in whatever way I can, I pray.

    Amen

    Image of Tweet Robin Thede: We all need to expect about forty percent less productivity from each other than normal and yet somehow everyone seems to expect one hundred and forty percent right now. Working at Proffitting WAP: Chile, they are thinking because we are working reotely that we do not nothing but time since we are sitting at home. However that push for productive is affecting our mental health because there’s no boundaries to decompress

    Many thanks to the continuing inspiration of the Nap Ministry: https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/ (who you can also follow on twitter)

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

    More Pandemic Prayers and Resources: Top Posts are “In an Abundance of Caution” “The Lord is My Shepherd: What kind of Sheep are You” and “Masks: A Prayer”