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
*For small gatherings (up 20 people tops) I burn the offered prayers as an offering to God and create the ashes out of the burnings at the beginning of service, let it cool, use only olive oil NO WATER, only construction paper—not shiny paper—and use the remains for the Ashes. I put it out using a lid. This is tricky tho and only advised for people who feel up to it and have appropriate burning containers, fire systems (i.e. don’t set off your smoke alarms), etc. Also you have to clear it with your appropriate councils, board, etc. PLEASE proceed with caution.*
(This can be done as a station as well, just ask someone to read the passage and then to read/recite the Lord’s prayer slowly with the indicated breath pauses—using a printed Lord’s Prayer as their guide, before imposing ashes)
Write a Prayer for God on Heart Valentines, Offer it to God as you enter
When you pray the Lord’s Prayer—do it with lots of Breath pauses a follows
Jesus having taught us to pray, let us mediate on the Holy Spirit and our Breath by reading the Lord’s Prayer slowly and meditatively with the breath pauses as indicated on your paper (in your own mode/style)
Read each line of the Lord’s prayer and then breathe in and out slowly after each line to change the rhythm of the prayer, do this together
Our Father who are in Heaven Hallowed Be Thy Name (Breath in, Breathe Out)
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth as it is in Heaven (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
Give this day our Daily Bread (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our Debtors (Breathe In, Breathe Out)
Lead us not into Temptation (Breathe In, Breathe Out)
Deliver us from Evil (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
For Thine is the Kingdom (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
And the Power (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
And the Glory Forever (Breathe in, Breathe Out)
Amen.
Impose Ashes
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, Cash App $bookkats GoFundMe
Themes: Disciples want to get close to Jesus, Jesus continually points the disciples to look outward Kneeling with Christ :When Jesus Comes Every Knee will bow, Because Christ will return as he came, Kneeling to Serve And we will Kneel to be Beside him The Promise of a New Kin-dom A World Beyond Capitalism, Breaking 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”
Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats GoFundMe, if you wish to send a check please contact me for info
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”
Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats GoFundMe if you wish to send a check please contact me for info
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”
Call to Worship We are called God as the children of God Come let us welcome eachother as the children of God God invites us to unburden ourselves Come, let us wonder at God together
(Optional Opening Hymn or Taize)
Reading of Scripture: Matthew 18:1-9
Confession of Sin: God we confess that we are caught up. We stumble. We want to be great, instead of having the questions or wonder or faith of a child. We get caught in our worldly things. Help us to let go of those things we do not be, and to be less weighed down. Teach us to be more like children we pray. Amen.
Silent Confession of Sins (We write ours down and burn them for the imposition of ashes, no water only oil is used and they are smoldered to be put out)
Imposition of Ashes
Assurance of Pardon: (based on Psalm 51) Hear the Good news, God judges us according to God’s lovingkindness and the multitudes of God’s tender mercies. Thus we can say in confidence: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Communion
Communion Prayer: (Based on Psalm 146) Jesus Christ is the one who brings all together, forgiving us into being, executing justice so that the hungry might have good thins to eat and the prisoner might be free. Jesus Christ came to open the eyes of the blind and to uphold the blind, the widow. Jesus watches over the Immigrant. This is the one who sets the feast for us, is it any wonder that he forgives our sins and reminds us that we are all human so that we might love and honor one another as children of God together? Come let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us together (The Lord’s Prayer)
katyandtheword 