call to worship – Page 2

Lent 1, Teach Me to Pray/Give Your Heart to God

Lent 1 Themes: Call to Worship, Being Present with God
Prayer is being particularly present with God, Taking Sabbath is taking stock, and resting in the grace of God

Matthew 12:1-8 or Mark 2:23-28
Psalm 122

Breath Prayer

Inhale:God is here
Exhale: I am here

Inhale: I am
Exhale: We are

Call to Worship
Praise God for we are bound together
We are present with God when we pray
We are called to be together in this space
We are called to be a Sabbath people
Come let us rest in prayer
Come let us enter the House of Prayer, and take rest

Call to Worship
Our Feet are standing in your gates
We long to be present with you God
We pray for peace
Peace within and peace without, so that we can be present
Help us to be fully present here today
Let us give thanks to God
I was glad when they said, let us go to the house of the Lord
Come let us go, and be present in the house of the Lord

Call to Confession: God invites us in to the house of God with open and welcoming arms, and invites us to lay down our guilt along the way. Let us do that now together.

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that when we hear the Call to worship, we are hesitant. We do not always feel your house as a place of peace, or a sanctuary. Too often it is a duty, a chore, or an item on the checklist. We do not always see it as a place to simply be. Help us to experience the call to worship as an invitation to simply be human in your presence, and to know your belovedness we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we do not always hear the call to prayer. What is this prayer thing anyway? Is it praise? Lament? A conversation with God? We confess that we find the concept confusing. Teach us to pray God, to rest in the knowledge that you accept all offerings, and that any sacrifice of prayer is acceptable to you, and allow us to find prayer as a form of sanctuary we pray. (Silent) Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God loves us and forgives us, embracing us and calling us beloved no matter what state we are in, therefore we can be assured of the truth In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Let us remember that God is calling us to worship, because God loves to spend time with us. God gives us an open invitation. Let us go into the world, bolstered by God’s invitation to spend time with the Divine, knowing we can rest in God’s bosom, no matter what, and let us tell other’s of God’s extravagant hospitality as we go. Amen.

Prayer Activity: Meditation is being present and letting thing go: Ways to practice meditation: Coloring as Prayer: https://prayingincolor.com/ways-to-pray-in-color Particularly, Spending Time with God in Prayer

Click to access holy-thursday-2021.pdf

Click to access lent-calendar-2018-cross.pdf

Click to access lent-calendar-2018-lily.pdf

Teach Taize singing as Prayer “Bless the Lord My Soul” information about prayer https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/how-to-pray-with-taizé-music

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

Brown, Black and White hands encircling each other, surrounded by hearts

Lent: Lord Teach Me to Pray/Give Your Heart to God

Included:
Two Communion Prayers to use as Needed
Sermon Seeds for Each Week
Breath Prayer of the Day
Traditional Prayers
Prayer Activities for each week
Taize for worship or to sing/play during the Prayer Activities (obviously if you are just playing background music live is fine, but watch your streaming licenses)
Creative Holy Week Worship Ideas

Additional Ideas:
Prayer Journal
Leave a Space on the Bulletin for Prayers to be written
Pass out Hearts for Joys & Concerns to be written on All of Lent

Workshops following this Lectionary $50 to Brainstorm available Feb 6th at 10am-Noon Eastern time, and February 9th at 12pm-2pm Eastern time–please email me to register KatyandtheWord at gmail

Please note a lot of these texts are in Mark but most do not overlap the lectionary, if they do they are only 1 of the stories so you can choose the other one to preach on later

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Narrative Lectionary Sermon Series is Available Here

Communion Prayers

Ash Weds Lord Teach Me to Pray
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:7-13

Lent 1 Themes: Call to Worship, Being Present with God
Matthew 12:1-8 or Mark 2:23-28
Psalm 122

Communion Prayers

Lent 2 Themes: Breath Prayer, Orientating Yourself (to God)
Mark 4:25-41 or Matthew 11:28-29
Psalm 150 or Psalm 46

Lent 3 Confession, Placing oneself in community
Mark 2:1-5
Psalm 30

Lent 4 Assurance of Pardon/Words of Grace
Psalm 103 or Psalm 23 (this is an option for lament week)
Mark 2:7-12

Lent 5 Prayers of the People & Joy
Psalm 97 or Psalm 122
Mark 4:30-34

Lent 6 Prayers of the People & Lament, Hosanna, Save me
Psalm 23 as a Lament or James 5:1-6
Revelation 21:1-6 or Mark 11:12-14
Imprecation: Psalm 55 or 58

Communion Prayers

Maundy Thursday: Servant Prayer
John 13:1-17
Mark 10:13-15

Good Friday: Dark Night of the Soul.
Mark 15:1-39
Psalm 22

Holy Saturday: Silent Prayer, Un-Prayer

Easter Sunday: Prayer of the Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8
Psalm 118

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Narrative Lectionary, Year 2, Lent 5

March 17th, Lent 5
Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37 End of age, Watch
Psalm 102:12-17

Kneeling with Christ
The Promise of a New Kin-dom
Breaking [A World Beyond] Capitalism

Lent 5: Serving God: Watching for God for the Kin(g)dom that is promised. Christ promises us that a new world is being built, how can we participate in the building and serve God? Your Kingdom Come/Your Will Be Done

Breath Prayer Option
Inhale: Keep Awake
Exhale: Watch for God

Inhale: God endures forever
Exhale: I will serve God

Inhale: God’s Kingdom Come
Exhale: God’s will be done

Call to Worship:
God is enthroned forever, and promises to return
We are waiting for Jesus
God will rebuild all things, so that everything will shine with justice and mercy
God will hear the prayers of those who are stripped of all things
God will appoint the time and the place, stay awake
Come let us listen closely to the Word of our God

Call to Confession: Come let us speak to the God who always listens with a confession.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we do not know the hour or the day of your coming and that troubles us. We worry that we will not be awake or aware enough for when you come. We are afraid that we will be asleep. Comfort us. Remind us that you are the God of grace, and that it is not a grace that is earned but one that is given out of love. Help us to know that you will help us to tend to the Kin(g)Dom work, so that we may pray and participate in Your Kin(g)dom Come, Your will be Done with confidence we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Jesus Christ, we know that too often staying awake and being woke is used as a bludgeon of judgement instead of a measurement that you are the help and sure redemption in our lives. Help us to reassure one another that you are the Lord of Sabbath and Rest and that the awareness you promise is that of hope, truth and Love (Silent Confession) Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news, if Christ is for us, who is against us? We know that Jesus Christ is even now working towards our grace, and so we can proclaim the good news, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God help us to be aware of your presence as a space of comfort and hope as we venture into the uncertainties of the world we pray. Amen.

Hymn Suggestions: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Taize Option: Wait for The Lord

Children’s Activity: Build a Tower/Town together or a collage– Talk about cooperative learning/building together and how God wants us to be cooperatively learning and building and watching and waiting together and that this is Kin(g)Dom building work. Children’s Book: A Day without Words by Tiffany Hammond talk about how we can watch how other people interact and work in the world, and how we can build relationship with them, and how that is building the kingdom of God.

Definition of Kin-dom https://sojo.net/articles/kin-dom-christ

Children’s Book: A Day without Words by Tiffany Hammond talk about how we can watch how other people interact and work in the world, and how we can build relationship with them, and how that is building the kingdom of God.

Entire Liturgy

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Narrative Lectionary, Year 2, Lent 4

March 10th, Lent 4
Mark 12:28-44 Great Commandment, Poor Widow
Psalm 89:1-4

Lent 4: Serving God: Love God exactly as you Are Don’t need to change Nothing (anything) first. How would the world be if we stopped worrying about appearances?

Breath Prayer Option
Inhale: I am imperfect
Exhale: I am ready to serve

Inhale: God loves me
Exhale: I am the Widow’s Mite

Inhale: God is faithful
Exhale: It’s Ok if I change

Call to Worship:
I will sing of your steadfast love, forever!
With my mouth, I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations!
God made a covenant with David and his descendants
God is faithful, Come let us praise our faithful God!

Call to Confession: God knows us and loves us, come let us confess ourselves to our loving God.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that it is hard to hear the story of the widow without judgement. Should we be the widow? Should the poor widow not have given her last mite? And yet, perhaps Jesus was just stating the facts that those who serve are going to be the poorest among us, because they get it. Help us when we judge how others use their money or how others serve, to instead just love and serve in our own ways, we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that the command to simply love God with all of our heart, minds and souls does not seem to be concrete enough for us. In what ways? Are there not specific hymns to sing or prayers to pray? We confess that it bothers us that Jesus does not say how we are supposed to love God, just that we should, and this means that we cannot judge each other. Help us not to judge, and to just love you the best we can we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, God loves us exactly as we are, so we know the truth In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God help us to remember that you have called us exactly as we are to serve you, encourage us to go and into the world ready to love and serve the Lord. Amen.

Hymn Suggestions: Just As I am Without One Plea

Taize Option: Wait for the Lord

Children’s Activity: Play Freeze (try not to move) or Red Light/Green Light. Talk about how God is always faithful even if you change/move.

Children’s Book: I’ll Wait Mr Panda by Steve Antony about how waiting for the results of hard work is worth it.

Entire Liturgy

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

Narrative Lectionary, Year 2, Lent 3

March 3rd, Lent 3
Mark 12:1-12 [13-17] Wicked Tenants, Pay Caesar (Sacrifice)
Psalm 86:8-13

Kneeling with Christ
The Promise of a New Kin-dom
Breaking [A World Beyond] Capitalism

Lent 3: Serving God: Rendering to God what is God’s, What do you have to offer?

Breath Prayer Option
Inhale: Great is God’s Steadfast Love
Exhale: God delivers me

Call to Worship
God is great and wondrous
You alone are God
I give thanks to you, of you alone are God
Let us give our whole hearts to God
God’s steadfast love is eternal
Come let us glorify God’s name forever

Call to Confession: God allows us to sit in the Divine presence even when we feel uncertain, come let us confess ourselves to God.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we do not know what to render to you. It feels like everything belongs to society and Caesar: our bodies, our time, our work. We confess that it angers us in such a way that we might become like the tenants, ready to lash out even at those who come to with messages from God. Help us to move beyond the structures of this world, so that we can serve the Kingdom we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, the yoke of Jesus Christ is light, and He is ready to forgive, so we know the Good News of Christ’s grace In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven.

Communion Prayer: God you are here to serve us and to feed us. You stooped your divine self into human form–translating divinity into a body and Good News into a format that we can understanding, so that we can taste and see the Good News of your life, one of service and foot washing. Send your Holy Spirit upon these elements so that we can feel your holy presence as a moment of communion with you and understand your teachings as moments of grace and love, we pray in the name of your son Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, we are here to dedicate ourselves to you, because when we do, our lives are more joyful and complete. Help us to recognize the ways you move and are in our lives, so that we might live more fully in service to you we pray. Amen.

Hymn Suggestions: We Give Thee But Thine Own

Taize Option: Ubi Caritas

Children’s Activity: Talk about offering and what it means, and why it is you give offering–and how one can give offering of money, time and talents. Arrange a service project–preparing food or toiletries or birthday kits for the community.

Children’s Book: The Power of One by Trudy Ludwig or Children’s Book: The Power of One by Trudy Ludwig how goodness has ripple effects or Thank You Mr Panda by Steve Antony about how waiting is hard but it can have good effects.

Entire Liturgy

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Narrative Lectionary, Year 2, Lent 2

February 25, Lent 2
Mark 10:32-52 Son of Man to Serve, Heal Blind Bartimaeus
Psalm 34:11-14

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

Call to Worship
I will bless the Lord at all times
Praise shall continually be in my mouth
Let my soul make its boast in the Lord
Let the humble hear and be glad
Let us hear the good news, and be warmed by it
Let us taste and see that God is good together
Come, magnify the Lord with me, for God is humble to be with us
Let us exalt the name of God together

Lent 2: Serving God: Whole Person/Confession & Serving God

Breath Prayer Option
God is with us
God Knows us

Call to Confession: Let us confess ourselves to Jesus Christ, the one who is human with us and for us, and so he accepts us as we are.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we are sometimes ashamed, we are afraid to come with our full selves. Afraid that we are incomplete, or not enough. We are afraid, and so we find it hard to serve. But you reassure us, that fear is part of the process, and that you will always answer and take care of us. Help us when we are afraid we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear this, God answers and delivers us, forgiving us so that we are radiant with the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of The Day/Dedication: God who sees us as complete and calls us by name in the midst of our struggles, lead us towards a faith that helps us to serve in a way that is not about ability* but about faith we pray. Amen.

Hymn Suggestions: What Does the Lord Require of You, Taste and See, Lift High the Cross

Taize Option: Lord Remember Me

Children’s Activity: Self Portraits–talk about how everyone is different and how God knows us and loves us exactly how we are, and how each of us have imperfections like most handmade work

Children’s Book: God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren https://www.amazon.com/God-Gave-You-Lisa-Bergren/dp/0307729915

*Healing stories have a potential to turn ableist really quickly. Though it is amazing that Bartimaeus is healed, it is the fact that Jesus saw him as a full and complete person (notice how he is even named!), and took his faith as a priority that might be the most important aspect of this story.

Entire Liturgy

Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword@gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats
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Lent 2024, Narrative Lectionary, Year 2

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

February 14th
Ash Weds
Mark 9:30-37 Last, First, like a Child
Psalm 32:1-5

February 18th , Lent 1
Mark 10:17-31 Rich Man sell all
Psalm 19:7-10

March 3rd, Lent 3
Mark 12:1-12 [13-17] Wicked Tenants, Pay Caesar (Sacrifice)
Psalm 86:8-13

March 10th, Lent 4
Mark 12:28-44 Great Commandment, Poor Widow
Psalm 89:1-4

March 17th, Lent 5
Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37 End of age, Watch
Psalm 102:12-17

March 24th, Lent 6
Mark 11:1-11 Triumphal Entry
Mark 14:3-9 woman anoints Jesus
Psalm 118:25-29

Holy Week Book
Jesus, The Word by Mark Fracisco Bozzuti-Jones Image from here

Jesus, The Word book cover, rainbow Jesus with open hand by by Mark Fracisco Bozzuti-Jones

Also What is God Like
YouTube reading

What is God Like Book
Black kid riding a Narwhale Across the Universe

by Rachel Held Evans

March 28 Maundy Thurs
Mark 14:22-42 Words of Institution, Peter’s Denial foretold, Gethsemane Prayer
Psalm 116:12-19

March 29th Good Fri
Mark 15:16-39 Mocking, Forsaken
Psalm 22:1-2, 14-21

March 31st Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8 Empty tomb, Fleeing
Psalm 118:21-27

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

Let’s Write Liturgy

If you want an experiential, small group writing experience, here it is

Let’s Write Liturgy Workshop

Now Offered at Two Times, in the Eastern Time Zone

please email with your preferred date

Cost is $50

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.

Led by Katy Stenta, Pastor, Writer and Educator

Who is ready for the next Liturgy Workshop?

Come and let’s have a writing experience together!

For more information to sign up, email Katyandtheword at gmail.com. Titled “Liturgy” indicate which date you want

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 all but dissertation for her Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She also writes personal prayers regularly at katyandtheword.com.

Prayer Workshops are Back

After a season of being busy (a whole year) workshops are back!

This first one is short fuse and needs 3 people to run. I am looking forward to starting again!

Friday November 17th 10am-12pm (Eastern) $50 Per Person
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, (formerly) 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. She also writes personal prayers regularly at katyandtheword.com.

(Min. 3 People to run)

Finding God: Garden of Eden

Sept 10th NL201
Garden of Eden
Genesis 2:4b-25
Mark 1:16-20
Mark 10:6-8

Call to Worship:
God created us in companionship
God created us to be good
Come let us worship God the Creator
Come let us be in communion with God

Call to worship
We are God-breathed beings
It is good to dwell with God
We are called to be with God
Come let us spend some time with God together

Call to Confession: God calls us all to unburden everything to God, come let us give ourselves to the Divine.

Prayer of Confession: God, we come to you imperfect, but still your creation. When we feel alone or incomplete, walk with us we pray. Remind us that you still are there, calling our name, creating connections and companionship for us–walking with us wherever we go. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, Jesus calls us to him again and again, therefore we know the truth. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, you created us, you breathed life into us, you have walked with us. Continue to remind us of your love, continue to remind us how you call us by name, each and every day as we walk into the world we pray. Amen.

Hymns: In the Garden, God Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens, God Created Heaven and Earth, I Sing the Mighty Power of God