Tag: Christmas

Advent Time

Advent
Because we aren’t ready
And
God is here
In the dark
In the waiting room

God is here
In the sadness
In the not quite revolution yet

There is no shame in advent
There is sanctuary in the quiet

Anticipation
Itchiness of almost
There is holiness
In the time of not quite

There is connection
In the confusion
Of complicated
Not having our
Shit together yet

There is beauty
In creating rituals
to wait together
So that we remember
…that we are not waiting
Alone

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”

Advent Candles, Narrative Lectionary & RCL, Blue Christmas, Advent Hymns to Christmas Tunes Other Useful Links

Advent Candles

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”

Week 1

God of Hope you Sustain us
Even when the world is on fire
We walk with you, and hear your voice
We walk with you, and follow your voice
We hope for a better world, in the meantime, send angels, messengers with your voice
Walk with us, Fill us with the courage to walk with one another
Even the world feels on fire
Fill us with Hope

Possible Advent Hymns: Open my Eyes that I May See, Live Into Hope, Taize: Bless the Lord My Soul

Week 2

God of Peace you sustain us
When we do not know the answer, you wait with us
When we are full of questions, You accept our ponderings
Help us to imagine a world of peace
Breathe on us your Holy Spirit, so that we can live into your Kin(g)dom

Fill us with Peace

Possible Advent Hymns: God of Peace, Comfort, Comfort You My People Taize: Nada The Turbe, God of Peace (to the tune of Silent Night)

Week 3
God of Joy, you quench us
You promise fulfillment in all the ways
God you know that joy is more than happiness, it is shalom, being complete
It is abundant gardens, full stomaches, justice and equity for all
We rejoice that you are a God who answers when we call,
Fill us with Joy

Possible Advent Hymn: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (which could be an advent one), Taize, The Kingdom of God

Week 4

God of Love you accept us
You embody community and belovedness, one with the dark and the light.
You cloaked in mystery, and yet contain all knowledge 
You are one, yet many
You are love, and teach us belovedness
Fill us with Love 

Possible Advent Hymn: Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, Taize: Magnificat 

RCL Advent Candles: Primarily Based on Isaiah: Theme God the Gardener

Week 1

God you plant the seeds of hope 
God’s house will be the place for all people
Laying the groundwork for peace, joy and love
All Peoples shall stream to God’s mountain
Hoping to Learn from God
We hope together

Week 2

God, the seeds of peace are shooting out of the stump of Jesse
Equity is growing, so that the wild animal and the tame shall live together
Shalom shall grow, such peace, that all children shall be safe
None shall harm on God’s holy mountain
Peace will be pursued
We seek peace together

Week 3

God will nourish the land, so that the land itself will blossoms of joy. 
All will know God’s glory, weak hands will be made strong.
Say to those with a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear, Here is your God.”
We will rejoice in the healing of God, no traveller will be harmed by wild animals
All shall safely and joyfully be able to go our merry way
We can rejoice together

Week 4
God’s Divine love will continue through the gift of a child, Immanuel
God tends to the garden of the world by giving us Godself
God with us, a child, Love embodied
God loves us
We are beloved
We can be loved together 

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”

More Advent Hymns to Christmas Tunes

Blue Christmas

Magnificat Prayer collection (so far)

We 3 Kings: alternative Version

If you want a doc version of this email KatyandtheWord at gmail Title ADVENT candles (specify RCL or Narrative) and I will email you a document for easier formatting

With gratitude for all who supported My D.Min. degree

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12 Days of Christmas: A Season

Christmas is 12 days
Because it is supposed to be an entire season
Enough time
to rest
refresh
reflect
It was never supposed to be all stuffed into one day
There was supposed to be
enough time
for journeys
getting lost
finding our way again
and then
eventually
room for
an epiphany

Christmas is
a space
a season

a journey
a wandering
a pondering

—-so if your haven’t done all of the Christmas things
Or if everything didn’t go perfectly

Remember you are in good
wizardly
some would even say
wise
company

Eyvind Earle 3 Magi (The artist for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty)

3 Crowned Men with black beards—identical, holding gifts frankincense, gold and myrrh, with black and Bluegreen cloaks trimmed in golden plants.

Offering the gifts to Mary with a baby (both with black hair) at her breast with a moon/golden plant trimmed halo around them. Mary is dressed in gold trimmed purple.

Joy

Joy
is not a platitude
though sometimes
we use it as a mask

Joy is not smile
Jesus loves you
it is not happiness

Have you seen
a joyful child?
the gift of their giggles
the wonder of life
borne from love
(yes I am writing
all bornes with
poetic “e”s this season)

Joy is rebellious
it is deep-rooted sense
of differentiated
Belonging
to Community
Creation
and Self
All at Once

it is the ability
to still Create
even in the Midst
of Grief

Joy is Art

Joy to the World
Is practicing
Advent
claiming the
Holy Imaginings
for better
How Much More
For Proclaiming Lament
And Claiming Tomorrow

Joy is the In-Breaking Christmas
In the Midst of Advent

Even the Ancient Priests had Proclaim in Pink
Excuse me I mean Rose
Because they could not hold back
the Gaudy Carols of Christmas
During the Long Season
Of Advent
(and not just because it used to be
Six Weeks instead of Four)

God, you know,
That we know,
We are tired of this Advent Season
Yet
Somehow
You Teach us Joy
In Children
In Art
In Gardens
In Our Deep Longings for More

Remind us that
Joy
is a
Revolution*
Amen
Amen

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

To read more about How Joy is a Revolution

https://aestheticsofjoy.com/joy-is-an-act-of-resistance-how-celebration-sustains-activism-2/

https://www.whatcompjc.org/blog/august-03rd-2020

“Incite Joy” By Gay Ross from your local bookstore

Narrative Lectionary, Advent 3

Tidings of Comfort and Joy Advent 

Feel free to use/share/adapt with attribution to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
For a doc version for easy formatting email Katyandtheword at Gmail and title the email “Advent”

Included: Breath Prayers, Call to Worship (either of which could can be used for Candle Liturgy), Candles, Two Song verse options for Candle Lighting, Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Additional Psalm Option


Hope: When the Lions Come at Night
Daniel 6:6-27
Luke 23:1-5
Psalm 57 all or v. 4-10 

Breath Prayer

Breathe in: Holy Spirit we need you
Breathe out: comfort us

Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 57)
In God my soul takes refuge my soul takes refuge and comfort, God is my hope.
God will send forth steadfast love and faithfulness.
Even if I lie down among lions, with teeth as sharp as spears, and tongues like sharp spears, my heart is steadfast and I will sing and make melody.
I know I will awake at God.
My hope is in God, for your steadfast love is high as the heavens, and your faithfulness extends to the clouds
Come let awaken our souls to God in song.

Advent Candle: Hope
Hope of the World, we light this candle because we feel like we are surrounded by Lions
Hope of the World Comfort us
Hope of the World, we light this candle, because we are an apocalyptic people, overwhelmed with too many uncovering of knowledge
Hope of the World Comfort us
Hope of the World, we light this candle, because we await the moment that Justice reigns, and your truth is magnified
Hope of the World, Comfort us

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we do not always understand hope. Is its meant to inspire us? Or to comfort us? Awaken us to the condition of the world? Too often we feel too surrounded by Lions to hope in these apocalyptic times. Teach us how to understand hope as promise that you give balanced against our responsibility to act, and give us the tools we need to walk with Jesus along the way we pray. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good news, Jesus is our Hope, so we do not have to hope alone. So know the Good news and proclaim it to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen

(Verse 1) God rest you merry, gentlemen/folk
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Another Optional Hymn verse 1 O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat (less political, substitutionary atonement version) https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/

Peace: Binding up the Brokenhearted
Joel 2:12-13, 28-29
Luke 11:(9-12) 13
Psalm 147:1-6 (7-11)

Breath Prayer
Breathe in: God you are peace
Breathe out: Bind our brokenhearted

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 147)
God you are Good, you build us up as community
God binds up our wounds: caring for us, healing our brokenhearts
Great is our God, powerful, because God sows peace and mercy
We recognize our God, because our God is the one lifting up the downtrodden, and knowing everything by name from the farthest star, to every person from the mighty to the meek.
Let us sing to the Divine who grants Peace
Come let us sing to God’s steadfast love

Advent Candle: Peace
Purveyor of Peace, we pray for the day that we shall learn war no more
We are seeing visions and dream dreams of peace together
We feel in our bones, that we need peace. We light this candle because we are hungering for it.
God, we will envision peace together
Purveyor of Peace, we light this candle because we know peace is your way, and you will bind our brokenhearts to make it possible.
God, we will envision peace together

Prayer of Confession: Divine One, at times it feels like the world is full of war and brokenness. Peace seems impossible. Comfort us, teach us to be peacemakers, so that we can catch glimpses of your kin(g)dom, we pray. And remind us that we are not doing this work alone. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon. Hear the good news, the Prince of Peace is coming. It is promised. Let us proclaim the the truth in our hearts: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Magnificat Version V. 3 or V. 7 (or Both)  https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/

(Verse 7) Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood/siblinghood/Kindomhood 
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Joy: Comfort and Joy
Isaiah 61:1-11
Luke 4:16-21 
Alt. Isaiah 40:1-8 
Psalm 27: 13-14 

Breath Prayer
Breathe in: Comfort your people
Breathe Out: God teach us Comfort and Joy

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 27)
God is our stronghold
With God as our comfort and salvation, who shall we fear?
God who comes out of the holy creative darkness
You come and show us the way, so we are not afraid
You shelter us under your wings, and comfort us
Come, let us rejoice with God that Jesus is coming.

Advent Candle: Joy
Holy Comforter, speak tenderly to us, so that we have the seeds of joy planted in us.
Holy Comforter, Send your Spirit of Joy to us.
We light this candle so that you can teach us joy
Holy Comforter, Send Your Spirit of joy to us
Send your Spirit to us, Prepare the way for us, light the candle with us.

Holy Comforter, Send Your Spirit of joy to us

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess it is hard to feel joyful when I feel afraid. I sometimes feel like I want to hide under the covers, or turn off the news, or quit. Please send us your Holy Spirit, Shelter us under your wings, and teach us where to find joy, so that we can remember that you are walking with us. Give us threads of joy even in the long waiting season of Advent we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God is with us, even as we wait, understanding us, loving us and comforting us. Thus we know the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

(Verse 3) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Another Optional Hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat Version verse 5 https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/

Week 4 Love: Love: Fear Not, Love’s comfort and empowering work

Luke 1:26-45 [46-56]
Psalm 113 
Psalm 27:1-4

Call to Worship
Give Thanks to the Lord
God’s Love endures Forever
God is Divine always
They have made a Covenant with all the World
They have made the sun, the moon the stars, and all the earth
God’s steadfast Love endures forever
We can tell stories of God’s love, and who God is, and still not fully understand God’s love
Come Let us sing of God’s love together.

Advent Candle: Love
God shows God’s love and favor by being with us
Divine Love, Be with us now
We light this candle remembering God’s promise to be with us, Sending Jesus as that promise.
Divine Love, Be with us now
Beloved God, we long to magnify your promises, for they are full of love, so we light a candle of love together.

Divine Love, Be with us now

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that Love is a struggle. It takes work to love humans. It is not an easy thing to practice. Help us to lean into our own belovedness, when I struggle imperfections—my own or others. God we desperately need to remember that you are love. Help us with that we pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, God loves us. We can sink into God’s love, and thus we can say with confidence the echo of God’s promise to us: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

(Verse 4) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

“Fear not then,” said the Angel,
“Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Another Optional Hymn verse 4 or 6 (or Both) O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat Version https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/

Full Directory of Advent and Christmas Resources Here

Feel free to use/share/adapt with attribution to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
For a doc version for easy formatting email Katyandtheword at Gmail and title the email “Advent”

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12 Days of ….

Black and White image of a Patridge perched in a pear tree found https://www.englishstamp.com/product/partridge-in-a-pear-tree/

You know God,
as my husband takes down the Christmas tree
Christmas eve
(quick before we get distracted)
and the relations make their way home
and the songs
and candlelight fades

that we need time
to sink into Christmas
because Christmas is a journey..
I say this not to tsk about
Advent vs Christmas vs Epiphany
But to think about deep rhythms
of the body, winter and the universe

And how we need a good couple of weeks
of Christmas-tide
to rest
think
and pondering

There is so much
journeying
and pondering at Christmas

not to mention comforting of one another

Yet we seem to burst onto the scene in joyfulness
and glory
and demand a quick wrap up with the wise ones
before we rush home

I wonder how wonderful it would be
if we gave
one another the time
of slow
and fruiting
Christmas
with a full couple of weeks of rest

(I thought this especially during Covid “Shutdown”
what if we emphasized a quiet holiday time home
protecting one another?)

How I long for a time of cozy recovery
built in to our culture
Tricia Hersey suggests we snatch
this kind of of rest
whenever we can

So I pray that you
steal some
cozy
restful
comfort
and
recovery
this
holiday-tide

And if you have
not
I hope that you build it in
As I imagine

Jesus
longing for Peace for all
as he lay
with his parents
snug
after all of the festivities

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

Pride and prejudice archive. The days between Christmas and New Years. A woman reading by the fire, another reclining on the couch, the third writing. all look languid.

Merry Twiz, Advent Day 21

In some ways
Twiz*
feels more like
the real holiday
than Christmas

The anticipation
The worship
the candles
the gathering

The storytelling
the music
the meal

The almost
already
not quite

Twiz
the Night Before
Jesus is coming
has come
came
will come
is promising
has promised

prophesied
will prophesy
prophet

all wrapped up in
the moment of
Twiz
the magic
of what Is
and what can be
Merry Twiz

*Twiz: a Tongue and Cheek word to describe the Night before Christmas, instead of Twas, or tis, Twiz, Therefore Merry Twiz

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

Advent Day 19 O Come Wisdom

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily:
to us the path of knowledge show;
and teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel
Shall Come to Thee o those who Seek

O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat version verse 4

What is Your Longest Night? (Advent Day 18)

@Kim@tech.lgbt in Norway, ‘up and not crying is a not uncommon response to “how’s it going” type questions, and I fell like that’s a very reasonable standard to hold oneself to especially nowadays

I have experienced so many longest nights…
the scary longest night of childhood–
too scared to cry out for help in the dark
too scared not to
The sheer powerlessness of not knowing what to do

The longest night of giving birth
the pain, the trying to breath, trying to talk
everyone trying to help, feeling like no one is trying to help
I’ve not been Mary, but Good God the pressure
I have experienced that longest night

I have experienced the length of ten millions hours
Of the bedside wait for a beloved one to die
imminent, and yet too long
the wondering if staying is the best thing to do
or not, the talking without response–
the simultaneous hope that they know you are present
but that they don’t, because then they aren’t feeling any pain

I know the powerlessness of longest night moments of parenthood
Of sitting on the couch laughing so you don’t cry
Because you don’t know what to do next,
as your child is anguished and alone–
And you Cry right in front of them “I am here”
As they are crying about how alone they feel

I have felt the chilliness of the Longest Night of being alone–
how cold it feels to have no friends
what it means to be laughed at every time you speak
shunned, and ostracized
The awkwardness of being your neurodivergent self
And realizing there is no other way to be

And then again
during the isolation of Covid
where we all, kept each other safe
briefly

Before all the wars resumed

I have not experienced every longest night,
but I have had to pick what bill not to pay
I have stand in the grocery line with WIC
Praying that all of my credit cards do not bounce
I have had long payment plans with the IRS,
And preached to help the poor
knowing that I am actually being self-referential

When I think of the Darkest night of the Soul
and Jesus, with his guts spilled out on the cross
I feel like I understand a little more
when I had to relearn how to walk
how to eat
how to defecate
after surgery–and feel the worst pain ever to recover
(And it makes me wonder about If Jesus walked to Emmaus
because he had to relearn it, And if he didn’t eat, because he couldn’t yet)

The longer I live
The more I understand the Longest Nights
and I think, we need time
to sit in silence
grief
loneliness
charity

with one another
Because
humans experience Longest nights
And I believe God sits with us
and cradles us
and sings us lullabies
until the dawn
arrives again.

Happy Solstice The Shortest Day of the Longest Fucking Year of Our Lives

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

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