faith – Page 2 – katyandtheword

Narrative Lectionary, Year 3, Luke Lent 5

April 6
Lent 5
Zacchaeus
Luke 18:31-191:10
Psalm 84:1-4, 10-12
Lost Sight of Things? God calls You

Call to Worship
How our souls long for God
My heart and flesh sing for the joy to the living God
Even the Sparrow (Freest of Birds) finds a home, and the Swallow (Smallest of Birds) a nest for herself.
Happy are those who live in your House, Singing your Praises God.
A day in God’s house is better
A day in your courts, are better than a thousand elsewhere
Come let us keep the door for God
Come let us listen for God, our sun and our shield, today.

Call to Worship
We long for you God
We want to feel your presence
Even when we can’t see you
God you see us and call us
Be with us
God, be with us today

Prayer of Confession: God I confess that it is hard to see Jesus. We look and cry out, and sometimes Jesus is not there. Teach us to be open to Jesus so that when he invites himself over to dinner, we may be able to open our doors to him we pray. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, Jesus is looking for us, and loving us into being. Thus we know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Confession: Jesus, we confess that we hate not knowing and feeling lost. We feel like we need to know the way. Allow us trust that it is ok to feel blind, and help us when we stumble and fall we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and will never lead us astray, so we know the truth. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God teach us to be ok with following Jesus, even when we feel lost along the way. Teach us to trust and follow we pray. Amen.

Children’s Book: Red by Michael Hall https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/red-a-crayons-story/9128924/all-editions/?resultid=8c659c58-dc2a-4647-8ab4-e5ea74a40596 Knowing how to see yourself (how God sees you) even when other’s don’t

Red: A Crayon's Story 0062252070 Book Cover

Narrative Lectionary Luke 3, Lent 2

March 16
Lent 2
Lament over Jerusalem/Fig Tree Bore No Fruit
Luke 13:1-9, 31-35
Psalm 122
Lost Fruit/People? God Gives Time and Dirt (remember what humans are formed with)

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 122)
I am glad, whenever I make it to God’s House
We stand at the Gates of God, and sigh
We are heading towards God, bind us together
Peace is on our lips
Put it in our hearts
Come let us experience the fruit of God

Prayer of Confession

God, we are looking for the fruit of our labors, and yet, we confess that it seems to be missing. Where is it? We are frustrated! Grant us patience, fertilizer, dirt, time, all of the time we need. Grant us the peace to grow we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God of Time, a thousand years is like a day for you, and so we know that your forgiveness is quick. We will linger in your steadfast love and the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we long for your sanctuary and to seek your walls, but it is hard to get you. We cannot always find your peace. We can’t always get to church, find time to pray, or even remember that you are there to shout to God? Help us when we cannot find the ways to access you God, to take the time and space to do so, we pray. Remind us that you will fill the space for us. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus is the Prince of Peace, therefore we can rest in the truth In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, remind us as we enter the world, that you will give us time and food that we need, grant us the gift to do the same for others we pray. Amen.

Children’s Story: The Carrot Seed https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-carrot-seed-by-ruth-krauss/285680/?resultid=242d96a7-6ea9-4c2e-babe-8aefdb988163#edition=1904277&idiq=1569512

Paperback The Carrot Seed: 75th Anniversary Book

Narrative Lectionary Lent 1, Year 3 Luke

Under Construction

Food for thought: Build Knowledge and Community, not information: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFNixEuOv3L/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Lost Neighbors? God brings Strangers/Enemies/Immigrants

(Lost in shoulds, God gives us calling (To sit at the feet of Jesus is to be disciple/be called to be a rabbi)

March 9th
Lent 1
Good Samaritan/Mary and Martha
Luke 10:25-42
Psalm 15

Lost Neighbors? God brings Strangers/Enemies/Immigrants

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 15)

Come let us dwell with God
Come let us sit in God’s honesty
Let us find our deepness here
Come we want to honor imago dei in one another
May we be near each other and God
Come, let us dwell in God together

Call to Worship
Come let us find our neighbors
The big, small, near and the far
Who is our neighbor?
Come let us find our neighbor with God
Come let us build a community with God
Come let us dwell with God and neighbor today

Prayer of Confession: God we confess, sometimes we do not want to admit that those who need help are close enough to be our neighbors. However, you remind us that anyone who is helper is a neighbor. Teach us to build neighborhoods of love we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Let us dwell in the Good News of God, God is here to forgive us so we can live in community with one another, so we know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that I do not always see imago dei, your image in the eyes of those human beings around us. Sometimes we find people too annoying, different or mean to find any image of God in them. And yet you remind us, there is no one who is not made in your image. Teach us, how to see humanity in your image we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, God loves us and calls us by name, so we know the truth, in Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess we are always comparing ourselves, we are in tumult over surviving the world, like Martha. However let our anxiety not take away from the good in the world. Teach us to understand both our Mary and Martha parts we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Jesus loves us exactly as we are, so let us dwell in the grace of Christ knowing the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Prayer of Dedication/Day: God, may we go into the world knowing that you are inspiring us to heal, bless and find neighbors through all the gifts that we are given. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen

Children’s Story: Stone Soup Recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/stone-soup/ Book https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/stone-soup-by-marcia-brown/274361/?resultid=5c371ce3-18d1-497f-b31b-a89536ac617e#edition=3803531&idiq=3865219

God of Empathy

Breathe in: God I am overwhelmed
Breathe out: God sit with me

God,
I confess that I have been cursed
with your Holy Spirit
I have your empathy in spades

Her whispers echo in my ear
I feel worry
for the children
for my trans* and nonbinary family
for all those who are black and brown

whose birth, citizenship and being
are being tossed about
and trying to be erased
like words on a page

Holy Spirit
How is it that the same Spirit
that comes and teaches us to witness
also encourages, inspires
and consoles?

God almighty
I confess
my breath catches when I
feel our relationships
with other nations
disintegrating
when I see signs of hate
shrugged off or joked about

Pneuma–
I confess, I need your help
to breathe in
to breathe out
because I confess that sometimes
remembering to breathe freely
is an act of rebellion

Jesus Christ
I remember all of your short actions
that were so disruptive
most of them were
listening
and calling people by their
chosen
name

Walk with me
walk with us
as we do the same
help us to
listen closely to one another
and to call one another by name

God of empathy
breath
listening
and Name

Be with us
in this time of Trial
I pray
Amen

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

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”

Thanks for reading KatyandtheWord! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Community

Without community there is no liberation-Audre Lorde

NL and RCL covers Elijah going to the Widow of Sidon during the drought. She says “I don’t know why YOUR God sent you here, I have but one meal left for my son and I and then we will die.” She talks about the pain, loneliness and shame of having nothing. Elijah then asks–“Do you have a cup of water?” and she agrees (I like to think begrudgingly as a tough woman) that she does.

Over this established Table Fellowship and Hospitality Elijah offers pastoral care to a widow. I like to think that as she opens her heart to him, she feels seen and heard, and she realizes that the table fellowship was a moment of openness that was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. He then says that if they establish a community, that she, her son and he will not run out of the oil, meal/flour (and one would think Elijah would then help to gather the wood to cook them).

Mutual aid works because people who have little share what they have and form strong bonds of community. Community is formed here hospitality, pastoral care, table fellowship and mutual aid, among foreigners of different races, religions, genders, and socio-economic statuses. Community is not just about leadership, but about what the people do to help one another along the way, in the times of trouble when the leadership was terrible Elijah and the widow formed community. This is the work, the hope and the blessing that is before us. 1 Kings 17:8-16

Subscribe now

May be an image of text that says 'taco belle @animalologist People often romanticize "being in community" without realizing that community is formed and sustained through reciprocity fulfilling mutual obligations to one another and that this is sometimes inconvenient and taxing! But you can't receive support without offering it'

People often romanticize “being in community” without realizing community is formed and sustained through reciprocity—fulfilling mutual obligations to one another—and that this is sometimes inconvenient and often taxing! But your can’t receive support without offering it! by Baena@Silkyyy with thanks to decolonizing.love on Facebook for the images

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

I think the Church is a Teenager

Throughout all the many beautiful metaphors for the church
from bride
to Phyllis Tickle’s rummage sale

I thinking of the church
as a teenager

When I say the church, I mean of course the amorphous cloud of saints,
where it is hard to say who is in or who is out, but somehow contains the multitude of faith
trying,
practicing and
sometimes even succeeding to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.

Here is the Church, thinking it knows how to be mature, and all grown up. Thinking it knew what it meant to be together, thinking it understood everything–when

Boom, the place in society shifted,
Or society itself shifted
(probably both)
who the church was, what the church wanted to be, even who the church was hanging out with proved to be….. not really false, just not as authentic as the church wanted it to be.

It seemed….to not fit anymore

I mean did we really think that cozying up to institutionalism? buildings and nationalism was a good idea?
The answer is yes, yes of course, we thought fitting in was the answer.
It was so nice to have everyone flocking to our doors, Sabbath off, and people listen.

It’s always nice to feel heard.

Here we are all awkward again, and the church its body is doing weird, unspeakable things that we do not understand

I say this as the parent of a teen who
wanted a Halloween costume
Sat before Halloween (which is on Thurs)
then didn’t want to go trick-or-treating (as of Tues)
Then
Last Min
Realized that meant the costume was useless
Could I please help them assemble and dress in costume
And drive them to the Halloween event
That was going on at the high school RIGHT NOW on Weds
(never mind that dinner was just being served)
then they stayed for 15mins, and everyone saw them
And there was nothing else to do
So naturally
They called me
As I rolled in the driveway
To be picked back up

The church is a little uncertain
as to what is going to happen next
And what to wear
What to do
When everything was so certain before
We had five year plans
and programs
and even Building extensions
And now everything just seems hard!
What are our goals and purpose
And how are we even going to do them
If everything has to be different?

And our job is not to save the church
Not to take over, but let its find its way
To hold hand
like my three teenagers
and to say wow
Its so hard, when Two things are so true

Two Things (Both things)

That the angst is
real
understandable and scary
and change is really,
really hard
And no I’m not sure how everything is going to turn out in the end

that I trust that everything will turn out ok
because–because I believe in you, and you have good roots.

There are good teachings
models of behaviors out there

Because, mistakes and missteps are not all there is to life
Because just because you try some fad on

Like thinking Praise music, Projectors, or just getting enough young families is going to save us

Or putting our buildings on the covers of the bulletins
Or that only white men are the legitimate preachers (sometimes married sometimes single)
Or that we need to keep the four hundred and ninety seven million buildings to keep being the body of Christ–I mean heaven knows how many sparkles and chokers I wore in the nineties, and I still love my big earrings–

I truly love how spiritual conversations weave their way more naturally, more (w)holistically* throughout life these days.

God knows
just like any parent
There are probably more awkward phases
for us to go through

After all what’s a couple of thousand years
or So
In God’s Calendar Anyway?
We are just starting to Grow up!

Teenagers know what’s real
what’s authentic
Into the latest fad
because teenagers figuring out identity
it is developmentally appropriate for teens to be hungry to express themselves,
except when they are too depressed or angsty to do so.

The church is trying to find itself
It feels like we are the outcast at the party–
Christianity used to be cool, but it isn’t anymore

However, we, like most teenagers,
haven’t figured it all out yet

I will confess, I feel much more at home in the marginal church
than the up and coming popular one
However, I can understand what it feels like to ache to be wanted
to be at the center of things
to want to sparkle for a moment

I have teens who all want that moment in their lives
to know they are able to shine, but are struggling

The gift of church right now though
The people who are here,
Want to be here,
because we love it

We
Want to be here
We have no hanger ons
No fakers
Very few power seekers (though a couple of bullies sneak in)
There is not much money in the church**
People who are at church
Want to be here

We know that the Church sings to them
in some weird way
And we are angsty, because we want to express that
with everyone else.

It’s hard to be a teenager
Some of us haven’t been one for years
And wouldn’t go back if you paid us
However
a lot of us
are good at remembering
How to hold one another’s hands
And saying
Things will be ok

We don’t know what we are growing up to be
yet
What will take shape
Where it will go
What it will even look like

It may not even be our job
to make it happen
(is that scary or comforting?
Probably depends upon the day)
But it will be brilliant
We are quite sure
God will walk us
all the way there.

Resource List: (I feel like I should list nothing or everything here, so I just put 2 small resources to get started, maybe I’ll edit and add more)

Small Church Data: https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/6-ways-forward-for-very-small-congregations/

Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property TransitionBy Mark Elsdon, Foreword by Willie James Jennings, https://www.cokesbury.com/9780802883247-Gone-for-Good

*I love holistic with a w, it imbues it with a meaning of natural, whole and in my mind it carries with it an inclusive meaning. Permitting us to include all those things that we find helpful science, nature, spiritual, emotional meanings instead of trying to separate them out.

**Again there are exceptions, but as a whole the church has fallen so much in power that most churches are small and there are few opportunities for big money or power in church.

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

Zits - Teenager Comic Strips | The Comic Strips

Zits Comic by Scott and Borgman: Jeremy: Mom do you have a phone book? Mom (getting it from the drawer): Sure right over here. Pierce: NO WAY!” Mom: Aren’t you going to take it? Jeremy: Naw. It was just a bet. Pierce: Now ask her if she still uses a landline Comic found at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/450219293983937704/

No laws, Only Grace

No laws
Only grace

Some days
I remember
This is how I live
Through a Savior
Who proclaimed
All laws fulfilled
So we wouldn’t
Be able
To Lord rules
Over
Each other
Anymore

Because
That
Ain’t the
Point
Of faith
Anyway

No rules
Only grace

Holy Spirit
Holy
Comforter
Sit with us
We
Pray.
Amen

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

Gratitude

As my Graduation approaches on May 31st 2024, I wanted to thank you again for your support. Your generosity has not only allowed me to study, explore my theology and write my thesis “Let’s Yell at God” but also to write a number of Sermon Series, contextual Psalms and Prayers and Liturgies for people to reflect on, pray and share. It is my hope someday to publish if the way be clear (a phrase that means if the right pieces somehow come together and God helps along the way). However, I am aware that this was truly a community effort. The donations to my work have numbered over 300. The views of my work has been 100 a day and 30,000 a year. This is not the degree of just one person—but truly the work of Public Theology, as it will say in May.

I often think about how this theology is one in the legacy of Mr. Rogers, who’s alma mater I am attending. This is supposed to be about putting theology in the public sphere in new ways. Sometimes prayer writing seems ordinary and pedestrian, and others, it feels like the tool that needs to to spark what needs to happen, the way to give permission for people to wrestle with those things in their lives that just seem to be impossible.

As someone who is always talking—it’s just that sometimes that dialogue happens to be out loud, prayer has been a lovely outlet for me to continue process what it means to be

This thing we call

Human

Thank you for being part of the journey

And helping me to fund a degree that would not have happened without the community.

Katy

www.KatyandtheWord.com

https://substack.com/profile/105115900-katyandtheword?utm_source=profile-page

Community and PCUSA Insurance Changes

This is about the PCUSA insurance changes

Book of Order E-1.0301

The Church is the body of Christ. Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world (1 Cor. 12:27–28):

The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.

The Church is to be a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things. The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.

***

Today the Board of Pensions released its plan to charge churches and pastors insurance according to the cost of plans.

Constitutionally, every installed pastor has to be covered by insurance, but not

retired pastors
uninstalled pastors
pastor’s spouses
pastor’s children
temporary pastors
pastors between calls

so the plan charges $10,000-$20,000 more, unless you are a big steeple church, then you are excused from some of the costs–there is a still a cap on the maximum you have to pay
(because it makes little difference, which is irking in so many ways).

Throughout the listening sessions, BOP exhorted pastors to trust their churches, but the reality is many churches cannot afford to pay more.

And many pastors can afford their call only because of the superior health coverage that is given them.

Many young pastors, especially women (the healthiest quotient) will walk.

I bet many more People of Color..

those who are already discriminated against will be moreso
I attended most of the Town Halls, BOP argued both that discrimination is already happening, and that everything will be ok.

They said that few people will be affected, and that they cannot afford to care for the retirees, the spouses and the children.

But our pensions are fine (I must admit if I hear my so called pension, which I will probably never reach, is fine one more time, I might scream) since I first started ministry, when I could not afford food for my children, or the housing, when I was poverty stricken, and negotiating every cent I made, I was assured over and over again, but my pension is fine. Great, wonderful, what about Maslow’s principles of human needs?

Plus at the moment the retirement medical plan Humana is not accepted at either of our local hospitals, which is pretty ridiculous.

I will admit, as a pastor I cannot understand how we are not rallying for single-payer healthcare. I held so many congregants hands who have told me the health aid didn’t show up. Fielded the phone calls from couples who could not physically take care of one another but could not get in to a nursing home, talked to children who did not know what to do with parents, driven people to doctor’s appointments because they literally had no one else to do it.

How are we not on the frontlines of this?

For our congregations, our part times staffs, and ourselves?

When I assess the BOP, it feels like they are not doing their job
often they admit that they will not do as directed by General Assembly–they do not follow the dictates of the Constitution to live in community even at the risk of themselves.

Even though it is our core belief.

When asked outright if they approached other denominations to team up more closely. (We already cooperate on some level with some denominations.)

They admitted they did not.

When asked if they pursued more creative Co-op options, one that might include congregants (which would take restructuring but would that not be amazing?) or even just to be more creative in our leveraging, one of which my best friend, who is a real estate agent found one and is participating in.

They said they did not.

The sum of their research suggested sharing pulpits–which is a good and sound suggestion; one we have been doing for hundreds of years as a denomination.

When one takes in the exorbitant salaries of the top BOP officials, who participate in our healthcare–capped of course–it calls into question, did they do their jobs?

When small scrappy churches are required to risk everything for Christ and figure out how to creatively survive every year, month and day.

When pastors sacrifice a lot to be in ministry, and yes have the privilege of good healthcare, in this admittedly white collar job.

I predict a lot of young ministers leave ministry as a result, a lot of people with families and children, particularly women (ironically this is the healthiest quotient in insurance: young, women).

Perhaps ministry is changing, perhaps healthcare will no longer be a part of the job, but if that is the case, then equity still needs to be a part of the discussion, because we are a community of Christ first. We are risking all of this because we believe in community, equity and love.

At least that is why I’m doing this church thing.

Maybe we all need to not be installed and start over; even though installation a (I believe) used first to describe pastors wayyy before it was used to describe stoves and video games

However, I think we need to keep working to make things more fair, not less.

I believe in E-1.0301
I am doing my best to live into it. To not accept that “this is the only way” to know that the Kin(g)dom calls us to imagine a better world, and then to live creatively into it.

I will not leave others behind along the way. I will continue to learn about equity, inclusion and love.

I am aware this is not all bad for everyone, however I still feel like there are better ways to do all of this. See also: Who is communicating all of these changes and bearing the brunt of this work in the church community (that feels like a whole different article).

PS the menu option is great, and progress and I like it.

By Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Dues Package published by the BOP is here