Empires Crush
Occupiers Crucify
Oppressors Jail
Betrayal and Denial
are in the air
It seems like
…Everywhere
And yet
Forgiveness is Spoken
without Apology
Criminals are Remembered
in Paradise
Crosses are Carried
For a Mile
By Strangers
Women Follow
Beating Their Breast
Confessions Are Made
Of Christ
At even the Last Moment
And It is
Ok
That Friday
Isn’t Good
…
Yet
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Jesus Christ
I think about how
Bread is shared
the Crusty Full flat breads
That are more easily shared with
a quick tearing among friends for
Tapas
I think of how
Sharing is entrenched
In Christ’s ministry
of how Jesus spent
his last moments
Sharing food
and Prayer
The gentle
voices of how
to survive
this moment
come across
this very moment
and people say
Volunteer
Find a friend
a community
in Need
And I think
Of how
When You Return
Ever Knee
Shall Bow
Because
You will return
As you Left
Serving
On Your
Knees
Gardening
Washing Feet
Healing
Greeting Children
Praying
So we will all Kneel
To Serve
Beside you
The Mandate
Command–is not necessary
In stark contrast to law and order
The reign of Christ will come
through mercy
and Love
Love and mercy you
Say
and you will feed us
And we will
throw our doors
Open wide
Maybe it’s Agape Thursday
Or Hesed Thursday
But sure
Maundy Thursday
For Now
Holy Spirit
Come!
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
I don’t want to live
in a world
Where we live out
imprisoning
and killing
immigrants
innocent
and guilty
side by side
Why they cry out
for water
I don’t want to live
in a world
where
the loneliness
of those in power
manifests
in intimidation
betrayal
and
empty promises
I don’t
want the Palm Sundays
of Protest
to End in the
Fridays
of Violence
where
we think
Sacrifice is
the only answer
I don’t
Want us
to Cry out
“my
God
MY GOD
why…
Why have
You abandoned
Me?”
Feeling the
Hell of
Divine
absence
I don’t
want to
live out
empty
Saturdays
Of Mourning
Where there
is absolutely
no right
word of
comfort to Say
But I do
Want
the resurrection
of community
Where
White people
Learn
Listening
and Community
And Solidarity
for Real this time
I do want the
Apostle-ship
Of the Women
To be
whispered
At Dawn
And for the
Empires
To topple
at the truth
And I do
want the
Church
To be
Alive
and well
Not in pews
Or choirs
But in
Shared Meals
and understandings
Beyond denominations
And accountability
Liberation
And Mission
in the Neighborhood and Beyond
I want to
meet Jesus
And God
in the gardens
And for
the Divine to remind us
That all the
Seeds that we are
Planting Count
(Even the ones that don’t bloom)
And that
God is tending
some to produce
Resurrection
Harvests
Beyond
All Imaginings
And I
Want to
Remember
That Chuffing
Off
the Offal
Is Ok
And that
Jesus
will Rise
Again
And he
Will Kneel
in the Garden
To Plant
And so
Of course
We will kneel
Next to him
In solidarity
And so
With
the Holy Spirit
Whispering
Encouragement
In My
Heart
I walk
Towards
a Kin-Dom
Now.
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God
I am
so angry
I could
Curse out
all the Fig
Trees
That are poisoning
The land
I am so
angry
I could
Flip
the tables
of all those
Who are
Tricking the
Public
with Slight of
Hand
Money
Changing
Pretend
“Money
Saving”
Tricks
God I am so
Angry
That there is
Not actually
A Cursing God
Tuesday
There is not
and actually
Justice Making
Monday
There is not
An
Actually
Action-Making
Stay up all Night
Until things Change
Sunday
We play through
The Emotions
of Holy Week
And all I end up
with is another
Statement
From my Denomination
Don’t get me wrong
I am a Writer
In Love with Words
Grounded in
The Good News
I love Verbal Processing
As much
as the Next Person
And I think
That Art
feeds the Soul
of Movements
But we have to figure
Out how To
Stop our
Senators from
Posting
Mealy Mouth
Social Media
Statements
And Move from
The Theater
To actually
Tearing Down
The things that
Don’t work
Before the
Fig Trees
Are Replanted
Before the Temple
was rebuilt
Before the Table
Was put back together
Things had to be
cursed out
Deconstructed
Torn Apart
Destroyed
There is no
resurrection
Without Death
How do we
Kill Racism
Nazism
Homophobia
Isolationism
Christian Fascism
So that we can finally
Figure out
Liberation
Equity
Justice
and Extravagant Grace
Lord,
Teach us
to be a Resurrection
People
we Pray
Amen
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The tears
on my Face
the Broken
Butterfly
Bowl
Shattered
reminding me
Of all I missing
I ache, remembering
the Soup I ate from it
at a Homeless-Dinner-Slash-
Leadership-training
As I touch the pieces
I can almost smell
the countless
Ashes I burned
In
it
For
Ash Weds
Saying
Write Everything
You want to give to God
On a Piece of Paper
And I will Burn it for you
The Holy Spririt
will Somehow
transpose it
To the ashes
We will write
in a shape of a Cross
on your forehead
Tears
Shattered Butterflies
Silent Call
Is as Close to a Good Friday Service
I will get today
I pray as I put the pieces in the trash
Jesus
Remember Me
When you Come
Into Your Kingdom
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
I don’t know him
God you know
The kind of denial Peter made
Sudden, unbidden, accidental
Yet complete
Peter did not mean to deny Jesus
But the words once said
Felt true in the moment
He did not know this man
Who willingly went to the cross
Spoke in parables
And left him alone in an angry mob
And Peter
God knew
Never had the gift of keeping quiet
No I do not know him
The words echoed again
As Peter felt lost and alone
Peter watched himself say the words
And thought “what am I doing”
No I do not know him
Peter said a third time
Cock—a—Doodle
Doo
And on the third Day
I will rebuild the Temple
A voice whispered
And Peter say hands breaking bread
And embracing Lazarus
And Jesus resting on a rock
And a tear trickled down
And Peter thought
Did I ever know him?
And his tongue
Finally
Stood still
Feel free to use/Share/Adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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
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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
March 31st Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8 Empty tomb, Fleeing
Psalm 118:21-27
Breath Prayer
Inhale: Resurrected Lord
Exhale: Resurrect us Lord
Inhale: Christ is Risen
Exhale: Christ is Risen Indeed
Call to Worship
God has already rolled the stone away
Come let us celebrate
Christ is risen
Christ is Risen indeed! Come let us praise the Resurrected Lord!
Call to Worship
This is the day that the Lord has made
The news feels overwhelming
Come let us worship and serve the Lord!
Come let us worship and serve the Lord!
Call to Confession: There is nothing too big for God, come let us confess ourselves to the Divine.
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that there is too much to take in. We confess that at times feel alarmed, and like we cannot find Jesus. Help us when we are overwhelmed with the news. Allow us time to take it in we pray. (Silent Prayer) Amen.
Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we are not alway able to hear the news of resurrection and be your people. Help us to make the changes we need to be an Easter people we pray (Silent Prayer) Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the news, the stone has already been rolled away, the resurrection has already occurred, so we know the Good News, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Jesus Christ, we are your people, loved, forgiven, redeemed. May we remember and hold it in our hearts no matter where we go. May we be your Easter people we pray. Amen.
Hymn Suggestions: Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, Live Into Hope.
Taize Option: Bless the Lord, Laudate Omens Gentes,
Children’s Activity: Play Hide and Seek Remind the Children they are always found by God (If the room is small play where’s Waldo with small Jesus figures)
Children’s Book: God is Like by Rachel Held Evans or Jesus the Word by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, A very Abridged Velveteen Rabbit is always a good option as well.
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
March 29th
Supplies: Purple Cloth, Candles, Nail for each participant, Hammer, A cross you can Nail the Nails into, Old Palms
(Make certain each person has a nail upon entry–each interlude can have music between readings or be silent Suggested Music: Were You There When You Crucified My Lord or Jesus, Remember Me When you Come Into Your Kingdom )
16Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort.17And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. -Mark 15:16-19
Lay Purple Cloth on the Cross
20After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.-Mark 15:20
Collect Nails from Everyone
21They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. Mark 15:21-24
Nail the Nails to a Cross
25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.29Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.-Mark 15:25-32
Place Dried Up Palms by the Cross
33When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Mark 15:33-39
Blow out all of the Candles
Optional: Read Psalm 22:1-2, 14-21 in the dark
eel 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
katyandtheword 