God I’m gonna have to be reminded of your steadfast Love once again
Because the truth is I might be grasping onto it, by threads these days
For it might be one of the few things That makes my heart sing and reminds me that there are good things to eat and that art is worth making in this world
For truly sometimes everything seems to be full consumers– you know them the dullards who for some reason want to BURN everything Down And they seem to multiply like weeds And at time Evil seems to flourish And spread Nothingness Wherever they go
And so I meditate on you God and remember How Evil fell once before
And I count my blessings And how you reach out to me.
I remember all the enemies —my enemies, but really our enemies, because they are the enemies of justice, equity and good— You have defeated on my behalf before that my eyes have seen my ears have heard internal external I have proof And I take a deep breath and remember
God I know that you grow justice blooms, fruits, flourishes It becomes mighty and beautiful solid and wondrous, Like a towering oak that I could build a treehouse in and nestle in to sleep– and that will continue to be safe even in its oldest years.
And God as I nestle, may I remember you are always full of justice even when all else fails You will always stand for equity. I can sleep knowing that.
Call to Worship Still Again, let us declare God’s steadfast Love, with songs, instruments and praise For God makes our hearts glad by your work, by the works of God’s very hand, we sing for joy! God’s works are great, and God’s thoughts are too deep to even know; destruction and nothingness have nothing to do with you God of the Covenant, we will rest with you Come, let us seek sanctuary and Sabbath with God Come, let us rest with Jesus
Prayer of Confession: (All) God we admit that we long for wholeness, and healing and peace and all of that, but confess that we feel like it is something that we need to achieve instead of seek. Help us to find Sabbath, to sit and be with the Lord of the Sabbath with Pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news, Jesus is walking with us, teaching us and healing us, thus we know the good news: (All) In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen
Offering/Dedication Prayer: God, may we use these and all our gifts for rest, healing and wholeness as we go into the world we pray. Amen.
Children’s Sermon: Remember that God rested on the 7th Day, so it is not surprising that Jesus wanted to honor resting/healing with the disciples even before he chose them/got to work with them
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”
Practice focusing on God practice community practice honesty exercise everyday–not because you will win any races But because walking together is the journey
And some days I too want to throw Jesus off the cliff Because it’s clear I still don’t get it
And then Jesus floats back and hugs me Because it never was about perfection in the first place
But the moments of beauty community laughter still count
Thank God for that
Amen
Feel free to use/share Adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka KatyandtheWord
Prayers for those evacuating and for those for whom it feels impossible
Prayers for those whose homes, works and worship spaces are gone and those who are caught in the space of not knowing
Prayers for those who has ash rain on them from the sky Who think all the thoughts of thankfulness to Firefighters worry for those working in the emergency services Anger that we could not prevent this
Prayers for all of us who sit in the midst of a world on fire and think This isn’t fine actually It isn’t fine at all
As we reach out with communications money (hopefully not with unneeded clothing, etc. that clogs the system) shelter medical care emergency items and hope
So that we can put out this fire and prevent the next one
Prayers for California Prayers for all those whose lives have been changed May we all walk together So that all the fires may be put out Amen
Pic of Dog on Fire Meme using a fire hydrant to put it out—”It’s not fine, and you have a responsibility to act” (This meme would be more perfect if the dog had help, because I’m sure part of the point is that the dog felt alone in their work) Image found https://mastodon.sdf.org/@HunterZ/112714963002922245 and was credited to @spocko
Silent Night, Holy Night Womb of Love Creative Might Holy Darkness the Spirit indwells Giving Hope to the marginal Midwife of Harmony, Midwife of Harmony
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
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”
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)
*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 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/
Blessed Holy Trauma Week Where the spying on our friends Come out to haunt our Wednesdays We feel the reality That not all of our relationships are safe
Where the Table when we eat together might feel haunted by those who are missing the ones who have died Or the ones we are not speaking to (hopefully for just now, Lord hear our prayer) The echoes of lonesome pandemic times…
We remember that Jesus ate with Judas and are comforted (How do you do that God?)
And the washing of the feet feels too much But right
And some people are wedding Bibles to constitutions And we remember that Jesus said That he would temple down And that what he did was rip the curtain that was separating the so called “holy” people from the people into smithreens (Holy Spirit flip these tables)
Blessed Holy Trauma Week when your Youth Group Leader Dies of Breast cancer that she has been battling Basically since the day you met her She counseled, supported Got you the hall for your wedding Sponsored your call to ministry…
Blessed Holy Trauma Week When Friday is supposed to be Good But your car is in the shop and you can’t get to worship to cry at the cross And you think about how trauma lives in your bones
Is not Jesus our very Sibling, who died in the cross? Do we not say we die with him? How then do we not feel it?
And so you weep instead for the children in Gaza Gaza–where the word gauze, the cloth for healing was made And no hospital has any medicine for infection And children are dying from malnutrition
Blessed Holy Trauma Week where you have permission to be fully human weak pathetic Empathetic Sympathetic To melt on the floor and weep Because we are all only human And Jesus Christ knows it Crying utterly alone on the Cross
Does everything always happen on Holy Week? All the ministry colleagues ask?
Yes my soul answers
Blessed Holy Trauma Week Where we are blessed to be fully human Fully aware and to breathe in and breathe out in-between
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
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.
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