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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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
eel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting Suggested Donation forEntire Liturgy $75 (you can decide what is fair for portions) Receipt Available upon request Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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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 28 Maundy Thurs: A brief Service of Companionship Mark 14:22-42 Words of Institution, Peter’s Denial foretold, Gethsemane Prayer Psalm 116:12-19
(Option to Ritually Wash Hands/Feet) Eat a Meal Together
Celebrate Communion Use the Words “Take; this is my body.” “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Sing a Hymn Together: Suggestions Version of “The Lord’s Prayer” Here O Lord We See You, Come Let us Eat, In the Singing
32They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” 35And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” Mark 14:26, 32-26
Music Interlude
37He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?38Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Mark 14:27-39
Music Interlude
And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.” Mark 14:40
God bless us as we go, turn our singing into prayer Transform our walking into prayer Make it so that even the breath we breathe is a prayer with the Holy Spirit So that even as we sleep tonight We may feel the rhythms of prayer As we enter into this time of contemplation may we companion one another in prayer Amen.
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Communion Prayer: God you come to us in so many ways, in our gathering together in your name you promise to be particularly present. You promise to be present in the beginnings and endings of things—in transitions, when things are ephemeral and hard. And yet again, you promise to be particularly present in the bread and the cup, so that we might taste and see that you are good. Send your Holy Spirit to transform this meal into a feast of your blessing we pray. Amen.
Communion Prayer: Jesus Christ as we celebrate this time of coming together with one another, may you transform this communion into a prayer of reconciliation with one another and our community, so that we might learn how to pray as we eat, breathe and walk among the world. As we taste this bread and cup, let us remember that you sent your son Jesus Christ to live a human life and teach us how to live the life of embodied prayer, one where teaching, serving and loving can all be active ways of praying our way through life. May this communion that we celebrate be an act of prayer as well. Send your Holy Spirit to transform these elements into the embodiment of this communion with all those who have come before, all those who will come, and the entire church who is praying now and forever in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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”
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Easter Sunday: Prayer of the Resurrection: Good News and prayer have in common that there is still a mystery to them. Humans cannot fully grasp the whys and hows of God. We sometimes feel so overwhelmed that we would rather not even try. However, Jesus is both grace-filled and full of resurrection, giving us the opportunity to still be fully human, and still inviting us to spend time with God.
Breath Prayer: Inhale: Christ is Risen Exhale: Christ is Risen Indeed
Inhale: God is resurrected Exhale: We are a resurrection
Inhale: The tomb is empty Exhale: God can work with emptiness
Inhale: God is here Exhale: God teach me to pray
Call to Worship: Come let us go and see Jesus Christ Who has rolled the stone away The Good News Is here, Christ is Risen What if we need to pray on it awhile? Do not fear, the Good News will still be there waiting Come, let us pray on the Good News today, Christ is Risen!
Call to Confession: God is ready, even we are not, come let us confess ourselves to God.
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that sometimes we cannot take the news—be it good or bad. We confess that sometimes, some things, we need to pray on or about. Help us when we struggle. Give us what we need to process and share about those things we are uncertain about or cannot grasp we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that sometimes, even after all the instruction, encouragement and support, we do not know how to pray. We confess that this praying thing seems like a task or a to do list. We confess that we are uncertain should how often should we do it? Is it for holy days only? Who exactly are we praying to anyway? We confess feel like Mary and we want to run away. Remind us that that the Holy Spirit prays for us, when the only prayer we have is the air we breath. Help us to worry less about what we are praying about, and to instead try to sit and take in the Good News you have for us today. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God sees us and forgives us, let us proclaim the Easter Good News to one another today. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God let us go into the world assured of your resurrection and that we are your resurrection people, even on the days that we want to run away, or feel unable to talk to you. Let us remember that we have permission to walk, color, sing or breathe the Good News in whatever way we can that is affirming and life-giving, and teach us to share your Love in grace filled ways we pray. Amen.
Taize: All will be Well, In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful
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God plants and tends joy as a space of sanctuary in our lives—it is not a feeling of happiness, but rather a place of safety and Sabbath to visit when you are happy or sad. It is the space that allow us to celebrate with others, even when we are in a different place in our own lives.
Inhale: God loves the world Exhale: We are God’s beloved
Inhale: Justice is God’s joy Exhale: Justice is Love Out Loud
Call to Worship: God is our righteous rule, let the earth rejoice Clouds and thick darkness surround the Divine, Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of God’s throne God’s lightenings light up the world, the earth sees and trembles The mountains melt like wax before God, et all who hear rejoice Light is sown for those who love justice, Joy lives in those who have equity in their heart Come let us give thanks in the name of our God!
Call to Confession: God plants the seeds of joy in us, let us confess where we feel we fall short, so that we rest in God.
Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that I often confuse joy with being happy. I confess that I want everything to be easy and that the formula to be “Smile Jesus loves you.” I do not want joy to be a seed that is planted and grown for the birds to nest in. I do not want to be glad to come to church, because it is the place of sanctuary where I can safely be unhappy. I confess, that sometimes I miss the point of tending and growing joy. Teach me how to tend to the needs of joy and the gardens of your kingdom work I pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Prayer of Confession: Jesus Christ, I confess that sometimes we as a culture are too obsessed with happiness. We feel like we need something to be happy—money, the perfect profession, a partner. Teach us that we do not have to be happy or joyful all of the time, that lightening moments of joy followed by moments of Sabbath, rest and simple companionship are enough. Teach us to be the birds that nest home in your mustard seed Kingdom we pray. (Silent Confession). Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Jesus Christ promises us peach and love within the Kingdom, and so we know that our confession is seen, heard and accepted. Let us proclaim the Good News, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God help us to appreciate and celebrate the joy as we see it in our lives. May we tend it, and let it grow. Help us to laugh with those who are laughing, even as we might weep with those who are weeping—providing sanctuary for all those in need we pray. Amen.
Taize: Laudate Omnes Gentes
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Being your full self in front of God, confessing your self in the midst of community so you are not alone in your humanity. Confession is about confessing the good and bad of what it mean to be part of the human condition, and hopefully remembering that Jesus was human once too. In terms of the paralytic, his sins were forgiven because of the faith and community of his friends, it was a confessional moment.
Inhale: I don’t know everything Exhale: It’s ok to not know
Inhale: I am me Exhale: I am enough
Inhale: Today I will not achieve Exhale: Today I will just be
Call to Worship Come confess yourselves to Jesus Christ I come, a full and imperfect human being And yet, somehow, Jesus promises to be particularly present whenever we gather Here we are, to confess, to worship to pray Come let us worship our Lord Come, let us celebrate and worship today
Call to Confession: God does not leave us where we are, but takes us where we need to be—therefore let us confess our full selves to God, so that we might no longer feel alone.
Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that this whole idea of naming our sins out loud is hard. What if the thing that is named does not exactly apply to me? What if it hits too close to home? Why do we even do this confession thing? Why do I need to say who I am to you? Are you not God? Do you not know me already? And then I remember, that to state who I am, is to reclaim myself. Then I remember that to name my burdens is to lay them at your feet. Then I remember that to name them together, is to remember that no one is suffering alone, that we are in community with one another. Thank you God for giving us a way to practice hope, love, humanity and forgiveness together, remind us that confession is about being our full selves, because you can handle us, we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Prayer of Confession: Jesus, I confess it is hard for me, some days, to believe that you were fully human, and understood all of the emotions, pain and hardship that entailed. However, here I am, putting my whole human self in your hands. Please hold my pain in your hands. I confess that I am trying to trust that you understand hat I am going through—even as I am trusting that you can help me to walk through it, by holding my hand along the way. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, the yoke of Jesus Christ is light, for Jesus Christ is here not to condemn us but to save us, thus we rejoice In the good news: In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, let us go into the world remembering that being ourselves is enough. All you want is for us to be our full and true selves. For we are your beloved, and our faith is not about being perfect, but about working to love and serve one another, let us go into the world, and try to be ourselves wherever we go. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Taize: My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone
Prayer Activity:
Confessing the Self Option 1:Write down yourself as characteristics only Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Vocational, Spiritual, give them to God as a confessional prayer to “give yourself to God in prayer” as pieces and a whole, a confession that you are pieces and a whole, and God accepts you exactly as you are.
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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
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
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Kneeling with Christ The Promise of a New Kin-dom Breaking [A World Beyond] Capitalism
Lent 6 : Anointed King by a Serving, Simple Woman or Throw him a parade instead of serving the poor, humans never change–Love and Serve the Lord, Jesus wants sacrifice of praise through loving and serving one another not a show of glory.
Breath Prayer Option Inhale: Christ is King Exhale: Hosanna
Inhale: Blessed is the One Exhale: Bless all who come in God’s Name
Inhale: the Lord is God Exhale: Let us Greet Jesus Christ
Call to Worship You are my God, I give thanks to you You are my God, I will extol you Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord Save us, we beseech you, Hosanna, Hosanna in the High Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good Come, let us praise God whose steadfast love endures forever
Call to Confession: Come let us cry out our confession to the Lord together.
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we cry out Hosanna, even when we are uncertain whether or not we want to serve you today. We are uncertain how to anoint you as King. Yet here we are, crying out to be saved, from something. because deep in our hearts we know that you are our savior. Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, come and teach us how to be a people of Christ we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Prayer of Confession: Jesus we confess that we do not always know how to serve you. We would rather throw you a parade, then give away all of our possessions and go out and work with the immigrants, the poor, the hungry and the naked. Hossana, help us to learn how to serve you better, so that we may kneel beside you when you return to serve we pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good new, Jesus Christ came to save us, so we know the truth, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God may we go into the world remembering that you will always be our God, and we will alway be your people. May we hold this in our hearts always. Amen.
Hymn Suggestions: Hosanna Loud Hosanna, All Glory Laud and Honor
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