Tag: Last Shall be First

Truth: A Prayer

Guns don’t spell peace

Just like White Supremacy can’t define Jesus

And Transphobia doesn’t protect families–but breaks them

And making abortion illegal, never, ever prevents abortions

God,

How can we humans be so confused

as to take the truth and completely

misconstrue it

so that somehow we make Christianity about power

and Church about politics?

Sometimes I think about this and I think,

only us humans are silly enough to mess up

messages as simple and easy as:

Love and serve one another

or the last shall be first.

Yet here we are God,

Tangling Truths around our Tongues,

Tricking ourselves, with comforting lies.

Ignoring the whisper of the Holy Spirit that says:

Fear Not.

Nothing can separate you from the Love of God

You can never be replaced.*

I hope you have some truth for us today, God.

Some clear, cool and collected truth,

gathered into the waters of baptism–

spilling into our hearts and souls.

Because we need your truth.

Help us to tell ourselves the truth

I pray.

We pray.

Amen. Feel Free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

*replacement theory is a dangerous white supremacist theory that white Americans are being replaced usually by Jewish and Black People and it promotes violence and terrorism against said “replacement” races and religions. It is dehumanizing, bigoted, wrong and as stated a terrorist training ground. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/15/us/replacement-theory-shooting-tucker-carlson.html

Lent Seeds: Narrative Lectionary

Exegetical Links  compiled by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

No photo description available.

Mark 10:17-31

Psalm 19:7-10

Call to Worship

The heavens tell of the glory of God, the very firmament proclaims God’s handiwork

The Lord is my rock and my redeemer

The sun in all of its courses is radiant, set in the heavens, touching upon the whole earth

Come let us praise God’s Holy Name

Call to Worship

God celebrate us, always running towards us!

Tracking us like the sun moves across the heaven!

Creating heaven and earth as reflections of God’s glory.

Come let us run to praise the Lord

Prayer of Confession; As I contemplate the makings of the universe, pulling apart each piece of how things are made. I continue to be flummoxed and confused by their intricacies. I confess that when you take things apart it scares me. When you die, all of my sins weigh heavily upon me. Forgive me I pray.

Prayer of Confession: Clear me from my hidden faults Lord, do not let them have dominion over me. Who else can detect my errors? Find them and clear them so I may be blameless and innocent of great transgression I pray. 

Assurance of Pardon: The Lord is our Redeemer, we do not need to fear! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Day: Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Communion Prayer; Lord you are the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last word. The first word you gave to us was creation, and the last word you give us has been and will always be grace. Send your Holy Spirit here, now. Remind us of your sweet ordinances, dripping with golden grace, sweeter than honey, help us to taste them on our tongue with the blood and body of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Hymns: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart, Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door, O Love How Deep, How Broad, How High, Jesu, Jesu Fill Us With Your Love, Seek Ye First, He is King of Kings

He is First and Last

With Children: Taste Honey, discuss why the laws are sweet & freeing. Make an Almsgiving/Prayer/Fasting Commitment (emphasize the life affirming aspects of living Lent like it’s the end of your life). Play duck, duck Goose, Play Musical Chairs, Play Mother May I, after whichever game discuss the importance of Ordering. Have Last-Shall-Be-First Nominations: everyone nominates the person next to them to be first (and goes to the back of the line after) for a positive reason. Read the Goblin’s Chair: discuss the importance of leaving room for the unseen,