prayer of confession – katyandtheword

God Calls David

Living Into this God Given World: Judgement

1 Samuel 16: 1-13; Psalm 51:10-14

John 7:24

Call to Worship:

God, we approach you asking that you bless us

Let us bless one another, and bless you, God

Come Let us worship the Lord

Come, let us worship, God together!

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we are far too eager to judge based on appearances–actually we are far to eager to judge period. This is not our job but yours. Unburden us from judgement, and remind us that most of our work is to bless and be a blessing we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Our God promises always to forgive us. Let us remember: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, you remind us that kings and government and justice do not always go together, but God and grace always does. Help us when we are uncertain or afraid or judgemental to lean into your grace, so that we might handle things with more patience, clarity and equanimity, and remind us always to work towards a kingdom of justice and peace we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Children: Justice isn’t fair! Talk about how being the oldest is different than being the youngest or being an only child is being different than being an only child. Discuss how it is really, really hard for things to be equal in human world–and that humans are not very good at being fair. Then talk about God’s justice and mercy, and the good news is that God’s justice and mercy isn’t about everyone getting the same thing, but instead everyone getting what they need according to their needs and talents. Justice is much better than fair.

Hymns: There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy, Amazing Grace, God Our Help and Constant Help and Refuge, God Our Lord a King Remaining, All Hail to God’s Anointed, O God of Every Nation, This Is My Father’s World, God is My Strong Salvation, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,

More Year 4 Narrative Lectionary Resources

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Bulletin 2: Passover by Pastor Katy Stenta

The Promise of Passover: Sermon & Bulletin 1 by Rev. Dr Barbara Hedges-Goettl, Bulletin 2 by Pastor Katy Stenta, Passover Prayer
Exodus 12:1-13; 13:1-8
Luke 22: 14-20 Opt Psalm 105: 31-36

Announcements

Call to Worship

God called Abraham out of his homeland, and the Hebrews out of Egypt

Come Let us worship the Lord

God continues to call us out of where we are to who we should be

Come let us worship the Lord

All Creatures of Our God and Kings 455

All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your vote and with us sing; Alleluia! Alleluia!Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong, Ye clouds that sail in heaven along; O sing ye Alleluia Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening find a voice!

Thou flowing water, pure and clearMake music for thy Lord to hear; Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, That gives us both warms and light

Thou fertile earth, that day by day, Unfoldest blessings on your way; O sing ye! Alleluia! The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, Let them God’s glory also show!

Exodus 12:11b-13:8

(1 finger) It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgements:

(2 fingers) I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

(3 fingers) The Lord said to Moses: Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.

(4 fingers) Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the Lord brought you out from there by strength of hand; no leavened bread shall be eaten.

(Pastor Katy) Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this observance in this month.

(5 fingers) For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the Lord.

(6 fingers) Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory.

(7 fingers) You shall tell your child on that day, “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.”

Children’s Sermon

Sermon God with the enslaved Pastor Katy Stenta

Live into Hope 332

Live into hope of captives freed, Of sight regained, the end of greed

The oppressed shall be the first to see, the year of God’s own jubilee

Live into hope the blind shall see, With insight and with clarity,

Removing shades of pride and fear—A vision of our God brought near.

Live into hope of liberty, The right to speak, the right to be

The right to have one’s daily bread, To hear God’s word and thus be fed.

Live into hope of captives freed, From chains of fear or want or greed.

God now proclaims our full release, To faith and hope and joy and peace.

Prayer of Confession: Lord God we confess that we are not where we should be right now. We get distracted by idols, we forget that God promises to free all of God’s children. We proclaim our liberty, and forget that you also commanded us to love one another, and gave us instructions how to save one another. Help us to love and work to save one another, we pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and Power and the Glory Forever. Amen.

Passing of the Peace

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

Narrative Lectionary Seeds of Prayer: Church at Corinth

Church at Corinth

Acts 18:1-4

1 Cor. 1:10-18

(Mark 9:34-35)

Lectionary Resources & Prayers by Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Call to Worship

To whom do you belong? Are you an American? A Democrate? a Republican? An Independent?

I belong to Christ

Can Christ be divided?

No, we are the body of Christ.

Call to Worship

Look who has gathered here today?

It is us, the hands and feet of Christ

It is so good you are here, we have need of each and every one of you!

Come let us worship the Lord together!

Prayer of Confession: God, too often we forget who formed us, and blessed us and sent us into the world. We think we are made of our own bootstraps, or that our merits are based on our worthiness. Bless us as children of God, we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Lord, I confess that I am desperate to belong, to fit in, to be a part of it all. And it is hard to know that I fall short, it is hard acknowledge that I can disclose others, who also want to belong. Teach me how we all belong to you I pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God’s love always leaves the light on for us, come home and know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, remind us that we can find home and love in you. Especially when it’s hard to face the world. Be our soft place to land, we pray. Amen.

Communion Prayer: Lord, like a mother you nourish us. Giving Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden and all that dwelled therein. Then when we were wandering in the desert with Moses, you fed us manna. Again, when the temple was destroyed, you fed us hope. Feed us today, again, today in any way we need. Bless this food and cup with the Holy Spirit so it can be the food of Jesus Christ, communion and love. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, your firstborn child, who adopted each of us as family. May we celebrate all of our meals with our brother Jesus we pray. Amen.

Body of Christ Litany

Mother’s Day Confession Prayer

Mother’s Day Litany Prayer (in light of the pandemic)

Virtual Communion Resources

Pandemic Resources

Eastertide Narrative Lectionary Resources

Narrative Lectionary Transfiguration Seeds of Prayer

Psalm 27

Mark 8:27-9:8

Call to Worship

The Lord is my light and my salvation

Whom should I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom should I be afraid?

Only you God, are worthy of praise, let us praise the Lord.

Prayer of Confession Lord, I am so fixated on making my life profitable. I want to be famous, or rich, or well liked. I do not want to take up my cross and follow, the world’s easy ways tempt me. Remind me of your kingdom and power forever I pray. Amen

Prayer of Confession: God I don’t want to know that you are going to die for me. It makes me feel weak, worthless, angry and sad all at the same time. Who am I that you are going to die for me. Remind me who I am in your eyes I pray.

Prayer of Confession: (unison) Help us to wait for you, O Lord. Be strong and take heart, you say. Give us the courage as we wait for the Lord. Send us forth believing that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God gave us his beloved son so we might hear and know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: God is our shelter from sin, his grace covers me so I know the truth. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: One thing I ask, O Lord, that I may live in your house all the days of my life. Shelter me so that I might live in the shadow of your love today and everyday I pray. Amen

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Help us to wait for you, O Lord. Be strong and take heart, you say. Give us the courage as we wait for the Lord we pray. Amen.

Hymns: Lift High the Cross, I want To Be a Christian in My Heart, Somebody’s Knocking at your Door, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, Lift Up the Gates Eternal, Called to Partners in Christ’s Service, God is My Strong Salvation, Take My Life, Jesus on the Mountain Peak, O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair, Be Thou My Vision

With Children: Books Red, I Don’t Want to be a Frog, Transmorgificaion (Calvin and Hobbes box have them walk thru to be more themselves, Play with White Clay (Talk about how clay is always clay but dry/fired clay is different than wet clay)

Image result for Take up your cross

Image here

Seeds Week 1: Garden of Eden/God of Generations

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 18:1-15, 21;1-7, Psalm 8

Image from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471329917222057932/?nic=1

More Resources for THIS WEEK https://bjhlog.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/378/

More General Resources: https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/seeds-resource-page/

Call to Worship:

Lord how did you create heaven and earth and all that is in it?

Breathe in us the Breath of Life

Lord you created us in relationship, with every plant and animals and with each other.

Come let us praise the Lord, and proclaim God good.

Call to Worship 2

Gather us together Lord

We feel blown like scattered seeds

Remind us that you are the gardener who wishes us to thrive

Let us look forward to the harvest with praise.

Call to Worship 3

God, our God, knows it is not good to be alone

Bring us together God

Our God created multitudes of varieties that exhaust the human imagination

Let us name all to good in the world today, and every day.

Call to Confession: Lord, you are not ashamed of our nakedness. You invite us to approach you unafraid, assured in you love and forgiveness. Let us come and lay our burdens at God’s feet today.

Prayer of Confession 1 Lord, we confess that isolation feels easier than relationship. We sit alone and ignore one another, we make use of what we can of the earth and treat it like it is everlasting. We believe humans and our resources are infinite, and yet continue to treat you, God, as if you are the finite one. We confess that we make our relationships askew, suiting them to our wishes. Reform us, we pray, help us to be recreated and resurrected in your image. Teach us to be a community and show us how to live in relationship with one and another and you, we pray.

Prayer of Confession 2 Heavenly Father, we confess that we are too worried about blaming one another. Like squabbling children we focus on who is more wrong, instead of working to fix the problem. Too often we point the finger, instead of lending a helping hand to those who have stumbled, for whatever reason. Help us to learn, we pray. Teach us to fix instead of fixating on blame. Allow us to let go of what feels beholden so that we might live as the beloved, we pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Do not be ashamed, for Jesus Christ came so that we might celebrate true communion and all become of one flesh, recognizing the grace of God in one another. Let us begin that recognition by proclaiming the good news.

Eucharist Prayer: Breath of God, you breathed us into being, and then taught us how to be human. And when your message got scrambled, you sent your only son to earth God translated into human form. Here Jesus lived and breathed and loved. And then, before Jesus ascended into heaven, he once again breathed the Holy Spirit on Earth as our hope, comforter and inspiration. God, you have been our God from Adam and Eve to Abraham and Sarah. Send your Holy Spirit here now upon these elements, that we might celebrate communion together, with the God of Generations.

Dedication/Prayer of the Day: Breathe life upon us once again, Oh God, that we might be inspired to name all the rights and wrongs in our lives. Breathe your strength into our souls, and remind us of your presence when we feel alone. So that we might be better able to share you as the God who created us to love and be beloved. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Hymns

Breathe on Me Breath of God,

O For Thousand Tongues to Sing

God of the Sparrow

With Kids

Create Creatures from Clay & Breathe Life into them

Teach a Breath Prayer (Breathe in: Creator God Breathe Out: Love Me)

Name Game: Name as many things as possible, write them down, talk about human job of “naming” (include science, english, etc. as forms of naming)

Name Origins: Google everyone’s name meaning

More Resources for THIS WEEK https://bjhlog.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/378/

More General Resources: https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/seeds-resource-page/

RCL bulletin for Dec. 16th

December 16th, 2018 Third Sunday of Advent 10:30 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements
Prelude
Lighting of the Advent Candle: We begin this third week of Advent with a sense of
liberating joy. Let us pause and breathe deeply as we hear these words spoken by Mary:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Call to Worship (from Isaiah 12)
One: Surely God is my salvation.
Many: With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And we will say in that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in our midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Sing praises to the Lord,
make known God’s deeds in all the earth.

Opening Prayer
O God, Source of all that is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, and gracious, unite us to you in joy. Fill our minds with good and praiseworthy things so that we will put into practice what we have learned and received, heard and seen in Christ Jesus. In his name, and by the power of the Spirit, we pray. Amen.
*Opening Hymn (blue hymnal) #145 Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

*Call to Confession: God calls us to fill our minds, hearts and lives with all that creates joy, but we are not always ready to go there. Let us confess our need for God’s forgiveness and grace.

*Confession of Sin (followed by silent confession)
God, in this busy season, we are discovering the ways in which we are not fully ready.
We are not ready to give up our shame.
We are not ready to abandon our fears.
We are not ready to rejoice.
We are not ready to turn to you instead of to worrying.
We are not ready to tell the truth. We are not ready to be just.
We are not ready to be real. We are not ready to be gracious.
We are not ready to show that we belong to you in all that we think, and say, and do.
Forgive us and change us. (Silent Confession)

* Assurance of Pardon (from Zephaniah 3, New International Version)
The Lord has taken away your punishment.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
Thanks be to God for the Good News:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

* Gloria Patri: Hymn 579 (blue hymnal) “Glory Be to the Father”

Passing of the Peace
The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.

Offering Hymn #13 (blue hymnal) Prepare the Way

* Doxology (Hymn 592, blue hymnal) “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

* Prayer of Dedication

Prayer for Illumination
Open our eyes, Lord we want to see Jesus
to reach out and touch him, and say that we love him.
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-9

Message: Getting Ready for Christ to Come
Affirmation of Faith (from the PC-USA Brief Confession of Faith)
In life and in death we belong to God.  Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,  and the communion of the Holy Spirit,  we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,  whom alone we worship and serve.
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.  Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:  preaching good news to the poor  and release to the captives,  teaching by word and deed  and blessing the children, healing the sick  and binding up the brokenhearted,  eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners,  and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father.  In sovereign love God created the world good  and makes everyone equally in God’s image  male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community.
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.  Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,  like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,  God is faithful still.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.  The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,  sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,  and binds us together with all believers  in the one body of Christ, the Church.
In a broken and fearful world  the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing,  to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,  to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,  to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,  and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.  In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks  and to live holy and joyful lives,  even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,  praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
With believers in every time and place,  we rejoice that nothing in life or in death  can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

*Closing Hymn (blue hymnal) #2 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

*Charge & Blessing

*Denotes please stand if able.

Narrative Lectionary: Prayers, Liturgy, Collects

Acts 2:1-21

Phil: 4:4-7

Call to Worship
The Lord is near
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice
And here we are, all gathered in the name of Jesus, to hear the Word of Jesus Christ
Let us speak to God, each in our own way and tongue, so that God might hear our praise.

Prayer of Confession: (unison) Holy Spirit, we confess that new things share us. We confess that although we want to be welcoming, sometimes w have trouble putting it into practice. We confess that sometimes we feel awkward. Forgive us for the times we forget to listen closely to one another. Aide us, when we forget to accept help from each other. For we know that relationship is holy, so we pray that you teach us to truly work through the Holy Spirit to come together as church, today and everyday so we might truly be a Pentecost People. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: (Phil 4:6-7) Know this, when we worry, we can take everything to God in prayer, and supplication, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will be with you. Let us proclaim the truth to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen

Hymn Suggestions:

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

Thy Word

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

When in Doubt: Jesus Washes Feet

John 13:1-17 and Psalm 51:7-12

Call To Worship: We come to serve Jesus, who came to serve us. Let us know the Lord. We come to be made clean, by one who will bathe us in love. Let us know the Lord. We come to be made whole, by the Holy Spirit. Let us know and worship the Lord.

Confession: Create in me a Clean heart, O Lord. Create a right spirit within me. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, sustain my spirit and give me joy and gladness.

Assurance to Pardon: We are already forgiven by the God of unconditional love. Go in peace, and know that you have been made whole.

Offering Prayer/Prayer of Dedication: Let us go forth, no longer doubting that you served us so that we might know how to serve, going into the word ready to put that love to work, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.

Mother’s Day Confession Prayer

O Creating God who loved us into being, we your children praise you. When we fall, you lift us up, when we fail you restore us, when we are wounded you nurse us, when we grieve you weep with us, when we celebrate you laugh with us. But sometimes we don’t reach out to you, we are embarrassed, or we forget, or we feel silly. Help us to reach out to you at any and all times of our lives we pray. Amen

Parts borrowed from https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/03/prayer-of-confession-womens-day.html

Martha’s Confession (Belhar & Luke 10:38-42)

We are all too ready to separate ourselves from others. We live in comparison.

Prayer of Confession (unison) God, forgive us. We are all too ready to separate ourselves from others. We live in comparison. Separating ourselves to be better, harder working or more in need. We like to be the insiders, the ones who deserve things. Let us therefore reject any teaching which legitimize separation from those we consider to be less worthy. Lead us on the path of obedience and reconciliation, casting out of prejudice, fear, selfishness and unbelief we pray…. (Silent Prayer)…Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Lord, though death is at work in us, life is at work in us too, because you Jesus Christ are reconciling our very flesh. Let us tell each other the good news: In Jesus Christ we are Forgiven. Amen