Katy Stenta is the solo revitalization pastor at the bigger on the inside New Covenant Presbyterian church located in Albany, NY, since 2010. She is also the co-founder/leader of TrailPraisers an Inclusive New Worshipping Community. She writes narrative lectionary and other liturgical prayers at www.katyandtheword.com and is a pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Katy loves reading as much fantasy as possible and playing with her three children Franklin (11), Westley (9) and Ashburn (7) who she often takes to the public library where her husband Anthony works. Katy, a Xiennial, is excited about the new greater church that is emerging and loves helping people hearths call of God.
Katy loves reading as much fantasy as possible and playing with her three children Franklin (11), Westley (9) and Ashburn (7) who she often takes to the public library where her husband Anthony works. Katy, a Xiennial, is excited about the new greater church that is emerging and loves helping people hearths call of God.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Epiphany 2 (OT 2)
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 3 (OT 3)
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 4 (OT 4)
28 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
New & Featured This Week
CSSPlus
John Jamison
Object: A 2025 calendar.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! This is a story about something that happened after Jesus was baptized when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth to visit his family and friends. While he was visiting, he went to the service at the synagogue, just like we come to our church service. During the service, they asked Jesus to read the scripture, so he stood up and read. He said:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! This is a story about something that happened after Jesus was baptized when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth to visit his family and friends. While he was visiting, he went to the service at the synagogue, just like we come to our church service. During the service, they asked Jesus to read the scripture, so he stood up and read. He said:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
The Immediate Word
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For January 26, 2025:
- You Can’t Go Home Again — Really by Mary Austin based on Luke 4:14-21.
- Second Thoughts: Trumping The Bible by Dean Feldmeyer based on Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen and Chris Keating.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
Emphasis Preaching Journal
Wayne Brouwer
It seems everybody knows about Victor Hugo’s greatest novel, even if few have actually read it. He called his masterpiece, Les Miserables, and said that it was “a religious work.” So it is. The story echoes the gospel message at nearly every turn.
The main character, Jean Valjean, has been beaten hard by the cruel twists of fate. He has seen the sham of hypocrisy on all sides. So he casts the name of the Lord to the ground like a curse. What does God know of him, and what does it matter?
The main character, Jean Valjean, has been beaten hard by the cruel twists of fate. He has seen the sham of hypocrisy on all sides. So he casts the name of the Lord to the ground like a curse. What does God know of him, and what does it matter?
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
StoryShare
Frank Ramirez
Did you ever notice in most of the old movies how the credits are at the front and they don’t share much information? Take the classic The Wizard of Oz. The overture begins with a rousing fanfare, followed by musical allusions to the key songs in the show. Visually, we see the Metro Goldwyn Mayer logo featuring the roaring lion and the words “Metro Goldwyn Mayer presents,” and of course the title of the film.
The Village Shepherd
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus as he worshipped in the synagogue at Nazareth. Let us ask God's Spirit to fill us as we worship in church today.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, when we are unaware of your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, when we deny your Spirit within us,
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, when we reject or damage your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Luke 4:14-21
The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus as he worshipped in the synagogue at Nazareth. Let us ask God's Spirit to fill us as we worship in church today.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, when we are unaware of your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, when we deny your Spirit within us,
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, when we reject or damage your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Luke 4:14-21
SermonStudio
Stephen P. McCutchan
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
-- Luke 4:21
-- Luke 4:21
Constance Berg
David led us the two blocks from our church to his place of worship: a synagogue. We all gathered around him to hear what he was saying. The mid-week church school students had been studying the Jewish faith for three weeks, and now it was time to visit a synagogue!
David's job was to help the rabbi, who could only come to town periodically. David spoke with much pride of the customs that have been handed down for centuries and that he now espoused.
David's job was to help the rabbi, who could only come to town periodically. David spoke with much pride of the customs that have been handed down for centuries and that he now espoused.
Robert F. Crowley
Theme
Is the body of Christ able to work together in harmony because the spirit of the Lord is upon it, or is it meant to operate like any other organization?
Summary
Pastor Ralph needs some work on his car and he is also dealing with differing factions in his church. He is not having a good day. Earl, his friend and mechanic, gives him some good advice on taking care of his car and then relates it to his church -- get all the parts working together; after all, they all have the same manufacturer -- the Holy Spirit.
Playing Time
Is the body of Christ able to work together in harmony because the spirit of the Lord is upon it, or is it meant to operate like any other organization?
Summary
Pastor Ralph needs some work on his car and he is also dealing with differing factions in his church. He is not having a good day. Earl, his friend and mechanic, gives him some good advice on taking care of his car and then relates it to his church -- get all the parts working together; after all, they all have the same manufacturer -- the Holy Spirit.
Playing Time
Dennis Koch
Gospel Theme:
An overture for the oppressed
Gospel Note:
Luke's moving of Jesus' hometown sermon from later in his ministry (as in Mark) to its inception makes it a kind of programmatic overture for the Master's entire career. Jesus' choice of passage (from Tito-Isaiah) to define his objective is as sobering today as it was then, for the recipients of the good news are to be, not the comfortable and contented, but the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed.
Liturgical Color:
Green
Suggested Hymns:
O God Of Light
An overture for the oppressed
Gospel Note:
Luke's moving of Jesus' hometown sermon from later in his ministry (as in Mark) to its inception makes it a kind of programmatic overture for the Master's entire career. Jesus' choice of passage (from Tito-Isaiah) to define his objective is as sobering today as it was then, for the recipients of the good news are to be, not the comfortable and contented, but the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed.
Liturgical Color:
Green
Suggested Hymns:
O God Of Light
James Evans
Psalm 19 celebrates two different media through which God is revealed: nature and the law.
The first part of the psalm calls our attention to the presence of God in nature -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God." The word "glory" is the Hebrew kabod and literally means weight or heaviness. The derived meaning is something akin to "reputation." God's reputation is evident in the heavens.
But reputation for what?
The first part of the psalm calls our attention to the presence of God in nature -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God." The word "glory" is the Hebrew kabod and literally means weight or heaviness. The derived meaning is something akin to "reputation." God's reputation is evident in the heavens.
But reputation for what?
Elizabeth Achtemeier
We live in a society in which right and wrong have become largely a matter of personal opinion. All individuals are seen as a law unto themselves, and what is right for one person is not necessarily right for anyone else. Indeed, if any person tries to impose their ethical standards on another, the response is usually defensive anger. "Don't try to impose your middle-class morality on me," goes the complaint. "I know what is right for me, and you have no business trying to meddle in my life!"
Gary L. Carver
I shall never forget the night that Mae June came to church. Mae June was a workingwoman who, in our little community, was often seen in the late hours of the night in some of the darker places of our little town.
Harry N. Huxhold
In the Sundays of the Epiphany we are reminded in our worship how God continually reveals God's Person. That, of course, is done most clearly in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to be one of us. Today the emphasis of the Lessons is on how God is revealed in the Word. In the Holy Gospel, Jesus himself points out how he is revealed in the word, or the word is revealed in him, but the people do not seem to understand. That is always a problem in communication. The words can be ever so clear, but do people get the message?
Robert S. Crilley
Let me offer you a hypothetical situation. Suppose you had a friend who was unfamiliar with the church. The person had never attended a worship service or sat in on a Sunday school class. He or she had never participated in any of the midweek fellowship activities or volunteered to help out with one of the mission trips. In effect, Christianity was a complete mystery to him/her. And so, more out of curiosity than anything else, the person asks you, "What exactly is the church?"
Julia Ross Strope
A single song is being inflected through all the colorations of the human choir.
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Call To Worship
Leader: Welcome! Together we'll explore ancient stories about a public reading, the awesomeness of Creation, satisfying life together, and we will claim our God-given abilities.
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Call To Worship
Leader: Welcome! Together we'll explore ancient stories about a public reading, the awesomeness of Creation, satisfying life together, and we will claim our God-given abilities.
