Epiphany is about
inclusion
and Peace
Epiphany is stronger
Than insurrection
and War
That was the point
Herods
So be frightened
Our path will continue to be
A different way
Lit by the Star of Peace
Your sneakiness and violent ways
Are no match for Our God
Thank Sweet Baby Jesus
Amen
Immigrant God
Be with us
Be with those separated from families
Teach us how to make room at the inn
Remind us
That you translated
Yourself into Humanity
Because you understood
That we humans
We hate translating
Teach us to keep at this translation work
of human to understand divine
of cultural understanding
of the beauty of change (we humans aren’t so good at change)
Translate us
into a Christmas people
we pray
Amen
Advent
Because we aren’t ready
And
God is here
In the dark
In the waiting room
God is here
In the sadness
In the not quite revolution yet
There is no shame in advent
There is sanctuary in the quiet
Anticipation
Itchiness of almost
There is holiness
In the time of not quite
There is connection
In the confusion
Of complicated
Not having our
Shit together yet
There is beauty
In creating rituals
to wait together
So that we remember
…that we are not waiting
Alone
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
God I know I don’t need
To look for you
Advent is in
a minor key
Because
Christ is already here
In the ICE prisons
Christ is already here
with the unhoused
Christ is already here
at the wartorn rubble
Christ is already here
But it’s hard
to see the face of Jesus
Fear not
You say
And you coax us to
free the prisoners
To distribute food
without worry about who is deserving
As you remind us
What peace and wholeness means
Fear not
The Holy Spirit
Inspires us
Laying Groundwork
for the key change
to take hold
We wait with you God
Because we want the miracle
of Christmas
To be about
the seeds that are
planted
to mean
Universal flourishings
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
Content warning: Trans* Day of Remembrance: Mentions Abuse, Death, Murder, Abuse, Suicide
God
You know that
when your very
existence
is resistance
Then remembrance
is more
than a story
It is a celebration
that Life
is complication
And beautiful
and every time
We remember
Our Trans* siblings
We co-create
A world
Where mourning
and lament
are not it
We re-member
re-connect
re-present
reality
Knowing that
one way
one being
even one name
is not enough
Complicated
mysterious
God-
THE God of Pronouns
The Almighty
Multiplicitious* God
It is You who blesses us
calls us by our chosen name
Blesses our found families
understands the mysterious, complicated way
hurt, imperfections, love all mix up into life
Perhaps more than anyone else
Help us as we do the hard work
of mourning those who have been lost to this world
through the tragedy of violence
Trans* individuals who have been killed by
intimate partners
family
strangers
or if they lose their life yet another way and died by suicide,
We hurt still from all the abuse and death
that is ongoing
Protect especially our Queer
Siblings of Color
We Celebrate their lives
as a testament and Embodiment
Of the Diversity in the World
Knowing, that their living into themselves
Still counted and was important
even when it felt incomplete
Protect especially our Queer
Siblings of Color
Who are particularly vulnerable
Put a shield across them
We demand your care for them
Melt the hearts of hate
For all who do harm
Physical
Political
Emotional
And may we resist forever
Any injustice in the world
Fighting for a Place
Where all are
Accepted
Fed
Safe
Celebrated
Justified
Recognize
and Known
To be
Fiercely and Wondrously made
In the Image of our Multiplicitous God
Amen
*This is a new word, as of today, pronounce it with confidence
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
Advent Candles
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”
Week 1
God of Hope you Sustain us
Even when the world is on fire
We walk with you, and hear your voice
We walk with you, and follow your voice
We hope for a better world, in the meantime, send angels, messengers with your voice
Walk with us, Fill us with the courage to walk with one another
Even the world feels on fire
Fill us with Hope
Possible Advent Hymns: Open my Eyes that I May See, Live Into Hope, Taize: Bless the Lord My Soul
Week 2
God of Peace you sustain us
When we do not know the answer, you wait with us
When we are full of questions, You accept our ponderings
Help us to imagine a world of peace
Breathe on us your Holy Spirit, so that we can live into your Kin(g)dom
Fill us with Peace
Possible Advent Hymns: God of Peace, Comfort, Comfort You My People Taize: Nada The Turbe, God of Peace (to the tune of Silent Night)
Week 3
God of Joy, you quench us
You promise fulfillment in all the ways
God you know that joy is more than happiness, it is shalom, being complete
It is abundant gardens, full stomaches, justice and equity for all
We rejoice that you are a God who answers when we call,
Fill us with Joy
Possible Advent Hymn: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (which could be an advent one), Taize, The Kingdom of God
Week 4
God of Love you accept us
You embody community and belovedness, one with the dark and the light.
You cloaked in mystery, and yet contain all knowledge
You are one, yet many
You are love, and teach us belovedness
Fill us with Love
Possible Advent Hymn: Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, Taize: Magnificat
RCL Advent Candles: Primarily Based on Isaiah: Theme God the Gardener
Week 1
God you plant the seeds of hope
God’s house will be the place for all people
Laying the groundwork for peace, joy and love
All Peoples shall stream to God’s mountain
Hoping to Learn from God
We hope together
Week 2
God, the seeds of peace are shooting out of the stump of Jesse
Equity is growing, so that the wild animal and the tame shall live together
Shalom shall grow, such peace, that all children shall be safe
None shall harm on God’s holy mountain
Peace will be pursued
We seek peace together
Week 3
God will nourish the land, so that the land itself will blossoms of joy.
All will know God’s glory, weak hands will be made strong.
Say to those with a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear, Here is your God.”
We will rejoice in the healing of God, no traveller will be harmed by wild animals
All shall safely and joyfully be able to go our merry way
We can rejoice together
Week 4
God’s Divine love will continue through the gift of a child, Immanuel
God tends to the garden of the world by giving us Godself
God with us, a child, Love embodied
God loves us
We are beloved
We can be loved together
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”
More Advent Hymns to Christmas Tunes
Magnificat Prayer collection (so far)
We 3 Kings: alternative Version
If you want a doc version of this email KatyandtheWord at gmail Title ADVENT candles (specify RCL or Narrative) and I will email you a document for easier formatting
With gratitude for all who supported My D.Min. degree
If you appreciate my work, Feel free to support it at Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail
Praying so hard for Jamaica and the Caribbean
Praying for the planet
Praying for those in the eye of the hurricane
Praying
Praying
Praying because disaster relief has to come faster
with less resources
Praying because Climate Change is Harsh
and Denial is Harsher
Praying because Paper Towels are not enough
Praying because my neighborhood is big enough
to hold anyone in need
but I do not have capacity to figure it all out
Praying
that we do more
Prayers for this storm
and the next one
Praying the storm
lets up and eases
however it can
But right now
I hope that we do the short
and long range things
needed
to help
Because
Love is what
makes us Human
in the end
Amen
Feel free to use/adapt/change with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
Am
Heartsick
Healthcare
SNAP
Lord Hear our Prayers
Vaccines
Homelessness
“Cease”less
Cease fires
Peace-less
Talks
Rubble at the White
House
Workers
Without Pay
No Meds
No Food
No Water
No Care
Holy Spirit
Give us Rest
Politicians
Who Talk
Another Nazi
Revealed
Another Person
Who won’t
Pass the Baton
Another
Black Woman
Cassandra-d
Another Immigrant
Ripped
From Her Child
Lord Have Mercy
God
Forgive Us
Teach us
Mercy
God
The Anger
Burns
And
My Soul
Mourns
Teach
Our Hearts
We
Pray
Teach
A
New
Way
To
Be
Because
I Can’t
Exist
This Way
Anymore
Amen
On National Coming Out Day
Stay Safe
Find Sanctuary Spaces
Find places to be you
Find Belovedness
Find Cozyness
Corners
Embrace Mystery
Its ok if it doesn’t all make Sense
Be Gay/Queer And Do Crime
Be a Riot
You are Fierce and Awesomely Made
And Forgive all of us who don’t show us
In the ways you need us to
In the Name of the
God who show Themselves
in a Flaming Bush
To an Enslaved man with a Speech Impediment
to Liberate People
(Who you do NOT have to Believe in)
I Hope you are Affirmed and Celebrated
Be
Beloved
Part of my baptismal vows, and then confirmation, and then ordination and installation includes not only to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior but also to reject evil. I will admit that as a (white) child of the 80s and 90s I was more sunshine and bubblegum, hoping that evil was fading away. However, I have learned that evil had merely hidden, and that not only is institutional sexism, racism, ableism and homophobia but it seems that in the United States the ugliness of hate feels to move more openly in the world as fascism takes power.
As I write, pray, rest, parent, I find that for me my faith is part and parcel to my resistance. The more inclusive I can be the more I resisting the hate I see.
One of the places I am able to do this is the conference I am attending next month–it is called NEXT church, where we explore church as more of a movement and less than an institution–it runs Nov 11-14th, and is designed for all types of church people (not just leaders) and has full on courses such as community organizing, more than good intentions (don’t just be a nice white person), art as resistance, trauma informed ministry and more! I hope you explore and are able to join me as there are still spots LEFT! https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/ (There is special pricing if you live nearby or don’t have designated funs to help (and some meals are even included!)
If you are a church leader and can’t make it to the gathering–or even if you can, you might also want to look into our highly contextual Agents of Change program https://nextchurch.net/preaching-for-change/agents-of-change/ (due OCT 15!) program This is for those leaders who want to embody the transformative work that leads to justice and liberation.
Full disclosure I am part of the newly Formed NEXT church board, but I have been attending NEXT church events for 14 years–and that is all it takes to be a NEXT church community member, I hope you join our community soon, because At Such a Time as This, this is the kind of Faith movement that I find sustaining to the soul.
Katy
AKA “KatyandtheWord”
katyandtheword 