Category: Pandemic Resource

Aftershocks

They always say
that the cleanup takes the longest
that’s actually the Presbyterians specialty

Long after the Salvation Army has left
We Presbyterians are there,
Sometimes so long, that we greet the next disaster

Someday that comfort, me, and other its depresses me.

Why are so many people dying?
The prayer group asks?
As we sit on the zoom screens

A beautiful remnant of Covid
a learned way to gather with one another–
A way the we have been finally dragged into the 2st centuary

And I look at the calendar, and realize
Yes, this is the trauma-ersary,
Three years ago, we had the last normal week of our lives

Just like 9/11 2001, my entire childhood was defined one way
And then boom. Explosion
My entire adulthood
Every
Single
Thing
Changed

Forever

Back to why so many people are dying
“We are still in the aftershocks of Covid, I think” I say..slowly
“You know, like after an earthquake, and this was a worldwide event
Its not as noticeable as an earthquake, but here we are,
Still experiencing the massive aftereffects of trauma, from a pandemic”

I’m no scientist, but I know it is true
Plus I’ve seen the actual science
I know we are tired, worn, and more ready to let go
We are still in the waves, where longterm care is needed

The problem being, its needed pretty much everywhere
By everywhere,
And we humans are not so good at that

Be gentle with yourselves this moth
Be gentle with yourself this March,
When you feel overwhelmed, remember

We are all Traumatized

If you or your family feel sick or trapped, or stuck at home
(especially if you have days at home in storms or God forbid Zoom Days)
Try to give yourself space to heal or Be

Practice Self-Care
(which is not bubble baths or shopping)

Find ways to Breathe, space to be fully yourself and safe
And ways to provide yourself with long term health and care

Screw this Trauma-versary
May we all find Space within it

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Image is “A year ago crossed out, two years ago crossed out, three years, this was our last normal year and nobody knew it” tweeted by Santiago mayer” dated 3/3/21

Prayer for the Changes

This is prayer for those who are making the changes

Who are doing the hard things.

Who are saying goodbye.

Who have accepted that death is a part of resurrection.

This is a prayer for all those who know, in their heart of hearts,

that normal isn’t real anyway.

That Jesus doesn’t hang out with the normal people in the first place,

and that the tiny hurts, that you are uncovering, are real, and valid, and it’s ok that they feel lonesome.

This is prayer for those who feel like its just one thing too many…

it that you feel like its your own failing: your too old or too young or too weird or too poor, too tired or just too whatever to handle it.

Because Jesus knows, she knows, and she will swoop down, like a mother bird, and wrap you her wings, and love you to her bosom, and hug you

til you remember you are too whatever, and still beloved,

somehow both and.

Here’s a prayer for moving on,

because we humans are made to transition all the time, and yet emotionally it is like the hardest thing to do

Why is that God?

And we are in the midst of some big Apocalyptic transition thing

From Pre-Pandemic to

Not Post pandemic.

But whatever it looks like

Here’s a prayer for that

For all of us

Help us as we do this thing, and love us through we pray.

Amen.

Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

With thanks to RevGalBlogPals, the Board, the Writers, the Community

–Katy “Katyandtheword”

Pandemic Prayers

Crummy Confession

Loving God

We confess that sometimes we aren’t sure how to relax, that sometimes it feels like a burden, or this thing we have to figure out. 

Or a reward that I can only receive after we have completed after we have done every single thing on the list. 

I also confess that when we feel crummy, and are given crumbs of Sabbath—that doesn’t help.

That too often Sabbath looks like this piecemeal, cobbled together, misshapenned monstrosity that happened throughout the day, or week, and so we aren’t sure if its good enough or counts, as if someone is grading the Sabbath—

when I know, deep, in my bones, 

that the abundance of Sabbath your promise is supposed to be a promise, not threat

and that you would never grade my rest-keeping

and that the point is to know my belovedness, and to relish myself, not to take a million bubble-baths or try to fix myself

You know, God, how I don’t give space for others to be free either–because I have all of this baggage, and its just, not good!

I confess I need all the help this Sabbath thing!

Forgive me God, For thinking that this Sabbath thing is all up to me.

Help us to find Sabbath

in better systems

in safer communities

and in ourselves we pray.

Amen.

Feel Free to Use/Adapt/Share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Prayer for Formula (Manna)

God,

What was the apocalypse Like

Wandering in the desert

with no food to eat

Was it like

no formula

for babies?

Or rising gas prices?

Or the Grocery Bills that are just too high!

Or jobs aplenty,

but no childcare?

Was it the choice between

Living somewhere you’ve lived

your whole life;

but your body was on the line

if your gender was in question

or your pregnancy?

Is this why the Jews grumbled?

God, it makes one wonder

Why humans choose diseases,

death and enslavement over…

other kinds of apocalypses.

God, I’m praying because

there are too many apocalypses right now…

and I have a feeling

we are about to wander in the desert.

So if you could give us some manna

along the way,

It would be appreciated.

Especially, for the babies,

Thank God for for formula

May it flow plentiful again soon!

I wouldn’t mind any peacocks

Or affordable chicken

or sweet dew or affordable milk and eggs either.

Selah.

Amen.

Feel Free to use/Adapt/Share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Praying with Covid

God,

Here’s a Prayer

for those with Covid.

Because, you know God

so far my family has a light case.

But it’s scary–

scary that it might get worse;

scary how easy it is to ignore the warnings and go on with our lives.

…

Here’s a prayer for those in isolation–

because they have covid,

or are avoiding it, still

after all this time.

Lonely, and alone.

…

Here’s a prayer for the sick,

the ones who are caretaking

the long haul covid people

wrestling with something we still do not understand

…

Here’s a prayer for the world-weary

those who feel like they are screaming into the abyss

Who are tired of playing Sorry,

hearing sorry, when covid is bumped into again,

and oop back to start again.

…

Jesus how do you deal in humanity?

Our pride, our ignorance?

Worst of all our frailty,

which someone you know but we are able to boisterously ignore?

…

Here’s a prayer for us humans,

silly, confused, and still beloved.

May we still walk the road to Emmaus together,

especially when we are confused or tired, or frail we pray.

Amen.

(Pastor Katy’s family has covid, but it seems like a light case at the moment)

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Like my work? Please support my degree in Creative Writing which is a Doctorate in Ministry as a Public Theologian at Pittsburgh Seminary

Apocalyptic Prayer

God,

as things seem to collapse

and people leave

and give up.

I can’t tell

Is this the end of the apocalypse?

Or the beginning?

What are we uncovering?

Will things change?

Or will we trundle along,

insisting that everything is

has been

and will be normal.

Is this how it was on Palm Sunday Jesus?

When people were welcoming you

with open arms.

Was everyone saying,

I can’t wait til Israel

gets back to normal.

Did you bother to tell them

That’s not what I’m here for?

Or did you answer,

like to Pilate–

You say that is what I’m here for

More or less agreeable.

God, I find that I am agreeable

these days,

as I don’t know

what is happening next–

I agree that this might happen

or that

and then I always end the day

in prayer

God’s will be done

God’s kin(g)dom come.

Because heaven knows,

I’m just another human

living in apocalyptic times.

God, I don’t have a bigger prayer

than this–

your will be done

your kin(g)dom come.

Amen.

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Boiling Over

God,

I see the schools

that are closing up

due to violence

and protests

and the likes–

and I’m reminded

All Behavior is Communication

All of it–You knew God, when

Helen Keller was throwing a tantrum

when Elijah was crying out

when Moses said

don’t call me

when the disciples

woke Jesus in the midst of the storm

terrified…

All behavior is communication.

So, God I’m wondering

as we start to boil over,

what are we trying

to communicate?

As we are forced

to work

and school

and carry on

in the middle of a storm

as though everything is normal

and haven’t even paused to grieve.

Help us–not to behave,

God no.

But to communicate,

because clearly we are crying out,

and boiling over.

Help us, we pray.

Amen.

Please feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Selah! Praying for Babies & Vaccines

Praying

for all the babies

to be vaccinated

ASAP,

and praying

for all the parents

(and grandparents and beloveds)

of those babies

who have been waiting

half past forever

to exhale

they know

what Selah means

Selah God

Selah!*

Amen.

*Selah is some kind of exclamatory sigh thing in the Bible that we don’t really know how to translate

Feel free to use/share/adapt/sigh/scream abundantly with some kind of credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

BURNEDOUT a prayer

This is a prayer for the BURNEDOUT

Because Loving mothering God, you know that they were ON FIRE 🔥

They did the work, they gave their all, they plugged in, they connected, they loved their job, their work & all they served

Every single breath of it.

Until one day, their oxygen suddenly gave out!

Sure they had been gasping for breath, and running on low fuel

But everything and everyone around them seemed to say just go farther and do more

And everything will be alright.

And so God this is a prayer for the BURNEDOUT

that every single one of them can claim their Sabbath

And rest, as God given, needful and right; without guilt or recrimination.

God grant them, and us Sanctuary and rest we pray.

Amen.

Toddling, a Prayer

God,

You know,

that we cannot pivot anymore

because we are too dizzy.

In fact,

we are so dizzy that walking has become problematic

So we make our way like toddlers

knowing our best right now

looks nothing like two year ago

Please hold my hand God

as I toddle along,

steady my step

and murmur comforting words

into my ear, as I toddle along,

Please,

I pray.

Amen.

Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Pandemic Prayers & Resources

mage: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRgjeVrd7voU52vZ7TS56dYtaRNx5oe4XVucA&usqp=CAU

With Thanks for the inspiration from @lmcheifetz who pointed out we can’t pivot anymore.

If you find my work useful, please consider giving to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing https://gofund.me/70a114f9. It is a “working theologian’s” doctorate where I preach, write and share my work with the world all at the same time. If your church uses my work extensively and could use a receipt email me at katyandtheword at gmail and let me know!