Here’s a prayer for Charlottesville Where the gunshots echo across a million schools in the United States
A Prayer for Charlottesville For the Black People who tiptoe lightly across the land
While White Boys bluster loudly with their guns and tiki torches, because they know who has rights and who doesn’t, as they high five the police along the way
Here’s a prayer for Charlottesville Where Heather Heyer was brutally run over with a car filled with malice and fossil fuel
And now Where football players, mere children, Black, Young and Gift Have their lives too lost
Because America cannot will not in its obsession with power, colonialism and capitalism is sinfully unable disarm itself
We are a death cult
Here’s a prayer for our children brutalized by “Shooter drills”
I remember when I had thought that Columbine was a historical rarity–Back in the day when I was in high school
I turn forty this year
I remember 9/11 when we cried no more And gave blood and ate together
And then prayed to God and immediately brutalized our black and brown neighbors And bought bombs and guns
Here’s a prayer for America obsessed with “Safety” instead of loving our neighbors
Is love safe?
Here’s a prayer for love Beautiful and fierce May it renew us in ways we do not expect
Away from cars and guns and violence
May we let people rage and cry and lament as needed
And then may we turn our words Into actions And to do what needs to get done
We Pray
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
God I remember–when you came out of the closet– Flaming!
And Moses, said, What are your Pronouns? And God says, I am what I am
And Moses says, Cool, I gotch-you, You’re the God of Pronouns!
And, God says, Good, because I have a feeling, This will get more complicated!
And then People were doing Violence to one another So God turned the World On and then Off again
And sent the animals two by two Upon a boat And hung up God’s weapon, a Bow (that’s an old school gun)
And said, I’m hanging up my weapon, so you will hang up yours As a sign that Love is Love is Love is Love
And Noah said Cool And God said, Cool, Because I have a Feeling this might get misconstrued someday
God I remember when Joseph Draped themselves in a Lady’s Coat
And their bros made fun of them And tried to feed them to the Lions
And God said, Nope, I claim the Queer One And then we “retranslated” it as a Rainbow coat, so no one will understand them as Queer
(And you laughed again God, didn’t you? You mysterious and all knowing I Am)
And then Joseph said what you meant for Evil, God meant for Good No one can take away my God, And God said mmm-mmmmm
And I remember Isaiah, where the prophet saw God, And clearly identified God as multiples, and referred to God as them
And scholars thought up a new word Trinity– And we ignored the singular/multiple thing–and God waited, patiently as only God can, for it to dawn upon us.
And then there was when Ruth declared her love and devotion for Naomi And said where you go I will go, your people will be my people, your God will be my God
And God laughed and said, this will be the foundation text for weddings This found-family declaration between too women, shh! Don’t tell the Conservatives.
And then came Jesus who instructed us, “Care for the Least of these” and “Let no one revile you in my name” and “Welcome the Stranger”
And we nodded along like we knew what he meant and then we disciples whispered among ourselves about exceptions
And God, God you knew You knew. You knew before we knew
You know, the Bible is so Queer; It would not even be the Bible, if it did not include rainbows and flames
It would not be Holy without found families and radical, unconventional love
God only knows, that it is not us who gets to say who belongs to God; it is but our job to practice welcome and hospitality
Someday, perhaps we will get the laughter of angels right
And so Coming Out Day Blessings to those who can celebrate And safe spaces and sanctuary to those who can’t
May those who are Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Ace, Bisexual, Nonbinary, Queer, Androgynous, Demi, Intersex, Questioning, Omnigender, Poly, Pan, and of Two Spirit find the space to be their full self.
And may they scream or yell or ignore or bless God as wish– Because,
Because You are God, and you care to endure all those things when your children have suffered so
May we create a world where Coming Out day that is a true celebration and choice
May all people be celebrated in their fullness we pray–not because of the Bible, but just Because, We pray this together!
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Did you wake up in the middle of the night Feeling like you were about to fall? From some inexplicable nightmare?
When you got through a harrowing encounter with the officially officials—you know the ones that had been in the building Did you come home with a headache?
Did you practice breathing techniques, and peaceable responses, and politeness and smiles like most of the women, disabled people and marginalized around you… All of us knowing—this is how we make it
Did you preach the Good News as a survival technique Not as a toxic positivity to push on people
But the Bare Bones to give those hungry for scraps of answers of
“Why am I Here? And “Does this even Matter?” And “How Do I face tomorrow?”
And did you sit and look at the stars—Christ—and evaluate your day, and try to comfort yourself: With the little things that went right; and the good things you saw, and the big picture you were working towards.
Did you ache with the work of it all Jesus? And roll your jaw, and take a deep breath to relax your shoulders, before you faced another fully human day?
Thank you for being human with us Jesus.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
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If you want a document version of this entire series for easy viewing and formatting just email me at Katyandtheword at gmail and title it Narrative Lectionary and I will be happy to send it to you.
If you would like to support my work, please give to my gofundme for my D. Min in Creative Writing or in an exciting new prospect become a Patron for only $3 a month!
Call to worship: Our God is the God of storms and rainbows.
The God of doves and the God of promises
Our God is the God of mighty waves, and calm peaceful seas.
How mighty is our God
How trustworthy is our God
Come let us worship God.
Call to Worship
God we long for your care
Help us when we need your care
Lead us to the still waters
God renew your covenant with us
God we give thanks to the God of peace
Come let us praise God’s Holy Name
Invitation to Confession: God’s compassion is wider than the sea. Come Let us confess ourselves to God.
Confession: God, I confess that I do not understand that potency of your promise. What does it mean that you made a covenant with Noah and all future generations? What does it mean that you permanently hung your bow, your weapon, in the sky? I confess that my wonder at the rainbow is still just a beginning of the understanding of your promises and covenants. Help me to dig deep into your promises I pray. (Silent Confession) Amen.
Just as the storm will be calmed, as certain as God hangs God’s rainbow in the sky, we can be certain God loves us, God knows us and God forgives us, Let us proclaim the good news to one another In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen
Call of the Day/Dedication: God may we continue to seek your promises, and to know that your joy is in creation and love, and you are with us. Remind us to be a people of your promise as we go, we pray in your most Holy name. Amen.
Children: Talk about the rainbow as God Disarming Godself. God promises never to weaponize anger against us. Book Suggestion “Where the Wild Things Are” “The Napping House” “The Napping House”
Hymns: God of the Sparrow, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, Wherever I May Wander, I’ve God Peace Like River,
If you want a document version of this entire series for easy viewing and formatting just email me at Katyandtheword at gmail and title it Narrative Lectionary and I will be happy to send it to you.
If you would like to support my work, please give to my gofundme for my D. Min in Creative Writing or in an exciting new prospect become a Patron for only $3 a month!
18-20yr Old Gunman, White Kills 6 Onlookers, And injures 24 more Independence Day Parade; Highland Park, Chicago suburb, IL
This is not News to You God.
10 Year old Pregnant by Rape, Just over 6 weeks, Denied Abortion
This is not News to You God
LGBTQIA reporters being denied access, to writing articles and opinions, Don’t Say Gay Laws in Effect Being told their voices are Not Needed
This is not News to You God
God, I fully admit I’m following you, Not cause its glamorous– have you seen what people are doing in your name?
I know, I know,
This is not News to You God
But I have nowhere else to go. Your way is not easy, but it is Just and inclusive; Because I know you know God, we don’t know what we are doing
This is not News to You God.
So I am not going to turn off the News (much) But I am going to follow you, Your promises are more solid than anything human And…I have nowhere else to go;
This is Not News to You God.
So I’ll Scream and Sigh to You God,
And remind myself, that You Know, and You Know us,
This is Not News to You God.
And take comfort in that fact. As we strive to do better to make things better. Amen.
Feel free to adapt/share/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
With thanks to Rev. Tawnya Denise Anderson about her thought provoking fb post about how the disciples stuck with Jesus because they had nowhere else to go, i.e. it wasn’t always exciting to follow Jesus, but it was the best option they had, and sometimes that’s what following God means
God, Here we are again, Celebrating “Freedom” or whatever
But Black Lives still don’t matter LGBTQIA rights are worse Women subjugated Children hunger and forgotten Hate crimes up and rising
And I just Can’t, Free to do what? What are we celebrating? I hate how Americans have turned Freedom into an equivalency for Selfishness
And we all know that this has been a problem For a while. But I had some hope in the days of Black Lives Matter and when Covid efforts were new That we might actually learn some things.
But we are still a country That throws more money at war and police Then schools and social efforts and equality.
Some countries have Kings We have Capitalism, Liberty, Christianity and White Supremacy We all are living with the results of this.
So here’s my prayer: for human dignity, the right to belong the right to eat good food, shelter and be clothed the right to water, education and clean air the freedom to be oneself. The right to pray and to refrain from praying I hope everyone gets a moment to just be today.
And maybe tomorrow, we will work for each other’s freedom’s Instead of our own.
Please Jesus, show us the way. Amen.
Feel free to use/share/Adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
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