prayer – Page 3 – katyandtheword

Gardens, not Robots, a prayer

God,
I just don’t know–
everything seems unstable
We long for leadership
Security

We would like someone
to set us up
to go
like grand leader
or perhaps a master mechanic

It reminds me of when the Hebrew people
just wanted a King
to swoop in and fix everything
and they got David
who was kind of an Ass

God’s ass, but still

God you know
that we know
that there is no perfect leader
to save us right now

that it is time to take
responsibility
and start tending
things ourselves

And maybe
that is why we are so
scared
confused
tired

We would rather be on
auto-pilot
But we are not robots

And the God created us
in a Garden
Growing slowing
and differently

@joynessthebrave “you are not a machine. you are more like a garden. you need different things on different days. a little sun today. a little water tomorrow. you have fallow and fruitful seasons. it is not a design flaw. it is wiser than perpetual sameness. what does your garden need today?”

God teach us to
think
listen
respond

Help us to tend
what needs to be tending
we pray.
Amen

Feel free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”

Prayer for when we legislate things..

This is a prayer for those
who need
Legislate
posting the ten commandments

and the denominations that need
to

expel women
define “marriage”

in ways the devalue personhood

This is a prayer because
God melt the hearts
of those

who only have
one hardened
understanding of

scripture
God
humanity

God I pray that you melt
their hearts

God I pray that you
sing poetry to them
in their dreams

And show them
the mysteries of the heavens
And
tell them
that it is

ok

not to have a quick

answer
and solution

I pray for children that ask awkward
questions

I pray for elders
with mystical wisdom

I pray for animals
with unspoken relatedness

This is a prayer
for all parts of faith
that are not words
etched in stone

But people
beautifully alive
in community
eating, dancing
laughing in the mystery of faith

this is my prayer
for all those who are stuck
in the “right” Christianity today

feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Church

God here’s a prayer for the church
The messy, institutional church
The one that is dying
The one that is full of too many rules and regulations
and buildings
and other things

Here’s a prayer for this greater church
That I grew up in
and love, and still think
can transform things

I have seen a million churches
God

And through these imperfect vessels
I have witnessed
tears
births

Children giggling in pews
and holy silences

“I don’t worry about the church”

I say God,
And you know,
that most days
I actually mean it

I can love this imperfect thing
even as it is changing to something new
Here’s a prayer for the church
that raised me
and is changing into something
unrecognizable

like a new dawn after a storm

like a movement

Here’s a prayer for church
a thing that happens
in parking lots
breakfasts
phone calls and hugs

May we not get caught up
in “saving it”

That was never our job anyway
And instead catch glimpses of it along the way
I pray

Amen.

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

Peace, on the Bread Lines

Feed my sheep
Jesus said

When the world was ending
when everything was changing

When the intrigue was thick
And you didn’t know who to trust

Again Jesus said, Feed my sheep

And although the end seemed near
And war seemed to be everywhere

And things were apocalyptic
A word that means opening, uncovering
Things that are opening up
As well as everything that is collapsing

Jesus leaned in close to his beloved ones
and remind them
In a quiet, whisper

That their focus should be
not on…all the other things

He just said,
when they thought he might say something else

He repeated for the third time
As though he really meant it
That this should be what we
all should be doing

—Feed My Sheep

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

Prayer for the Nonbinary

Here’s a prayer for the Nonbinary
those who are represented
in the Twilight
the Dawn
And all of the beautful shades of gray in the world
which can contain a rainbow of colors within it.

Here’s a prayer for the Nonbinary
Those who are both/and
The ones who feel at home in the Trans* community
and those who are created in the image of God
Male and Female

Here’s a prayer for the children
Who should be safe in their identity
Beloved in their
Zir
Xyr
Eir
Full selves
Able to Name and Claim Who they are

And yes
Use the bathroom
Without peering eyes
questions
or even a second of discomfort
Is that not what we want for all of our children?

Here is a prayer for the Nonbinary
the ones who understand the importance
of a well-placed pronoun
those who ones who live bravely in the thin places
the in-between
for we know that those places are blessed
and Holy

You are Holy

Here’s a prayer for the Nonbinary
For you are Beautifully and Fiercely made

Don’t let anyone tell you differently

For you are a Child of God
Who created you, loves you exactly as you are
and calls you by your chosen name
Amen.

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

This prayer is in response to the tragic and hate perpetuated death of Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Details which are graphic can be found here: https://www.them.us/story/nex-benedict-nonbinary-teen-oklahoma-died-attacked-at-school

As the parent of a similarly aged NonBinary Teen, this one really gets me

Addendum: It seems that Nex was not able to come out fully–as articulated in this article and he/they might have been trans https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/vigil-friends-remember-nex-benedict-fiery-kid-rcna140440

Lent 2024, Narrative Lectionary, Year 2

Themes:
Disciples want to get close to Jesus, Jesus continually points the disciples to look outward
Kneeling with Christ :When Jesus Comes Every Knee will bow,
Because Christ will return as he came, Kneeling to Serve
And we will Kneel to be Beside him
The Promise of a New Kin-dom
A World Beyond Capitalism, Breaking Capitalism

Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting
Suggested Donation for entire Liturgy $75
(you can decide what is fair for portions)
Receipt Available upon request
Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats
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February 14th
Ash Weds
Mark 9:30-37 Last, First, like a Child
Psalm 32:1-5

February 18th , Lent 1
Mark 10:17-31 Rich Man sell all
Psalm 19:7-10

March 3rd, Lent 3
Mark 12:1-12 [13-17] Wicked Tenants, Pay Caesar (Sacrifice)
Psalm 86:8-13

March 10th, Lent 4
Mark 12:28-44 Great Commandment, Poor Widow
Psalm 89:1-4

March 17th, Lent 5
Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37 End of age, Watch
Psalm 102:12-17

March 24th, Lent 6
Mark 11:1-11 Triumphal Entry
Mark 14:3-9 woman anoints Jesus
Psalm 118:25-29

Holy Week Book
Jesus, The Word by Mark Fracisco Bozzuti-Jones Image from here

Jesus, The Word book cover, rainbow Jesus with open hand by by Mark Fracisco Bozzuti-Jones

Also What is God Like
YouTube reading

What is God Like Book
Black kid riding a Narwhale Across the Universe

by Rachel Held Evans

March 28 Maundy Thurs
Mark 14:22-42 Words of Institution, Peter’s Denial foretold, Gethsemane Prayer
Psalm 116:12-19

March 29th Good Fri
Mark 15:16-39 Mocking, Forsaken
Psalm 22:1-2, 14-21

March 31st Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8 Empty tomb, Fleeing
Psalm 118:21-27

Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats
GoFundMe
if you wish to send a check please contact me for info

Melt our Hearts Prayer

CW: war and violence

Good God who is glorious, generous
full of bounty, food and other good things

I feel too exhausted to pray
about pieces of metal
that explode into
messes of blood
tragedy
and annihlation

As the weeping of babies
across oceans
haunt my dreams at night
and the artwork of Banksy
decorates the walls,
the walls of hate

My words seem like a meager choice
the cry of Peace
while those with nothing are crying
in war

Who will share this burden?
The prophets cry

And the artists will paint
with their tears

Call your Congressperson
I pray

Do not tell the story of the downtrodden:
the Palestinian Christian,
the hungry senior citizen
the beaten Black Lives Matter Activist
the forgotten Trans Teen
the shot kindergartener
Do not tell the story after the tragedy has happened

God
I am so tired of praying
about pieces of metal
empty of bullets
emptying lives
emptying souls

Teach me another prayer
Teach me the prayer of
Peace
Because

Because
I am all too familiar with the vocabulary of hate
it contains words like
animals
revenge
and dehumanization

Reteach me the
languages of love
teach me the
me the lexicon of
humanization

Melt our hearts
our weapons
our souls
into another shape
I pray.
Amen.

Feel Free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “Katyandtheword”

Humanizing

What is a human
I ask God
in the dark
World weary
of talking points
explanations
and words
…………….words
………………….words

What exactly
is this human being thing?

I wonder? Trying not to count
the bombs going off–
Way worse than the second between
Thunder
……….and lightening

And the latest government crises
does not even deign to mention
hungering children
…………or elderly

And my trans friend cries
a little bit
and my child whispers
and their abused peer
who they called CPS about
to no avail

What is being
the stars glimmer back at me
and I try to catch their twinkles
and remember the taste of tea
the sigh at the end of good book
the snuggles of my kitty cats when I am sad

Children
I am always
Forever
Blessed by the magic
that are children

Human
why define?

I think as
I talk to myself
and remember

Re-Peopling the world
Over and Over again
without conditionals
just Peopling
Because every single
Person
Counts

Being
Human

Human
Being

Humans
Being
Human

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

Peace

Jesus blessed the peacemakers

Because peace is not easy
It’s not quiet
Or passive
It’s creative
Joy brimming over

Blessings are not easy either
The Aramaic word
(Jesus hear language)
is tinged with
Duty
Obligation
The work you are filled with
To pass on

Blessed to be a blessing

Blessed are those who make
Create, Believe in
Peace

Blessed are the Peace
Planters
Growers
Cultivators

Do you know what peace tastes like?
Dandelion wishes
blown
towards
a
Friend

Here’s
One for you

Burnt Out

Welp
Everything tastes like smoke
as we gasp for air
and look at eerie skies

And I think–
this is it
We are now
breathing into

Our burnt out state

Some scholars said
no trauma
None,
not a bit
After(?!?) Covid

Really God?
Our whole landscape has been irrevocably changed

Mountains have become valleys
Valleys, Mountains

People died
Others moved away
Some found themselves

But no trauma,
Because I have found humans are really good at change

Not

And here we are
Pretending we are back
To whatever normal there was

Double the racism
Quadruple the Hate

Suspicion so bad we are gunning down
Hide and Seeking Children

….Fine, God says…fine
Not that God set the world on Fire

But when finances to stop wildfires are cut
And we our souls are burnt to a crisp
and the sky is orange…

Sometimes I say its helpful if God gives us
a
Neon
Orange
Sign

Are
You
Thirsty
for some Sabbath? Hope? Change?

What blue-skied lush world
of health and peace are you dreaming..

I’ll sit with you a minute…

I’ll sit with you…

I’ll sit with…

I’ll sit…

I…

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

NYC Library Pic from of Library Lions and Pride flag in orange smoke from @HelenHSUPsD on Twitter