Some days I remember This is how I live Through a Savior Who proclaimed All laws fulfilled So we wouldn’t Be able To Lord rules Over Each other Anymore
Because That Ain’t the Point Of faith Anyway
No rules Only grace
Holy Spirit Holy Comforter Sit with us We Pray. Amen
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God, We keep hoping Let freedom ring Means our definition of freedom
But we know that your promise of forgiveness liberation and justice is somehow all the same thing– that in Greek somehow: it is all contained in one word
Gracious God you gift us with our authentic selves reminding us that in the midst of the Kin-dom work
the freeing of captives the feeding of the hungry the clothing the naked
Remind us that we are beloved and that you are present the work is not ours alone– you are planting seeds and tending gardens and we are not alone
So as we hear bells and wonder if we should flinch at the fireworks Remind us that you promise a liberation that is not of our hands but is instead, full of grace it is the wedding celebration of the overflowing cup the feast of the prodigal child and coin it is the finding of a home, where there is a room for each and every one of us
And we are made welcome out of grace, and true liberation forgiveness and justice
Thank you God for the chance to rest in your liberation instead of our freedom– Amen.
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Jesus: I came because the commandment thing…well..it wasn’t working in the first place (and Christians have a weird understanding anyway of it. See below) You have heard it said posting the law is the answer But Truly I say to you the law has been fulfilled so that you are redeemed by grace, overflowing and freely given—And that grace is better than the law.
The code is more like “guidelines” than actual rules
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 two 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
Amen.
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And Pride month starts with celebration, “rememories” (as my youngest calls them), and reminders that you are fiercely and beautifully made
I feel all if these emotions that smell like fresh cut lawns, sound like sudden hot thunderstorms, and nuzzle like my kitten at the end of a way over scheduled spring-to-summer season
God sometimes you know that pursing justice and sorting the laundry sometimes feel like that same thing
Mundane
Overwhelming
Vital
And yet
I think of how you continue to promise to fill the world with good things
Tuck a dandelion behind my ear as a symbol of hopeful weeds
And turn my worries into prayers once again
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There is no way the God of the rainbows invented some convoluted umbrella system
God didn’t you promise that authority would be about love and servanthood and the washing of feet?
To me that sounds like the opposite of Umbrellas
Did not our Savior say they were the Water of Life? Everflowing Splashing every which way Getting everyone wet?
What is to prevent me from being baptized Asks the Eunuch Philip, Peter Looks to me like authority and umbrellas are being snatched back from people’s hands left and right
Screw umbrellas authority human lines drawn in the sand
Splash
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Here’s a prayer for the Young Adults The ones who we say are the future the generations we send out into the world
Here’s a prayer for the protestors The young reporters and truth tellers The ones who are trying to get our attentions
Here’s a prayer for the ones who can’t shut up Who are listening to the community activists and organizers Who are getting it done–and then are being denigrated for it
Here’s a prayer for the ones who are lost, in hate (I hope its fewer than it seems) who need the excuse to act up and out for those who have enmity, racism and white supremacy at the ready
Here’s a prayer for the Young Adults The ones who are already leading, who are forcing us to have the deeper conversations, that we were all avoiding
Until now
Thank God for the Youth Who pray with their feet, their tents and their bodies Ceasefire Now Amen
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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