Category: Uncategorized

God of the Brokenhearted

Based on Psalm 147

God
Who is not too busy counting the stars
to know the hearts that are broken
for God is abundant in power
And what you mean by that
is that you measure understanding
by sitting by children who whisper their fears

and you somehow pay attention to the droning
politicians who make up nonsensical arguments
against humanity
and you hold the hands of those who have to listen too

You wrap your wings around those
in never ending warzones
knowing that Jesus was borne in an occupied country

You stand with all the women who write poems
for justice, magnifying your creative work
lifting the downtrodden

God you are the one who casts the wicked to the ground
Telling amazing stories of misunderstood witches
and reminding or hearts that the songs of hope
that we sing in the middle of the night
count as hymns of praise to your ears

Peace is sown, bit by bit, in every act of community
and solidarity
with the mutual aids
and signatures
But also through the real listening
the space to let one another rest
and all those who do the small things to get through
mundane days

God you do not bother with shows of strength
Strongmen do not impress or bother you
God you do not worry about human displays of greed or power
You instead take delight in cute animals
beautiful flashes of nature: a pretty cloud, snowflake or flower
Because you know what love is
and you grant peace
True peace, through love

It is love and peace you desire
And I will hold this in my right and left hand
especially when my palms feel empty
in these advent days.
Amen

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

Community

May be a graphic of text

Without community there is no liberation-Audre Lorde

NL and RCL covers Elijah going to the Widow of Sidon during the drought. She says “I don’t know why YOUR God sent you here, I have but one meal left for my son and I and then we will die.” She talks about the pain, loneliness and shame of having nothing. Elijah then asks–“Do you have a cup of water?” and she agrees (I like to think begrudgingly as a tough woman) that she does.

Over this established Table Fellowship and Hospitality Elijah offers pastoral care to a widow. I like to think that as she opens her heart to him, she feels seen and heard, and she realizes that the table fellowship was a moment of openness that was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. He then says that if they establish a community, that she, her son and he will not run out of the oil, meal/flour (and one would think Elijah would then help to gather the wood to cook them).

Mutual aid works because people who have little share what they have and form strong bonds of community. Community is formed here hospitality, pastoral care, table fellowship and mutual aid, among foreigners of different races, religions, genders, and socio-economic statuses. Community is not just about leadership, but about what the people do to help one another along the way, in the times of trouble when the leadership was terrible Elijah and the widow formed community. This is the work, the hope and the blessing that is before us. 1 Kings 17:8-16

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May be an image of text that says 'taco belle @animalologist People often romanticize "being in community" without realizing that community is formed and sustained through reciprocity fulfilling mutual obligations to one another and that this is sometimes inconvenient and taxing! But you can't receive support without offering it'

People often romanticize “being in community” without realizing community is formed and sustained through reciprocity—fulfilling mutual obligations to one another—and that this is sometimes inconvenient and often taxing! But your can’t receive support without offering it! by Baena@Silkyyy with thanks to decolonizing.love on Facebook for the images

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

Waiting for Results, a Prayer

God,
We just don’t know

Picture of the United States drawing scribbled over/colored by a child “What we know so far” Shared by Dan Chan @danchaon.bsky.social on bluesky social app


So many have done
what they can
to sew peace

To establish
humanity
human rights

And
Lord have mercy
because
we are
already
exhausted


“Next Week Has Been Exhausting” by Diane Duane


Anticipatory
Exhaustion
may be the hardest

I remember
when my child
was in the run away
and legitimate
insomnia
(beyond normal)
phase

And I would
wake up
looking forward
to a nap
I would have for
the day
after
today

God
you know
My soul is weary
Is your
soul weary
God?

Because
even after the
election

You know
We know
That no matter
the outcome

There is
hard work
to do

This is about more
than leadership


(I remember
in the Old Testament
When
Hebrew people
wanted a King
and you warned them
That is not enough)

And yet
Breathe in: I am here
Breathe out: God is here

This is true today
This is true tomorrow

This is how I will wait
Because all good work counts

Maybe especially
when
it seems
like it doesn’t

Pneuma
Holy Spirit
Breathe for me
When I can’t

Breathe in: I am here
Breathe out: God is here

Amen

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

Strategically Undervalued, A Prayer

Via: farmerricshi I tried a new phrase in a meeting today. Instead of “underserved,” “underprivileged” “historically marginalized,” 

Try Strategically undervalued.”

I like it because it emphasizes the purposefulness of racism(rather that the historically” which gives a kind of happenstance energy) and uplifts the community, rather than emphasizing the marginalization. 

God
Almighty
in
Heaven

This is
definitely a
“Do not put your
trust in princes
powers
or principalities”
week

as the value of
actual human
beings
was strategically
cleverly
humorously
manically
and with
immediate
deniability

undervalued

The weariness of
political clamor
falls away some

God
you understand
that this is
systematic
dehumanization

Bad theology
kills

And that

for us

Christians
imago
dei
is essential
for faith

We
carry God

And that
God contains
multitudes

God is community
To deny
the complexity
of humanity

To make
the human
experience
one

is to
lose
faith

God
I pray for
humanity


re-human-ing
I pray for
peace

I carry
hope
that we
will find
flashes
of true community

Walk with us
in this time of
anger and fear
we pray.
Amen

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

The Many Colora of a Miracle


Sometimes
Miracles
Are friends
Sharing
Pics
Of
Things
Seen
Through
In other
Parts of the world
And you
Feel like
The world
is full of
Magic
Cameras
The Aurora Borealis
Colors of miracles
And sometimes
Miracles
Are
Your
Friends
Checking
On you
After the
Storm
$20 given
Without tracking
A new hobby
That has no
Meaning
Just beauty
Or even
The moments
To collect yourself
I believe in
All the
Real
Miracles
In life

Prayer in the Aftermath

God
it is devastating
we are all in shock
the roads
simply washed away
the houses
gone

We pray for the people
the communities
towns
all struck
by a hurricane
some the 3rd in a year
a year’s worth of rain
in a day or two



This kind of change causes us
to use words like
resilient
rebuild
tough

But meanwhile
our souls ache

Because nothing
makes sense
And it’s hard to
take in

Is that why
it is called
after-math
Because
nothing adds up
anymore?

God help us to
walk as slowly
as we need to

to remember
to be
community

with

one another
and to invest
in the long term

God help us
For we feel helpless
and alone
Help us to find
each other

To build
into
each
other

Help us to find
ways to attend
to building
safely
to being
energy efficient
and all the things

But most of all

Help us to be
A community
that
cares
for one another

So that
we do not have
to be
so exhausted
Or feel
alone
When
we do
these hard things
we pray.
Amen

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

No laws, Only Grace

No laws
Only grace

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

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

Liberation, a prayer

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.

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

More like guidelines

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

By Pastor Katy Stenta “Katyandtheword”