Category: Uncategorized

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”

The Bible is Queer

The Bible is Queer

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.

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

https://sojo.net/articles/joy-being-queer-and-christian/how-pride-flag-speaks-promises-god

Prayer for June

God who fills the world with good things

I am praying for rainbows of peace

As the school year draws to a close

And weary children struggle to make it

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

Feel free to use Share Adapt with credit to pastor Katy Stent “Katyandtheword”

Image from https://www.mainegardens.org/blog/for-the-love-of-dandelion/ Two dandelions growing, bright yellow with some blades of grass bright green against a cheerful dark background