I am tired of starving children in wars That we can help in cutting aid in efficiencies that cost humanity
I am angry at blatant misuse abuses of power lies and misleadings with little follow up or repercussions finger wagging and learning from these politicians for what
I am bitter from throwing people under the bus the Trans the Disabled the Women the Poor
I am working to do what I can when I can To remember that it all counts
Probably not int he ways I want Or can see
Dang it
If God could move Things in percievable concrete and faster ways we would Appreciate it quick
And quicker If you please Our minds and hearts and souls are fainting for it
So we wait Impatiently
Together
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
And I pray for the day when movies don’t hit home So hard
And the brown children in the midst of war waving a flag Don’t break your heart
And the world Splitting in two of a “Natural Disaster” doesn’t make your jaw clench
And God I pray that when people cry because the Lex Luthers of the world Make them feel bad And the immigrants are the Superheroes
That the Holy Spirit Keeps Tapping them On the shoulder nipping Them in the Ear And touching them on their heart
Because Maybe art Isn’t the one Way through
But I’ll take Blood, Sweat, Tears, Votes
And your favorite Pop Character
Because At this point Anything To Welcome people
to there revelation
God help us Walk until everyone can see the Superpuppy as cute
and all earthlings as Beloved
We pray. Amen.
Feel free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
with thanks to my middle child Westley who loves all movies, and honors remakes and sequels, etc and more of the thing he loves and teaches a deep appreciation of all art–it’s good remember to take joy in all things (This movie was really good, but it is truly fun to walk in to everything with the attitude of, this will be fun)
You may not know this about me, but I am currently working at a federated American Baptist and United Church of Christ Church as a Presbyterian USA Pastor. I love living into this interdenominational reality. Trying to figure out what we have in common of One Baptism, One Table, One Christ. I find it beautiful. I think one of the best places that prepared me for this ministry is NEXT Church
It is probably not a coincidence that I became a board member about the same time I started my ministry at Emmanuel Friedens–the Holy Spirit knows what she is doing.
NEXT Church is one of those spaces that continues to transition as time goes on. I have been attending NEXT for about 13 years. It is a place that continues to wrestle with the questions of what it means to be the church today—but uniquely it does this with hope and joy and for the church at all levels. The mantra NEXT church is trying to live into is that it is better together, therefore anyone who is involved at NEXT church at any level is NEXT church. We are NEXT church. It is more of a movement than an institution.
It certainly felt that way when at NEXT church that the ramification of the Gay marriage amendment passing broke. I’ll never forget that day—Diana Butler Bass was speaking. I was sitting up in the balcony, and we all got text alerts about it. No one was able to hear a word about what she was saying, because the news was so exciting. I was livetweeting the conference and asked if someone was going to interrupt her and announce the news. NEXT church is kind of laid-back, so it seemed hard for anyone in the hall to break in. Finally, I realized I was in a good position. I raised my hand and said “Excuse me Diana, I hate to interrupt, but we just got the news that gay marriage was ratified for our denomination can marry, and we are all distracted by the good news, everyone can marry.” Diana said, “Congratulations, this Episcopalian, welcomes you.” Note this delightful interdenominational interaction! And the entire hall erupted in applause. More Light and Covenant Network had planned a reception for that that evening and what had initially meant to be a small gathering practically the entire conference came out to celebrate, many of them ordering “the Presbyterian” which the bartenders no doubt quickly learned how to make.
NEXT church is not place for clergy to gather at the mountaintop and go just in hope. It is trying to meet all of the congregation as we figure out this thing of if the church is not existing as it is now, what then will it be? That is what the Already Not Yet national gathering of Next is coming together to contemplate—not to provide all of the answers, but to give time and space to be the church together, both now and for the future. The pathways are for all people doing all the work that is the church, because this is who we are.
If you have had a conversation with me about the greater church you have probably heard me say “I’m excited about where the church is going.’ It seems like a strange thing to say at this time, but the church was and is always meant to be a movement for the marginal, it was never meant to be for the rich and powerful. Right now people don’t go to the small town church for prestige or honor. The people who come are attracted by community and through a hunger for something more. We are the church together, God is planting the seeds so that we can be enough of a movement to do God’s work in the world. The buildings and pews are just dressing, the people are the heart of God’s love.
That something more is what is being addressed by the current Pathways for Next Church. There is the self explanatory Community Organizing, One about the Goals of your ministry called: More Than Good Intentions, there is the much in demand Communal Trauma track, there is the one I think I’m going to land on Art as Trauma (my mom and I had a long discussion that she forgot that writing was art), and NEXT church’s pathway about measuring progress other than through membership and money (or butts and bucks) called Cultivated Ministry. I hope you consider joining me in November 11-14th in Grand Rapids, MI. The cost is $499 and includes some meals. If you do not have a Continuing Ed budget, it is reduced to $299. There is a hotel deal as well and of course if you convince a friend to come, you can share a room. If you do not have young children like me, perhaps you can drive out and reduce costs more. The information is here https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/
God of rainbows Amidst the floods When we look for lost girls and RVs When we mourn dead camp directors And family members
When camps and houses and belongings are swept away With powerfully swept away
Remind us That you sit with us amidst
And when we cry out God where are you
You cry too
And that you Disarmed Your very self Hanging Your weapon Permanently in the sky
A proclamation that you are a God of Covenants Promises Peace and Love
not punishments
So that when we cry out “What have we done to deserve this?” You sweep us up In your love and care Snuggling us to sleep murmuring “Nothing, absolutely nothing”
and you help the absolutely best search doggies And you wipe the brows of the the emergency workers and volunteers and you sit and sigh with the wearied
And God You give us Patience and silence amidst us in unexpected encouragement
Because you are The God of Spaciousness Letting us Be our full selves
And so Be with us in our Grief our waiting and Our Empathy Be with us in our Love
For many waters cannot quench Love Nor can the Floods Drown it
Be the Love Amidst us That outlasts This flood We pray Amen
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka KatyandtheWord
Screw this Screw this Reality Screw this Bill Screw Money Screw Whiteness Screw Racism
Screw Millionaires Special Interests Backroom Bills And the ones we can see too
Screw working together with Those who hate the weak While the hungry cry out the people are being kidnapped Your grandparents don’t know how they are going to get medical care Disabilities, Queerness, and our Black and Brown siblings are hated with the full force of the law
Screw that
Screw our children being afraid of Everything Screw the hard questions about the world they are coming into Screw the rolling back of Environmental justice
Screw redefining words so that everything becomes “too political”
Screw Praying when we should be Arguing Walking Fighting Voting And Protecting Each Other
And Screw this Economy that doesn’t Give us time to breathe Much less Care
Screw Everything And Screw Up my face With the tears That run down It As I don’t Have the right Words Or Actions Or Things to Do And all I have Is the Gut reaction Of Screw Everything And I empty Myself Full on Confessional to God
Saying Screw it
And I figure God knows And is probably saying the same thing With me
Screw Injustice And Hopelessness And “Good Enough” This isn’t gonna Cut it Anymore
Screw it Until we Screw Together Something else I don’t even know What But somehow Screw it Is a prayer
Holy Spirit Come Help us to say Screw it To all we need to let go of Then help us to Unscrew all the Loose Screws
(And then Maybe Find us the tools we need To start the work again)
But right now Screw it
Feel free to share/adapt/Use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
But I will Praise God Who is Merciful to those who need Good News Tear the mighty off their supremacy courts Lift up the oppressed Free the kidnapped
Help us to magnify Your Power and Glory So that your Grace Overshadows all of this evil Feeding the hunger Sending the Rich Techbros Comfortable Politicians White Supremacists Away with Nothing For their promises are Empty
But you God Remember That your Promises are Made of Empathy and Mercy And endure Forever And so we stand with You God The God of Immigrants Chosen Names and Found Families Now and Forever Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
God For parents And kids For whom This week Is not a Celebration But a struggle
A sigh A moment Of girding their loins Because it means Transitioning to summer Or a move Or not knowing what comes next
For all who dread “What are you doing this summer” For families whose meals Childcare or work become more difficult For young adults That are in difficult places or spaces For whatever reason
This so a prayer For hard summer May this transition time Be smoothed May you find connection And companionship
Moments of Stillness Sanctuary And peace Be found in the in-between Amen
Blessed* are the protestors They hold the foretaste Justice on their tongue It tastes like Community
Blessed are the arrested They are the forerunners of Liberation For they know that the root of Liberation is the same as Salvation: Soteria
Blessed are the kidnapped, the human trafficked, the aching families separated The are tears running down our faces
Blessed are the gassed, the rubber bulleted the trampled They are voice of the muted, the embodiment of empathy, the spirit of our movement
Blessed are artists, the youth, the elders with wisdom, the marginalized with unique perspectives They are are prophets giving us ears to hear and hearts to understand
Blessed are the newest among the fold, the awkward, the uncomfortable and uncertain They are the students, reminding us that there is always more to learn
Blessed are the disparate opinions: the go faster and go slow, the people of faith and the atheists, the Black, Brown and White and all to privileged. We are the movement, figuring out how to work together, imagining a better system than the one that exists now, may it be so.
*In Aramaic (the native tongue of Jesus) Blessings Baruach is not a passive word, but a word to activate you. You are not blessed. You are gifted with things so you can work with them and use them because you are called to them. Therefore let us be blessed and bless one another in our works. –according to Elias Chacour former ArchBishop of Jerusalem in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
No Kings Graphic by MarathRic63 Chicken in Yellow “We Have Power” Moreinfo Nokings.org Taco, A Joke, Power, Fight for Democracy, No Kings,
My God is the Immigrant God The son of a slave (I’m sorry do we usually translate Mary as a servant?) The God of the found Family the God of Queer Joseph prancing around in their lady’s cloak.. coat of many colors
God sees and hears the trauma In the stories and sees the perspectives we miss Holding our hand as we untangle the narrative that we need to hear Helping us to get to a place of true sanctuary community and Shalom: wholeness, defragmentation, peace
Our God is the accessible God not contained to Jerusalem Ephraim God can be worshipped anywhere even in Samaria
And so God says–remember I am the immigrant God
And when David says Solomon says humans say I’ll build you a building God says Why would I EVER Want to be Contained in that
I’m really glad we listened to you on that one
Our God is the expanding God The one who turns the “bad Moabites” sterotype on it’s head with Ruth The one who contrasts the evil people from Uz with blameless Job the one who shows the wholeness of personhood Of foreigners and eunuchs (God of immigrants) with the magi and the baptistism of the African Eunuch And the Samaritans, those neighbors too like the Hebrews become “Good” in the neighbor parable of Jesus
God is a protest God who sends yelling Prophets and Fighting Judges of Justice and Well Endowed Women to back Jesus and his disciples
God is many things a mover a shaker a creator an artist someone helping those in the corner of your eye
Affirming the full personhood of all those you meet
What God is not is a Kingmaker A wealthproducer An institution creator a power propper
The Divine has no interest in human machinations they are but wisps and string Unimportant
God is interested in how people and relationships will flourish Giving life and personhood to all…. Moving in Unexpected ways (Which is probably why we think the Divine is so mystery)
Thank God for that!
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
katyandtheword 