Joseph, A prayer

God,
Today, I’m imagining
Joseph as the squishy parent.

Mary was the one with the justice cries
And the mom look, that got Jesus into ministry
Maybe Joseph was the one with the physical play

And the squishy hugs–
Maybe Joseph was the one who reminded Jesus
Your only human, too

Maybe Joseph was the one who showed Jesus
mortality was ok,
because he was (probably) the parent who died first.

God, I’m thinking of that fierce encounter with an angel
where Joseph was already, heart in mouth, trying to figure out
how to react full of humanity and peace

God, I’m so thankful for Joseph
And today I’m hoping
he was the squishy parent.

Amen.

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

Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologianthrough donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Full Extended Advent Resource

Canva artwork of Joseph by Pastor Katy Stenta feel free to use with credit

Magnificat

The Rich are against my religion
God,

I am ready to magnify
Pregnant calling for the downfall of the mighty
and the poor being filled with good things

Raising up all those who have
Never
Ever, Been empowered before

I can picture Mary and Elizabeth
glowing and tired, demanding you step up and step in God

In a world, where the hospitals are full of sick children
again
I am more than ready to demand healing

God I am tired of this human nonsense:
where money is ready for war, but not for childcare, food or healing

I am am ready for magnficat
to Magnify
All the things you promise (instead of the humans)

I am hungry for the time when justice turns the world upside down
the moment when we can see the hope of all children
incarnate
in a baby

I am pregnant with it.

As my kiddos say
Lets Go, God

Let’s Magnificat,
We have been waiting for it
Forever

Amen.

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

Magnificat Artwork by Katy Stenta on Canvas feel free to use/share with credit

Advent

Advent is about waiting
Because we are waiting
For the poor to be filled with good things
For women to believed
For the prisoner to be set free
For healing

We don’t need practice in waiting
We know Christmas is a quiet participation in the miracle that is yet still unfolding

We want to participate in the waiting, and the greed smashing, equity making, creation beauty that is Christmas

So we are an advent people.
Proclaiming the Magnificat together with Mary:
Until the Alleluias of Christmas
Are born

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

Joy And Justice, Advent 3

God,
God of joy
that tastes like justice
on the tongue

God of comfort
that are the warm embrace of
to be one’s full self on the street

God of blessings
that cannot be divided or mangled
that are not confused with wealth or greed

God, I hear your voice
establishing justice on the earth–
in the midst of all of this! Still, we hear it!

Under the stars, there is justice
You breathe it into your people–
A dignity that is inborn, that all people
are beloved and worthy of love

We are inherently made in God’s image
There is not one single exception,
and Mary’s Magnificat, calls down Justice

Come let us Sing with her
And Call down Food
and Fill those in Need with Good Things

Come Jesus, I Cry in Joy for your Justice
I cannot wait, so I too will dream and wrok
And Dream for this World.

And say a prayer for it too.
Amen.

Writing, Creative Writing D. Min

Hello Folks,

Do you know that an average over 200 people use my resources a day?

That means that everyone gave me $10 my Doctorate in Creative Ministry would be funded.

The next step is a double week intensive in January!

I have successfully funded 2 years in Creative Writing and shared resources thanks to all of the donations I have received thus far.

This means that every single contribution counts! It has been so meaningful to me to have your support along the way. I would not be writing without you. I have received contributions from $10-$500, and each of them have been so amazing.

https://gofund.me/554d36e3

If you have found my work useful, and are able to please give a donation. And if you need a receipt–drop me an email Katyandtheword at gmail and I’m happy to send your church a receipt for Katyandtheword resources

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Thanks for your support.

And thanks for praying with me!

#Advent 2 RCL

Isaiah 11 Advent 2 assumes we are broken and withered,

No one is healthy and whole

We are the remnant in need

and need care, the shoot comes from the stump

And glorious rest is promised at the end

That is The Emmanuel

Advent promises

Give everyone sick leave

medical care

housing

And mental health care

Art by Katy Stenta on Canva, feel free to use

Advent Unleashed

Advent
Is the prayer
For justice
And healing
In the midst
Of impatience
And pain

It’s the cry of love
In a world of no

The grace of yes
Reaching out
To the whole of humanity
Without question
Qualifiers or pause

All Amens and Alleluias
Of Mary’s Magnificat

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

Love, A Prayer for Such a Time as This

God,
I know what it is
to love
And have nothing else.

I know what it is to be sick
for a week, a month,
a year
and pray and hope for treatment
And be stuck with nothing but waiting
And illnesses wash over you–and you are stuck with surviving
at such a time as this

I know what it is to see your beloved stuck in the throes of psychosis
Screaming for you to help them
And you are right there
But they can’t hear or see your love
at such a time as this

I know what it is to be the one talking to estranged family members
hearing both sides of the story
Knowing that both sides are right in their own way
seeing the irony of how similar they
and bearing the sadness of their loneliness and hurt during the holidays
at such a time as this

I know what it is to worry about your kids getting sick
And the dangers of gun violence that seem to be around every corner
but that society has deemed that the economy is important, so you send them
To school, to the theater, to the shopping center, to activities
at such a time as this

I know what it is to act in love
To make the best choice one can
When there is not right choice
Only the best choice at hand-
After years of “once in lifetimes” wars, violences, protests, recessions and pandemics, until we learn the truth God
at such a time as this

We are in an apocalyptic times: a great revealing of truths.
In such a time as this
I keep learning the authentic sacrifices of love:
communication, doing one’s best, forgiveness, boundaries
God, you don’t have to be Queen Esther to live in this advent world
at such a time as this

We are all holding each other’s hands
And walking each other home
In such a time as this–
God, I know you understand too
I’m hanging onto that with both hands
this advent, as I’m waiting
at such a time as this

Let’s light a candle of love,
especially at such a time as this,
light this candle with us I pray
Amen

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

Full Advent Resources

Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian through donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

Advent Prayer

Here’s a Prayer for Advent
For those are stuck in injustice for so long
they seek justice with every breath they breathe
and long for a new kind of liberation.

Here’s a prayer for those
stuck in the throes of grief
gnarled in the pain
and cannot feel those who are holding their hands in darkness.

Here is a prayer those
sick so prologuedly, they don’t remember
what health feels like, and subsist instead
on better days.

Here’s a prayer for the lonely
whose teeth ache when they see companionship
who lurk in the corners of libraries and shops
and love to converse with strangers and angels unawares.

Here’s a prayer for the victims
of violence and abuse
from microagressions to verbal, from physical to assassination
To all those who cannot be safe because where they are or who they are.

Here’s a prayer for those who just don’t know Lord
They are just so tired and confused, and stuck
They aren’t sure where to go next or what to do
But they are certain that they need to figure out the next step.

Here’s a prayer for those on the edge of death,
you know the ones God, waiting for that next family gathering
or that last visit, or the strength to let go–
Or even Christmas to pass, in order to join the rest of the Saints.

This is a prayer for all those waiting,
Maybe what we have is not yet hope, perhaps it is hoping for hope
But that is enough to light the candle together
That is enough to wait for God together, for the miracle whispers to us.

It whispers of the one who is to come:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Purveyor of Peace
And Government will rest upon their shoulders–
God, we are holding our breath, and light the candle hoping for hope.

We are praying with the world today, O Come, O Come Emmanuel we Pray. Amen.

Feel Free to Use/Share/Adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Full Advent Resources