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
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”
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”
Throughout all the many beautiful metaphors for the church from bride to Phyllis Tickle’s rummage sale
I thinking of the church as a teenager
When I say the church, I mean of course the amorphous cloud of saints, where it is hard to say who is in or who is out, but somehow contains the multitude of faith trying, practicing and sometimes even succeeding to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.
Here is the Church, thinking it knows how to be mature, and all grown up. Thinking it knew what it meant to be together, thinking it understood everything–when
Boom, the place in society shifted, Or society itself shifted (probably both) who the church was, what the church wanted to be, even who the church was hanging out with proved to be….. not really false, just not as authentic as the church wanted it to be.
It seemed….to not fit anymore
I mean did we really think that cozying up to institutionalism? buildings and nationalism was a good idea? The answer is yes, yes of course, we thought fitting in was the answer. It was so nice to have everyone flocking to our doors, Sabbath off, and people listen.
It’s always nice to feel heard.
Here we are all awkward again, and the church its body is doing weird, unspeakable things that we do not understand
I say this as the parent of a teen who wanted a Halloween costume Sat before Halloween (which is on Thurs) then didn’t want to go trick-or-treating (as of Tues) Then Last Min Realized that meant the costume was useless Could I please help them assemble and dress in costume And drive them to the Halloween event That was going on at the high school RIGHT NOW on Weds (never mind that dinner was just being served) then they stayed for 15mins, and everyone saw them And there was nothing else to do So naturally They called me As I rolled in the driveway To be picked back up
The church is a little uncertain as to what is going to happen next And what to wear What to do When everything was so certain before We had five year plans and programs and even Building extensions And now everything just seems hard! What are our goals and purpose And how are we even going to do them If everything has to be different?
And our job is not to save the church Not to take over, but let its find its way To hold hand like my three teenagers and to say wow Its so hard, when Two things are so true
Two Things (Both things)
That the angst is real understandable and scary and change is really, really hard And no I’m not sure how everything is going to turn out in the end
that I trust that everything will turn out ok because–because I believe in you, and you have good roots.
There are good teachings models of behaviors out there
Because, mistakes and missteps are not all there is to life Because just because you try some fad on
Like thinking Praise music, Projectors, or just getting enough young families is going to save us
Or putting our buildings on the covers of the bulletins Or that only white men are the legitimate preachers (sometimes married sometimes single) Or that we need to keep the four hundred and ninety seven million buildings to keep being the body of Christ–I mean heaven knows how many sparkles and chokers I wore in the nineties, and I still love my big earrings–
I truly love how spiritual conversations weave their way more naturally, more (w)holistically* throughout life these days.
God knows just like any parent There are probably more awkward phases for us to go through
After all what’s a couple of thousand years or So In God’s Calendar Anyway? We are just starting to Grow up!
Teenagers know what’s real what’s authentic Into the latest fad because teenagers figuring out identity it is developmentally appropriate for teens to be hungry to express themselves, except when they are too depressed or angsty to do so.
The church is trying to find itself It feels like we are the outcast at the party– Christianity used to be cool, but it isn’t anymore
However, we, like most teenagers, haven’t figured it all out yet
I will confess, I feel much more at home in the marginal church than the up and coming popular one However, I can understand what it feels like to ache to be wanted to be at the center of things to want to sparkle for a moment
I have teens who all want that moment in their lives to know they are able to shine, but are struggling
The gift of church right now though The people who are here, Want to be here, because we love it
We Want to be here We have no hanger ons No fakers Very few power seekers (though a couple of bullies sneak in) There is not much money in the church** People who are at church Want to be here
We know that the Church sings to them in some weird way And we are angsty, because we want to express that with everyone else.
It’s hard to be a teenager Some of us haven’t been one for years And wouldn’t go back if you paid us However a lot of us are good at remembering How to hold one another’s hands And saying Things will be ok
We don’t know what we are growing up to be yet What will take shape Where it will go What it will even look like
It may not even be our job to make it happen (is that scary or comforting? Probably depends upon the day) But it will be brilliant We are quite sure God will walk us all the way there.
Resource List: (I feel like I should list nothing or everything here, so I just put 2 small resources to get started, maybe I’ll edit and add more)
*I love holistic with a w, it imbues it with a meaning of natural, whole and in my mind it carries with it an inclusive meaning. Permitting us to include all those things that we find helpful science, nature, spiritual, emotional meanings instead of trying to separate them out.
**Again there are exceptions, but as a whole the church has fallen so much in power that most churches are small and there are few opportunities for big money or power in church.
Feel free to share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
Zits Comic by Scott and Borgman: Jeremy: Mom do you have a phone book? Mom (getting it from the drawer): Sure right over here. Pierce: NO WAY!” Mom: Aren’t you going to take it? Jeremy: Naw. It was just a bet. Pierce: Now ask her if she still uses a landline Comic found at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/450219293983937704/
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”
It is a lot of work this human Being Be ing Human Existence Thing
Sometimes I think we are eternally Suspended in the What Ifs
Embodiment is so difficult
If potential is always teasing (sometimes even mocking) me
How can I do what my body needs
When capitalism demands grind
And yet God you sit with us
How can I feel my feelings
The hard work of Grieving: Good things Bad things
To sit in comfort
To be thankful
To sit in-between both
To feel a slow stretch (within your comfort range of motion without any pain as my favorite yogi friend says) so slow and gentle that you are stretched in such a way that there is no pain and still
tears
Of relief comes dripping To your eyes
to my eyes
And
God is there in each tear
Reminding us sanctuary is holy Community is holy
Upholding your boundaries is holy
Silence
Is holy
Taking time alone is holy
You string the sky with stars and give us dandelions beautiful leaves and even single blades of grass to remind us of the holiness of the world
Breathe in Breathe out
To be lost in holiness
Amen
Feel free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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
God, We are so tired Of Unnatural Disasters 1, in a 1,000 chance Hurricane, Flood, Tropical Storm Things
Holy Spirit We do not have to tell you the weariness the dwells within our very Souls
It is the weariness that aches as we try to figure out Evacuate or Stay What path is the storm taking?
What Path is Humanity Taking
Sweet Beloved Peacemaking Jesus You know the trauma that is being wrought –this is not just about climate change
Perhaps it has never been It is humanity trying to hold hands with one another
before during and after
these tragedies
And then crying out because we realize we don’t know how
Teach us to sit with the Job’s who have lost everything
Teach us to understand the bitter Mara’s and the resourceful Naomi’s with their found families
Teach us to listen to the leadership of the Esther who stand up for the marginalized and forgotten at such a time as this during trauma and devastation
Teach us to sing with Miriam when there are moments of joy and triumph even in the sadness.
Walk with us God and teach us how to love one another and care for your world and all the humans in it we pray. Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
God is in the little things listening ears true communication ice cream
(Today is National Ice Cream Day)
God is in the small things a woman’s voice being heard acknowledged supported
(Bria Goeller’s image of Kamala Harris walking with the shadow of Ruby Bridges, who integrated a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, went viral over the weekend, shared tens of thousands of times on social media. Image courtesy of Bria Goeller and WTF America-Good Trubble.)
people working together
People stopping and celebrating achievements
(Image thanks to John Michael Cleghorn) “Well done Good and Faithful Servant” Gold Rimmed Old-Fashioned Biden sunglasses lying upside-down on a table.
God is in the most important Small things dignity respect humanity all those things we hope bind us together
God is in these things And when we sit together And look at the heavens– God remind us of the smallest things
Pic from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/345510602680019192/ Calvin and Hobbes looking at the stars “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll be they’d live a lot differently.”
We pray Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord’
Reminder: please always vote your conscience, no one from the pulpit or a church should tell you who to vote for. I, Katy can celebrate a smooth transition to a new candidate and a black woman as the apparent nominee for president as a historic moment, but no one should tell you how to vote. Especially not a pastor. Vote for the person who will love all the neighbors best and teach forgiveness, grace and respect. Bc those are three values of Christianity.
katyandtheword 