Breathe I hear the Holy Spirit whisper as I try to figure out what it is I am feeling
Anxiety? Excitment? Grief? Fear?
I am trying to catalogue
Natural Disasters Wars
Politicians Name-Calling Which let’s be honest God, the last two are the same thing (usually)
Now this violence
Breathe, I hear God And I think about how my family, where allergies and asthma runs prevalent says joking but not
that breathing is highly
Underrated
Breathe, says Jesus laying down a pillow Inviting me in to take sanctuary to rest
But I don’t have an answer a solution I haven’t even figure out how to tell the story of what is going on
In the universe and how to relate to it all
God nods And I nod and sigh and my eyes begin to droop
And I realize that God knows all of these things are important
Breathe in: God will see to the humans Breathe out: It’s ok not to have the answers
Amen
Image of breaths in Blues and slight pinks and yellow “Breathe on me breath of God” “Vene Sancte Spiritus” “Bo Ruach Elohim” Entitled: The Promise of the Holy Spirit from https://boruachelohim.com/tag/breathe/
God, I just don’t know– everything seems unstable We long for leadership Security
We would like someone to set us up to go like grand leader or perhaps a master mechanic
It reminds me of when the Hebrew people just wanted a King to swoop in and fix everything and they got David who was kind of an Ass
God’s ass, but still
God you know that we know that there is no perfect leader to save us right now
that it is time to take responsibility and start tending things ourselves
And maybe that is why we are so scared confused tired
We would rather be on auto-pilot But we are not robots
And the God created us in a Garden Growing slowing and differently
@joynessthebrave “you are not a machine. you are more like a garden. you need different things on different days. a little sun today. a little water tomorrow. you have fallow and fruitful seasons. it is not a design flaw. it is wiser than perpetual sameness. what does your garden need today?”
God teach us to think listen respond
Help us to tend what needs to be tending we pray. Amen
Feel free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
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”
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”
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
God here’s a prayer for the church The messy, institutional church The one that is dying The one that is full of too many rules and regulations and buildings and other things
Here’s a prayer for this greater church That I grew up in and love, and still think can transform things
I have seen a million churches God
And through these imperfect vessels I have witnessed tears births
Children giggling in pews and holy silences
“I don’t worry about the church”
I say God, And you know, that most days I actually mean it
I can love this imperfect thing even as it is changing to something new Here’s a prayer for the church that raised me and is changing into something unrecognizable
like a new dawn after a storm
like a movement
Here’s a prayer for church a thing that happens in parking lots breakfasts phone calls and hugs
May we not get caught up in “saving it”
That was never our job anyway And instead catch glimpses of it along the way I pray
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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”
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”
katyandtheword 