The code is more like “guidelines” than actual rules
By Pastor Katy Stenta “Katyandtheword”
This is a prayer for those
who need
Legislate
posting the ten commandments
and the denominations that need
to
expel women
define “marriage”
in ways the devalue personhood
This is a prayer because
God melt the hearts
of those
who only have
one hardened
understanding of
scripture
God
humanity
God I pray that you melt
their hearts
God I pray that you
sing poetry to them
in their dreams
And show them
the mysteries of the heavens
And
tell them
that it is
ok
not to have a quick
answer
and solution
I pray for children that ask awkward
questions
I pray for elders
with mystical wisdom
I pray for animals
with unspoken relatedness
This is a prayer
for all parts of faith
that are not words
etched in stone
But people
beautifully alive
in community
eating, dancing
laughing in the mystery of faith
this is my prayer
for all those who are stuck
in the “right” Christianity today
feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
The sea
Was
A refuge
A prayer
A different kind of
of liberation
I think about
How
Bones
And shells
The same
And I keep
Hoping
One day
Liberation
Will taste
More like
The freedom
Of the sea
And less like
The salt
Of blood
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”
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”
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
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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
Doctorate of Ministry in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian (Whew what a long thing to say)…Achieved. I graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Mr. Roger’s Alina Mater on Friday.
What a beautiful journey. There is a bunch of my cohort, we are nicknamed the buffalo because there are so many of us–the whole class of 35 stuck the whole program, and a good proportion of us graduated “early” this year, with more to follow next year.
What a blessing.
Thank you everyone.
Thank you God
Thank you.
There is no way
the God of the rainbows
invented
some convoluted umbrella system
God didn’t you promise
that authority would be about love
and servanthood
and the washing of feet?
To me that sounds like
the opposite
of Umbrellas
Did not our Savior
say they were the Water of Life?
Everflowing
Splashing every which way
Getting everyone wet?
What is to prevent me from being baptized
Asks the Eunuch
Philip, Peter
Looks to me like
authority
and umbrellas
are being snatched back
from people’s hands
left and right
Screw umbrellas
authority
human lines drawn in the sand
Splash
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Here’s a prayer for the Young Adults
The ones who we say are the future
the generations we send out into the world
Here’s a prayer for the protestors
The young reporters and truth tellers
The ones who are trying to get our attentions
Here’s a prayer for the ones who can’t shut up
Who are listening to the community activists and organizers
Who are getting it done–and then are being denigrated for it
Here’s a prayer for the ones who are lost, in hate (I hope its fewer than it seems)
who need the excuse to act up and out
for those who have enmity, racism and white supremacy at the ready
Here’s a prayer for the Young Adults
The ones who are already leading, who are forcing us to have
the deeper conversations, that we were all avoiding
Until now
Thank God for the Youth
Who pray with their feet, their tents and their bodies
Ceasefire Now
Amen
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
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