Immigrant God
Be with us
Be with those separated from families
Teach us how to make room at the inn
Remind us
That you translated
Yourself into Humanity
Because you understood
That we humans
We hate translating
Teach us to keep at this translation work
of human to understand divine
of cultural understanding
of the beauty of change (we humans aren’t so good at change)
Translate us
into a Christmas people
we pray
Amen
Content warning: Trans* Day of Remembrance: Mentions Abuse, Death, Murder, Abuse, Suicide
God
You know that
when your very
existence
is resistance
Then remembrance
is more
than a story
It is a celebration
that Life
is complication
And beautiful
and every time
We remember
Our Trans* siblings
We co-create
A world
Where mourning
and lament
are not it
We re-member
re-connect
re-present
reality
Knowing that
one way
one being
even one name
is not enough
Complicated
mysterious
God-
THE God of Pronouns
The Almighty
Multiplicitious* God
It is You who blesses us
calls us by our chosen name
Blesses our found families
understands the mysterious, complicated way
hurt, imperfections, love all mix up into life
Perhaps more than anyone else
Help us as we do the hard work
of mourning those who have been lost to this world
through the tragedy of violence
Trans* individuals who have been killed by
intimate partners
family
strangers
or if they lose their life yet another way and died by suicide,
We hurt still from all the abuse and death
that is ongoing
Protect especially our Queer
Siblings of Color
We Celebrate their lives
as a testament and Embodiment
Of the Diversity in the World
Knowing, that their living into themselves
Still counted and was important
even when it felt incomplete
Protect especially our Queer
Siblings of Color
Who are particularly vulnerable
Put a shield across them
We demand your care for them
Melt the hearts of hate
For all who do harm
Physical
Political
Emotional
And may we resist forever
Any injustice in the world
Fighting for a Place
Where all are
Accepted
Fed
Safe
Celebrated
Justified
Recognize
and Known
To be
Fiercely and Wondrously made
In the Image of our Multiplicitous God
Amen
*This is a new word, as of today, pronounce it with confidence
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
Advent Candles
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”
Week 1
God of Hope you Sustain us
Even when the world is on fire
We walk with you, and hear your voice
We walk with you, and follow your voice
We hope for a better world, in the meantime, send angels, messengers with your voice
Walk with us, Fill us with the courage to walk with one another
Even the world feels on fire
Fill us with Hope
Possible Advent Hymns: Open my Eyes that I May See, Live Into Hope, Taize: Bless the Lord My Soul
Week 2
God of Peace you sustain us
When we do not know the answer, you wait with us
When we are full of questions, You accept our ponderings
Help us to imagine a world of peace
Breathe on us your Holy Spirit, so that we can live into your Kin(g)dom
Fill us with Peace
Possible Advent Hymns: God of Peace, Comfort, Comfort You My People Taize: Nada The Turbe, God of Peace (to the tune of Silent Night)
Week 3
God of Joy, you quench us
You promise fulfillment in all the ways
God you know that joy is more than happiness, it is shalom, being complete
It is abundant gardens, full stomaches, justice and equity for all
We rejoice that you are a God who answers when we call,
Fill us with Joy
Possible Advent Hymn: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (which could be an advent one), Taize, The Kingdom of God
Week 4
God of Love you accept us
You embody community and belovedness, one with the dark and the light.
You cloaked in mystery, and yet contain all knowledge
You are one, yet many
You are love, and teach us belovedness
Fill us with Love
Possible Advent Hymn: Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, Taize: Magnificat
RCL Advent Candles: Primarily Based on Isaiah: Theme God the Gardener
Week 1
God you plant the seeds of hope
God’s house will be the place for all people
Laying the groundwork for peace, joy and love
All Peoples shall stream to God’s mountain
Hoping to Learn from God
We hope together
Week 2
God, the seeds of peace are shooting out of the stump of Jesse
Equity is growing, so that the wild animal and the tame shall live together
Shalom shall grow, such peace, that all children shall be safe
None shall harm on God’s holy mountain
Peace will be pursued
We seek peace together
Week 3
God will nourish the land, so that the land itself will blossoms of joy.
All will know God’s glory, weak hands will be made strong.
Say to those with a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear, Here is your God.”
We will rejoice in the healing of God, no traveller will be harmed by wild animals
All shall safely and joyfully be able to go our merry way
We can rejoice together
Week 4
God’s Divine love will continue through the gift of a child, Immanuel
God tends to the garden of the world by giving us Godself
God with us, a child, Love embodied
God loves us
We are beloved
We can be loved together
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “Katyandtheword”
More Advent Hymns to Christmas Tunes
Magnificat Prayer collection (so far)
We 3 Kings: alternative Version
If you want a doc version of this email KatyandtheWord at gmail Title ADVENT candles (specify RCL or Narrative) and I will email you a document for easier formatting
With gratitude for all who supported My D.Min. degree
If you appreciate my work, Feel free to support it at Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail
Am
Heartsick
Healthcare
SNAP
Lord Hear our Prayers
Vaccines
Homelessness
“Cease”less
Cease fires
Peace-less
Talks
Rubble at the White
House
Workers
Without Pay
No Meds
No Food
No Water
No Care
Holy Spirit
Give us Rest
Politicians
Who Talk
Another Nazi
Revealed
Another Person
Who won’t
Pass the Baton
Another
Black Woman
Cassandra-d
Another Immigrant
Ripped
From Her Child
Lord Have Mercy
God
Forgive Us
Teach us
Mercy
God
The Anger
Burns
And
My Soul
Mourns
Teach
Our Hearts
We
Pray
Teach
A
New
Way
To
Be
Because
I Can’t
Exist
This Way
Anymore
Amen
Part of my baptismal vows, and then confirmation, and then ordination and installation includes not only to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior but also to reject evil. I will admit that as a (white) child of the 80s and 90s I was more sunshine and bubblegum, hoping that evil was fading away. However, I have learned that evil had merely hidden, and that not only is institutional sexism, racism, ableism and homophobia but it seems that in the United States the ugliness of hate feels to move more openly in the world as fascism takes power.
As I write, pray, rest, parent, I find that for me my faith is part and parcel to my resistance. The more inclusive I can be the more I resisting the hate I see.
One of the places I am able to do this is the conference I am attending next month–it is called NEXT church, where we explore church as more of a movement and less than an institution–it runs Nov 11-14th, and is designed for all types of church people (not just leaders) and has full on courses such as community organizing, more than good intentions (don’t just be a nice white person), art as resistance, trauma informed ministry and more! I hope you explore and are able to join me as there are still spots LEFT! https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/ (There is special pricing if you live nearby or don’t have designated funs to help (and some meals are even included!)
If you are a church leader and can’t make it to the gathering–or even if you can, you might also want to look into our highly contextual Agents of Change program https://nextchurch.net/preaching-for-change/agents-of-change/ (due OCT 15!) program This is for those leaders who want to embody the transformative work that leads to justice and liberation.
Full disclosure I am part of the newly Formed NEXT church board, but I have been attending NEXT church events for 14 years–and that is all it takes to be a NEXT church community member, I hope you join our community soon, because At Such a Time as This, this is the kind of Faith movement that I find sustaining to the soul.
Katy
AKA “KatyandtheWord”
God,
I stand in prayer
for a country
where
guns are so glorified
That shooters
Think that
to go out
in a blaze of
gunfire
is better
Than getting
Care
Lord hear our prayer
Prince of Peace
We pray for all the
Victims of Violence
Those who lost
Their Beloved ones
Those who witnessed the
Devastation
Messiah Comfort them
Holy Spirit we pray
For all those who are
experiencing
and are experiencing
trauma as a result of
this tragedy
We pray
That we find a
way to change the Policies
to prevent gun violence
Before every single person
has to be touched
by Gun Violence
Come Holy Comforter, and hold us til we stop crying
Teach us to
Move beyond
Thoughts and Prayers
And how to Move and Act
With Purpose and Dfenition
of Peace
and Kin(g)dom Care
We Place ourselves
In your Tender Care
During this Time of Trouble
Amen
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”
God,
I just saw
Superman
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)
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”
katyandtheword 