Trans* God You are the God of Abram to Abraham of Mara to Naomi Saul to Paul
You call us by our Chosen Name
You are the God of Joseph of the Rainbow, Princess, Coat of their mom who found a family in Egypt
Jesus who found Kinship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus You understand the importance of Belonging somewhere other than with blood relations
Almighty Trans* God of Abraham, you know That sometimes you have to pack up and leave to find your true home and acceptance
And that the journey might have lions and dangers and toils and snares
And yet here is your promise You will see us You will accept us You will call us by our chosen Name
You will always be our God Will always be your people (if we want not in any kind of creepy way)
Jesus, Person created without any sperm who chose to be male Divine Trans* entity
God, the royal They The great NonBinary
Holy Spirit The She who can impregnante A Woman
God you are the Almighty the God of Many Mounds: Which means both many mountains to accesss and worship you (note the inclusiveness) and the God of many breasts to feed every one (Again inclusive and accessible)
We translate that Trans* word as Almighty Almighty Trans* God indeed!
Almighty Trans* God You not only See Accept Affirm and Celebrate But especially Protect all of our Trans* Siblings during this turbulent time
Almighty Trans* God May we forge many mighty Trans* Elders make their names almighty We Pray Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”’
Hosanna is a Protest Song Sung in the words Of the meek
it starts from the back door with a murmur a request for a healing for a friend an opening in a roof a touch on a cloak a plea for an (unnamed) daughter at home
Hosanna is a Protest Song it bends the norms of society blurring the lines between Samaritan and Jewish Sadducees and Pharisees Male and female Salve and Free
Hosanna is a Protest song Reshaping the very bounds of our understanding allowing children to come in freely valuing the widow like the rich man seeing no difference between the younger and the elder calling the eunuch to God
Hosanna is a Protest Song Forgiving Peter before he even denies Jesus Reminding of Thomas bravery more than his doubt Telling the story of the Resurrection straight from the women’s lips Reminding us all that if we want to see Jesus He is already here, among the poor, the imprisoned and the hungry, Go and serve and you will surely see Christ
Hosanna is a Protest Song That the world should not be like this We know it, and we are not going to try violence to bring Jesus back Because our God is the disarmed God, the one who hung their bow permanently in the sky, to remind us that they are the God of Peace And when we didn’t Get the message Sent Jesus to walk the walk of peace even unto the cross again
Hosanna is a protest song It says Save us Saving us Salvation is worth it Kin(g)dom is an active verb It is embodying the prayer Thy Kin(g)dom Come, Thy Will be Done
Reminding us that Our God wants to save most likely, probably everyone And hard as that truth is That God doesn’t need us to protest for Christianity Instead, we protest, To save EVERYBODY And we need our actions to fit those words
Because God Loves every stinking one of us
Hosanna Save us Indeed
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
God, Why are there so many enemies? I feel like I can’t ask people in Kansas if they are friends of Dorothy anymore
And the Scouts do not feel trustworthy Today
Jesus Christ How many times Do we cry out
Hosanna Hosanna For the Trans Kids Hosanna for the Sex Abuse Survivors Hosanna for the Women’s Athletes Hosanna for the Black Actors, Artists and Musicians Hosanna for the kidnapped, the revealed deaths, the scared immigrants Hosanna
Hosanna for the World for Iraq, Pakistan, Cuba, Ukraine
Hosanna
I call to you, and many say Why do you call to God God doesn’t help Woke people
But I cry out And God answers
I go to sleep and I wake up God is sustaining us
We are not afraid of the people who are against us Even if they number tens of thousands
God, You are already Awake So I say Rise Up Save us Hosanna,
O My God! Deliver us, Strike All my enemies on the cheek You Break teeth of the wicked
For
Deliverance is God’s
Blessings belong to your People
God, protect the vulnerable and stop evil we pray Amen
Feel free to adapt/share/use with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
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)
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”
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
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”
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
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.
katyandtheword 