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)
You may not know this about me, but I am currently working at a federated American Baptist and United Church of Christ Church as a Presbyterian USA Pastor. I love living into this interdenominational reality. Trying to figure out what we have in common of One Baptism, One Table, One Christ. I find it beautiful. I think one of the best places that prepared me for this ministry is NEXT Church
It is probably not a coincidence that I became a board member about the same time I started my ministry at Emmanuel Friedens–the Holy Spirit knows what she is doing.
NEXT Church is one of those spaces that continues to transition as time goes on. I have been attending NEXT for about 13 years. It is a place that continues to wrestle with the questions of what it means to be the church today—but uniquely it does this with hope and joy and for the church at all levels. The mantra NEXT church is trying to live into is that it is better together, therefore anyone who is involved at NEXT church at any level is NEXT church. We are NEXT church. It is more of a movement than an institution.
It certainly felt that way when at NEXT church that the ramification of the Gay marriage amendment passing broke. I’ll never forget that day—Diana Butler Bass was speaking. I was sitting up in the balcony, and we all got text alerts about it. No one was able to hear a word about what she was saying, because the news was so exciting. I was livetweeting the conference and asked if someone was going to interrupt her and announce the news. NEXT church is kind of laid-back, so it seemed hard for anyone in the hall to break in. Finally, I realized I was in a good position. I raised my hand and said “Excuse me Diana, I hate to interrupt, but we just got the news that gay marriage was ratified for our denomination can marry, and we are all distracted by the good news, everyone can marry.” Diana said, “Congratulations, this Episcopalian, welcomes you.” Note this delightful interdenominational interaction! And the entire hall erupted in applause. More Light and Covenant Network had planned a reception for that that evening and what had initially meant to be a small gathering practically the entire conference came out to celebrate, many of them ordering “the Presbyterian” which the bartenders no doubt quickly learned how to make.
NEXT church is not place for clergy to gather at the mountaintop and go just in hope. It is trying to meet all of the congregation as we figure out this thing of if the church is not existing as it is now, what then will it be? That is what the Already Not Yet national gathering of Next is coming together to contemplate—not to provide all of the answers, but to give time and space to be the church together, both now and for the future. The pathways are for all people doing all the work that is the church, because this is who we are.
If you have had a conversation with me about the greater church you have probably heard me say “I’m excited about where the church is going.’ It seems like a strange thing to say at this time, but the church was and is always meant to be a movement for the marginal, it was never meant to be for the rich and powerful. Right now people don’t go to the small town church for prestige or honor. The people who come are attracted by community and through a hunger for something more. We are the church together, God is planting the seeds so that we can be enough of a movement to do God’s work in the world. The buildings and pews are just dressing, the people are the heart of God’s love.
That something more is what is being addressed by the current Pathways for Next Church. There is the self explanatory Community Organizing, One about the Goals of your ministry called: More Than Good Intentions, there is the much in demand Communal Trauma track, there is the one I think I’m going to land on Art as Trauma (my mom and I had a long discussion that she forgot that writing was art), and NEXT church’s pathway about measuring progress other than through membership and money (or butts and bucks) called Cultivated Ministry. I hope you consider joining me in November 11-14th in Grand Rapids, MI. The cost is $499 and includes some meals. If you do not have a Continuing Ed budget, it is reduced to $299. There is a hotel deal as well and of course if you convince a friend to come, you can share a room. If you do not have young children like me, perhaps you can drive out and reduce costs more. The information is here https://nextchurch.net/national-gathering/2025-grand-rapids-mi/
But I will Praise God Who is Merciful to those who need Good News Tear the mighty off their supremacy courts Lift up the oppressed Free the kidnapped
Help us to magnify Your Power and Glory So that your Grace Overshadows all of this evil Feeding the hunger Sending the Rich Techbros Comfortable Politicians White Supremacists Away with Nothing For their promises are Empty
But you God Remember That your Promises are Made of Empathy and Mercy And endure Forever And so we stand with You God The God of Immigrants Chosen Names and Found Families Now and Forever Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
God I think of the blessings Integral Individuals of Integrity Hearts without Splintering Uapologitically Following God of Empathy and Love
The Walking Working Stay Awake Disciples
Always Looking of the Prodigal –Which means the lost, marginal not yet accounted for Among us. One Might say Those Who need to be still included in the covenant
The ones God is calling To their imago DEI*
Your Precepts Are Alive In them
Even when So-called Princes Techno-crats Billinonaires “The Powerful” Plot
My soul clings To the Word of God Which feeds me
Even when I confess to Fading Away With Being Broken By The Sorrow of the World I remember Your Word God
Which Established All And
(Thank God Almighty)
Existed Before humanity
And our fights Over politics Governances And even the concept of money
Then I meditate On The Wondrous Pieces Of God
Teach me your ways God Deep than Human definitions Divine Love Liberation Tzadik**
If comforts me, Jesus Especially when I am hot with indignation from evil –which is often these days Because there is a lot of stupid evil in the world
But you are my Sweet inheritance Please hurry To put your Sweet Holy Spirit Honey tasting Good News in My mouth
Tasting the Path Of the Precepts That I eternally Follow I Pray
Piecing my way To a Promised Peace That Proclaims Amen From Sunday to Sunday
Amen Amen
*DEI can also stand for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
*justice, equity, loving-kindness: covenantal care for others especially the marginal
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”
I admit I was relieved When someone said Let’s go to a sanctuary Come Let us God And Seek God
For I need to rest my weary soles soul something somewhere
And my house is way too messy
And before I knew it My soles soul were standing at your gates
And we were knocking on heavens door And I realized
that God’s Kin-dom is unlike any other
Binding together people who I had never seen or known
And my heart leapt To my throat and I wanted to scream cry and lay down and rest and never get up again For here is a place where everyone would come up and be welcomed
There are no locks in heaven
and as I put my hand On your door my soles felt the ground itself welcome me And gratitude Spilled from my lips Unbeckoned
And Judgement Came And it sounded like this “Peace will radiate from you, It will be part and parcel of your homes, your walls, your cities
It is promised Even in our messy houses cities churches governances countries and streets
And that peace will hum from our throats And we will sing greet and radiate to one another “Peace be within you”
And so We will go And seek Good and Sanctuary
For the sake of this needed Sanctuary That my soul and the itchy Soles of my feet ache for I will keep seeking it
Tears roll down the face of Starlette Thomas, of Bowie, Md., as she holds a chunk of pavement from the Black Lives Matter mural, Monday, March 10, 2025, as the mural begins to be demolished in Washington. “I needed to be here to bear witness,” says Thomas, who was present at the 2020 George Floyd protests. “For me the Black Lives Matter sign etched in stone was a declaration of somebodyness and to watch it be undone in this way was very hurtful. To walk away with a piece of that, it means it’s not gone. It’s more than brick and mortar.” (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Image
And this morning God All I can think about is the passage
What forbids me from being baptized Philip? asks the Ethiopian Eunuch and I’m sure Philip thinks of all of the ramifications that this person is of nebulous rank nebulous gender* nebulous status from another country
what authority does Philip have? But Philip was sent by an angel to say yes
And I feel like Philip running alongside chariots not knowing what authority we have
We are in a nebulous time
knowing things are in flux being asked hard questions
and I hope we say yes as often as we can
Because God knows God is not preventing us from loving and including each other
God’s yes is strong even when we don’t know
And it’s ok not to know
I don’t know God that’s my prayer I just don’t know Amen
Feel Free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
*Though to be clear that individual, the Ethiopian Eunuch, may have known exactly who they were and what their gender status was, the LBTQIA breadth and depth is beautiful in all of it’s multiplicities
Practice focusing on God practice community practice honesty exercise everyday–not because you will win any races But because walking together is the journey
And some days I too want to throw Jesus off the cliff Because it’s clear I still don’t get it
And then Jesus floats back and hugs me Because it never was about perfection in the first place
But the moments of beauty community laughter still count
Thank God for that
Amen
Feel free to use/share Adapt with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta aka KatyandtheWord
katyandtheword 