Peace
Means wholeness
When no one
Is looking
For pieces
Of houses
Bodies
Or family
…….Members
Any
For
Ever
…. More Peace
And War Taught
Know
Told
Learnt
No
….Pieces of
My Heart
Lay Shattered
On the floor
I don’t
Have the
Energy
To pick
Them up
Puzzling out
Peace
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy “Katyandtheword”
God
We admit
Confess really
That we do not know how to pray for peace.
We want it to be a magic incantation.
One where we have picked the right side.
So peace happens
There you go God
the mystery of Shalom-Salaam is solved.
But Salaam-Shalom isn’t about sides,
You can’t take the word apart like that
You cannot take the world apart like that
These things are not meant to be broken
There are no sides to peace
Shalom-Salaam
the mystery of wholeness, health
hospitality, healing
peace
No wonder peace is
Created
Constructed
Made
It took a Carpenter-
Or at least someone who worked with their hands
to teach us that.
Blessed are the
Builders of Peace
For they Shall Be
Called.Invited.Named.
Children.Having the Nature of.Inheritors of
God
Allah
Yhwh
Salaam-Shalom (Have I said the spell enough yet, God??)
Our tongues ache
From the words of war
(revenge)
And we know
That we have
Taught it
My soul aches
to teach war
No more
no more
no more
Shalom-Salaam
Teach me
to sit with peace
To hammer
weapons into
Planting tools
Teach me
how find the broken pieces
to plant
And to mend
To nurture
And to tend
To sow
Until we find the wholeness
teach us the mystery of this binding
Salaam-Shalom,
Us
Because we Do Not Know How
And none of Us can do it alone
Salaam-Shalom us,
We Pray.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/Share with Credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord.com”
Banksy Dove with a Bulletproof Vest https://www.thenationalnews.com/weekend/2022/08/05/banskys-west-bank-dove-and-the-palestinian-shopowner-who-met-the-elusive-artist/
CW: Israel/Palestine
Child
How to define
Not an adult
magical being
inspirer of future
bringer of now
takes their sweet time
so meone who should still believe
one who fears scary things
leader to heaven
welcomer
noticer of small things
laughter that bears fairies
wishie-blower
always in a hurry
bearer of peace
own self
right to be
When I was in
Israel & Palestine
Both times
Children ran around me
Giggling, playing chase
speaking a language I didn’t know
I sighed
despite all the propaganda
water shortages
talk of building permits
and guns
I breathed in
and out
in hope
because
the
Children
were
and
are
children
everywhere
Do you see
the
children?
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta KatyandtheWord
P eopling
E veryone
A round–
C entering
E mpathy
Humanity
What is a human
I ask God
in the dark
World weary
of talking points
explanations
and words
…………….words
………………….words
What exactly
is this human being thing?
I wonder? Trying not to count
the bombs going off–
Way worse than the second between
Thunder
……….and lightening
And the latest government crises
does not even deign to mention
hungering children
…………or elderly
And my trans friend cries
a little bit
and my child whispers
and their abused peer
who they called CPS about
to no avail
What is being
the stars glimmer back at me
and I try to catch their twinkles
and remember the taste of tea
the sigh at the end of good book
the snuggles of my kitty cats when I am sad
Children
I am always
Forever
Blessed by the magic
that are children
Human
why define?
I think as
I talk to myself
and remember
Re-Peopling the world
Over and Over again
without conditionals
just Peopling
Because every single
Person
Counts
Being
Human
Human
Being
Humans
Being
Human
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Katy Stenta Katyandtheword
I don’t know
How To
Spell
Out
Peace
But war
Is
A
Vocabulary
I’d like
To forget
Jesus blessed the peacemakers
Because peace is not easy
It’s not quiet
Or passive
It’s creative
Joy brimming over
Blessings are not easy either
The Aramaic word
(Jesus hear language)
is tinged with
Duty
Obligation
The work you are filled with
To pass on
Blessed to be a blessing
Blessed are those who make
Create, Believe in
Peace
Blessed are the Peace
Planters
Growers
Cultivators
Do you know what peace tastes like?
Dandelion wishes
blown
towards
a
Friend
Here’s
One for you
God,
We are so tired
of the cries
of the worries
of the texts
Grant us the strength
and cunning
to change our policies
once and for all
so that we might grant our
children
and our children’s children
safety
sanctuary
and peace.
Amen.
Call to Worship
Let all who are afraid come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who are weary come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who hunger come
The Shepherd is here
Let all who are looking come
Truly, the Shepherd here. Let us come, and find the Shepherd together
Call to Confession: Come, the gate is open, we do not need to fear the one who is calling, let us confess ourselves to God.
Confession: Jesus Christ we are weary, too long we have put our trust in money and stuff and weapons and governments and institutions and we look around and realize, that we are still not but confused sheep. We long for your voice. We long for green pastures and still waters, we long for goodness and mercy. We want a land where good food is so plentifully even our enemies get it. Forgive us, teach us your voices, so we can hear it, and follow it, and live in fear no more we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news, Jesus is calling us towards grace, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Fear not the angels said, Peace be with you Jesus said. God, you come and comfort your sheep, reminding us to live without weapons or fear. You remind us we are meant to flock together. God may we go forth building a world of green pastures, safety and hope we pray. Amen.
Topical prayer: The Lord is my Shepherd Sheep Scale Prayer https://katyandtheword.com/2020/08/20/the-lord-is-our-shepherd-a-sheep-scale-prayer/
CW: Gun Violence, Racism
God,
I am praying for the young adults, the teens, the kids
who take the wrong turns
Sweet Resurrected Jesus
You and I know, that I have no sense of direction–
How many times have I been
lost and alone in the car
Making my way across the country
(Pre-cell phone directions even)
–Luckily I am a white girl
But the shooting mere miles from my house
In upstate NY
proves that
it’s the guns
the guns
the guns.
And Lord save all the Black Boys, The beloved
Beautiful, made in your image
Black Brothers
My soul keens for them
God, you hung up your weapon,
your bow, your version of a gun
in the sky–way before Jesus
In the time of Noah–so that every single time we see it
We might, maybe possibly remember
That you are a Disarmed God
A Weaponless God
A God who refuses to Destroy anymore
A God of Peace
And when we refused to believe it
You sent your Son
What-His-Name
The Prince of Peace
Down to Earth
You don’t bring the Weapons
I’ll bring the Revolution
“Drop your swords” He says
When he is being arrested–
By the Empire no less
“And I’ll heal your ears, so you can hear
my words of peace”
And when you were resurrect Jesus
Among the huddled and fearful disciples
Did they raise arms against you
in “defense” and fright
(Its a question I don’t want to think about)
You replied to the fervor of frightened humans
“Peace be with you”
When we are lost
or feel invaded
or scared
or alone
“Peace be with you”
Disarm yourselves
God demonstrated
coaxes
whispers
If you really trust God,
I promise, you won’t need any guns
the end of the world won’t be with a bang
It will be with the whisper
“Peace be with you”
I’m still praying for the kin(g)dom
come
Peace be with you
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Rainbow and clouds with an orange car heading towards it, created on canva by Katy Stenta, feel free to use
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