Tag: peace

How do we Pray for Peace? Prayer

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/

Children

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

Humanizing

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


Peace

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

RCL: Trust Your Neighbors

John 10
Psalm 23

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/

Wrong Turns

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

Gun Violence Prevention Prayers

Sitting on Good Friday

Jesus
I wasn’t there Good Friday

But I’ve planted a garden almost every year
despite the fact, my thumb is black, and nothing will ever grow

I have sat alone in middle school, at the lunch table, at the classroom
Being told to shut up every time I’ve spoken, isolated and alone

I have left a room
only to realize later that I participated in White Supremacy–
Leaving a Person of Color to fend for themselves

And I have participated in politics that have lead to people having to leave
or find solace, because they were so hurt by what happened

I have cried Hosanna! after Massive Gun Violence And Gender Violence
So many times–with phone calls, votes and letters

Again, and again, and again

I wasn’t there on Good Friday
But I have been abandoned or done the Abandoning

Jesus, I picture you
starting your descent into hell
with the words “My God, My God, Why have you abandoned me”

I wasn’t there that Good Friday–
Almost no one was–
Yet that was the point

Hate
Violence
Politics
Sexism
Patriarchy, All the bad things…seemed to be winning

I wasn’t there Good Friday,
But I have felt those pieces of Hell, the utter loneliness
the failure
I have heard the devil whispering to me

that I’m too different
that my voice doesn’t matter
that peace won’t win

that my betrayals are bigger than my good works

that THAT scene, the one on replay in my head? Everyone remembers that one about me

I don’t know how Jesus utterly cut off from Love
in Hell

But I know all humans feel that at some point;
so I know you did it Jesus

You walked into Hell…
so we wouldn’t be alone there anymore

To remind us that Nothing
no height, no death,
no
angels
no
demons
heaven
nor hell
can cut us off from the love of Jesus Christ

I wasn’t there Good Friday..But you were,
Un-abandoning us
Sitting with us
We can’t see you or hear you in the dark

But thanks for being there
with me when the seeds won’t grow,
at the lonesome lunch table
Or in the Aftermath

And it’s ok to sit in the dark for awhile
Amen.

Feel free to adapt/share/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta

Senator Jones in the foreground Rep Pearson in the background in a black suit—both with their fists raised after the two young, black men were expelled from Tennessee House for partying peaceful anti-gun demonstrations, the white woman senator was allowed to remain