Church

God here’s a prayer for the church
The messy, institutional church
The one that is dying
The one that is full of too many rules and regulations
and buildings
and other things

Here’s a prayer for this greater church
That I grew up in
and love, and still think
can transform things

I have seen a million churches
God

And through these imperfect vessels
I have witnessed
tears
births

Children giggling in pews
and holy silences

“I don’t worry about the church”

I say God,
And you know,
that most days
I actually mean it

I can love this imperfect thing
even as it is changing to something new
Here’s a prayer for the church
that raised me
and is changing into something
unrecognizable

like a new dawn after a storm

like a movement

Here’s a prayer for church
a thing that happens
in parking lots
breakfasts
phone calls and hugs

May we not get caught up
in “saving it”

That was never our job anyway
And instead catch glimpses of it along the way
I pray

Amen.

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