Tag: prayer

Advent Time

Advent
Because we aren’t ready
And
God is here
In the dark
In the waiting room

God is here
In the sadness
In the not quite revolution yet

There is no shame in advent
There is sanctuary in the quiet

Anticipation
Itchiness of almost
There is holiness
In the time of not quite

There is connection
In the confusion
Of complicated
Not having our
Shit together yet

There is beauty
In creating rituals
to wait together
So that we remember
…that we are not waiting
Alone

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

Advent Hope

God I know I don’t need
To look for you

Advent is in
a minor key

Because

Christ is already here
In the ICE prisons

Christ is already here
with the unhoused

Christ is already here
at the wartorn rubble

Christ is already here

But it’s hard
to see the face of Jesus

Fear not
You say

And you coax us to
free the prisoners

To distribute food
without worry about who is deserving

As you remind us
What peace and wholeness means

Fear not
The Holy Spirit
Inspires us

Laying Groundwork
for the key change
to take hold

We wait with you God
Because we want the miracle
of Christmas

To be about
the seeds that are
planted
to mean
Universal flourishings

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

Trans Day of Remembrance

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”

Prayers as the Storm Comes

Praying so hard for Jamaica and the Caribbean

Praying for the planet
Praying for those in the eye of the hurricane

Praying
Praying
Praying because disaster relief has to come faster
with less resources
Praying because Climate Change is Harsh
and Denial is Harsher

Praying because Paper Towels are not enough
Praying because my neighborhood is big enough
to hold anyone in need
but I do not have capacity to figure it all out

Praying
that we do more

Prayers for this storm
and the next one
Praying the storm
lets up and eases
however it can

But right now
I hope that we do the short
and long range things
needed
to help

Because
Love is what
makes us Human
in the end

Amen

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

ShutDown, A Prayer

Am
Heartsick

Healthcare
SNAP

Lord Hear our Prayers


Vaccines
Homelessness

“Cease”less
Cease fires

Peace-less
Talks

Rubble at the White
House

Workers

Without Pay

No Meds
No Food
No Water
No Care

Holy Spirit
Give us Rest

Politicians 
Who Talk

Another Nazi
Revealed

Another Person

Who won’t

Pass the Baton

Another 
Black Woman
Cassandra-d

Another Immigrant
Ripped
From Her Child

Lord Have Mercy

God 
Forgive Us

Teach us
Mercy

God
The Anger
Burns


And 
My Soul
Mourns


Teach
Our Hearts

We 
Pray

Teach 
A 
New 

Way 

To 
Be

Because
I Can’t

Exist


This Way
Anymore

Amen

A Tender Prayer: In the Aftermath

God,
I stand in prayer
for a country
where
guns are so glorified

That shooters
Think that
to go out
in a blaze of
gunfire
is better
Than getting
Care

Lord hear our prayer

Prince of Peace
We pray for all the
Victims of Violence
Those who lost
Their Beloved ones
Those who witnessed the
Devastation

Messiah Comfort them

Holy Spirit we pray
For all those who are
experiencing
and are experiencing
trauma as a result of
this tragedy
We pray
That we find a
way to change the Policies
to prevent gun violence
Before every single person
has to be touched
by Gun Violence


Come Holy Comforter, and hold us til we stop crying


Teach us to
Move beyond
Thoughts and Prayers

And how to Move and Act
With Purpose and Dfenition
of Peace
and Kin(g)dom Care
We Place ourselves
In your Tender Care
During this Time of Trouble
Amen

Another Psalm

I am tired
of starving children in wars
That we can help
in cutting aid
in efficiencies that cost
humanity

I am angry
at blatant misuse
abuses
of power
lies and misleadings
with little follow up
or repercussions
finger wagging
and learning from these
politicians for what

I am bitter from
throwing people
under the bus
the Trans
the Disabled
the Women
the Poor

I am working
to
do what I can
when I can
To remember
that it all counts

Probably not
int he ways I want
Or can see

Dang it

If God
could move
Things
in percievable
concrete
and faster
ways
we would
Appreciate it
quick

And quicker
If you please
Our minds
and hearts
and souls
are fainting for it

So we wait
Impatiently

Together

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


God, help us to recognize Superman

God,
I just saw
Superman

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)

God Amidst the Floodzones

God of rainbows
Amidst the floods
When we look for lost girls
and RVs
When we mourn dead camp directors
And family members

When camps
and houses
and belongings
are swept away
With powerfully swept away

Remind us
That you sit with us
amidst

And when we cry out
God where are you

You cry too

And that you
Disarmed
Your very self
Hanging Your weapon
Permanently
in the sky

A proclamation
that you are a God
of Covenants
Promises
Peace
and Love

not punishments

So that when we cry out
“What have we done to deserve this?”
You sweep us up
In your love
and care
Snuggling us
to sleep
murmuring
“Nothing, absolutely nothing”

and you help the
absolutely best search doggies
And you wipe the brows of
the the emergency workers
and volunteers
and you sit and sigh
with the wearied

And God
You give us
Patience
and silence
amidst us
in unexpected
encouragement

Because you are
The God
of Spaciousness
Letting us
Be our full selves

And so
Be with
us in our
Grief
our waiting
and Our
Empathy
Be with
us in our Love

For many waters
cannot quench Love
Nor can the
Floods
Drown it

Be the Love
Amidst us
That outlasts
This flood
We pray
Amen

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

Magnificat Now

God
See to your humans
For they are conceited

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