I write a prayer foe a gentle holiday over at RevGals and I think it turned out rather nice: Prayer
Tag: prayer
Tapped Out
I’m so tapped out of prayers.
I’ve been writing them for almost two years…
words have been ripped from my soul.
I’ve learned and yearned and earned
and still I find myself turning to God.
Anguished.
I think in my heart of hearts
that if I say the right words
everything will be fixed.
When instead, God….
you know.
You know God,
The right prayers do the opposite.
Cutting open the wounds,
Allowing myself to emotionally
throw up for the entire world to see…
and ironically
that helps
So here I am.
Stubbornly
Being Sick on the Page one more time.
Saying WHY GOD
WHY THE HELL WON’T WE DO THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO
to Bring a PANDEMIC to AN END.
Never in my life will I EVER use the expression
“Avoid it like the Plague”
Never will I take supply chains for granted.
And I look forward to being
a weird old lady
with tales of school from home,
when the church FINALLY got tech
after me a young-in pleaded for years with it,
Shutdowns, BLM, masks, baking
and that time when
we all learned to appreciate
science and vaccinations
(and hopefully redesigned how we
allocated ALL the national budget)
So here we are God,
just you
and me
and the world,
and a prayer
Trying to fix things.
I’m not going to stop.
Let’s go.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Please consider supporting my 2nd year of Doctorate of Ministry in Creative Writing at https://gofund.me/aaeb4910
What is Sacred, Christmas Prayer
God I approach this Christmas season
with some trepidation,
and a lot of fear and trembling.
Because I don’t know if I really
understood before,
what was really sacred,
before now.
All the pomp and circumstance of Christmas
lies by the wayside now, like crumpled wrapping paper.
After all, we are not here to impress anybody.
What is left, is the Christ Candle,
burning the conviction into our hearts,
that life is sacred,
precisely because it is all so
unique and beautiful and brief.
The fact that a young girl, a shepherd and a magi
could each magnify God
in their own,
and yet important way
makes me want to cry
silent tears
at the magnitude of the meaning of Christmas
So here we are…
Fill us up,
with what Christmas
means for each of this year
Reminding us
that God sent a baby
in a manger
for each and every one of us
and God values us–
enough to send
babies and angels
and teachers and doctors and nurses
and vaccines and masks
and phone calls and cards
and candles and stars
and every other symbol that we need to remind us
That we are beloved.
And that we are here to fill the world with love
any way we can,
because that is the Christmas miracle
turning emptiness into something else.
Let us Go, and be comforted by the Love of God.
May God Bless you
and Keep you
in Belovedness–
wrapped in the miracle
that God is here.
Amen.
Always, forever,
God is even now. Here.
Alleluia.
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
More Advent/Christmas Resource
Comfort My People, A Prayer for Celebrating Christmas This Year
We don’t know how we are going to get through this season,
They sat through my office and said,
And their pain sat visceral in the room.
And I nodded along and prayed that they could find places
where their grief could be invited along with them and given a place at the table.
God, this is a prayer that Christmas can be more of a season of comfort
for those who need it.
I sat in the cards shop the other day,
and could not find one card
that expressed the comfort that I wanted to say during this season
of pandemic-Christmas tide. And I think, God
of what it exactly it was that the shepherds,
and the (actually unnumbered) Magi
and John the Baptist and Mary were looking for on that dark night.
The tidings were Good News of Great Joy yes,
but also, I think, it was comfort that they hungered for
Wasn’t that the fulfillment proclaimed in the Magnificat?
Wasn’t that the first title given to Jesus in Isaiah?
Not mighty* or everlasting father! No!
The first thing named for the Savior to come Counselor! Comforter, and a Wonderful one at that.
Because Lord knows this advent we are black with mourning and grief.
There is no comfort candle on the advent wreath (at least not traditionally)
But that’s who you are, Holy Spirit, Comforter.
And Lord knows we need comfort!
God, may we let this season be one not just of Joy or Hope–
if we aren’t feeling those things, let that be ok.
Help us to make this, for those who need it,
be a season of Comfort.
Help us to create a Season of Comfort, for the lonely, the lost, the grieving, I pray.
Comfort your people. Please God, because you know, we sure do need it.
And maybe next year, we will add a comfort candle to the wreath–
Til then, comfort your people we pray.
Amen.
Feel Free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Thanks to @byAndriaIrwin for the inspirational tweet
*note that the Hebrew word for this actually translates as God of many mounds, which means God of many worships spots (powerful/accessible) and God of many breasts/nourishing places. We have later shorthanded it as mighty.
An Advent Prayer for the World Weary
Here’s a Prayer
for anyone who is going into Advent Tired
Weary of almost two years of
pandemicking
Two years of pastoring or preaching or caring or writing prayers for people
who are ill, or caretaking,
or trying to find a bed in the hospital, or a spot for surgery.
Here’s a prayer for a timeframe where the hard things have been harder
and the loneliness has felt excruciating,
and the reassessing has hit like a hammer
and the promised whisper of the baby Jesus
is hard to hear over the to do lists,
and the worrying
and apocalyptic understanding of health/political/biogotted infrastructures and economies
of this time and space.
And Lord,
It makes us wonder if this is some of what Mary felt in tumultuous and occupied Jerusalem
when she faced the angel,
overwhelmed by it all
We too feel her determination
As she opened her mouth and
found that the words that tumbled out were
It doesn’t have to be this way!
It doesn’t have to be this way!
Magnify the Lord!
Bring down the Mighty
Fill the Hungry with Good Things.
So as we enter this Advent, tired and hungry and lonely God.
Remind us that,Advent is a good time for these feelings, Lord.
Advent is about preparation,
and understanding that we are ready for Jesus!
Lord,
I think we need Christ right now,
And that’s ok,
Remind us that it’s ok,
It’s ok to really, truly need Jesus!
and traditional to be world weary at Advent.
And help us to sit with that a bit I pray.
Amen.
Here’s a Prayer
for anyone who is going into Advent Tired
Weary of almost two years of
pandemicking
Two years of pastoring or preaching or caring or writing prayers for people
who are ill, or caretaking,
or trying to find a bed in the hospital, or a spot for surgery.
Here’s a prayer for a timeframe where the hard things have been harder
and the loneliness has felt excruciating,
and the reassessing has hit like a hammer
and the promised whisper of the baby Jesus
is hard to hear over the to do lists,
and the worrying
and apocalyptic understanding of health/political/biogotted infrastructures and economies
of this time and space.
And Lord,
It makes us wonder if this is some of what Mary felt in tumultuous and occupied Jerusalem
when she faced the angel,
overwhelmed by it all
We too feel her determination
As she opened her mouth and
found that the words that tumbled out were
It doesn’t have to be this way!
It doesn’t have to be this way!
Magnify the Lord!
Bring down the Mighty
Fill the Hungry with Good Things.
So as we enter this Advent, tired and hungry and lonely God.
Remind us that,Advent is a good time for these feelings, Lord.
Advent is about preparation,
and understanding that we are ready for Jesus!
Lord,
I think we need Christ right now,
And that’s ok,
Remind us that it’s ok,
It’s ok to really, truly need Jesus!
and traditional to be world weary at Advent.
And help us to sit with that a bit I pray.
Amen.
Complete List of Pandemic Prayers and Resources
With Thanks to April Fiet, Andre Henry, David Hogg and Kevin Miguel Garcia for the Inspirational Tweets
Originally Published at RevGalBlogPals https://revgalblogpals.org/2021/12/03/an-advent-prayer-for-the-world-weary/
If you enjoy my prayers please consider giving to my Doctorate in Creative Writing. I write extensive prayers and resources for free and usually have over 100 views a day. If everyone gave $10 I’d be done in two weeks! https://gofund.me/70a114f9
Please feel free to share/adapt/use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Creative Writing & Giving Tuesday
Hey Friends!
I am trying to get donors for my next year of Doctoral work in Creative Writing! This is a working theologian’s degree at Pittsburgh Seminary where I continue to work 32+ hrs a week (less in the summer) and try to put my degree to immediate use!
The way we are funding is 1/3rd from my family, 1/3rd from continuing Ed funds, and 1/3rd fundraised. As you know I offer prayers, liturgies and more all for free here at WordPress. My next class is in January in Fantasy and Christianity which is my area of specialty and I can’t wait! We are centering on C S Lewis and comparing him to other authors.
I’ve had 107 views today (Giving Tues Nov 30 2021) on katyandtheword.com. If everyone gave $25 today I’d be done https://gofund.me/aaeb4910 I have 3000 views a month which means if everyone gives – couple of bucks say $2-$5 over the next month I’ll def be done in 2 weeks. Please consider giving what you can. As you can see any amount would help!!
Katy at Katyandtheword
Thanks! For your support and thanks for Praying with me!
Omicron Prayer
O God, O God, O God
I know I’m theory I’m actually already family with the Greek alphabet
Because that’s what the New Testament was written in—despite the fact that Jesus spoke Aramaic.
And now O God, the short letter O
not the long one, not the Omega at the end of the alphabet with it’s satisfying finality.
Nope,
But Omicron with its ominous almost transformers sounding nuance
(After skipping over the homophone of nu that sounded too much like new and xi that is way too common a last name) we had to land on omicron.
God. Let me be the first to remind you
That we humans actually suck at variations.
We hate change, use deviant as an insult and use normal as a compliment
I’m just telling you that we do this (not because it’s right or good)
I’m telling you this because it has been a very long almost-two-years-and-frankly-it’s-felt-like-longer and we need help right now
So here’s my o, omicron prayer.
Help us with this variant.
Help us to
Adapt, change, pivot, endure, vaccinate, boost, mask and all those other good words we need to do.
But mostly, help us NOT to give up—and to remember that coronavirus is not the alpha and the omega.
You are.
Thank abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzGOD for that.
Amen
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta and Please consider supporting my Doctorate of Ministry at https://gofund.me/aaeb4910
A Disappointed Prayer
It happened again God,
A person I admired,
let hate and errors spew from their mouth
accusing other of not being humans
refusing to understand.
I know what you mean when you
say their ears were closed
and their hearts were hardened.
And it hurts, God, when the chinks in the armor
turn out to be pieces of hatred,
Screw TERFism
–and White Fragility
And Sexism
And Heternormativity
And Colonialism
And Exceptionalism
And Ableism–
when people who you hoped could imagine worlds
Of openness, people who helped you to see a better kingdom of God,
turned out to be as human as everyone else.
I guess we all need Jesus in the end–but it’s timeslike these
I really need the Holy Spirit,
to come down and protect my marginalized beloved ones–transgendered, black and brown, poor and disabled.
It’s times like these I need the Holy Spirit to come down and inspire and comfort me,
because I really don’t know what to do with the pieces of my heart when they lie shattered by the people who I trusted to care for it.
And of course, still, always, none of us are Jesus
I guess this is why the Kin-dom God can never, ever
ever
be the vision of one person
No one person is ever going to get all the pieces–
help us to keep imagining it,
together,
encourage us,
especially in times like this we pray.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt/share with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
If you find these resources useful please consider contributing to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing!
Oct 31 Solomon’s Temple
Call to Worship
Praise the Lord from the heavens and in the heights
Praise God, all his anger, all his host!
Praise God, sun and moon and all of the shining stars!
Let us praise the name of the Lord, for God commanded and they were created!
Let us praise God, men and women, young and old together!
Come, Let us praise the name of the Lord together!
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we sometimes are searching for wholeness, sometimes we want to build a temple or find a special spot, when the truth is, you are with us the whole way. Show us how you have the whole world in you hands we pray . (Silent Confession) Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God is with us, guiding us and forgiving us. Let us proclaim the truth to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication: God, that you are always holy, and that holiness does not need to be trapped or contained. Help us to share your holiness with the world we pray. Amen.
Hymns: Holy, Holy, Holy, Immortal Invisible God Only Wise, Jesus Thy Boundless Love to Me O Christ the Great Foundation
Children: Here is the church, Here is the Steeple Open the door and see all the people but change it to Here is the church, here is the church here is the church
More Year 4 Narrative Lectionary Resources
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Holy Words: No and Yes
God help me,
to discern when to say no
So that I can also say yes.
Help me do the junk,
the stuff that has to get done anyway.
But also…..
Help me to know when to draw
the boundaries that need to be drawn.
To be healthy
To hold firm
to say
No.
Simply
as a complete sentence.
So that when I want to
Say Yes, to something that I am called to
To something that is fulfilling and right
that I can say Yes.
No to overdoing
Yes to stretching
No to bullies
Yes to God.
No to Bigotry
Yes to Welcome
No to busywork
Yes to upholding, enouraging and supporting
No to perfection
Yes to good enough
No to doing everything
Yes to help
God, I give thanks, for all the Holy Nos, and all the Holy Yeses
In my Life.
Amen.
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Mundane Prayer to Survive the Day to Day
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