prayer – Page 5 – katyandtheword

Stormy Prayer

God,
We are so tired
Of
Unnatural Disasters
1, in a 1,000 chance
Hurricane, Flood, Tropical Storm
Things

Holy Spirit
We do not have to tell you
the weariness
the dwells
within
our very Souls

It is the weariness
that aches
as we
try to figure out
Evacuate
or Stay
What path is the storm
taking?

What Path is
Humanity Taking

Sweet Beloved
Peacemaking
Jesus
You know the trauma
that is being wrought
–this is not just about
climate change

Perhaps it has never been
It is humanity
trying to hold
hands with one another

before
during
and
after

these tragedies

And then
crying out
because we realize
we don’t know how

Teach us
to sit with
the Job’s
who have
lost everything

Teach us to
understand the
bitter Mara’s
and the
resourceful
Naomi’s
with their found
families

Teach us to
listen to the
leadership
of the Esther
who stand up
for the marginalized
and forgotten
at such a time
as this
during trauma
and devastation

Teach us to
sing with Miriam
when there are
moments of joy
and triumph
even in the sadness.

Walk with us God
and teach us
how to love one
another
and care for
your world
and all the humans
in it
we pray.
Amen.

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

PHOTO:

MOUNTAIN MULE PACKER RANCH

Photo from: https://www.southernliving.com/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-mules-8721273

The Bible is Queer

God I remember–when you came out of the closet–
Flaming!

And Moses, said, What are your Pronouns?
And God says, I am what I am

And Moses says,
Cool, I gotch-you, You’re the God of Pronouns!

And, God says, Good, because I have a feeling,
This will get more complicated!

And then People were doing Violence to one another
So God turned the World On and then Off again

And sent the animals two by two Upon a boat
And hung up God’s weapon, a Bow (that’s an old school gun)

And said, I’m hanging up my weapon, so you will hang up yours
As a sign that Love is Love is Love is Love

And Noah said Cool
And God said, Cool, Because I have a Feeling this might get misconstrued someday

God I remember when Joseph
Draped themselves in a Lady’s Coat

And their bros made fun of them
And tried to feed them to the Lions

And God said, Nope, I claim the Queer One
And then we “retranslated” it as a Rainbow coat, so no one will understand them as Queer

(And you laughed again God, didn’t you? You mysterious and all knowing I Am)

And then Joseph said what you meant for Evil, God meant for Good
No one can take away my God, And God said mmm-mmmmm

And I remember Isaiah, where the prophet saw God,
And clearly identified God as multiples, and referred to God as them

And scholars thought up a new word Trinity–
And we ignored the singular/multiple thing–and God waited, patiently as only God can, for it to dawn upon us.

And then there was when Ruth declared her love and devotion for Naomi
And said where you go I will go, your people will be my people, your God will be my God

And God laughed and said, this will be the foundation text for weddings
This found-family declaration between two women, shh! Don’t tell the Conservatives.

And then came Jesus who instructed us, “Care for the Least of these”
and “Let no one revile you in my name” and “Welcome the Stranger”

And we nodded along like we knew what he meant
and then we disciples whispered among ourselves about exceptions

And God, God you knew
You knew. You knew before we knew

You know, the Bible is so Queer;
It would not even be the Bible, if it did not include rainbows and flames

It would not be Holy without found families
and radical, unconventional love

God only knows, that it is not us who gets to say who belongs to God;
it is but our job to practice welcome and hospitality

Someday, perhaps
we will get the laughter of angels right

Amen.

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

https://sojo.net/articles/joy-being-queer-and-christian/how-pride-flag-speaks-promises-god

Rainbow Prayer

A Rainbow Prayer for the Methodists
After all the rain
A promise written in the sky
that violence will cease
Love will be covenanted
kept
and celebrated

A rainbow prayer for the world
that the world will call you
by your chosen name
that your chosen family
will be found
nestled
in sanctuaries
you can escape to

when needed

A rainbow prayer
for all the children
who cradle the wonders
of the wonder
when they look at the rainbows
and see
Dreams
Wonder
and Beauty

Rainbow Prayers
Breathing in the Alleluias
Even as tears stream down
reflecting tiny rainbows
of the world
as it will be
When we all realize

the Fierce and
and Wonderfully Made
Beauty of the Rainbow

Amen

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

Gratitude

As my Graduation approaches on May 31st 2024, I wanted to thank you again for your support. Your generosity has not only allowed me to study, explore my theology and write my thesis “Let’s Yell at God” but also to write a number of Sermon Series, contextual Psalms and Prayers and Liturgies for people to reflect on, pray and share. It is my hope someday to publish if the way be clear (a phrase that means if the right pieces somehow come together and God helps along the way). However, I am aware that this was truly a community effort. The donations to my work have numbered over 300. The views of my work has been 100 a day and 30,000 a year. This is not the degree of just one person—but truly the work of Public Theology, as it will say in May.

I often think about how this theology is one in the legacy of Mr. Rogers, who’s alma mater I am attending. This is supposed to be about putting theology in the public sphere in new ways. Sometimes prayer writing seems ordinary and pedestrian, and others, it feels like the tool that needs to to spark what needs to happen, the way to give permission for people to wrestle with those things in their lives that just seem to be impossible.

As someone who is always talking—it’s just that sometimes that dialogue happens to be out loud, prayer has been a lovely outlet for me to continue process what it means to be

This thing we call

Human

Thank you for being part of the journey

And helping me to fund a degree that would not have happened without the community.

Katy

www.KatyandtheWord.com

https://substack.com/profile/105115900-katyandtheword?utm_source=profile-page

Blessed Holy Trauma Week

Blessed Holy Trauma Week
Where the spying
on our friends
Come out to haunt
our Wednesdays
We feel the reality
That not all of our relationships
are safe

Where the Table
when we eat together
might feel haunted
by those who are missing
the ones who have died
Or the ones we are not speaking to
(hopefully for just now, Lord hear our prayer)
The echoes of lonesome pandemic times…

We remember that Jesus ate with Judas
and are comforted (How do you do that God?)

And the washing of the feet feels too much
But right

And some people are wedding
Bibles to constitutions
And we remember that Jesus said
That he would temple down
And that what he did was
rip the curtain that was separating the
so called “holy” people from the people
into smithreens (Holy Spirit flip these tables)

Blessed Holy Trauma Week
when your Youth Group Leader
Dies of Breast cancer that she has been battling
Basically since the day you met her
She counseled, supported
Got you the hall for your wedding
Sponsored your call to ministry…

Blessed Holy Trauma Week
When Friday is supposed to be Good
But your car is in the shop
and you can’t get to worship
to cry at the cross
And you think about how trauma lives in your bones

Is not Jesus our very Sibling, who died in the cross?
Do we not say we die with him? How then do we not feel it?

And so you weep instead for the children in Gaza
Gaza–where the word gauze, the cloth for healing was made
And no hospital has any medicine for infection
And children are dying from malnutrition

Blessed Holy Trauma Week
where you have permission to be fully human
weak
pathetic
Empathetic
Sympathetic
To melt on the floor and weep
Because we are all only human
And Jesus Christ knows it
Crying utterly alone on the Cross

Does everything always happen on Holy Week?
All the ministry colleagues ask?

Yes
my soul answers

Blessed Holy Trauma Week
Where we are blessed to be fully human
Fully aware
and to breathe in and breathe out
in-between

Ashes

Because
Dirt is beautiful
nurturing, rich, Smelling of life

Because God took dust
Formed humanity
and breathed, pneuma, life into it

Ashes

Because, God walks with us
from the mountaintops
to the sand on the beaches

God kneels with us in dirt, helping to ease the load
and when we look at our hands and feet, worried about how dirty we are
God sits with us in the grime

And then God kneels, and washes between our toes
counting the grains of sand, the remnants of our work and days
reminding us of the Abrahamic promise

Ashes, because we are mortal
And nothing is forever, and it is good to remember
Our time is limited

But enough

Created from dust–to dust we will return
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust,
Amen

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

To Support me as a Working Public Theologian Donate via Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail, Cash App $bookkats
GoFundMe to send me a check email KatyandthWord at gmail receipts available upon request

Transfiguration

Selah,
God
We confess
We confess that
we do not know what to say
or to do
in Light (get it)
of the Transfiguration
We would rather just sit
and bask in it
Or build a monument to it
Or somehow or another
Find a way to stay.

But then the cloud comes
And gifts us
with the relief
the contrast
the much needed
less mind shattering
shadows of shade
Because when God is too much
for us–God shades, Godself from us.
Selah.

And reminds us that
sometimes all we have to do
Is sit still
And be present
And listen

And we think
Maybe
Perhaps
We can go down the mountain after all
(Especially if we aren’t doing it alone)

So here we go God
Down the mountain
Changed
From human
to human
Shaded from God, by God
Still not knowing what Selah means
But feeling it in our very souls
as we inhale the Holy Spirit
and exhale the Holy Spirit
Selah!

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

Let’s Write Liturgy

February 20th, 1-3pm Zoom

$50 per participant

Do you want to learn how to write prayers and liturgy? Psalms and Calls to Worship? Confessions and Personal Prayers? This Zoom Workshop is designed for all levels and experiences for people to engage in prayer writing–using the scripture as your guide. This will be an instructional, small group (limit 10) and experiential workshop.

Led by Katy Stenta, Pastor, Writer and Educator

For more information to sign up, email Katyandtheword at gmail.com. Titled “Liturgy”

Katy Stenta is a regular contributor to Sermonsuite, (formerly) RevGalBlogPals, and is published in Enfleshed, Presbyterian’s Today and Outlook. She received her undergraduate in English and History and Minor on Philosophy at Oberlin, her M. Div. and MA in Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is all but dissertation for her D. Min. in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She also writes personal prayers regularly at katyandtheword.com.

(Min. 3 People to run)

Email for registration form and payment options

Narrative Lectionary, Year 2, Easter Resurrection Sunday

Themes:
Disciples want to get close to Jesus, Jesus continually points the disciples to look outward
Kneeling with Christ :When Jesus Comes Every Knee will bow,
Because Christ will return as he came, Kneeling to Serve
And we will Kneel to be Beside him
The Promise of a New Kin-dom
A World Beyond Capitalism, Breaking Capitalism

March 31st Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8 Empty tomb, Fleeing
Psalm 118:21-27

Breath Prayer
Inhale: Resurrected Lord
Exhale: Resurrect us Lord

Inhale: Christ is Risen
Exhale: Christ is Risen Indeed

Call to Worship
God has already rolled the stone away
Come let us celebrate
Christ is risen
Christ is Risen indeed! Come let us praise the Resurrected Lord!

Call to Worship
This is the day that the Lord has made
The news feels overwhelming
Come let us worship and serve the Lord!
Come let us worship and serve the Lord!

Call to Confession: There is nothing too big for God, come let us confess ourselves to the Divine.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that there is too much to take in. We confess that at times feel alarmed, and like we cannot find Jesus. Help us when we are overwhelmed with the news. Allow us time to take it in we pray. (Silent Prayer) Amen.

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we are not alway able to hear the news of resurrection and be your people. Help us to make the changes we need to be an Easter people we pray (Silent Prayer) Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the news, the stone has already been rolled away, the resurrection has already occurred, so we know the Good News, In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Jesus Christ, we are your people, loved, forgiven, redeemed. May we remember and hold it in our hearts no matter where we go. May we be your Easter people we pray. Amen.

Hymn Suggestions: Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, Live Into Hope.

Taize Option: Bless the Lord, Laudate Omens Gentes,

Children’s Activity: Play Hide and Seek Remind the Children they are always found by God (If the room is small play where’s Waldo with small Jesus figures)

Children’s Book: God is Like by Rachel Held Evans or Jesus the Word by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, A very Abridged Velveteen Rabbit is always a good option as well.

Entire Liturgy

Feel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting
Suggested Donation for Entire Liturgy $75
(you can decide what is fair for portions)
Receipt Available upon request
Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats
GoFundMe

Good Friday, Narrative Lectionary

March 29th

Supplies: Purple Cloth, Candles, Nail for each participant, Hammer, A cross you can Nail the Nails into, Old Palms

(Make certain each person has a nail upon entry–each interlude can have music between readings or be silent Suggested Music: Were You There When You Crucified My Lord or Jesus, Remember Me When you Come Into Your Kingdom )

¹⁶Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort.¹⁷And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. ¹⁸And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. -Mark 15:16-19

Lay Purple Cloth on the Cross

²⁰After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.-Mark 15:20

Collect Nails from Everyone

²¹They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. ²²Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). ²³And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. Mark 15:21-24

Nail the Nails to a Cross

²⁵It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.²⁹Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰save yourself, and come down from the cross!” ³¹In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.-Mark 15:25-32

Place Dried Up Palms by the Cross

³³When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” ³⁶And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” ³⁷Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Mark 15:33-39

Blow out all of the Candles

Optional: Read Psalm 22:1-2, 14-21 in the dark

eel free to Email KatyandtheWord at Gmail for Text version for easy Copy/Paste Formatting
Suggested Donation for Entire Liturgy $75
(you can decide what is fair for portions)
Receipt Available upon request
Please give credit to Pastor Katy Stenta “KatyandtheWord”

Venmo @Katy-Stenta (last four 7841), Paypal @KatyStenta, Google Pay Katyandtheword at gmail.com, Cash App $bookkats
GoFundMe