You do not Proscribe Suffering But Walk, Thirsty in the desert with us
Sweet Jesus You do not make demands But call us, and listen, when we spill our whole selves to you by the well
Compassionate Friend You wait for us on the Cross And tell us, it is not too late to apologize, even then, and You will be there on the other side
How beautiful is the whole testimony of the Cross: We are not alone, We do not have to suffer, We can be our full self And we do not have to double down Because its never, ever to late to apologize
Jesus is waiting for us Our theology is not ultimately about debates But about love, and to see the humanity of each other And Jesus On the Cross
How beautiful is the Body of Christ, Thank you for being the God of the Cross Amen.
Image of Brown hammer, nails and cross of thorns on wood in a the lefthand foreground, and and a cross in the righthand background. Created on Canva
And God knows the last recession, we were living on the edge, skirting bankruptcy, playing Russian Roulette with the bills, the credit cards, the job searches
I remember counting property after property for sale in 2010
This time the hurt is less visible. Those who are sick are quarantined, the hospitals are off limits, and poverty is hidden again and again (like we did) because it is a sign of shame.
I am all to aware the the suffering I know is but a microcosm of what is really going on.
So when things go right, when I realize we have enough room to live in, or we enjoy celebrating the youngest turning 9, or I get in to the program I applied for. I wonder is it ok to be happy?
Lord, I thank God for things like the Nap Ministry and Queer Theology and Black Girl Magic which remind us of the value of rest and joy, and that these things must be practiced especially in the midst of chaos.
Lord I give thanks for a moment to soak in the sun, the opportunity to zoom and pray for one another, and the early Christmas tree lights and carols that are seeping into consciousness.
Lord God I thank you for the beauty of snowflakes, the reminder that safe at home can mean cozy at home and the gifts of pets, hot chocolate, and my favorite music.
Help me to celebrate the little things, God. Help me not to forgo joy, but instead to embrace it, and let these moments strengthen me so that I am more able to go on.
Remind me that you give joy to everyone, even those who suffer, and that denial of joy is not helping anyone, I pray.
This Thanksgiving, please give me, and help me to celebrate whatever pieces of joy might happen. Especially give me the spirit and strength to recognize when these pieces of joy sneak up and surprise me.
Help me to enjoy them.
And appreciate them.
And give thanks for them, I pray.
Amen.
Feel free to use/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
Read about my journey towards a doctorate in ministry in creative writing and give a small donation towards my tuition! About Me: My Story & My Writing
for
the misunderstood, misnamed, misplaces & misgendered…
At Christmas I find myself praying
for
the Homeless & the Homebound
for
the sick & the caregivers
for
the wandering & the trapped
for
the lonely & and the overburdened
for
the sleepless & the sleepy
for
the misunderstood, misnamed, misplaces & misgendered
for
those who have lost the music & the magic
for
those who feel like Christmas is a to do list
or that its a list of all that is missing in life.
I am praying for each and every one of you to find hope.
And if you can’t find hope….maybe you can hope to be hopeful
katyandtheword 