Open Hands Vol 9 No 3 - Celebrating the Inclusive God: Worship in the Welcoming Community

Open Hands Vol 9 No 3 - Celebrating the Inclusive God: Worship in the Welcoming Community

9

3

1994

Winter

$5.00 .
More Light Churches Network Open and Affirming Program Reconciled in Christ Program Reconciling Congregation ~r6gram
Resources for Ministries Affirming the Diversity of Human Sexuality .
Vol. 9 No.3 Winter 1994
CELEBRATING THE INCLUSIVE GOD
Worship in the Welcoming Community
Open Hands is a resource for congregations and individuals seeking to be in ministry with lesbian, bisexual, and gay persons. Each issue focuses on a specific area of concern within the church. Open Hands is published quarterly by the Reconciling Congregation Program, Inc. (United Methodist) in conjunction with More Light Churches Network (Presbyterian), Open and Affirming (United Church of Christ), and Reconciled in Christ (Lutheran) Programs. Each of these programs is a national network of local churches that publicly affirm their ministry with the whole family of God and welcome lesbian and gay persons and their families into their community of faith. These four programs -along with Open and Affirming (DiSciples of Christ), Welcoming (Unitarian Universalist), Supportive Congregations (Brethren/ Mennonite), and Welcoming and Affirming (American Baptist) programs -offer hope that the church can be a reconciled community. Open Hands is published quarterly. Subscription is $16 for four issues ($20 outside the U.S.). Single copies and back issues are $5. Quantities of 10 or more, $3 each. Subscriptions, letters to the editor, manuscripts, requests for advertising rates, and other correspondence should be sent to:
Open Hands
380l N. Keeler Avenue Chicago, IL 60641 Phone: 312/736-5526 Fax: 312/736-5475
Member, The Associated Church Press
© 1994
Reconciling Congregation Program, Inc.
Open Hands is a registered trademark.
ISSN 0888-8833
@ Printed 011 recycled paper.
(!jeen
Resources for Ministries Affirming the Diversity of Human Sexuality
~andJ Winter 1994
Vol. 9 No! 3
EXPLORING the nature of worship ............................................................... 4 The Work of the People ........................................................................... 4 Gregory R. Dell Witnesses to Meaning ..................................................................... 5
Ann Marie Coleman, Brenda Moulton, Bob Gibeling,
Derrick Kikuc hi, Paul Santillan
Ham Bones, History, and Liturgy ........................................................... 6
Jon Nelson
Prayer ofJesus ................................................................................. 7
Wheadon UMC
WhatJesus Actually Prayed? .......................................................... 7
The Jesus Seminar
The Open Table: A Sign of Inclusion ...................................................... 8 Grant S. Sperry-White
Personal Testimony ......................................................................... 9
Anonymous
A Meditation on the Eucharist ....................................................... 9
Lawrence A. Reh
Tips for Inclusivity and Diversity in Worship ..................................... 10
Exploring Worship in your Congregation: Eight Activities ................ 11
REPENTING of our alienating actions ........................................................ 12 A Liturgy of Repentance ........................................................................ 12 Mary Jo Osterman The Reproaches ...................................................................................... 13
Wallingford UMC
HEALING each other's wounds .................................................................... 14 Call to Awareness ................................................................................... 14 Mary Jo Osterman Psalm 73 Interpreted .............................................................................. 14
Derrick Kikuchi
Shug's Beatitudes (Alice Walker) .......................................................... 15
St. John's UMC
Prayers of the People .............................................................................. 15
Howard Warren
Comfort and Healing (Song) ................................................................. 15 Mary Jo Osterman We Give You Thanks, 0 God (Song) ..................................................... 15 John S. Rice Benediction: Loving God, Move Us from Tragedy ............................... 15
Larry Peacock
RECONCILING with all those different from us ....................................... 16
Call to Celebrate ..................................................................................... 16
Irving Park UMC
Song of Reconciliation ........................................................................... 16
Caroline Presnell
Reflection I: From a Non-European Perspective .................................. 17
Audre Lorde
Naming our Brokenness (Korean Tongsung Kido prayer style) ......... 17
A Prayer for Decision-Making Time ...................................................... 17
Marianna Mihills
Open Hands 2
Celebrating the Inclusive God: Worship in the Welcoming Community
Reflection II: Underground Christians ................................................ 17
Malcolm Boyd
Open Hands, Open Hearts (Song) ........................................................ 18
G. Jean Anderson & Barbara Neighbors Deal
How Weird 0 and Freak 0 Became Reconciled:
A Children's Sermon ..................................................................... 19
Elton Brown
AFFIRMING and celebrating our sacredness ............................................. 20
Celebrate the Covenant .......................................................................... 20
Diane Darling & Elaine Kirkland
Psalm 30:4, 11-12 Interpreted ............................................................... 20
Mary Jo Osterman
Reflection I: Welcomed with Open Arms ............................................. 20
Ann B. Day
Reflection II: Indian Tapestry/Tejido Tipico ....................................... 21
Julia Esquivel
A Litany of Affirmation .......................................................................... 21
Susan Kramer
Sen ding Forth: The Wildly Inclusive God ............................................ 21
Howard Warren
COMMITTING ourselves to being the church ........................................... 22
Invitation to Commitment (Poem) ........................................................ 22
Maya Angelou
Reflection: The Pulse of our New Day: Facing Destiny ~ ....... .............. 22
Lynn Mickelson
Words of Commitment .......................................................................... 23
Mary Jo Osterman
Ritual of Commitment ........................................................................... 23
Lisa Larges & Lindsay Biddle
Sending Forth: The One Who is our Rock ........................................... 23
Mary Jo Osterman
RESOURCES .................................................................................................. 24
MOVEMENT NEWS ........................................................................................ 26
ANNUAL LIST OF WELCOMING CHURCHES .................................... 30
, upeQ~l~GTHEME~ eadline Reb. 25,1994 Unso~ici\!;i~:;:~.eitlJSCript Deadlines
The'm,e;l,"i;; '.. ",W
Outreach .andtEYangelism ·
Prid,e: itGift of the Spirit May' 25,1994
Campus :Ministries '· "Aug. 25,1994
Winter 1995 DynaIiii.~s pI a Welcoming Movement Nov. 25,1994
Sprio!}g1995 Diveisity~in Welcoming Churche~ ~~b. 25:,1995'
Th'.
Ifyou are interest~J:~?Writingfor one o£ t
p.!~e~fe send a queryretferjqr <your completed
J ~ .' . . ..... ~:;I~.!~~rtor
. Qpen Hands • 380!.,~~~t15eeler • Chicago, IL 60641
ProgramCoordinators
Mark Bowman Reconciling Congregation Program, Inc. 3801 N. Keeler Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641
312/736-5526
Ann B. Day
""."."~
... .•
~
OPEN
Open and Affirming
-D-Program
!t!!J!~
.."i.,,~
P.O. Box 403
..."..."....
Holden, MA 01520
508/ 856-9316
o Brian Knittel Reconciled in Christ Program
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510/ 841-6990
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lindsay Louise Biddle More light Churches Network
T
3538 22nd Avenue, S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612/ 724-5429
Publisher
Mark Bowman
Open Hands Editor
Mary Jo Osterman
Layout I GraphicsI Typesetting
In Print -Jan Graves Permission is granted to use the banner deSigns in this issue.
Editorial Advisory Committee
Reva Anderson, Toledo, OH Peg Beissert, Rolling Hills Est., CA Ann Marie Coleman, Chicago, IL Dan Hooper, Los Angeles, CA Derrick Kikuchi, Daly City, CA Samuel E. Loliger, Buffalo, NY Shawndra Miller, Goshen, IN Dick Poole, Oak Forest, IL Caroline Presnell, Evanston, IL Emilie Pulver, Chicago, IL Irma C . Romero, Chicago, IL Paul Santillan, Chicago, IL Martha Scott, Chicago, IL
Winter 1994
3
THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE
By Gregory R. Dell
£XPWRING the nature
ofworship
4
"Liturgy: the work of the people." Sometimes the origin of a word can provide unexpected insight. If liturgy is, as its derivation suggests, the ergos (work) of the laos (people), it ought to reflect a collaborative and corporate style in its creation as well as its practice.
What has worked well for us at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church as we have pursued that goal is a collection of interconnected programs and opportunities: weekly Bible study on the lectionary passages for the coming Sunday, seasonal liturgy planning teams, the use of liturgies which provide for spontaneous participation of the laity, and the use of lay liturgists for all worship services.
Bible Study
I began the weekly Bible study as much out of my own need as out of any desire to pursue more lofty goals. From a previous pastoral appointment I had learned the value of dialogue (multi-Iogue, really) with laity about the scriptures which would form the basis for the coming week's sermon.
Euclid has only two rules for Bible Study nights: regardless of age anyone can have dessert before dinner at the potluck which precedes the study, and all opinions are welcome. In a Bible study with our congregation's participants ranging from borderline fundamentalists to borderline Unitarians, that latter "rule" is particularly important. It gives permission for people to be who they are and to challenge each other gently and support each other firmly.
We read the scriptures and then out of the diversity of our experiences and identities reflect on what the word might be saying to us personally, relationally, and politically. As a straight, white, middle-aged, male clergyperson, I find the richness of participating in those discussions with gay men, lesbians, persons of color, young adults and senior adults, lawyers, social workers, homeless persons and homemakers, to be incredible. The twenty-five to forty participants vary from week to week, with some present every time and others from time to time. Even that dynamic adds to the richness.
I preach from who I am, but who I am is greatly expanded by those encounters on Wednesday evenings with the biblical word and the rich tapestry of God's diverse people. As for the laity who participate, they say that the experience makes them feel connected to our corporate worship, their everyday lives, and the Christian faith in ways beyond their expectations. Our times together are always punctuated by laughter, often by tears, and never without learning for all of us. More times than not our closing prayer circle is as profoundly deep in silence or words as any spiritual experience I've had.
Liturgy Teams
For each liturgical season the congregation's worship committee issues an invitation and intentionally recruits specific persons to form a team for the planning of worship services for the season. In addition to reviewing the scripture for the season and choosing a theme or themes, the team assigns responsibilities for the writing of the movements of the liturgy for each service, selection of music, and creation of banners, dances, or other special visual or experiential components. Many of the folks on the teams participate in the weekly Bible study. Some don't. Again the diversity is expanded.
During some weeks of "ordinary time" between the various seasons I still have primary responsibility for Sunday liturgies, but I think even they are enriched by the collaborative work on the seasons around them.
All of us are encouraged to let what we create reflect our unique experiences and identities while remembering that they must "work" for the diversity of the whole congregation. A neat trick. But somehow it happens.
Open Hands
Liturgists and Liturgies
A different lay liturgist helps to lead worship at each service. Children as young as five have served as liturgists. Persons with handicapping conditions, older adults, the full racial! ethnic diversity of the congregation, men, women, gay and straight are all intentionally recruited when the "volunteer" list doesn't reflect all of that diversity.
If the "work of the people" is not to be confined to those who study and plan, it must be open to the moving of the Spirit among those who "just arrived." Therefore, there is an attempt that each liturgy provide an opportunity for spontaneous participation, whether it is the offering of joys and concerns, sharing of announcements or prayer, or giving some other witness.
We've had a good time with this "liturgy" business at Euclid. 1 think we've all grown, been confronted, nurtured, and enabled. It's not perfect. At times things can be a bit ragged -but then, so are we. What is important is that we are journeying together as a people of faith attempting to do the "people's work" -to engage in our side of the human-divine relationship in worship. God's work is met by the people's work.
T
Greg01Y R. Dell is pastor oJ Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church, Oak Park, Illinois, a Reconciling Congregation. He is copresiden t oj the Tn-Vil~'
WorshipplQg in a welcoming community affirms my be·lief that God calls all varieties of people. It helps me appreciate the manyand diverse gifts. I've been particularly moved when our commitments to diversity are made explicit ~especially singiIJ,g;'songs inclusive of lesbian, gay, aQd'6,i~exual people."
Ann Marie Coleman is an Open and Affirming (UCC) representative on the Open Hands Advisory Committee.
lage
PADS Homel ess Shel ter Project , and has served as resource speaker Jor AT&T's Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Awareness programs. "To worship in a welcon"ling churc:h community is to be reborn yet again. Perhaps it is the 'exhilaration from breathing'a sigh of truth. Perhaps it is the awe in finally beJieving that you: are loved." Derrick Kikuchi is a More Li~hi (Presbyterian) representative on the 'Open Hands Advisory Committee. "Worshipping in the welcoming community touches me at the deepest level of my faithl "hope, hand love. I.. f~il :;a power and ql?eace that truly passes understanding"N!y faith is, str~flgthened by hearing God's word in a setting which meansI am incl uded too. My hope is renewed when I see the dJversity of God's people reaching out to eacn other with anembrace. BUt greatest of all, I feel the miracle of God's incl usive love is active here and now because I know this wondrous love is for me, IIjust as I am." Bob Gibelingl~ the Executive Director of Lutherans Concerned. "Worshippingin a welcoming church means sensing and knowin,g t,hl3t any~ne whos,omes to SundI3Yt.servi~e or any churcQ. activity will have e)tldence that wflare IRtention~1 in,~~r'suppqrt of all per?ons. Our talk and our walk are synchronized in regard to, affirming' the wide diversity of people ~nside and outside the church." "Worshipping in a welcor:ning community means readiryg in the §~r)day' bulletin that ieveryone is w elcome to worship and knowing that it realtydoes mean you . A lesbian recently share9 with me the joy of visiting a new church and reading a bulletin statement of welq)me that specifically included s.exual Qrientatfon. She's no;;" a member of t~~~Af()ngregation and" proudly carries a f 6PY of the bulletin with her so ' she can let others know that they too are welcome." Brenda Moulton is Coordinator Of the Association of We/coming & Affirfnir;gf?aptists, Paul Santillan is a Reconciling Congregqtion (United Method7 ist) representative on the Open Hand$Advisory Committe"f'l Winter 1994 i~ '>
5
HAM BONES, HISTORY, and LITURGY
by jon Nelson
Soon after my sister married, she
had occasion to cook for a family
gathering. She chose for her domestic debut a ham -not a canned ham, nor a pre-cooked-honey-bakedspiral-sliced ham -but an old-fashioned whole ham, hand scored and studded with cloves. My new brotherin-law was called into the kitchen and asked to find a hacksaw with which to saw through the bone and remove the last six inches of the ham. Perhaps because he had been called away from a Bear's game, he had the temerity to ask "Why?"
"That's the way it's always done. I've watched my mother do it a dozen times." Still obstinate, h~ again asked "Why?"
Exasperated, she called our mother who assured her this was indeed an integral part of cooking a whole ham, a process she had often observed her mother perform. "Why?" my sister inquired, now curious. "Ask your grandmother."
Grandma was no more helpful. It was something she had seen her mother do and had imitated her whole life. However, she would talk to Tante Ida, her older and now quite venerable sister, and see if she knew.
Indeed she did. It seems that our great-grandmother didn't have a roasting pan large enough for a whole ham and so cut off six inches or so before baking it. For more than seventy-five years my family cut the end off baked hams for no better reason than the size of my great-grandmother's roasting pan!*
I appropriate this story to make two fundamental points about the liturgy: liturgy is at the same time adaptive to contemporary need and tenaciously conservative. Each generation has incorporated facets of its culture into the received tradition while maintaining much or most of what had been added by prior generations. The essential elements of Christian worship -the word, the bath, and the meal -have been reshaped repeatedly in response to the culture in which they've been celebrated.
The Word
The earliest church read the Hebrew Scriptures and kept the service of the synagogue Virtually intact. As gentile influence grew, the writings of the "apostles" were added to the canon of scripture. The language of worship changed from Hebrew to the common Greek, but hints of what had been remain in our continuing use of the Hebrew "Amen" and "Alleluia."
For centuries after the establishment of Latin as the world language , the Gospel continued to be read in Greek and it is only in our own lifetime that the Roman church finally gave up Latin as its language of worship. (Lest we of the Protestant tradition become too smug, it is good to remember that many parishes continued services in German or Swedish long after the children of the immigrants had died!)
The tension continues in our struggle today to grow beyond our patriarchal roots by adopting inclusive language in our worship. To gauge the strength of the "conserving tradition" try changing from the KingJames translation (1611) of the Lord's Prayer used in your parish to the English of 1994! Nonetheless, the message must be understood if it is to be believed. To worship in the language of our ancestors may be historically interesting but it is hardly authentic worship of the living God.
Open Hands 6
The Bath
Participation in the community of faith required a real commitment in the early church. Candidates for baptism were enrolled in a three-year catechetical process leading to baptism at the vigil of Easter. Following the example of Jesus' baptism by John, these baptisms took place in living water, the candidate being literally "buried with Christ" (Rom. 6:4) in the depths ofbaptismal water.
The scholastic theologians of the Middle Ages were enamored with minimalism -what was the least that could be done and still have a valid sacrament. By the Fourteenth Century infusion (pouring) replaced immersion as the normal mode of baptism. The large and gracious baptismal pools of the ancient church became the small pedestal bowls with which most of us are familiar. The bath became a trickle and remains so to this day.
The Meal
During the Roman persecutions of the first two centuries of the Common Era, the church met in homes or catacombs, often around meals (see I Cor. 11). These two elements -the meal and the catacomb -shaped the church's worship: the Christian altar is both dining room table and remnant of the sarcophagus (a stone coffin).
Following the Middle Ages and the Black Death, the focus of worship turned from a celebration of the Resurrection to memorial participation in Christ's death. Altars were moved to the wall and the people -no longer a family gathered around the table and no longer actively involved -watched the priest offer a sacrifice to propitiate an angry God.
We need to take a fresh look at our worship, making sure that the things to which we cling are not the ham bones of history.
It is only recently that we are recovering the idea of worship being "the work of the whole people" (the meaning of the Greek "leitorgia") and not something to be passively observed. Even now, the church is struggling with the competition of media entertainment which attempts to continue the tradition of passive participation.
Ham Bones or Living Liturgy?
W e need to take a fresh look at our worship, making sure that the things to which we cling are not the ham bones of history. Ifour worship is again to be "the work of the whole people" it must encompass all that we are -our realities, our joys, our sorrows, our hopes, and our dreams. If worship is to be of the "whole people" it will necessarily include the lives of our lesbian, gay, and bisexual sisters and brothers. Let the whole people of God join hands in the worship of our God, who makes all things new. T
*Anecdotal story, source unknown.
Jon O. Nelson is Associate
Pastor of King of
Glory Lutheran Church
in Carmel, Indiana,
and co-chair of Lutherans
Concerned/North
America.
WHAT JEStJS"'AtTUALLV;\"P~AYED?
Father,
yournam~ be rever~d.
Impose y6urimperial rule.
Provide us with the bread
we need for the day. Forg iveou,rpebts to the ext~p~, tnat.. k!we have forgiven;l;' '
· @f', _" -;:;
those i'\':l debtto us.
From The Five ~ospels: The.Search for the Authentic·Words ofJesus by RobertW Funk and Roy W, HOfJver and the je$us Seminar. Copyright 1993 by Polebridge Press. Reprinted with
'permi$sion OY :"'I1acmillan PublishinQ;'Company. May be repri,fied for local worshipwfth this credit; aJ/ other uses must have permission of Macmillan.
PRAYE:ffoF JES'U'S
Our God, .
w ho art with us anp beyond us, hallowed bee.thy name. '
Thy New , Earth come;
t hy will~~ii,?nl1e on earth Give us ~b'f~ day our daily ,?
and forgive;usour Sin, '
as we for£jivethose who ~in against us.
And lead us not into t~mp!ation,*
but deliver us from eyil.
For thin~ is the New Eart
andtt1'e<'gJbfy forevel:%Ame
WheadoHwUnited Methodist Church (RCP), Evanston, Illinois: May be reprinted with this credit attached.
*Editor's Note: Alternate wording might be:.And ' do not per:rpit us to fall into temptation.
Winter 1994 7
By Grant S. Sperry-White
W orship possesses the power to nourish or to starve, to
wound or make whole. Because
worship has such creative and destructive
power, the issue of how to
structure worship becomes all the more
crucial for welcoming congregations
which intentionally include persons of
all sexual orientations.
The most powerful liturgical action that a reconciling congregation may perform is to celebrate the eucharist. 1 By offering the open table, reconciling congregations witness to the unbounded love of God, who invites all women and men into communion with God and with each other in Christ. The open table offers the powerful gift of inclusion in the midst of a hostile world and an exclusive, condemning Church.
Rooted in jesus, Actions
The eucharist is rooted in j esus' actions
at the last Supper and also
on other occasions of table fellowship
during his ministry. jesus frequently ate
meals with those who stood on the
margins of his society. Breaking the
bread with all persons who accept the
invitation to the table continues this tradition of jesus' own open table fellowship. To eat together at the table of the eucharist makes clear in a liturgical context that Christ breaks down the barriers which would attempt to exclude and alienate persons on the basis of sexual orientation.
Eschatological Feast and Koinonia
The invitation to table fellowship with jesus carried with it the invitation to join the great eschatological feast God would spread at the end of time (Isa. 25:6-8). Accepting a place at table withJesus meant accepting God's offer of salvation made through jesus. The open table restores a dimension of the eucharist which throughout the history of Christianity has been downplayed and even ignored: that of eucharist as an eschatological invitation to salvation, made to all who accept.
The open eucharist does more than proclaim the all-embracing love of God made visible as an invitation to feast with God. It also makes visible a koinonia, a communion in the body of Christ. That communion is with God and with other women and men in the
Wheadon United Methodist Church (RCP), Evanston, Illinois, celebrates holy communion "in the round" the first Sunday of each month. Photo: Dale Fast
Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana, celebrates theeucharist weekly. Photo: Martha Turner
new community brought to birth in the suffering, death, and resurrection of jesus. The open eucharist explicitly demonstrates to all that communion in the sense of participation in community is available to all persons. In addition, the open table affirms unity in Christ, in whom "there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female." (Gal. 3:28).
Because the eucharist proclaims that all persons can participate in the community of Christ's body, when welcoming, reconciling congregations celebrate the open table of the eucharist, they enact a prophetic sign for the rest of the church. They speak a word of truth to other Christians about what Christian community ought to be everywhere.
In this sense, the open table becomes a sign of eschatological reversal: when those invited to a feast refuse the invitation, the host scours the land for persons to enjoy it in their stead (lk. l4: 1524). That is to say, Christ himself invited all persons to eat with him; the open table reverses the churches' negation of Christ's practice.
Open Hands 8
PERSONAL TESTIMONY
Some of the m9SfwipairjfI;JI 'aha selfloathing experiences of my'lifewere times '
knelt at the commuQion rail. It wasthere ~hat I felt called to confess the sin of my esbian identity, to promisenever to have those feelings again, and to further coh;ess that I had failed to keep that prom.
se made hundreds~~~~i~~~i,\j~~fore. '
I came to kno~,;.;.int~He·ctu~lIy, that God must surely accept me ..the way God Plade me. But I did not feel this accepa'
1ce until the first time rwas served
ommunion in a Reconciling Congrega
·on. I knew the church's public st~mce.
e full realization that I was accepted alid acceptable came1when, ISqrig with e congregation-
Amazing grace howsweet the sound, That saved someone like me; once was lost, but now am found, Was bound but now I'm free! ,
is not possible tqexpr~ss in words e sense of joy and shee~.:·felief l felt at ·'"'at moment.
Anonymous
:eekly Eucharist a Gift of ope and Empowerment
or many gay and lesbian Christians, the liturgical point of exclusion has een the eucharist (see testimony above). erefore, I believe that reconciling conoregations need to celebrate the ,eucharist weekly. By so doing, we can fer men and women who feel exuded a continual sign of the healing, v:elcoming, inclusive love of God in Christ. Who knows which Sunday someone will walk into worship in need of this sign and act of inclusion? WeIoming, reconciling congregations can ransform an instrument of separation -to a vehicle for hope and renewal. The pain of exclusion felt by gay and lesbian Christians is so great that nothing less than the weekly eucharist will sufice
as a liturgical answer to the wrongs they have suffered in their experience of worship. For all members ofwelcoming congregations, the eucharist comes as the gift of Christ's empowering and strengthening presence, and as a foretaste of the love andjustice God intends for the world.
Winter 1994
One ecclesial communion,
the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community
Churches (U.F.M.C.C.), has
already come to this conclusion:
its bylaws state that every
Sunday service is to include
both word and table.2
The resources for making a ~ weekly eucharist a reality already
exist in several other
denominations. Thanks to the
several movements for liturgical
renewal since World War st. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
II the revised hymnals and celebrates communion "about 37 of 52 Sundays a year." Nadine , . b k f U . d M h Addington is the server; Joseph Wahlberg, the acolyte. Taken in serVIce 00 s o nlte et -1984. Photo: Courtesy of the church
odists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and the United Church of Christ (to name a few) are now based upon the principle of a weekly eucharist. Some of their congregations, which are welcoming gay, lesbian, and bisexual members, are in fact celebrating the eucharist frequently and even weekly. (see photos) God continually invites all persons to the feast of salvation. Opening the eucharistic table every week to all persons is one of the most powerful liturgical witnesses that reconciling congregations can make to God's inclusive offer of new life and wholeness in Christ. The open table stands as an eschatological, prophetic sign of what God intends for the church. It proclaims liturgically the unity of all Christians. It makes visible God's open invitation to a community of inclusion and hope. T
1A blieJ note about language. I reJer to the welcoming church movement oj various denorninations when I use the phrase "recol1cilil1g congregations." Some denominations reJer to the eucharist as holy communiol1.
21 am indebted to Ms. Denise Leopold Jor this inJormation.
Grant S. Speny-White, Ph.D., is Visiting Assistant Professor of Church History at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas
City, Missouri. He has served as chairperson of the Worship Cormnittee of Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana. EUCHARIST
A MEDITATION ON THE
Gathered at'tqble were the ult'imate outsiders: an itine'tarit teacher whose radical ministry of love.. and healing to society's most marginalizeg and alienateq broke all rules of refi:~j?~s "correstn!=ss~':\.:' and earned him !~..~~;t~tal enmity'of the:s;
establishment ~'ch~·rcn~~; plus 'followers who were voluntarily homeless, jobless, and separated from friends and family ~ to be with him. Knowing it to be the last meal with his faith family before politicS overtook and killed hi;m, Jesus adapted a ~ipeast ri:.~al~fRa.:{~~~lPg th'at involved the
H most sacred"'i,rrevocat:);le pledge by the ''\one leaving, of faithfulness, affection, and continued presence to those left behind, bindipg their he(3rts in the same love and foyalty, "Eat, drink,'all of you" an inclusive invitatic5n -i'this will be to you my very.pr~~~~~~,and pledge 0; fulfillment
until weG-at~... reunited." And to me it has been sacrea·nurtu·re,assu~ance · of community, anq pbysical representation of God with'me and-in me; regard-, less of station or status, It has been Christ himself sayil')g, "1 win not fOrsake yOlj;
you belong." ',,"
Copyright 1992 D}/';Lawrence A. Reh, "Alameda, California, 'Griginal/y published in More Light Update (R,resbyterian)"November 1993. Used with permission of autho~ May be reprinted for/oeal worship use only."
9
[if TIPS FOR INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
------IN WORSHIP-----Welcoming
the
Differently Abled
l. Ask people to "Stand as able." Or, invite them to "stand as able or assume other attitudes of praise."
2.
Print the above phrases in bulletins instead of "* = Stand."
3.
Make space in and among pews for wheelchairs.
4.
Say simple, repetitious responses without reading them.
S. Use rhythmic movements and instruments with repetitive songs, prayers, litany responses (clapping, swaying, simple steps).
6. Print materials in large type and on paper colors that are easily read in dim lighting.
Welcoming the Old
l. Include old* people's joys and concerns in prayers, litanies.
2.
Use positive illustrations of the process of aging in sermons.
3.
Value the experience and hardearned wisdom of the old among you.
4.
Include the old in all leadership roles in worship.
S. Don't use stories, jokes, pictures, etc. which stereotype old persons as crotchety women, dirty old men, or feeble, complaining persons. Object to those stereotypes whenever you hear them.
*Note: "old" is a word being claimed by Old Lesbians 01ganizing For Change in their work to counteract society's devalUing ojold persons.
Welcoming the Young
1.
Recognize that ignoring or excluding children and youth is another form of ageism.
2.
Edit liturgical vocabulary so children (and youth and adults) can better understand.
3.
Use liturgies written by children's or youth classes, and give them credit.
4.
Invite older children and youth to be a part of the ushering team.
S. Vary the objects used on the worship table, and display banners, some of which children and youth may have helped to create.
6.
Ask the organist to sometimes choose transitional music that children sing in Sunday School. Use music youth have selected.
7.
Plan opportunities for "legitimate" movement, such as prayer circles, taking offering to center table, or dance.
8.
Invite children and youth to serve as liturgists and rehearse with them.
Welcoming Women and Men
l. Use a variety of images and words for the Divine, including Father. Print alternate words for those who want to use them.
2.
Print alternate words for man, mankind and other words in hymns, prayers, etc. which mean "women and men."
3.
Verbally offer a substitute word which may be sung or prayed by those who wish to use them.
4.
Assign parts of liturgies, etc. to women and men in ways that do not portray stereotypical male/ female aspects.
S. Provide a balance of men and women in all leadership roles in worship.
Welcoming Lesbigays
1.
Include lesbigay and transgendered persons when listing or naming categories of people deprived of full communion with the church and full rights in society.
2.
Say and print "family of faith night" instead of "family night."
3.
Say and print "biological family or family of choice" instead of just "family."
4.
Find neutral words for the heterosexual majority who tend not to like "heterosexual" or "straight." Perhaps, "nongay"?
S. Name and highlight the gifts that lesbigay and transgendered persons bring to the faith community -in sermons, prayers, litanies, "joys and concerns," and elsewhere.
6. Question any rigidly held beliefs of who "real men" and "real women" are; open up attitudes to the range characteristics of male/femaleness.
Welcoming People of Color
l. Don't assume the white way is superior.
2.
Intentionally include stories and illustrations in sermons from other racial! cultural traditions.
3.
Make connections in sermons and liturgies between affluence and racism. Oust because more whites are more wealthy doesn't mean God has blessed them!)
4.
Include more than European white history (secular and religiOUS) -and be careful of how white European history has made all non-whites "backward," "pagan," "primitive natives," and "uncivilized tribes."
more III"
Open Hands 10
(If
tng Racism cont.) aden concepts of sin, guilt, and
\·eness in sermons and prayers ,·ond the personal and individual ·l..e level of corporate evil and corrate responsibility. roaden concepts of sin beyond the ages of "dark" and "black."
Employ cultural exegesis and Afro· rtc interpretation to the Bible, ,-,-,gnizing the "centrality of Africa
T
hiblical people." ~
rees Used to Compile These Tips
EISM:
t All May Worship by Ginny rnburgh. National Organization on "ability, Washington, DC, 1993. 56c
guide.
GEIS\l (OLD AND YOUNG):
g and Integrity" Open Hands,. Fall
992.
from a workshop by Dorothy jean FUIl1ish on Children and Worship.
ETEROSEXISM:
usive Liturgy and Preaching: Combatting Homophobia aildrie{~:ros~~ism 'J Common Worship" by Chris Glaser' t"! Breaking the Sile1iC,~: Overcoming the Fear. Produced by Frogram1genc), oj the Presbyterian ChU1:~h (U.S,,~A.!),
1985.
RACISM:
Dismantling Racism by joseph Barndt. Min neapoliS: Augsburg;' 1991
Out ojAJrica I H,gve Called My Son, " Cain Hope Felder. WAVES; june 1992.
SEXISM:
\Vords That Hurt and Words That Heal. United MethodistChurch Task force on Language GuideUnes.' New ed. Nashville: Graded Press, 1990. '
May be reprinted in entirety Jor local church use, with the list oj sources attached. See resources, p. 24, JorJuller listing.
EXPLORING WORSHIP IN YOUR CONGREGATION
Eight Activities
You might use this issue of Open Hands to eveluate your congregation'S worship, especially in light of being a welcoming congregation, or working toward it. Here are eight activites you might use with a worship committee or adult class. Combine or reorder them to fit your local church needs. May be copied for local church use.
The Nature ofWorship
Activity 1: Have someone present the basic elements and order of worship. Qames White's books, p. 24, might be a resource.)
Activity 2: Look at your congregation's "order ofworship" and "why we've done it the way we do" -look for "ham bones" in your worship! (See p. 6.)
Activity 3: Explore Sperry-White's suggestion (p. 8) that the eucharist or holy communion should occur weekly in a welcoming community. What do you think? Why?
Activity 4: What is the "content" of our worship? Discuss the suggestion that our worship "work" should include repenting, healing, reconciling, affirming, and committing/recommitting elements. Do you agree? What else should be included?
Liturgy as the Work of the People
Activity 5: Read and discuss Gregory Dell's article (p. 4). What parts of his model does your congregation do? Explore other ways your congregation might "do the work of the people." Suggest a plan to your worship committee and pastor.
Inclusivity and Diversity in Worship
Activity 6: Invite a diverse panel of people to share their experiences and needs in worship (at least one for each of the "tips" sections in the article. After panel members speak, open the floor for questions. End with small groups reflecting on what was heard.
Activity 7: Do an analysis of your congregation's worship, by using the article on "Tips for lnclusivity and Diversity in worship." Process: hang up three large newsprints with the headings:
We Do This All The Time
We Do This OccaSionally
We Rarely or Never Do This.
Hand out copies of the article on Tips. Ask people to sort the "tips" from the article into these three categories. Add other tips. Discuss the lists and formulate suggestions for your worship committee.
Activity 8: Discuss the banner on the cover of this issue. Who is the person? What does this banner say to you about celebrating the inclusive God? ~ Q
<::>4
Winter 1994 11
REPENTING
ofour
alienating actions
A LITURGY OF REPENTANCE
Call to Awareness
Feel the blows .. .
See the barriers ...
Hear the insults ...
Touch the wounds ...
Taste the tears ...
Live the isolation .. .
Prayer of Repentance
Long-suffering God We
hear the pain of exclusion
and confess that we cause it
by our own fears of differences.
We feel the raw wounds of discrimination
and confess that we vote for it
by ballot and by silence.
We see the blows of intolerance
and confess that we cross the road
and hurry on our busy way.
We taste the bitterness of thwarted dreams
and confess that we support the institutions
that deny and destroy so many.
Our eyes are barely open But our hearts begin to feel the pain We humbly repent.
Words of Forgiveness
You are forgiven .. .
(Let pre-selected voices from the congregation begin slowly, softly chanting this phrase over and over; let the whole congregation join in, building the volume, then fading away.)
Benediction
You are forgiven!
Go forth now
and reconcile!
Amen. So be it.
Created by MaryJo Osterman. Replinted with permissionJrom Beyond Heterosexism. May be reprintedJar local worship use with this credit attached. Other uses, contact AlterVisions, Box 2374, Boulder, CO 80306.
Winter 1994 12
T'HE R·EPROAeHES*
Is it nothing to you, all who pass by?
Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow
which was brought upon me.
(Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison.*
o my people, 0 my church,
\Vhat have I done to you,
or in what have I offended you?
Testify against me.
I led you forth from the land of Egypt
but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.
(Sing) Christe, Christe, eleison*
I led you through the desert forty years,
and fed you with manna:
I brought you through tribulation and penitence,
and gave you my body, the bread of heaven,
but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.
(Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison
.. What more could I have done for you that I have not done? I planted you, my chosen and fairest vineyard, I made you the branches of my vine; but when I was thirsty, you gave me vinegar to drink and pierced with a spear the side of your Savior.
-Ie: (Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison.
er. I went before you in a pillar of cloud, and you have led me to the judgment hall of Pilate. I scourged your enemies and brought you to a land
of freedom, but you have scourged, mocked, and beaten me. I gave you the water of salvation from the rock, but you have given me gall and left me to thirst.
pie: (Sing) Christe, Christe, eIeison.
·elder: I gave you a royal scepter, and bestowed the keys
to the kingdom, but you have given me a crown of thorns. I raised you on high with great power, but you have hanged me on the cross.
eople: (Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison
Winter 1994
Leader: My peace I gave, which the world cannot give, and washed your feet as a sign of my love, but you draw the sword to strike in my name and seek high places in my kingdom. I offered you my body and blood, but you scatter and deny and abandon me.
People: (Sing) Christe, Christe, eIeison.
Leader: I sent the Spirit of truth to guide you, and you close your hearts to the Counselor. I~pray that all may be one in the Father and me, but you continue to quarrel and divide. I call you to go and bring forth fruit, but you cast lots for my clothing.
People: (Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison.
Leader: I grafted you into the tree of my chosen Israel, and you tur ned on them with persecution and mass
murder. I made you joint heirs with them of my covenants, but you made them scapegoats for your own guilt.
People: (Sing) Christe, Christe, eleison.
Leader: I came to you as the least of your brothers and sisters; I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.
People: (Sing) Kyrie, Kyrie, eIeison.
*"The Reproaches" are ancient in origin, originally sung as a liturgical chant. "Kyrie eidson" is ancient Greek, meaning "Lord, have mercy. " "Christe eidson" is alternate wording, meaning "Christ, have mercy. " Tune: Taize Kyrie.
From a Good Friday Service, Wallingford United Methodist Church (Rep), Seattle, Washington . Used with permission. May be reprinted Jor local worship with this credit attached.
13
A LITURGY OF
HEALING
each other's
wounds
COMFORT AND HEALING
Call to Awareness
Leader: Gather close -join the open, healing circle
North:
We ,come to this safe space away from an angry world which persists in devaluing and persecuting those who are lesbian, bisexual, or gay.
South:
We retreat from a world which ridicules and dismisses those who are
families, frie nds, and allies.
All:
We join this circle in solidarity, naming our pain, seeking and offering comfort and healing.
Created by MQ/y Jo Osterman, AlterVisions, Box 2374, Boulder, CO 80306. Used with permission. May be reprinted Jar local wors hip with this credit attached.
Psalm 73 Interpreted
Surely God is good to gays and lesbians,
To those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling;
My steps had almost slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogance of those who strike against us.
For they feel no pain and they continue to prosper.
They suffer no ills and are never the target of bigotry.
Therefore they wear a necklace of pride;
And a garment of violence covers them.
The imaginations of their hearts run amok.
They mock and freely oppress.
They speak with self righteousness.
They set their mouths against God's invitation to all
And their tongues parade through the earth.
Therefore, even as we gather together in peace,
And find a place to be spiritually nourished,
I still find myself asking "Does God know? How is this part of God's plan?"
For look .. . those who hate us have increased in power and wealth.
Surely I have kept my heart pure in vain,
And restrained my anger for nothing.
for I am beaten every day and scorned every morning.
But even as I say "I should lash out against my oppressors"
I am troubled as I contemplate this.
Until I finally enter the sanctuary of God.
For there, I am able to perceive the truth.
Surely my oppressors are on slippery ground
And they set themselves up for their own destruction.
How quickly they can be brought down.
They are utterly swept away by their own perceived terrors.
Like a dream when one awakes, your truth reduces their power to nothing.
When I was of bitter and of pierced heart,
1 was unable to feel or think.
1 struck out like an animal.
Even then, you were with me.
You have taken my hand and gUided me in your wisdom.
You receive me in your love.
14
Open Hands
ou define heaven and all that is good on earth.
may physically weaken and become disheartened,
God is my constant source of strength.
old, those far from God will perish
--nd those without faith will be destroyed. r me, I need to concentrate on being close to God, . d making God my refuge, .d tell all about God's works.
Interpretation by Derrick Kikuchi who serves on theOpen Hands AdVisory Committee and is a member oj First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, California. Used with permission. May be reprintedJor local worship with this credit attached. s .Beatitudes several oj Alice Walker's "Helped are . . . " statements "The Gospel According to Shug," in The Temple ofMy miliar as a responsive litany, with the first half of each ·ement being read by the liturgist and the second half ·he people. These are on pages 287-289. See espe__;" the stranger (#8); the content (#9); the lesbian .. . -22\ and the broken/whole (#23).
Contact the publisher Jor permiSSion to plint the statements themselves: Copyrights and Permissions Dept., Harcourt BraceJovanovich, Orlando, FL 32887. Idea came Jrom St. John's UMC, Baltimore, MD. 'S Of the People
~ ; me: Holy God, lover of the world, this is a prayer for comfort.
e !'.iany: We bring to you our troubled hearts and our angry world. We put them at your breast. Pause Jor silent/spoken prayers, then sing
Comfort and Healing
~\laryJo Ostennan French Carol Melody
'1/ZO'JJ D l dJJ IJJ I
~ Com-fort and heal-ing are of -ferred;
!l' J J F J IJ J_____ J I v II
Peace be un -to you, my friends.
~he One: Jesus at the well, this is a prayer for healing.
TheMany: We bring you our dehydrated emotions and brittle bodies. We put ourselves on the edge and wait to be lowered. PauseJor prayers, Jollowed by song above.
TheOne: Jesus on the cross, this is a prayer of courage.
TheMany: We bring you our losses and rejections. We stammer out words of forgiveness to our persecutors. Pause Jor prayers, Jollowed by song above.
inter 1994
The One: 0 God of the winds, this is a prayer for Spirit.
The Many: We bring you our stillness. We await your
movement and your healing touch.
Silent Waiting
The One: In the name of Christ who is transforming the world, we pray,
All: Amen.
AdaptedJrom "Prayers oj the People" by Howard Warren, Director oj Pastoral Care,The Damien Center, Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally writtenJor a PLGC worship service at the 205th General Assembly oj the PCUSA, Orlando, FlO1ida,June, 1993. Used with permission. May be reprinted Jor local worship with this credit attached.
Ritual of Healing
Persons may come Jorward to be anointed with oil
and to pray.
Hymns:
"Beyond Our Healing" Susan R. Beehler and Kathy Black. See Open Hands, Fall 1986, p. 23.
"Be Not Afraid" Bob Dufford, SJ.Order from Earthen
Vessels songbook. North American Liturgy
Resources, Phoenix, AZ.
We Give You Thanks, 0 God
German Folk Round
ij ttohn S. Rice
!h Fir r r r I r'
1. We give you thanks, 0 God,
1,.\ j I J J J, j I j J I
2. We are your new cre -a -tion.
1$·\) ifl J J :fjJ IJ JJII
3. May our lives show others your grace & love.
Written by John S. Rice, Executive Director oj WorshipWorks, Inc. Used with permission. For permission to replint, contact him at WorshipWorks, 10619 Alameda Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932.
Benediction
Loving God, move us from tragedy to blessing.
Strong Jesus, move us from fear to trust.
Guiding Spirit, move us from despair to hope,
And let your love surround us and fill us with peace.
Amen.
Written by Larry]. Peacock, publisher oj Water Words, (Winter, 1992). Copyright 1993 by Communication Resources, 4150 Belden Village Street, 4th Fl., Canton, OH 44718; to be published in SourceBook of Worship Resources (tentative title); available mid-1994. Used with permission. To use, contact Communication Resources.
15
A LITURGY OF
RECONCI LIATION
Call to Celebrate
l:
We are called together to celebrate our faith, to worship our covenant God, and to renew our lives!
P:
God's love, embodied inJesus Christ, reconciles us and sustains us.
l:
The voices of God's love call out to us:
P:
"Let the children come!" "Let you who are without sin cast the first stone." "All are welcome at my table." "This is my body broken for you."
l:
We are challenged to respond to God's amazing love:
P:
With passion and compassion for all God's children, persons of all kinds, of all colors, of all ages, and of all sexual orientations.
l:
We are called, and, as a Reconciling Congregation, we are committed to making a home for all people.
P:
Watering the roots of justice, sheltering the seeds of peace welcoming the exile, the stranger, honoring one and all.
l:
Enter our circle of faith, God,
P:
And make our joy complete.
Written by Irving Park United Methodist Church, Chicago, Illinois. Used with permission. May be reprinted Jor local worship with this credit attached.
Song of Reconciliation
Sung to: In Christ There is No East or West
In Christ no one is cast aside
Not straight or lesbigay;
We form communities of love:
No separate "we" and "they."
Join hands, all people of the faith,
One open circle be,
Our Christ included all who came
In love, and so will we.
Tunes: St. Peter or AJro-American spiritual adapted and harmonized by Harry
T. Burleigh, 1939. See The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 548.
Words: Caroline Presnell, who serves on the Open Hands AdVisory Comrnittee and is a member oj Wheadon United Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois.
RECONCILING
Words may be reprinted Jor worship use with this Jull credit attached.
with all those different from us
16
Open Hands
cnon I:
a Non-European Perspective
udre Lorde
:hen we view living in the european mode only as a em to be solved, we rely solely upon our ideas to e us free, for these were what the white fathers told us
'""e precious.
t as we come more into touch with our own ancient, -european consciousness of living as a situation to be nenced and interacted with, we learn more and more .. erish our feelings, and to respect those hidden sources power from where true knowledge and, therefore,
ac tion comes.
Copylight 1984 by Audre Lorde. Excerpted Jrom "Poetry is Not a Luxury" in Sister Outsider. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984. Used with permission. Any Jurther reprint must have Crossing Press permisSion: PO Box 1048, Freedom, CA 95019. 408/722-0711.
"l1g our Brokenness 'smg the Tongsung Kido style oj congregational prayer, the Korean tradition, let each one oJJer up aloud their ~'-s Jor the brokenness oj our world. Let our prayers be up together, our voices mingled and intertwined. The ic will call us to conclude this time oj prayer.]
From the worship service, "Borne on the Breath oj God: Remembering, " created Jor the Third National Reconciling Congregation Convocation, July 1993, by Odette Lockwood-Stewart, Wesley Foundation at the University oj California, Los Angeles, California, and Perry Wiggins, United University Church, Los Angeles. Used with permission oj RCP. er for Decision-Making Time
st Holy God,
present with us today as we examine the question of becoming a Reconciling Congregation.
e take pride in being an open and affirming church, welcoming all who come into our midst seeking you. We welcome them in your name.
d yet, becoming a Reconciling Congregation means we openly welcome into this church persons of faith who are gay men and lesbians.
me of us are uncomfortable with that.
ow do we deal with those feelings, God?
'ill you help us to see people as they really are, and
not as we may want them to be?
Help us find a place in our hearts for our sons and daughters who are gay men and lesbians -for couples in our midst who dare not name their love.
Let us be open with each other today . . . express our fears . .. ask questions . . . seek answers ... hear those who are hurting.
Guide each of our speakers and leaders on this day, we pray.
Be with those sponsoring this event.
Guide our minds and hearts as we dare to face an issue that may divide us, but may -surprisingly draw us closer together.
May your spirit guide us in all we say and do today.
Amen.
Wlitten by Marianna Mihills, Chair oj the Reconciling Congregation Task Force oj Walnut Creek United Methodist Church, Martinez, California. Adapted with permission. May be replinted Jor local worship with this Jull credit attached.
Reflection II: . Underground Christians By Malcolm Boyd
Burnt-out people
play with fire again
light candles in darkness
moral minority emerges
integrates diversity
feminine, masculine
hetero, gay, lesbian
black, white
Latino, Anglo
European, Asian, African
new breed
sophisticated beyond belief
innocent as lambs
tough survivors, tender lovers
God isn't Lionel Barrymore anymore
glimmer of deity
along lines of
Dorothy Day, Barbara Jordan
Eleanor Roosevelt, Georgia Q'Keeffe
Endless procession
chanting, robed
women and men
(a place for me)
here, tiny seashell
on floor of mighty sea
there, small streak of color
in blazing sunset
Copylight 1991 by Malcolm Boyd and Nancy L. Wilson. Amazing Grace: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Faith. Freedom, CA: Th e Crossing Press, 1991 . May be reprinted Jor local worship services with this Jull permission attached. All other uses require permission oj Crossing Press, PO Box 1048, Freedom, CA 95019. 408/722-0711 .
,.'inter 1994
17
--
- -
• •
• • - -
OPEN HANDS, OPEN HEARTS
G, Jean Anderson Barbara Neighbors Deal Plano arr, Tom Simon
C G7 CM7 F Om G1 1 F/C C7
C (FIG) C
1\ I
"
u
~ -• -e-.'.
.'.
Open hands,_ 0-pen hearts,_ In the love_ Christ im-parts_ We are one. With-out fear,_
I'!. I
.,
IJ r.. -
e----~
..,...:ti
~JJ
~/~ ~~
~
• "'-:J-..:;).
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u
-:J.. -----.--;).. ---7J ~ ;). -\wi '-1 -:J.. --~.
)
G CM7 C7 F Om C Am7 Om G7 C G11 C Fine -e-We are here_ to re-con-cile, __ Give a we~come and a smile,We are one. Fine
FM7 Em7 Am F G Am FM7 Em7 Am F C/E
,....
1\ I I ....... I ... I I.. I ... I I ~ ... I I I
_ .rl
~4
r I --I I
~ With the wo-man at_ the well, _ _ We sing it out: "Em-man-u-el!" Cal-e-brate each daug~ter and son!_ All at-firm-ing, Let us raise up praise_and laud, _ _ 0 chil-dren of a Iov-ing God. Cal-e-brate each wo-man and man,_ Hope of glo-ry,
1\ I I ~I ~ ~ I ... J ..., I ... I I I I l""--! .-.-. I I I
OJ
.... .
"
-
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Dm7 C D 07 G7 G C F Em C/G G11 C 1\ I I ~ I D. c. a/ Fine
\: J
-
r I I 0
~ I -e--
il'" .[.
now we say To all who tra-vel on The Way,-Lift up your voice in _ this new day! We are one.
all as one, The rule of God on earth be-gun;_ Lift up your voice, God's_ will be done! We are one.
I'!. I I ~ I ~, I I D.C. a/Fine
-
"
...r h • .rl
.rl
r " Ti
r. I' ~
-e---r
.., -'<'D-r
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r,-rUt'
-(f -(f
~
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-
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u .0-:;
J.
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Copyright © 1993, AmaDeus Group.
Used with permission. May be reprinted in worship bulletin with this paragraph attached. For multiple
copies, choral arrangement, or forthcoming tape of this and other songs, contact AmaDeus:509/529-6808.
Open Hands 18
I
A Children's Sermon:
How Weird 0 and Freak 0 Became Recondled
By Elton Brown
: three large (4"x12") name tags, with yarn or string -to md the necks of the three actors: Weird 0; Freak 0; and
or: Even though God wants us, the Human Race, to be one big happy family; lots of us don't get along. For example, take the case of Weird 0 and Freak o.
[They appear at opposite ends of the stage and
take bows.}
They had been mad at each other for so long, they couldn't even remember why they were mad! They just knew that they didn't care for each other ...
0 : That guy's a weird-oJ
0 : He should talk! He's a genuine freak-oJ
r: If they never had to see each other, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad; but they kept bumping into each other, because -you see -they lived in the same world. They really had to go out of their way in order to avoid each other ...
[As they cross over, Weird 0 jumps the altar
rail, and passes behind the pulpit.}
tor: One day; Weird 0 metJeez o.
Ueez 0 pops up out of choir loft.}
0:
Jeez-o-mighty!
That's my name; reconciling's my game.
0:
Recon-what? -ing?
You know, reconciling. I'm into healing: healing broken friendships. Healing relationships.
0:
Hey; if you're here about that Freak 0, you can just forget it! He's no friend or relation of mine!
_ 0: That's where you're wrong. You see, you guys are brothers! You've got the very same heavenly parent! And that parent (who is also my parent) wants like anything for you guys to get along ...
rd 0: But he's such a freak!
-0: Aren't we all! Fact is, you're just as freaky as him, only in a different way; and he's just as
L:1ter 1994
weird as you, only in a different way. You've
got a lot in common! Besides, your heavenly
parent isn't gonna back off on this!
There's nothing more important to God
than reconciliation.
Weird 0: I'll think it over. Catch you later . ..
[Weird 0 and Freak 0 cross stage again, only
this time Weird 0 aCcidentally-an-purpose
bumps (while turned backwards) into Freak
o.}
Both: Hey; watch it, you weird/freak-oJ
Weird 0: Yeah, I don't like you much either! But you know what? I don't like not liking you!
Freak 0: Whaddya mean?
Weird 0: Being enemies is such a lot of work! I mean, I get all worn out trying to avoid you!
Freak 0: Yeah, I know what you mean. It's kind of a drag. But what are you gonna do? You're such a weird-o.
Weird 0: I know. I'm just as odd as you are. That's one of the things we have in common.
Freak 0: Hey man, where are you getting these weird ideas? Been hittin' the juice?
[The two start walking up the aisle together during this fi nal dialogue.}
Weird 0: Nope. I ran into a righteous dude named Jeez-o-mighty. He said we were relatives, brothers! He said we have the same last name -O!
Freak 0: Either your friend Jeez 0 is a Certified Wack-o, or maybe he's on to something ...
Weird 0: What do you say we have us a Summit Meeting, to talk about deciding to stop not liking each other?
Freak 0: I'm willing to talk. Life around here would sure be easier if we could get along! Besides, I'd just as soon not have thatJeez.;.oMighty fella on my case.
Created by Elton Brown while he was pastor oj Prospect Park United Methodist Church (Rep) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (He is now at University United Methodist, 301 W St. Marie, Duluth, MN 55403). May be reprinted and pelJormed without permission.
19
AFFIRMING and celebrating our sacredness
20
A LITURGY OF AFFIRMATION
Celebrate the Covenant
of the One
who weaves our lives together;
ours with each other;
ours with yours,
all of ours with God.
From the Service oJDiane Darling and Elaine Kirkland, printed in Blessing Ceremonies: Resources For Same-Gender Services of Commitment. A Resource oj the Open and AJJirming Program oj the United Church Coalition Jor Lesbian/Gay Concerns, 1993. See Resources list. Used with permission.
Psalm 30:4, 11-12 Interpreted
Sing praises to the Divine One, sing with me
all you faithful ones;
and give thanks to the divine holy name
For you, 0 Divine One, have turned my mourning
into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so that I-who-am-all-that-I-am may praise you
and not be silent.
o Divine One, I will dance
my thanks to you forever.
Written by Mary Jo Osterman, AlterVisions. Box 2374, Boulder, CO 80306. Used with permission. May be reprinted Jor local worship with this credit.
Reflection I:
Welcomed with Open Arms
By Ann B. Day My partner, Donna, and I recently transferred our membership to an "Open and Affirming" congregation -United Congregational Church in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is one of more than sixty UCC churches that have publicly said what sorely needs saying, "Gay and lesbian and bisexual people are welcome here." On the Sunday we joined, we stood at the front of the sanctuary with another lesbian couple; one woman holding their two-year-old son who was to be baptized. Although Donna and I had been a couple for ten years, this was the first time we had ever acknowledged our relationship in the context of our own local congregation. As the litany for new members began, I fleetingly imagined someone rising to object. No one did. The pastors and deacons greeted us. The service continued. (The walls were still standing!) Back in my pew, I looked over at the cobalt blue glow to my right. There at the top of a soaring stained glass window was the figure of Christ, his arms wide open. I think he was smiling. God knows -I was.
*Excerpted Jrom "Wednesday: Face to Jace with the unwelcomed" in Common Lot, Winter 1992. Published by The Coordinating CenterJor Women in Church and Society, The United Church oj Christ: 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. Used with permission.
Ann B. Day , an ordained UCC minister, is National DNA Program Coordinator oj the United Church Coalition Jor Lesbian/Gay Concerns.
Open Hands
flection II:
dian Tapestry /Tejido Tipico
.' Julia Esquivel Yhen I go up to the HOUSE OF THE OLD WEAVER, watch in admiration t what comes forth from her mind: a thousand designs being created and not a single model from which to copy e marvelous cloth th which she will dress e companion of the True and Faithful One.
Cuando subo ala CASA DE LA VIEjA TEjEDORA,
admiracion contemplo
,ie surge de su mente:
disenos en formacion
ni un solo modelo para copiar
wravilloso tejido
que vestira a la
Ipanera del Fiel Y Verdadero.
Excerpted from "Indian Tapestry" ("Tejido Tipico") by Julia Esquivel in Threatened with Resurrection. Elgin, IL: The Brethren Press, 1982. Used with permission. Contact publisherfor permission to reprint.
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A Litany ofAffirmation
We believe in a sacred power within and around us -a divine spirit that we call by many names and experience in many ways -that empowers and heals -that calls us forth ...
We believe in our creativity. Making and transforming beauty out of words and notes, images and colors, lines and pictures -and silence.
We believe in doing justice. Justice that compels and empowers us to risk whatever we must risk to create a climate in which all people can be who they are.
We believe in our dreams. We experience the world as it is -in both its ugliness and beauty -and we see what it can become.
We believe in making peace. A peace that is based on openness, honesty, and compassion.
We believe in hope. We expect changes to continue to occur in our world. We rely on our courage to continue to bring about these changes.
We believe in love. A passionate love within and around us that laughs and cries -challenges and comforts -a healing love that perseveres.
We believe in our potential. We know who we are -painful as that can be at times yet we continue to call each other to become more of who we are.
We believe in celebrating. We remember and we commemorate. We create rituals. We play and dance and sing and love well.
We believe in our diversity. We affirm our many shapes and sizes -colors and traditions -emotions and thoughts -differences and similarities.
We believe in life.
Life that wells up within and flows out of us
like a streaming fountain .
We believe that we are good and holy a sacred part of all creation.
Written by Susan Kramerfor an Inte1Jaith Pride Service in Albany, New York, in 1991 . Published in More Light Update, June-July 1992. Used with permission. May be reprinted for local worship with this credit attached .
Sending Forth
And now may the Wildly Inclusive God-
Creator, Savior, Spirit -who loves all aspects of the
beautifully created rainbow of human sexual orientation,
uphold us and keep us until we meet again.
Created by Howard Warren, Director ofPastoral Care, The Damien Cente1~ Indianapolis, Indiana. Published in More Light Update, June-July 1992. Used with permission. May be replinted for local worship with this credit attached.
21
A LITURGY OF COMMITMENT
Invitation to Commitment
Today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully.
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow.
I will give you no hiding place down here.
Excerpted Jrom poem, "On the Pulse of Morning." Copyright 1993 by Maya Angelou. Published by Random House, 1993. Used with permission. To reprintJor any reason, contact Random House 212/751-2600. Allow 4-6 weeks.
Reflection: The Pulse of our New Day: Fadng Destiny By Lynn Mickelson
I've been reflecting a great deal lately on the words of Maya Angelou's inaugural poem: On the Pulse oj Morning. Her words stirred my soul and fired my heart, like they did many others. I heard in Angelou's message the voice of the Spirit calling us to our best selves and the fullest community. Her images were ancient and universal -not bound to one religious understanding or another. Yet, as a Christian, I found that her images resonated with my memory of bible stories and snippets of scripture.
So I've been thinking lately about what those words mean for me -as a woman, as a lesbian, as a Lutheran. I've also been wondering what those words mean for Lutherans Concerned/ North America -and for the ecumenical welcoming church movement.
It is tempting for us as individuals and as an organization to hide in the shadows and to avoid facing our destiny. In fact, many of us may have a hard time believing we even have a destiny. Yet, we also know from experience that our most joy-filled abundant experiences have come when we have stepped out of the shadows and on to the strong back of the Rock. We know that there we stand on solid ground.
As we stand on the pulse of our new day ... will we remain on the Rock or try to retreat into the shadows?
Marching in our local pride parade is one opportunity for us to step into the sunshine together -lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual. Attending our denomination's national conference or assembly is another. Pledging support to expand the ministry of our denomination's welcoming program (be it Reconciling Congregations, Reconciled In Christ, More Light, Open and Affirming, or another) is a third way. Finally, participation -writing letters, doing educational forums, attending our welcoming program functions, speaking out, attending other justice programs -is a way for all of us to stand on the Rock and let the sun shine full in our faces. We are called to action; not to wait. We can and must take our own power; our destiny is in our own hands.
The Rock cries out to us today, you may stand upon me,
But do not hide your Jace. *
Open Hands
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22
*Excerpted from "On the Pulse ofMorning. " Copyright by Maya Angelou. Published by Random House, 1993. Used with permission. To reprint for any reason, contact Random House. 212/751-2600. Allow 4-6 weeks.
Reflection written by Lynn Mickelson, Co-Chair of Lutherans Concerned/NA; originally published in Concord; adapted for use here. Used with permisSion. May be reprinted (without the Angelou poem lines) for local worship use with full credit attached. of Commitment
.e: Come, climb upon the Rock
any Yes, we accept the invitation
The Rock is where we want to stand.
e: Come, face your destiny
•..any: Yes, we accept the invitation We will not hide our faces.
Wri tten by Mary Jo Osterman, AlterVisions, Box 2374, Boulder, CO 80306. Used with permission. May be reprinted for local worship use with this credit attached .
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Ritual of Commitment
At the point of commitment in the service, ask persons to write their own personal statements of commitment or recommitment on the slip of paper (handed to them now or with their bulletins earlier). Persons are then invited to wad up their slip and come forward to place their commitment slip into "rattlers" provided at the front. (Rattlers can be made from just about anything that makes noise: empty margarine tubs, tin cans with tape across the opening, metal bandaid boxes, pill boxes etc. Put a few beans and rice inside to increase the auditory sensation).
After persons have their "rattlers," gather in a circle around the edge of the sanctuary and sing and make a joyful noise to God as a symbol of our efforts to "shake up the church." Possible songs to use are listed below.
Adapted from a worship service, "In the Name of God, ConSpirator, Rattler, Lover!" for Trinity Sunday, June 6, 1993, led by Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC) during the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Orlando, Florida. Created by Lindsay Louise Biddle (a member of PLGC and the More Light Churches Network) and Lisa Larges (a candidate to the Ministry under care of the Twin Cities Area Presbytery who was denied certification because she came out as a lesbian in 1991). Blind herself, Lisa enables others "to see" worship and communication differently. The idea ofthe rattlers came from her.
Hymns of Commitment
"Borne on the Breath of God" Words: Odette LockwoodStewart; Music: Thomas Atkin. 1993. Order from RCP, 3801 N. Keeler, Chicago, IL 60641.
"A New World Tomorrow" Julian B. Rush. 1975. Order from PO Box 18529, Denver, CO 80218.
"Vision for Tomorrow, Action for Today" Tom Hunter. 1980. Order from Song Growing Company, 1225 E. Sunset Drive #518, Bellingham, WA 98226 .
.
SendIng Forth
And now may the One who is our Rock
be with us as we journey forth to face our destiny;
May the Rock be our firm foundation
as we stand up, speak out, and seek God's justice for all.
Wlitten by MaryJo Osterman, AlterVisions, Box 2374, Boulder, CO 80306. Used with permission. May be reprinted for local worship use with this credit attached.
\Vinter 1994 23
THE NATURE OF WORSHIP
These resources were recommended by our writers in the "Exploring
the Nature oj Worship" section.
Cardenal, Ernesto, tr. by Donald D. Walsh. The Gospel in Solentiname. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1976. A model of working with base communities in Nicaraguarooted in a Bible study approach involving lay people.
Costen, Melva Wilson. African American Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. A lively history and theology.
Crockett, William R. Eucharist: Symbol of Transformation. New York: Pueblo, 1989.
Driver, Tom F. The Magic of Ritual: Our Need for Liberating Rites That Transform Our Lives and Our Communities. San Francisco: Harper, 1991.
Felder, Cain Hope, ed. Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991. This collection offers new questions for biblical study and new ways to question.
Kiefert, Patrick R. Welcoming the Stranger: A Public Theology of Worship and Evangelism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992.
Senn, Frank C . Christian Worship and Its Cultural Setting. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.
Thistlethwaite, Susan, and Engel, Mary Potter, eds. Lift Every Voice: Constructing Christian Theologies from the Underside. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1990.
White, James F. Sacraments as God's Self Giving. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1983. See particularly ch. 1, "The Humanity of the Sacraments"; ch. 3, "The Gift of Eucharist"; and ch. 5, "Sacraments and Justice."
White, James F. Introduction to Christian Worship. Rev. ed. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990. A solid introduction, exploring the elements of worship.
WORSHIP RESOURCES: BOOKS
The Jollowing resources oJJer actual liturgies, ceremonies, and other materials Jor creating liturgies.
Butler, Becky, ed. Ceremonies of the Heart: Celebrating Lesbian Unions. Seattle: The Seal Press, 1990.
Cherry, Kittredge and Zalmon, Sherwood, eds. Equal Rites: Lesbian and Gay Worship, Ceremonies and Celebrations. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, forthcoming.
Duck, Ruth C. and Tirabasse, Maren C. Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship. New York: Pilgrim Press, 1990.
Gay and Lesbian Worship Services. A resource from the Office of Lesbian &: Gay Concerns, Unitarian Universalist Association, 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108. Also, a supplement, Same-Gender Se rvices of Union .
Glaser, Chris. Come Home! Reclaiming Spirituality and Community as Gay Men and Lesbians. San Francisco: Harper &: Row, 1990.
Glaser, Chris. Coming Out to God: Prayers fo r Lesbians and Gay Men, Their Families and Friends. Louisville, KY: Westminster/ John Knox Press, 1991.
Larson, Jim. Heartsongs. Columbia, MD: Center for Renewal. 11201-1 Peartree Way, Columbia, MD 21044. Collected Prayers.
Mitchell, Rosemary Catalano, and Ricciuti, Gail Anderson. Birthings and Blessings -Liberating Worship Services for the Inclusive Church. New York: Crossroad, 1991. Also Birthings and Blessings II: More Liberating Worship Services for the Inclusive Church, 1993.
Neu, Diann. Women-Church Celebrations: Feminist Liturgies for the Lenten Season. WATERworks Press, 8035 13th Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Neu, Diann and Mary Hunt. Women of Fire: A Pentecost Event. WATERworks Press. Address above. Includes a liturgy "which reclaims the center festive processions."
Order for the Covenanting of a Relationship. Boston: Church of St. John the Evangelist, 35 Bowdoin St., Boston, MA 02114.
Peacock, Larry. Rituals for Our Times: Celebrating, Healing and Changing Our Life and Relationships. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1992.
RCP. Borne on the Breath of God. Program Book of the third National Convocation of Reconciling Congregations, July, 1993. 3801 N. Keeler Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641. See especially pp. 10-73 and 76-77 for worship and Bible study materials.
Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Women-Church: Theology and Practice ofFeminist Liturgical Communities. San Francisco: Harper &: Row, Publishers, 1985.
SourceBook of Worship Resources (tentative title). Communication Resources, 4150 Belden Village Street, 4th Floor, Canton, OH 44718. Available mid-1994. Will contain liturgical resources from Larry Peacock's first four volumes of Water Words.
24
Open Hands
~arilyn. Cries of the Spirit: A Celebration of Women's lrituality. Boston: Beacon Press, 1991. An anthology of ngs by poets, theologians, writers, and activists.
Elizabeth. Daring to Speak Love's Name: A Gay and ian Prayer Book. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1992.
Church of Christ, Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns. ing Ceremonies: Resources for Same-Gender Services of
Commitment. July, 1993.
IP RESOURCES: PERIODICALS res you may subscribe to for creative liturgies. now! Published bi-monthly by The Upper Room. Subscrip. $8.95. Box 851, Nashville, TN 37202-9890. See espeally "Spirituality for AIDS Ministries," January/February
93, entire issue.
d Heterosexism. Written by Mary Jo Osterman. Published ·~onthly by AlterVisions. Subscription, $18. Box 2374, Boulr.
CO 80306. Includes liturgies based on inclusive language tionary and seasons of the Christian year. Also children's !l1on ideas.
oumal. Communication Ministry, Inc.(CMI), Box 60l25, ago, IL 60660-0125. Published annually. Themes focused kthe integration of personal sexuality, spirituality and Istry for lesbian and gay religious and clergy." Includes
eay, art, and articles.
IOn Lot. A quarterly resource published by the CoordinatCenter for Women in Church and Society. Subscription, individual; $60 group. The United Church of Christ, 700 spect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. Includes liturgies, usive materials, stories connecting issues of justice.
·~·;A -A Daily Devotional for Activists. Written and comd by Donna Schaper (UCC). Published quarterly, 60 pp. scription, $20. 165 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002.
Light Prayers. (annual January issue of More Light Up:e.) Prayers gathered from persons supportive of lesbian, " and bisexual concerns for the season of Epiphany (could
used at other times as well). See also "Illuminations," the .. e-July 1992 issue of MLU.
Hands. Published quarterly. Subscription, $16. 3801 N. eeler Ave., Chicago, IL 60641. See especially the "Sustaining e Spirit" pages in each issue.
TERwheel. A quarterly newsletter of the Women's Alliance for ology, Ethics and Ritual. Subscription, $35. 8035 13th !'eet, Silver Spring, MD 20910. See especially "Re-igniting ~ res of Justice," Spring, 1992; and "Telling Love's Story:
embering and Responding to AIDS," Fall 1992.
r \Vords. An annual collection of liturgical resources writby Larry Peacock. 6164 Paseo Canyon Drive, Malibu, CA
265.
mer 1994
CREATING LITURGIES
Resources for creating liturgy, the "work of the people. "
Beck, Renee, and Metrick, Sydney Barbara. The Art of Ritual. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1992. A gUide to creating and performing your own rituals for growth and change.
Emswiler, Thomas Neufer, and Emswiler, Sharon Neufer. Wholeness in Worship. San Francisco: Harper &: Row, 1980. Models of worship in which liturgical dance and drama play large roles.
Schaffron, Janet, and Kozak, Pat. More than Words: Prayer and Ritual for Inclusive Communities. Oak Park, IL: Meyer-Stone, 1988. Sample rites address multi-cultural traditions with deep sensitivity to issues of justice and peace.
CREATING INCLUSIVE WORSHIP
The follOWing resources offer ideas and explanations for use of inclusive language, images, actions, settings, and architecture, in our worship. All would make excellent study-discussion materials for worship committees, adult classes, etc.
Barndt. Joseph, Dismantling Racism: The Continuing Challenge to White America. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1991. This book focuses on "the task of dismantling racism, how we can work to bring it to an end, and build a racially just, multiracial, multicultural society." See especially the chapter on white racism and the church.
Froehle, Virginia Ann, rsm. Called into Her Presence: Praying with Feminine Images of God. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1992. A good introduction with an invitational approach for those who have never used female models in prayer.
Glaser, Chris. "Inclusive Liturgy and Preaching: Combatting Homophobia and Heterosexism in Common Worship." In Breaking the Silence: Overcoming Fear. New York: The Program Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1985.
Macdonald, Barbara, with Cynthia Rich. Look Me In The Eye: Old Women, Aging and Ageism. San Francisco: Spinsters/Aunt Lute, 1983. Essays and reflections.
Martin, Del. "Aging, Heterosexism, and Ageism." In Open Hands, Fall 1992, pp. 6-7. See other articles in this issue also.
Thornburgh, Ginny. That All May Worship: An Interfaith Welcome to People With Disabilities. National Organization on Disability, 910 16th Street, N .W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006. Explores steps to be inclusive of a variety of disabilities.
United Methodist Church Task Force on Language Guidelines.
Words That Hurt and Words That Heal: Language About God and People. New ed. Nashville: Graded Press, 1990. New edition includes a leader's guide and eleven diverse interviews.
25
Welcome New Churches
Welcome to these fifteen churches that have joined our movement in recent months.
Church of Reconciliation Chapel Hill, North Carolina
This church's process toward "More Light" began in 1990, when two members wrote an article for their church newsletter about attending a meeting of the Raleigh Religious Network for Gay and Lesbian Equality. After numerous articles, sermons, classes, session meetings, and worship services, the session reached consensus during a five-hour meeting in the fall of 1993 on what they believed God was calling them to be as the Body of Christ a part of the More Light Network. The congregation is thankful to all who shared and recognizes that not all of Reconciliation's members and friends agree with this conclusion. Diversity characterizes this congregation.
Lake Oswego UCC Lake Oswego, Oregon
This 125 member, mission-oriented congregation is located in an affluent
26
suburb of Portland. For several years, there has been a homeless shelter in the church and a refugee resettlement program, which settles at least one family a year in permanent housing. Last fall the church sponsored, "In the Beginning Was the Word," a literary arts contest and festival. Sixty-two poets and writers from the Northwest submitted works on the theme "the human spiritual quest." Lake Oswego participated in "Ecumenical Welcoming Sunday" in January.
Newport Congregational Church Newport, Rhode Island
This is an active, creative congregation of 55 members that is looking to growl The church is involved in a once-a-month Breakfast Program which serves pre-schoolers. It also recently held a "Creativity Series" (exploring creativity in the context of "Science and Religion" and "Relationships"). Newport's ONA Task Team continues to discuss ways to strengthen this commitment in the church's life.
Orchard Ridge UCC Madison, Wisconsin
Located in suburban Madison, this congregation of 600 adults and 200 children has a strong mission emphasis. It is currently involved in a project of advocacy for children -monitoring state legislation related to improving children's lives and encouraging statewide church lobbying. As part of its ONA commitment, the congregation is developing an "anti-bias" curriculum for children which will address racism, homophobia, and sexism in the context of Christian faith.
st. Marcus Evangelical UCC St. Louis, Missouri
The diverse programs of St. Marcus, a 150-year-old, urban congregation, nurture bodies and spirits. Through a joint neighborhood ministry, it participates in a feeding program for the inner city population. Emmaus Home, a residence for women with mental handicaps, is located in the church's old parsonage. The 200-seat St. Marcus Theater offers off-Broadway performance art, including productions on AIDS and gay/lesbian themes. The pastor reports receiving messages of dismay and gratitude from the community in response to this and other expressions of support for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
.ONA Newsletter Available
}he ONA C6mllmnique, th,e O~1\
Program ·newsletter,whieh provic;les
. information and support for tl1ePNA
PChurches network in the U CC, .. is
now' available to individuals. It in"
cludes prqgram neFs,' stofles·frql1}
ONA. churches, 'ani ~pcoming
events: Persons interested should
send $5' (for 2:3 editions ), payable
to UC(:L/GC, alongwtth:lheir,name
and ad'dress to: ONA:, Communique,
P.O. Box 403, H01d~,n, .MA01520.
United Church of Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina
A vibrant church, committed to its downtown ministry, United Church has embarked on an ambitious building project to meet the needs of a growing congregation and community. This is a church of partnership! Its pastors are a husband/wife team; it is active with Habitat for Humanity, and in study / worship with a predominately AfricanAmerican UCC congregation. It also maintains interest in a Russian-American exchange and has a visiting pastor from the Evangelical Church of the Rhineland. As part of its ongoing ONA commitment, the church will study the new UCC materials, "Created in God's Image: A Human Sexuality Program for Ministry and Mission."
Open Hands
ECONCILED IN CHRIST]
ist the Servant Lutheran 2._:"ersburg, Maryland
... adopting their Affirmation of ekome, the church council noted at they did, so, not because their embers felt discrimination, but be-se "some of our Christian broth--and sisters have been using the :lonal media to state that gays and sbians are not welcome in the ·rch." The council felt that it was
duty to refute that claim and to ·e emphatically that Christ's love .. scends all differences.
ist Lutheran ~,.,ta Fe, New Mexico
~he congregation at Christ Luth. heard about the RIC program at Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly below) and brought the idea to hurch council. Christ's congreon considered making the Affir:on of Welcome a "necessity" as a
;lstian congregation.
aith Lutheran :aipa, California
faith Lutheran is large for a Calia congregation (900 members) in "-rly conservative area. Pastor Jostad , ed organize a well-attended con;Ice on human sexuality last fall. siderable interest in the RIC prom arose after those workshops, " h featured presentations by theoan
Dr. Paul Egertson, PFLAG, and ..... ;an and gay Lutherans.
_
..t fy Trinity Lutheran
York, New York
oly Trinity is a congregation that
.. ad openly lesbian and gay mem~ :or many years, and only recently ded to make a public stand of weler
1994
come and support. The issue was "we're already welcoming and everyone knows, so why do we need to do this publicly?" The decision was made based upon the realization that the larger church needs to hear this!
Claremont UMC Claremont, California
Claremont UMC was founded in the 19S0s in a growing urban area northeast of Los Angeles. It location in the midst of the Claremont Colleges and the Claremont School of Theology attracts many educators to this congregation of 600. Many retired clergy and their families who live in the area are also members. An outstanding music program and active youth programs are a key part of the congregation's life. Claremont's ministry to the lesbian and gay community began several years ago with the formation of a Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays group. A severalyear-long process of considering becoming an RC culminated in an affirmative vote on May 30.
First UMC Williamstown, Massachusetts
An historic congregation founded in 1813 and located in the heart of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, First UMC has a long tradition of being a diverse congregation intergenerationally and interracially. Jane Carey Peck, a prominent national church leader, was a longtime member who was influential in helping the congregation define its sense of mission. For the past two decades the congregation has had a strong global mission perspective as it has actively advocated justice in South Africa and Central America. The congregation has also been active in confronting the local Boy Scouts Council for its policy of discrimination against gay Scouts.
Pine UMC San Francisco, California
Originally begun as a Bible study group at the Chinatown Methodist Church, Pine is the oldest JapaneseAmerican institution. It's 350 members are still primarily JapaneseAmerican, but persons of other nationalities have joined in recent years. Sunday morning worship is bilingual -in Japanese and English. The congregation was instrumental in founding a Newcomer's Service for newly-arriving Japanese persons and in building a skilled nursing home. Currently members prepare food for a shelter and volunteer in a variety of other community groups. Pine has interacted with the lesbian/gay community for ten years. The congregation spent one year studying prior to their unanimous vote, which was taken on the eve of the RC convocation this past July.
Rutland UMC Rutland, Vermont
This ISO-year-old congregation of 300 members is an active, mission-oriented congregation, both locally and nationally. The congregation sponsors a variety of mission projects, including the Four Corners Home for Women and the Open Door Mission. Rutland also has been active in ecumenical relations and has been hospitable in opening its building to many different groups. One notable attribute of the congregation is its strong music program with three bell choirs.
Toluca Lake UMC North Hollywood, California
Located on the edge of the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles, Toluca Lake is the only Protestant
27
church in its community. Many of its 150 members are involved in the entertainment industry. The congregation is very diverse in age and in ethnic and social backgrounds. Toluca Lake is actively involved in its community, supporting "brown bag ministries" for the hom eless and a women's shelter. Always proud of being an open and inclusive congregation, becoming an RC was just another step on this journey for Toluca Lake.
Two Lutheran Synods Declare RIC
Two more synods adopted the .RIC Affirmation ofWelcome during assemblies last summer -Rocky Mountain and Pacifica.
Lutheran "Sex Wars"
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's (ELCA) Task Force on Human Sexuality made nationwide ne)Vs this past fall when it released the first draft of its mandated study. The draft was released to the press wire services before the rest of the church had a chance to see it. It generated sensational headlines such as "Lutheran Church Approves Gay Marriages and Encourages Masturbation!" (Associated Press). The ELCA received thousands of angry calls and a few bomb threats in the ensuing furor. This led to the removal of the Task Force's director, Karen Bloomquist, frantic backpedaling by the Conference of Bishops, and more headlines: "Lutheran Church to Rein In Renegade Committee (San Francisco Chronicle). Lutheran Concerned's response was one of disappointment in the ELCA's knee-jerk disavowal of the study, which did make some advances in a more affirming approach to human sexuality, although thickly qualified with calls for study, reflection, and prayerful . consideration. The most recent media spin is more promising: "Lutherans Not Backing Off Sex Wars" (Brattleboro Refo rmer).
A period of public discussion and revisions to the study will precede a vote in 1995. It is going to be an interesting year!
ONA Advisory Committee Meets
The first meeting of the ONA Advisory Committee was held on October 21 , 1993, at the national United Church of Christ office in Cleveland. Formed in 1992, this group of four includes Margarita Suarez, john Lardin, Wendy Taylor, and Sam Loliger. They assist the ONA Program Coordinator, Ann B. Day, in directing and developing the program. A subcommittee was set up to explore the future structure of the ONA Program and plans were begun on "ONA 1995," a national celebration, of the first decade of ONA churches and an "energizing" for the next. This event is scheduled for autumn, 1995.
More Light Church Continues Spahr as Evangelist
The Downtown Presbyterian Church, a More light Church in Rochester, New York, voted in November to continue its covenant with and call to the Rev. jane Adams Spahr and to hold its third co-pastor position open.
Spahr's call to be one of the congregation's co-pastors in 1992 was challenged by other pastors in the presbytery because Spahr was an selfacknowledged lesbian, The case culminated in a ruling by the Permanentjudicial Council of the Presbyterian Church (U.s,A.) which set aside the congregation's call to Spahr. (See Open Hands, Fall 1992 and Winter 1993).
With the covenant reaffirmed, Spahr will continue to travel nationally, speaking as the congregation's evangelist under the auspices of the program "That All May Freely Serve,"
Questions Remain about Same-gender Covenant Services in UMC
A long-awaited ruling by the high court of the United Methodist Church (UMC) regarding same-gender covenant services brought inconclusive results this past October.
The judicial Council reviewed resolutions from the Minnesota and Troy conferences which would allow pastors and/ or congregations to perform covenant services for gay or lesbian couples. The Council declined to issue a decision and instead released a memorandum which cited three applicable elements ofUMC law: 1) only the General Conference has the authority to set official rites of the church; 2) clergy must "oversee the total ministry of the local church . . . in fulfilling its mission of witness and service to the world;" and 3) clergy must perform their duties in compliance with UMC law.
This memorandum has led to widely varied interpretations. Some church sources state that covenant services have been banned while others note that, as part of a church's ministry, clergy perform a variety of bleSSing and liturgical activities which are not limited by the official rites of the church. The Council of Bishops has requested that the judicial Council reconsider this matter.
In a second set of cases, regarding ordination and appointment of "selfavowed, practicing homosexuals," the judicial Council called on the UMC to define precisely what this phrase means,' In a case from the Oregon-Idaho conference, the bishop had declined to appoint a clergy believed to be a "selfavowed, practicing homosexuaL" The Council overruled the bishop's decision for lack of a definition of the phrase and lack of evidence,
Inaugural Meeting of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
The first meeting of the Association of Welcoming &: Affirming (W &:A) Baptists was held in june 1993 in conjunction with the biennial meeting of the American Baptist Church (ABC), U.s ,A. In its first year of existence the association received memberships from twenty-three churches and agencies and over fifty individuals.
Open Hands 28
A highlight of the gathering was a 'orship service in which candles were ghted to represent each W &LA congre2 tion or agency. A stirring message was .::ered by Aidsand Wright-Riggins, -ector of National Ministries of the . Association members witnessed e ABC meeting by wearing ribbons T-shirts which identified them as
-A Baptists and by distributing ination about the program.
:~ six-member interim council was ected by the association to prepare :~aws, mission statement, and plan of -ganization for the next gathering in .e summer of 1995. The six council embers include Juan Alegria, Chicago; dean Bishop, Minneapolis; Craig arling, Seattle; Michael Easterling, ew York City; Brenda Moulton, W &LA
ordinator; and another person to be med.
Gay/Lesbian Caucuses Meet; Protest NCC Inaction
Thirty representatives from nineteen lesbian/ gay Christian groups met in Baltimore in November during the annual board meeting of the National Council of Churches (NCC). They gathered to protest the NCC action a year ago which denied official observer status to the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC). At the start of the NCC meeting, representatives of the UFMCC led others in a protest to highlight the presence oflesbian, gay and bisexual Christians in the NCe's member communions. As the Rev. Kit Cherry, UFMCC Ecumenical Officer noted, "the NCC General Board will have to face openly lesbian and gay Christians every time they meet." The UFMCC has been attempting to develop a formal relationship with the N CC for a decade now. Last year, the NCC rejected a proposal for the UFMCC to become an official
Lesbigay Christians protest NCC board meeting. Photo: Kim Byham
observer.
The representatives of the lesbian/ gay Christian groups made plans to coordinate religious observances during the Stonewall 25 celebration in New York this summer. Preliminary plans include a prayer service at Riverside Church on Friday evening followed by a demonstration outside 475 Riverside Drive, which contains offices of several major U.S. churches. An interfaith service is planned for Saturday morning at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Published by the Reconciling Congregation Program in conjunction th More Light, Open and Affirming, and Reconciled in Christ Programs.
Unique Resource on QTY. BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE
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a"'le
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:c'ess _______________________________________________________
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__ Celebrating the Inclusive God: Worship (Winter 1994)
er 1994 29
.....
OUR WELCOMING MOVEMENT GROWS
Since 1978, 355 More Light (Presbyterian), Open Following is a complete list of congregations, alphabetiand Affirming (Disciples of Christ and United Church cally by state and city, followed by a list of campus of Christ), Reconciled in Christ (Lutheran), Reconcilministries and judicatories. The affiliation of each is ing (United Methodist), and Welcoming & Affirming designated by the following codes: (Baptist) congregations and sixteen campus ministries ML More Light (Presbyterian) have publicly declared that they welcome all persons, ONA Open and Affirming (UCC) including lesbians and gay men. This is an increase oj O&A Open and Affirming (Disciples) 22% over one year ago! These "welcoming" communities RIC Reconciled in Christ (Lutheran) are in forty-one states, the District of Columbia, and RC Reconciling Congregation (United Methodist) Canada. W &A Welcomin
&
Affirmin Ba tist
Congregations
Hollywood
Sacramento
Terra Linda
Christ in Terra Linda (ML)First UMC (RC) Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer
ALASKA
(RIC)
Irvine TiburonPalmer
San Diego
Community Congregational (ONA)
Irvine UCC (ONA)
Churchof the Covenant (W&A) First Lutheran (RIC) Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran (RIC)
Lafayette
ARIZONA
San Francisco
Westminster Presbyterian (ML)Lafayette Christian (O&A)
Tucson
Bethany UMC (RC)
Larkspur Vacaville
St. Francis in the Foothills UMC (RC) Calvary UMC (RC) Redwoods Presbyterian (ML) St. Paul's UMC (RC)
ARKANSAS
Christ Lutheran (RIC)
Long Beach
West Hollywood
Little Rock
Dolores Street Baptist (W&A)First Congregational UCC (ONA)
Crescent Heights UMC (RC)
Pulaski Heights Christian (O&A)
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
Trinity Lutheran (RIC) West Hollywood Presbyterian (ML)
CALIFORNIA
First St. John's UMC (RC)
Los Angeles YucaipaAlameda
First United Lutheran (RIC)Mt. Hollywood Congregational UCC Faith Lutheran (RIC)First Christian (O&A)
COLORADO
(ONA) Glide Memorial UMC (RC)First Congregational (ONA) United University (ML, RC) Hamilton UMC (RC)
AuroraAlbany
WilshireUMC(RC) NoeValley Ministry (ML) Parkview Congregational UCC (ONA)Albany UMC (RC)
Marin City
Pine UMC (RC)
BoulderAltadena
St. Andrews Presbyterian (ML) Seventh Avenue Presbyterian (ML) First Congregational (ONA)Altadena Congregational (ONA)
Milpitas
St. Francis Lutheran (RIC)
Denver
Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran
Sunnyhills UMC (RC)
St. John's UCC (ONA)
Capitol Heights Presbyterian (ML)
(RIC)
Modesto
St. Mark's Lutheran (RIC)
Park Hill Congregational UCC (ONA)
Baldwin Park
College Avenue Congregational St. Paulus Lutheran (RIC)
St. Paul's UMC (RC)
First Presbyterian (ML) (ONA) Trinity UMC (RC) Washington Park UCC (ONA)
Belmont Newark
San Jose
Fort Collins
Congregational Church UCC (ONA) Holy Redeemer Lutheran (RIC) Christ the GoodShepherd Lutheran St. Thomas University Lutheran (RIC)
Berkeley North Hollywood
(RIC)
CONNECTICUT
Berkeley & Richmond Intercity St. Matthew's Lutheran (RIC)
First Christian Church (O&A)
Coventry
Ministry (O&A) TolucaLake UMC(RC) New Community of Faith (W&A) Second Congregational (ONA) First Baptist (W&A)
Oakland
San Mateo
Mansfield Center
St. John's Presbyterian (ML)
Faith Lutheran (RIC) College Heights UCC (ONA)
First Church of Christ (ONA)Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran (RIC) Lake Merritt UMC (RC)
San Rafael
Middletown
Trinity UMC (RC) Lakeshore Avenue Baptist (W&A)
Faith Lutheran (RIC)
First Church of Christ ONA)University Lutheran Chapel (RIC) Lutheran Peace Fellowship (RIC)
Santa Barbara
Hartford
University Church (O&A) Montctair Presbyterian (ML)
La Mesa Community (ONA)
Central Baptist (W&A)
Carlsbad
Peace UCC (ONA)
Santa Cruz
New Haven
Pilgrim Congregational (ONA) Plymouth UCC (ONA)
Grace UMC (RC)
Church of Christ in Yale Univ. (ONA)
Claremont
St. Paul Lutheran (RIC)
Santa Monica
United Church on the Green (ONA)Claremont UMC (RC)
Palo Alto
The Church in Ocean Park (RC)
NoankConcord
Covenant Presbyterian (ML)
Sausalito
Noank Baptist (W&A)First Christian (O&A) First Evangelical Lutheran (RIC)
First Presbyterian (ML)
South GlastonburyDanville
First Presbyterian (ML)
Sonoma
Congregational (ONA)Peace Lutheran (RIC) University Lutheran (RIC)
New Hope Church (ONA)
StamfordFair Oaks Pasadena
Stockton
St. John Lutheran (RIC)
Fair Oaks UMC (RC)
First Congregational UCC (ONA) First Christian (O&A)
WaterburyFairfax Richmond
Sunnyvale
South Congregational (ONA)Fairfax Community (ONA) Grace Lutheran (RIC)
Congregational Community (ONA)
DELAWARE
Fresno
Raynor Park Christian (O&A)
Newark
Wesley UMC (RC)
St. John's Lutheran (RIC) New Ark UCC (ONA)
Open Hands 30
STRICT OF COLUMBIA
:a
on Presbyterian (ML) Grant Park-Aldersgate UMC (RC) 'u
rch of the Crossroads (ONA) olulu Lutheran (RIC)
IS
r.;.a'bondale
Churchof the Good Shepherd (ONA)
-ampaign
Kinley Memorial Presbyterian (ML) St. Andrew's Lutheran (RIC)
cago
bany Park UMC (RC) Augustana Lutheran (RIC) Christ the King Lutheran (RIC) Christ theMediator Lutheran (RIC) Grace Baptist (W&A)
oly Covenant UMC (RC) Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
(RIC)
Irving Park Christian (O&A)
rving Park UMC(RC)
Lake View Lutheran (RIC)
ncoln Park Presbyterian (ML)
ayfair UMC(RC) Peoples Church (ONA) Resurrection Lutheran (RIC) St. Paul's UCC (ONA) Trinity Lutheran (RIC) Untted Church of Rogers Park (RC) University Church (ONA,O&A) Wellington Avenue UCC (ONA)
E.'anston
First Baptist 0N&A)
Hemenway UMC (RC)
WheadonUMC (RC)
.\,inter 1994
I Maywood ette
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
'kId
Winfield Community (RC)
lANA
Indianapolis
Northeast UCC (ONA)
South Bend
Southside Christian (O&A)
West Lafayette
Shalom UCC (ONA)
IOWA
Ames
Lord of Life Lutheran (RIC)
Cedar Rapids
Faith UMC (RC)
Des Moines
Trinity UMC (RC)
Urbandale UCC (ONA)
Iowa City
Faith UCC (ONA)
KANSAS
Kansas City
ecumenikos (ML, ONA, O&A, RC) VanBrun Blvd. Presbyterian (ML)
Topeka
Central Congregational UCC (ONA)
KENTUCKY
Louisville
Central Presbyterian (Ml)
LOUISIANA
New Orleans
St. Mark's UMC (RC)
MARYLAND
Baltimore
First &FranklinPresbyterian (ML)
St. John's UMC (RC)
St. Mark's Lutheran (RIC)
Gaithersburg
Christ theServant Lutheran (RIC)
Lanham
Good Samaritan Lutheran (RIC)
Rockville
Rockville Presbyterian (ML)
Takoma Park
Takoma Park Presbyterian (ML)
MASSACHUSETTS
Amherst
First Congregational UCC (ONA) South Congregational (ONA)
Auburn
Pakachoag (ONA)
Boston
Church of the Covenant (ONA, ML) Church of the United Community (ONA,O&A)
Cambridge
First Church, Congregational (ONA) Old Cambridge Baptist (W&A) University Lutheran (RIC) ~
Danvers
Holy Trinity UMC (RC)
Framingham
Grace UCC (ONA)
Newburyport
Belleville Congregational (ONA)
OsteNille
United Methodist (RC)
Shrewsbury
Mt. Olivet Lutheran (RIC)
Wellesley
Wellesley Congregational (ONA)
Wendell
Wendell Congregational (ONA)
West Newton
Second Church in Newton UCC (ONA)
Williamstown
First Congregational UCC(ONA)
First UMC (RC)
Worcester
United Congregational (ONA)
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor Church of the Good Shephered (ONA) Lord of Light Lutheran (RIC) Memorial Christian (O&A) Northside Presbyterian (ML)
Detroit
T!Uth Evangelical Lutheran (RIC)
Douglas
Douglas Congregational UCC(ONA)
Kalamazoo
Phoenix Community UCC(ONA)
Ypsilanti
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
MINNESOTA
Edina
Edina Community Lutheran (RIC)
Minneapolis Community of St. Martin (RIC) First Congregational (ONA) Grace University Lutheran(RIC) Hennepin Avenue UMC (RC) Holy Trinity Lutheran (RIC) Judson Memorial Baptist (W&A) Lyndale UCC (ONA) Mayflower Community CongregationaI
UCC (ONA)
Our Savior's Lutheran (RIC)
Prospect Park UMC (RC)
Spirit of the Lakes (ONA)
Temple Baptist (W&A)
University Baptist (W&A)
Walker Community (RC)
Wesley UMC (RC)
Robbinsdale
Robbinsdale UCC (ONA)
Sf. Paul
St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran (RIC)
Wayzatta
St. Luke Presbyterian(~L)
MISSOURI
Kansas City
Abiding Peace Lutheran (RIC)
Fountain of Hope Lutheran (RIC)
Kairos UMC (RC)
St. Mark's Lutheran (RIC)
St. Louis
Gibson Heights United (ML)
St. Marcus Evangelical UCC (ONA)
University City
Bethel Lutheran (RIC)
MONTANA
Missoula
University Congregational UCC (ONA)
NEBRASKA
Omaha
First Lutheran (RIC)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Hanover
Our Savior Lutheran (RIC)
Plymouth
Plymouth Congregational (ONA) NEW JERSEY
South Orange
First Presbyterian &Trinity (ML) NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe
Christ Lutheran (RIC) NEW YORK
Albany
Emmanuel Baptist (W&A)
Brookhaven
Old South Haven Presbyterian (ML)
Brooklyn
Church of Gethsemane (ML) Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian (ML) Park Slope UMC (RC)
Buffalo
Amherst Community (ONA) Westminster Presbyterian (ML)
Churchville
Union Congregational (ONA)
Copake
Craryville UMC (RC)
Dobbs Ferry
South Presbyterian (ML)
Geneva
North Presbyterian (ML)
Gloversville
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
Grand Island
Riverside Salem (ONA)
Henrietta
John Calvin Presbyterian (ML)
31
Marcellus
First Presbyterian (ML)
New York Broadway UCC (ONA) Central Presbyterian (ML) Church of St. Paul &St. Andrew (RC) Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian
(ML) Grace &St. Paul's Lutheran (RIC) Jan Hus Presbyterian (ML) Judson Memorial (ONA, W&A) Madison Avenue Baptist (W&A) Metropolitan-Duane UMC(RC) Our Savior's Atonement Lutheran
(RIC) Park Avenue Christian (O&A) Riverside (ONA) Rutgers Presbyterian (ML) St. Peter's Lutheran (RIC) Trinity Evangelical Lutheran (RIC) Washington Square UMC(RC) West-Park Presbyterian (M L)
Oneonta
First UMC (RC)
Palisades
Palisades Presbyterian(ML)
Rochester Calvary St. Andrews (ML) Downtown Presbyterian(ML) The House Church (ONA) Third Presbyterian (ML)
Sayville
Sayville Congregational UCC (ONA)
NORTH CAROLINA
Chapel Hill
Church of the Reconciliation (ML)
United Church (ONA)
Winston-Salem
First Christian (O&A)
Raleigh
Community UCC (ONA)
Pullen Memorial Baptist (W&A)
OHIO
Brecksville
United Church of Christ (ONA)
Cleveland
Pilgrim Congregational UCC(ONA)
Columbus
Redeemer Lutheran (RIC)
Third Avenue Community (RC)
Cincinnati
Mt. Aubum Presbyterian (ML)
Dayton
Congregation for Reconciliation (ONA)
Norton
Grace UCC (ONA)
Toledo
Central UMC (RC)
OREGON
Ashland
United Church of Christ (ONA)
Corvallis
First UMC (RC)
Estacada
Estacada UMC (RC)
Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego UCC (ONA)
Milwaukie
Milwaukie UCC (ONA)
Portland First Congregational (ONA) Metanoia Peace Community (RC) St. James Lutheran(RIC) University Park UMC(RC)
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Calvary UMC(RC) First UMC of Germantown (RC) St. Michael's Lutheran (RIC) Tabemacle United(ONA, ML) University Lutheran of Incamation
(RIC)
Wayne
Central Baptist (W&A)
RHODE ISLAND
Newport
Newport Congregational (ONA)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia
Gethsemane Lutheran (RIC)
SOUTH DAKOTA
Erwin
Erwin UCC (ONA)
TENNESSEE
Memphis
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
Nashville
Edgehill UMC (RC)
TEXAS
Austin
First English Lutheran (RIC)
Trinity UMC (RC)
Dallas
Bethany Presbyterian (ML)
Midway Hills Christian (O&A)
Fort Worth
St. Matthew's Lutheran (RIC)
Houston
Bering Memorial UMC (RC) Community of the Reconciling Servant (ML)
VERMONT
Bennington
Second Congregational (ONA)
Burlington
Christ Presbyterian(ML)
Rutland
Rutland UMC (RC)
VIRGINIA
Harrisonburg
Sanctuary UCC (ONA)
WASHINGTON
Chelan
Fullness of God Lutheran (RIC)
Federal Way
Wayside UCC (ONA)
Leavenworth
Faith Lutheran (RIC)
Medical Lake
Shalom UCC (ONA)
Mountlake Terrace
Terrace View Presbyterian (ML)
Olympia
Community for Christian Celebration (ONA)
Richland
Shalom UCC (ONA)
Seattle
Broadvie~Community UCC (ONA)
Central Lutheran (RIC)
Findlay Street Christian (O&A)
First Baptist (W&A)
Pilgrim Congregational (ONA)
Plymouth Congregational (ONA)
Prospect UCC (ONA)
Richmond Beach Congregational
UCC(ONA) University Baptist (W&A) University Christian (O&A) University Congregational (ONA) Wallingford UMC (RC)
Vancouver
First Congregational UCC (ONA)
WISCONSIN
EauClaire
University Lutheran (RIC)
Madison
First Congregational UCC (ONA) Orchard Ridge UCC (ONA) University (RC)
Milwaukee
Church of the Reformation (RIC)
Cross Lutheran (RIC)
Plymouth UCC (ONA)
Village Lutheran (RIC)
Racine
Our Savior'S Lutheran (RIC)
Sheboygan
Wesley UMC (RC)
CANADA
Saskatoon
King of Glory Lutheran (RIC)
Campus Ministries
CALIFORNIA
Chapman University Pride Alliance (O&A) Wesley Foundation at UCLA (RC)
DELAWARE
Wesley Foundation at University of Delaware (RC)
ILLINOIS
UM Student Fellowship at Illinois Wesleyan (RC)
INDIANA
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Indiana University (RIC)
IOWA
Lutheran Campus Ministry at
University of Iowa (RIC)
MICHIGAN
Guild House at University of Michigan (O&A) Ecclesia at Michigan State University (O&A)
MINNESOTA
Lutheran Campus Ministry in Minneapolis (RIC) Lutheran Campus Ministry at SI. Cloud State (RIC) Student Congregation at St. Olaf College (RIC)
NORTH DAKOTA
University Lutheran Center in Fargo (RIC)
OREGON
Lutheran Campus Ministry in Portland (RIC)
PENNSYLVANIA
Lutheran Campus Ministry at
Kutztown (RIC)
WISCONSIN
Lutheran Campus Ministry in LaCrosse (RIC) Metro Milwaukee Campus Ministry (RIC)
Judicatories
MoreLight Synods
Synodof the Northeast
Open andAffirming Conferences
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
NewHampshire
Northern California/Nevada
Ohio
Rocky Mountain
Southern California
Open and Affirming Regions
Northern California/Nevada
Reconciled in Christ Synods Eastern North Dakota Eastern Washington-Idaho Greater Milwaukee Metro Chicago Metro WashingtonD.C. Pacifica Rocky Mountain Sierra-Pacific Southeast Michigan
Reconciling Conferences Califomia-Nevada New York Northern Illinois Troy
Open Hands 32