81 20 2618 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/c8447d488c3757c7160a6ca78c5936e2.pdf 91476048318d56f2ece705615dce3dfa Issue An issue of a recurring publication. Volume Number The volume number of the issue 9 Issue Number The number of the issue (within a volume) 3 Publication Year The year the issue was published 1994 Publication Date The date the issue was published Winter Text Any textual data included in the document $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 2800 Buena Vista Way Berkeley, CA 94708 510/ 841-6990 '~ .~p' ~\ .:::' 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-..:;). ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ < r:if-pr' LO _", 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 .... . " - ..... -(f -(f I ) ~ : ..... ,~ .~ • ..' • • :::. ' ...r .. -u r' n-r ............ r~ ! .... . r' rFf1\ I ~.... I ....... t\l-. 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 ~ ~ r,-rUt' -(f -(f ~ ) ~ : I .rl ./ :.A - I I -,; I ~ ~ u .0-:; J. b~ ~ ~ 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. .~, ., U .... . 'I • •.....,..• . ' ' ••;J; "7" ~ i:"l~ ,.rP,·.'~~. , ',' ~ 'tf~1 III ,t,:'...."~."." "f.~':\.,,':~":.',. ,,)', ~"'~',,",''/;" " , ,,~-, ... -.~ ..•. I '''r +1 .) T And Wha: thou a~~,;~ •} '7g can never be destroyed . .. :~ ,,~ ~, ,rlf .\ji;' Emily Bronte !' , ' , ,,'1;~ ;( _~i ~~ \~.,'~ . J ~ .-~t1.,-~r\ ",,-tl' ~Jf 'r~ f ",~, ~' . -, '~jI; ~l , ~ ,,:~.;.~.' 'jJ ~ Winter 1994 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 c 0 M M I T T I N G "~A~A~~ r.,TA.TA.TM OPEN --m--- AffiRMING CONGREGAnONS W••"W "~A~A~~ "T.T.TM t . COMMITTING ourselves to being the church 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 . ~... ..' -, ~ f§ ~.~.. ~"";,r~'/:·~L.. .?1' . "' . ;:L.,,:.: . ~<>~~-" '!.! j 7\ .,·::~j:·..::X·"-'S:;. " '. . ' ,,'';' ;;! ~~... ,~-'f'" ! ' ! ' .,t .,'.,' ",:-:,,\ \,\".,-r ": , "_' . ., " • " ~ ,\ ,Tt.--~I'· " .. !. ,.'\ " .' ~//',.: .\ \'.....-" ,,' -.~'-..~ t: ~ ~, , • /.-,t' \~.,...,." _ .... ,., 'J' ~; ~.. / . ',: 7':. ~ ...... \. "'; •. .-,.~". -+: / .. , ,1'.\\ '.. ./. . '.:'tl " ;. : F ....... v,.;.. ,>~::'\' .'~, :"',' .~ ..:''''~-~''' '.~t,~..... "'\#rI'.r , ...... ~..../'..•...I':'... 'l\ '. f'-~ -4.\.,:.... /.0--.......,... ,. .' , of! J. ---...... , ;;"r~"'" . ''' '"7b;:';}~ ~§~~~~~ . ~:<;~,":... ... " :J~.' \", .~.:~:""...,.,'<-<.. ,..-=.<#~~--='~~,:~ .."--'-''':__1;;::'~~~~~~::.:;-,. ~:~i~~'{~I~'";:'-''' 'Y-~:~::;.r.::.:;'.~.l::.•,.-.,.. . :'J'r' ·.-·-'.:'~;~t.".M'" . '. ....... ((,::--,," ...~",.' ... : .... .-~. I." //., U" . . ". , f~~~'\..:. / S' " ,:: I" ; I.::f'\ i'i,i} ':-';';:"".) --::':'fi:-. Walls That DIvIde A", Broken Down In Everflowmg ,~;,;1"'-;; ~I\ ;r~:.:._.,-..•._..... StreamsbyRuthDuck.PllgnmPress. ';t.J!·i('~lth'tP , • ....... . j" ~ , ,'J'" 11 • I " r. '" ~ . . ~I':, : I J} "r • < f.;. ".,.~: ,-I-.~ ,~. ,-".r 'C. " • " .I)j .", "0 •• ,.;;r. ~~, -" ,:-~. 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 Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual _ _ Be Ye Reconciled (Summer 1985) __ A Matter of Justice (Winter 1986) Concerns in the Church for __ Our Families (Spring 1986) Christian Education • Personal Reading __ Our Churches' Policies (Summer 1986) Research Projects • Worship Resources __ Images of Healing (Fall 1986) Ministry & Outreach __ Minorities within a Minority (Spring 1987) __ Sexual Violence (Fall 1987) __ Building Reconciling Ministries (Spring 1988) __ Living and Loving withAIDS (Summer 1988) o Please send me the back issues indicated ($5 each; 10+ @ $3). __ Raising Reconciling Children (Fall 1988) ~ Send me Open Hands each quarter ($16/year; outside U.S.A. @ $20). __ Sexual Ethics (Winter 1989) __ Lesbian &Gay Men in the Religious Arts (Spring 1989) __ The Closet Dilemma (Summer 1989) E~closed is payment for OR _ _ Images of Family (Fall 1989) arge $ to my VISA MASTERCARD (Circle one) __ Journeys Toward Recovery and Wholeness (Spring 1990) Expiration _ _ /__. __ The "Holy Union" Controversy (Fall 1990) __ Youth and Sexual Identity (Winter 1991) Sg'lature __________ ________ ____ _ __ Lesbian/Gay Reflections on Theology (Spring 1991) __ The Lesbian Spirit (Summer 1991) _ _ Bisexuality: Perceptions & Realities (Fall 1991 ) a"'le __ Creating Alliances: Working for Change (Winter 1992) :c'ess _______________________________________________________ __ Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals in Ministry (Spring 1992) _ _ Our Spirituality: How Sexual Expression and Oppression StatelZip __________ __________ Shape It (Summer 1992) ·-,ar:me Phone _____________________ __ Aging and Integrity (Fall 1992) __ Welcoming Churches: Ecumenical Movement (Winter 1993) Church _______ ___ _____ _ _ ____ Rethinking Family Values (Spring 1993) ination ___ _____ ____________ __ Biblical Interpretation (Summer 1993) __ Responding to the Right: Strategies for Change (Fall 1993) Phone: 3121736-5526 Fax: 312/736-5475 Send to: Open Hands, 3801 N. Keeler Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641 __ 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 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Open Hands Vol 9 No 3 - Celebrating the Inclusive God: Worship in the Welcoming Community https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ac9e502a8ac1087bb3340ac41926b482.pdf 073fe0ed9e172af7242cc11b9e27adfc Issue An issue of a recurring publication. Volume Number The volume number of the issue 9 Issue Number The number of the issue (within a volume) 4 Publication Year The year the issue was published 1994 Publication Date The date the issue was published Spring Text Any textual data included in the document $5.00 _ REACHING OUT More Light Churches Network Open and Affirming Program Reconciled·in Christ Program Reconciling Congregation Program Resources for Ministries Affirming the Diversity of Human Sexuality ...,.-'<> .~'; ,..' ,"'-' , ,,_ _ >J. Vo/~~_9' No~ 4, _ _ spring'1.994 80LDLYI £uang~lism with a. W~ltoming Aauor 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 on recycled paper. Resources for Ministries Affirming the Diversity of Human Sexuality Vol. 9 No.4 Spring 1994 Editorials/Letters to Editor .............................................................................. 4 ELEMENTS OF EVANGELISM Deep Water Fishing Bonnie Beckonchrist ....................................... . A Church in Need of Aid: A Sermon-Story John E. Sumwalt ....... . My Church Has AIDS Michael S. Piazza .. .......... ............................ oJ The Story of Glide Pamela Ayo Yetunde .................. ... .. .... ................. . Rising Like the Phoenix Melanie Morrison .. .. .... .. .. .... .. ........................ 2 MCC: Pioneers in Lesbigay Church Outreach ............................... 14 Neither Do I Condemn You Hendrik Hart ........................................... 15 SUSTAINING THE SPIRIT Confession of Sins David Romig ............ ...................... ........................ 1 6 Litany of Trust Ann B. Day ................................................................... 17 STRATEGIES FOR OUTREACH Marketing the Gospel: A Faithful Choice Martha Scott .................... 18 Keeping our Doors Wide Open ....................... ............................. 19 David K. Hartley & Wilbert S. Miller Growth Abounds in Welcoming Churches: Chart .... ........ ... .. ...... 20 An Int erfaith Coming Out Day Service Steven E. Webster ............... 21 Becoming a Lesbian Evangelist Janie Adams Spahr .......................... 22 Reaching Out Is a Way of Life Rosemary C. Mitchell .................. 23 Welcoming Sexual Minorities: A Checklist ......................................... 24 Partners in Reconciliation, Metanoia Peace Community . Pastor-in-Exile: Another Model of Outreach ................................ 25 John T. Schwiebert A Pastor's Footnote Joyce McManus ........... .... ............................ 25 Out reach to Youth Gregory Anderson ................................................ 26 LGYT Leo Treadway ................................................................ ....... 26 RESOURCES ....... .. ................................................................................ MOVEMENT NEWS ..................... ................................. ............................ c ~CALLING ALL ARTISTS! Are you interested in illustrating upcoming issues? Woodcut • Marker Drawings • Silhouettes Ethnic art designs/patterns Youth/Campus Artists Jor our campus ministries issue Representational Styles Ifyou are interested: please send ~rieJresume and samples ojyour work to: Editor, p pen Hands, 3801 N. Keeler, Chicago, IL 60641 Open Hands 2 ---- Reaching Out Boldly! Evangelism with a Welcoming Flavor Evangelism with a "welcoming flavor" -whatis that? It is not the personal salvation approach of conservative groups who ask persons to accept a certain belief system in order to be welcomed. It is not really the " church growth" model (which was the liberal church's response to the personal salvation approach). Evangelism with a welcoming flavor is a ministry which offers the free gift of God's unconditional love -and then invites people to respond and participate as fully equal members. Nevertheless, we can't ignore the church growth approach entirely, for an assumption seems to exist within both conservative and liberal circles that churches will not grow if they reach out in ministry with gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, that in fact such local churches will lose members. The stories of many churches within our growing ecumenical welcoming church movement contradict this assumption. These are churches which are alive and vibrant, boldly engaging in outreach to lesbian, bisexual, gay people, and others -and are growing in the process! In this issue of Open Hands writers ask: What is the "good news" that we offer to a troubled world? How do we prepare ourselves to be bearers of good news? How do we "do" evangelism as welcoming communities? Sprinkled throughout their explorations are heartwarming stories of faithfulness and bold outreach! Mary Jo Osterman, Editor UPCOMING THEMES Unsolicited Manuscript Deadlines Issue Year Theme Deadline Fall 1994 Campus Ministries/Welcoming Ministries JuI. 1, 1994 Winter 1995 Dynamics of a Welco'ming Movement Oct. 1, 1994 Spring 1995 Diversity in the Welcoming ;" Movement Jan. 1, 1995 Summer 1995 Relationship Issues in Welcoming Churches Apr. 1, 1995 'If you are iriterested in writing for one of these issues, please send a query letter or your completed manuscript to: Editor Open Hands · 3801 N. Keeler • Chicago, IL 60641 &,T.",.T.Q "'''.''.'''''' OPEN !f!~! ~T'.T.Q ••T."..., Program Coordinators Mark Bowman Reconciling Congregation Program, Inc. 3801 N. Keeler Avenue Chicago, IL 60641 312/736-5526 Ann B. Day Open and Affirming Program P.O. Box 403 Holden, MA 01520 508/856-9316 v Brian Knittel Reconciled in Christ Program 2800 Buena Vista Way Berkeley, CA 94708 510/841-6990 ·········:~~w <: •• ~:::.: .{ 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 IIIustrations Ophelia Chambliss Layout I Graphics I Typesetting In Print -Jan Graves 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 Irma C . Romero, Chicago, IL Paul Santillan, Chicago, IL Martha Scott, Chicago, IL Spring 1994 3 Evangelism as Ministry In our marketing-oriented world, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we think about "recruiting" or "selling" people on the idea of coming to church when we think about evangelism. We assume evangelism means telling someone to "come to church" so they can get something out of it. "If you do something first, we'll do something for you in return." . Think about it. Do you see how completely backwards that is as a model for our inclusive message? It is an exclusive, barter-oriented approach that flies in the face of the free gift of God's grace. As Christians, we believe that God gave us the most precious gift possible, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, before asking us to do anything. Shouldn't we be thinking about evangelism as a ministry where we too give first? That's a radical idea, but it is the basis of a model for evangelism that fits our calling. It is also such a reversal of what people expect that it has incredible power -cutting through people's pain and alienation. How do we give first? By always including a word of grace in our evangelism -in our brochures, our ads, our conversations, our sermons. By caring first and buildin a relationship of trust that leads people to want to come to a welcoming congregation because they have already been touched by us. Bob Gibeling, MBA, is Program Executive Jor Lutherans Concerned/North America. His background includes twelve years in corporate advertising and public relations. Angel to Angel "Have your angel call my angel, and we'll do evangelism!" Since I discovered the "angel" in "evangelism," I no longer associate this critical act of Christian diScipleship with distributing Bible tracts or preaching with a floppy.; back Bible in one hand and pounding a pulpit with the other. Evangelism to me (as a pastor of a small, aging, and graying congregation) means opening our hearts to God's grace after years of coming to church "on a guilt trip." It means inviting the Holy Spirit to empower us to the best of our abilities. It means opening our hearts to experience the grace and wisdom 'of God (the "good news") embodied in all the rainbow of human sexual orientations and expressions (to borrow from my mentor and angel, Howard Warren). Evangelism means getting to know my "angel within," my own story of grace. Only when I do, I find it is not simply "my own" but part of the larger story of the Church. It means that I will discover your "angel within" and together we will discover that wherever two or three angels are gathered, wherever two or three storytellers come out, there is Christ feeding us with the Word and Wisdom. And there we are -doing evangelism. Lindsay Louise Biddle, M.Div, one oj many Presbyterians Jor Lesbian and Gay Concerns and a advocate Jor More Light, is a member oj l Presbytery oj the Twin Cities Area and serves congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota. "Are You an Evangelist?" The question gets at the heart of who we are as indwid als and communities of faith. Evangelism, the sharing of the "good news" of God's love revealed in Christ, is the raison d'etre for the Church and we are constantly challenged to communicate this love in the midst of myriad issues in our world. This challenge is especially pressing as people of all sexual orientations, both inside and outside the Church, reexamine the spiritual and ethical witness that Christians offer. Many turn to the Church for "the word they need to hear" as they seek deeper understanding of,sexual identity Open Hands 4 and expression. What word do we have for them about homophobia, heterosexism, sexual orientation? What difference, if any, should this dimension of our humanity make when it comes to blessing relationships, ordaining ministers, supporting families, etc.? What is the "good news"? For many churches, addressing these and other real life questions means that as they reach out to people who are gay, lesbian, and bisexual they also reach in ... to explore understandings and feelings about faith, love, and sexuality. How mind and heart opening this can be! Out of conversation, study, and prayer comes a renewed awareness of how good the news of the gospel truly is and how desperately it is needed by all of us. Led by the Spirit, welcoming churches respond to the call to spread this. good news in word and deed! Ann B. Day, M.Div., is an ordained UCC minister who serves as the ONA Program Coordinator for the United Church Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns. Recovering Evangelism In Christian justice communities we tend to concede evangelism to conservative churches. "We are doing mission, while they are only concerned with personal salvation," we scoff. We believe that if we do our mission, God will bless us and send people to join us. WRONG! "If you build it, they will come" is a fallacy. We have seen communities wither and die because they did not reach out and invite new people. Although we have seen the shortcomings of "personal salvation" evangelism, we have erroneously discounted evangelism altogether. Evangelism is not the message, but the act. It is telling the good news of God's unconditional love and inviting a response. Evangelism is not personal, but communal. It is grounded in our experience of God in community. The world aches for a word of "unconditional grace" and "no condemnation." However, many churches (of all ideological and theological persuasions) are NOT evangelical faith communities. They operate from a "self-preservation mode," or they remain bound by the Law (as a code of personal morality or as "politically correct" behavior). In contrast, some churches are clearly demonstrating that a model of hospitality and diverSity is an efficacious means of evangelism. They are attracting not only gay persons, but also many others who hear the good news of God's unconditional love and who want to be part of a welcoming and diverse community of faith. Mark Bowman, M.Div., is Program Coordinator of the United Methodist Reconciling Congregation Program. Le.ttaf to tt.e. ~~4t01 We welcome both cIitica\ and applec\atilesponses to opEN gANDS. We leseI'lve e the light to select, edit, and shO ml submiSsions. All letteIS must be lten signed, with adc\less and phOne. Please l indicate if 'Iou do not want 'IoU! lette to be S publiShed. QU! poliCY is to publiSh lettel . ovel 'IoU! full name, citY and state. We W1ll occasionml'llUll alettel anonymOUSlY. --rfl~~ Dear Siblings in Christ/Community: I enjoyed "Celebrating the Inclusive God" (Winter 1994) very much. It was encouraging to learn that other denominations are also striving to be intentionally inclusive of all people in worship! I would like to offer an alternative "Tip for Inclusivity" under the "welcoming the differently abled" heading (p. 10): Ask people to "Rise as you are able" or to "rise in your spirits." The phrase "Stand as able" is also experienced as an exclusionist practice. Rev. Randy A. Lester, Gover Beach, CA To the Editor: In her article "Confronting Fundamentalism" (Fall 1993), Virginia Mollenkott presents a much needed understanding. I too learned early to evaluate all on the premise that "if my experiences contradict what the Bible says then my experiences are wrong, not Scripture." Recently, someone who was discussing my fundamentalist past with me assumed that the hardest part for me to overcome was guilt. However, my greatest obstacle was the notion of a "high view of scripture" that demanded interpretation through fundamentalistic hermeneutical principles (Mollenkott's "inerrancy grid"). I had to discover anew how to view the Bible. I also had to "humanize" my faith by allowing experience to be a part of it. It is very difficult for those outside of fundamentalism 'to understand the worldview it teaches. Too often our shallow comprehenSion of the fundamentalist ideology has caused us to underestimate the movement. Vaughn F. Joyce Beckman, San Jose, CA Spring 1994 5 EL r.1E r F E 4 L' r.1 DEEP W~{t.~f/S\-(ING By Bonnie Beckonchrist Frankly, I have always abhorred fishing. It was one among many things that disappointed my father. He would take me out to look under rocks for night crawlers and then call me a "girl" when I didn't want to pick them up and put them in the coffee can. The ordeal would continue the next morning when he'd attempt to teach me to bait my own hook. If I was unfortunate enough to "land one," I would refuse to touch the impaled creature. Its bulging eyes seemed to condemn me. I have since learned that the experience has nothing to do with gender. There are women who love to fish and men who share my disdain. Most persons with whom I discuss evangelism respond with squeamish apprehension, the thought of the experience being as negative for them as my early fishing expeditions were for me. We resist the metaphor. Words like "bait," "hook," and "catch" conjure up resistant, unwilling captives served up for our consumption. However, the metaphor is not mine; it is Jesus'. I believe it warrants another look. When jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Push the boat out further to the deep water and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch." "But, . .. we worked hard all night long and caught nothing . .. yet, ifyou say so, ..." They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break .. . he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch . .. Then jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;from now on, you will be catching people." (Luke 5:4-10) The poet/ evangelist John records a similar tale: As the sun was rising,jesus stood at the water's edge, but the diSciples did not know that it was j esus. "Young people, haven't you caught anything?" "Not a thing," they answered. "Throw your net out on the other side of the boat and you will catch some." So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they caught so many fis h! Gohn 21 :4-6) Like the weary disciples in both stories, many pastors and parishioners alike are heard to say, "we've been fishing seemingly for years and have caught nothing." Perhaps it is time to look again at Jesus' solution to their empty net problem. Finding the Other Side and the Deep Water Jesus' first direction is: "Push the boat ou t further to the deep water." Are we and our churches sitting in the shallow water? How might we be pushed? What constitutes deep water? Certainly the emotions that are engendered by such an embarkation are real. Deep water is risky. The further away from shore we get, the less secure we feel. Jesus' second direction is: "Throw your net out on the other side." We and our congregations must ask ourselves who or what is on the other side? \\'here is the other side? \Vha separa es from them?What frightens a prospect of bringing them 0 •• Casting a net on the other s. e turning around. It means eUU~'C~~I'V'''' It means stepping across 1 nes formerly drawn between ourse 'eothers. Spending time with these biblical fishing texts and their implications for our ministry set Holy Covenant United Methodist Church on a new course and brought a renewed faith. Located in Chicago's Lakeview community, we discovered that one of the most obvious groups on the "other side" were the church's lesbigay neighbors. Residents of the public housing complex a block away constituted another group. The 6 Open Hands A New Church in an Old Place ... S~ 10:30.. ~ HOLY COVENANT United Methodist Church 925 W. Diversey, Chicago, IL 60614 (312) 528·6462 homeless who sat on our church's steps were treading "deep water." Students at nearby DePaul University had been dismissed as Catholic. The phYSically challenged were excluded by architectural barriers. Persons from other language groups were excluded by our Englishonly ministry. We are still discovering new streams from which to gather our new congregation. ANew Tools for Fishing s we identified where the "deep water" people were -and what the "other side of the boat" meant for our church, we also recognized that we needed to develop new tools for our outreach task. We asked ourselves: What do we know -about the world around us and about our task? We discovered some new answers. We know it is a business card world and we know it is sometimes hard to jump the hurdle of inviting folks to church. We also know that Simon had partners. So we developed a business card as part of our evangelism ministry. members now receive business cards with a note: Spring 1994 This card makes it simpler for every member at Holy Covenant to engage in outreach. Partnership is an essential component to effective evangelism. What else do we know? A broad casting approach is another essential component of evangelism. A recent Ameritech TV commercial says it graphically . . . "You can't catch two fish with one line." If our objective is new people and diverse people, then our technique and our program must be diverse. So, what else have we done to cast our nets in new directions? We joined the Reconc~ling Congregation Program of the United Methodist Church and subsequently added the pink triangle to our church sign and to our street signs. We are installing a ramp and printing our bulletins and newsletters in LARGE PRINT. We have opened the building to twelve-step recovery groups. In partnership with the Chicago Vegetarian Society, we have established Dignity Diner -a unique meal program for the area's homeless and hungry. We have established a Bible study in the public hOUSing complex near by. Our membership has grown from twelve active members in July 1990 to eighty-two members today, with a total of 120 persons involved in our ministry. Our congregation is trying to think of places where the church doesn't usually go and then go there. That is "other side" or "deep water" evangelism. We are testing advertising in the mainline press as well as alternative papers. We are present at PRIDE events. We put up flyers and posters at lesbigay bookstores. We were present at a recent alternative wedding faire for the lesbigay community called "Commitment to Love," where some United Methodists, who didn't know the Reconciling Congregation Program even existed, wept at their discovery. We have started a United Methodist outreach at DePaul University. We will be present at Health Clubs, Special Olympics, and the upcoming World Cup. It's called networking -and we believe it was working the nets that Jesus was talking about. I am convinced that the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations and our fear. Jesus assures us, as he did Simon, "Do not be afraid." T Bonnie Beckonchrist, M.Div, is pastor of Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Chicago. Aft er joining Holy Covenant new We believe the business ofthe church is more than the pastor's. Please use the enclosed cards to invite your friends to worship with us. • • • , I I I • I II 7 A Church in Need ofAid: A Sermon-story ByJohn E. Sumwalt ~~.-.." ::""'Nt;II;ft'lfftl'-#1 • -- • ...... ~ ~• .. Charlie Stevenson moved to town the day after they decided to close the church, although he didn't hear about it until he went to worship the following Sunday. The church was almost full on that particular day. It was the beginning of a kind of extended wake which was to last three months. That was when Pastor Timmerman was scheduled to retire for the second and last time and the church doors were to be closed for good. With his imminent departure, the ministry of the dwindling congregation seemed to be at an end. They had decided to close the church doors rather than to go on with what had become a constant struggle to pay the bills and, perhaps more important, to be free of the guilt of not being able to pay their fair share of the denomination's mission budget, a responsibility they had not been able to fulfill for a number of years. The first Sunday after the decision everybody came to pay their last respects to the old white frame building and to a way of life that had existed in their little community for over a hundred years. It seemed that the church had always been there. It was the only church in the village. Its presence had been important even to those who never came to worship. It was a center of community life not only on those occasions when weddings and funerals were celebrated there, but also during election day dinners, 4-H Club meetings, and numerous other community functions. So everybody came that first Sunday after the vote to mourn the death of their church. 8 .... To an outsider that day it would have appeared that the church was full of life. Charlie Stevenson didn't know quite what to make of it. He had come with the full intention of transferring his membership as soon as the congregation and the pastor were willing to receive him. The church was within walking distance of the house he had rented and it was of his denomination. It never occurred to him that he would join anywhere else. Now what was he going to do? Did it make sense to join a dying church? Charlie decided that he would wait and see. In the meantime he could see no reason for not becoming involved in the things he had always done in church. He asked about Bible study and choir practice and, yes, he would be interested in playing on the church softball team. He liked to play second base, butwould be glad to fill in wherever there was a need. People took to Charlie immediately. People always had. He was a tall man, well over six feet, with broad shoulders, a full head of light brown hair and a smile that never quit. Charlie seemed to like everyone. People couldn't help liking him because they knew he liked them. When word got out that Charlie was coming to choir practice the soprano section almost doubled. Two eligible young women with modest vocal talents who hadn't been to practice in several months suddenly found themselves free of all pressing social engagements. They said they had come for the choir's last hurrah, but they had a hard time • keeping their eyes on the music and not on Charlie. The second week Charlie brought the center fielder and the shortstop from the softball team. Everybody knew they were wonderful singers, but it was Charlie who had said to them, "Why don't you come sing with us? It's great fun." So they had come. It was the same at the Thursday night Bible Study. Six or seven was the usual average attendance. Sometimes they would have a dozen or more at the beginning of a series or when they met at Mabel Robinson's house. Mabel was the best dessert maker in town and she had the biggest and the fanciest house. People like to go there just to see her antique furniture and to ogle the crystal chandelier which her grandfather had shipped over from Paris. Mabel was usually ready for anything, but even she wasn't prepared for the twenty-three people who showed up for Bible Study that second week after Charlie moved to town. Mabel had to scramble to find enough chairs for everyone. And she had to sneak out to the store during the opening prayer to get some extra sherbet to go with her lemon chiffon cake. The amazing thing was that this sudden rise in attendance at choir practice at Bible Study, and at worship was no passing phenomenon. It grew steadily every week. People were getting involved who hadn't been in church for anything but a special community event in years. It was almost enough to make everyone forget that the church was about to be closed . Then Charlie got sick. Word got out that he had a fast-spreading cancer. Open Hands People could hardly believe it. Charlie who was so full of life, the man who had almost single-handedly brought the church back to life -dying? It couldn't be true. Mabel and one of the other older women decided to go over and see how he was after the pastor announced his illness in church that Sunday. It was next to the last Sunday in May, just five weeks before the church was scheduled to be closed. They found Charlie in bed, too weak to respond to their knock on the door. Mabel went right in and when she saw the state he was in she sent her friend to call the doctor. The doctor wanted him to go to the hospital, but Charlie said he had been through all of that before and this time he was going to stay at home. "Well then," Mabel said, "you will need a nurse. I'll go and get my things." "Wait just a minute," Charlie said, "you don't know what you're getting into. You need to know that I have AIDS and that I'm gay." Mabel didn't know what to say. She was clearly taken aback. She had never in her wildest imaginings thought that she would have to face anything like this. Finally, after a long pause, she turned to the doctor and said, "Doc, what do I have to do to protect myself?" When the doctor had told her, she went straight home, got her overnight bag, brought her favorite pillow, made a bed on the couch, and then set about caring for Charlie's needs. She offered to call his family, but Charlie said it would be better if she didn't. He gave her the number though. 'Just in case," he said. Mabel stayed by Charlie's bedside night and day for the next eight days. She made sure that no one stayed too long when they came for a visit. She even chased the pastor out once when she could see that Charlie was getting tired. Charlie died on Memorial Day just before sunrise. When Mabel called his family they said they didn't want anything to do with him. They said, "Charlie made his bed, now let him lie in it." They told her she could make any arrangements she wanted, said Charlie had plenty of money to pay for everything. They didn't even want his things, said to give everything away. Spring 1994 When the word got out that Charlie's The next day after the funeral the family didn't want him and weren't combishop got a call from Sam Eberly, the ing to the funeral, the church took it as church's lay leader. "We've changed our a challenge. It didn't matter that Charlie minds," Sam said. "We want to keep the was gay or that he had died of AIDS, he church open." ... was their Charlie and by God they were going to see that he was buried propThis story was adapted from Lectionary Stoerly. ries, Cycle B. It is reprinted with permisEverybody came to the funeral. Passion of CSS Publishing Company, Lima, tor Timmerman gave the finest sermon Ohio. anyone had ever heard him preach. The choir sang like they had never sung John E. Sumwalt is pastor ofWesley United before and when the boys from the softMethodist Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin ball team carried the casket out of the and amember ofthe T.A.L.E.S. storytelling church the center fielder led the congreguild. He is the author gation in singing "Blest Be The Tie That of Lectionary Stories, Binds." Tears flowed freely that day. No Cycles A, B & C. He one who was present had any doubt that will become pastor of "the fellowship of kindred minds is like Wauwatosa Ave. United to that above." Methodist Church in July. My Church Has AIDS By Michael S. Piazza The Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Dallas has AIDS. With over 1300 in worship each Sunday} Hope"is the largest church in the world whose principle outreach is to lesbian and gay people. Just over 20 percent of our congregation have the HIV virus· believed to cause AIDS. Through our AIDS ministry we serve almost 400 people within the church (and at least twice that many who are not involved with the church). We have a full-time Director of Pastoral Care, an AIDS Chaplain, a HIV Caseworker, and almost 200 yolunteers who provide care. In 1993 we performed over 218 funerals and memorial services. Each Sunday itis easy to spot an empty seat where last week a friend was singing or praying. Yet visitors are almost always surprised by their experience: a sanctuary filled to capacity with people who sing with great gusto, applaud the music, and laugh at the preacher's jokes. Worship is an energetic, joy-filled time tha.t leaves people ready to tackle whatever life might throw at them. In · a time when mainline churches are declining, we are a multicultural community that has doubled in size, giving, and ministry over the past five years (even with hundreds of people dying from AIDS). We're reaching the twenty-and thirty-year-olds that others are not reaching. We have done all this by providing exciting worship, relevant preaching, and dozens of opportunities for members to be in ministry. We believe faith is a verb; it is . something you do, not something you have. Our members understand that their role is to serve, not to be served. Over 700 members have identified ministries within the church. This church with AIDS has learned the secret of resurrection: it's not just hope for tomorrow, but life for today. Michael S. Piazza, whose ordained ministry was cast aside by the United Methodist Church because he is gay, is Senior Pastor at Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Dallas, Texas. . 9 born on The StOf4Y of GLide 8y PCUKeLa Ayo Yetunde "Whoever said 'Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America, ' has not been to Glide!" said Donna Shalala, President Clinton's appointee to direct the Department of Health and Human Services, as she began her remarks before several hundred people attending Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Shalala, like many other first time visitors, was astonished by the "look" of people in attendance. When people visit on Sunday morning, they see a "look" and hear a "talk" that projects integration, a positive integration of ages, races, genders, orientations, classes, ethnic groups. But beyond the basic integration of people at Glide is the existence of "multiculturality." Multiculturality is the presence, acknowledgment, and fastening together of various manners of expression oflife into one purpose or mission. At Glide that multiculturality is focused toward the liberation of oppressed peoples. Multiculturality cannot be seen on first glance because the nucleus spirit -cannot be readily detected. It is the unity of spirits that fastens the cultures together. This unifying of spirits must exist if multiculturality is to be more than a "look." Thus, the objective of our evangelism -inclusivity of people with various "looks" -must involve the identifying, nourishing, and unifying of spirits. Oppression and Liberation The unifying of spirits is a difficult task when one takes into account our nation's history of denying spirits (or when acknowledging spirits, breaking them down, and reducing human beings to lesser beings). Our nation was crushing the spirit and the flesh of indigenous people, built on crushing the spirit of Africans, and maintained on denying the spirit of women. The list goes on and on. To get to multiculturality from where we began involves substantial changes in the way we think about ourselves. We must go through a transformation from being a slave (to something or someone) to being a free person. No one has written about liberation from slavery quite like Frederick Douglass in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Douglass wrote about being twelve years old and wishing he were dead; yet hope of being free kept him alive. He wrote of how his master "put me out .. . to be broken" by a man named Edward Covey who had a reputation for "breaking young slaves." Douglass tells of how Covey used religious sanction for his cruelty and how after a few months of cruel physical diScipline "Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me." Then very early one morning something happened. Douglass was feeding the horses when Covey came in and started tying him up with a rope. Douglass writes: As soon as I found what he was up to, I gave a sudden spring, and as I did so, he holding to my legs, I was brought sprawling on the stable floor. Mr. Covey seemed now to think he had me, and could do what he pleased; but at this moment -from whence came the spirit I don't know -I resolved to fight; and, suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey hard by the throat; and as I did so, I rose ... My resistance was so entirely unexpected, that Covey seemed taken all aback. He trembled like a leaf . , ,1 Open Hands 10 Everyone at Glide has had or has a Mr. Covey in his or her life. Being at Glide is like being surrounded by hundreds of Frederick Douglasses -people who have fought their masters of drugs, relationships, mental illness, poverty, and various forms of human rights abuses. These Frederick Douglasses continue to fight their masters and to support others fighting their masters. This is the power of the unity of spirits. Seeing and Being Seen The question for those seeking multiculturality where it presently does not exist is this: Are we willing to be critiqued, challenged, and changed to the point where humility (where the commingling of spirits begins) necessitates a lessening of privilege in society? Multiculturality requires this transformation. Unfortunately, the transformation often begins with denial as noted by African-American feminist and cultural critic bell hooks: ... white people can 'safely' imagine that they are invisible to black people since the power they have historically asserted, and even now collectively assert over black people, accorded them the right to control the black gaze ... white people find it easy to imagine that black people cannot see them if .. . they do not want to be seen by the dark Other ... 2 White people, says hooks, respond with "disbelief, shock, and rage, as they listen to black [people] talk about whiteness ..." Heterosexual people often respond the same way when critiqued by gay people. However, to move toward multiculturality -to do multicultural outreach -we must not be threatened by the gaze. TJourney to Multiculturality hirty years ago, Glide was a much smaller church -until the Reverend Cecil Williams (an African-American) was aSSigned to pastor its congregation. 3 As Cecil began a personal journey, moving from being a co-dependent "healer" to being a minister of liberation, grounded in the praxis approach of third world liberation, the "look" and the "talk" at Glide began to change. From a small church of approxi- Spring 1994 mately 300 members, Glide has grown phenomenally to more than 2000 members. Today, Cecil and his wife, partner, and teammate,lanice Mirikitani (aJapanese-American), have created a place where everyone is not only invited and welcomed, but individually recognized as being critical to Glide's ministry of liberation. Three stories of modern-day Frederick Douglasses illustrate the liberating process. A woman, known by many for years to be deaf and mute yet able to sign and read lips, verbally spoke at a Celebration to say that because she saw and heard Jan on a television show talking about incest, she gained the courage to begin speaking again after years of silence for fear of being raped again. Jan encourages those fortunate enough to see, hear, or know her otherwise to free themselves -to liberate themselves from fear. During one Celebration, a male member of Glide's lesbian, gay, bisexual family, presented Cecil with a pair of red pumps to wear with his robes. Cecil laughed and let it be known that he had an outfit that matched perfectly with the shoes. The gay man felt free to joke about the lifestyles lived by some gay men, and was free to confront his straight minister on stage with a gift that many would find "tasteless." Cecil was willing to be critiqued, challenged, and changed. The memorial service for AIDS victim, journalist Randy Shilts, author of The Mayor of Castro Street, And the Band Played On, and Conduct Unbecoming, was held at Glide. Cecil announced at the Celebration preceding the memorial service that a minister from the mid-west would travel to San Francisco to disrupt the "faggot memorial service." Cecil announced that he was welcome to come and receive a love he had never known. When the minister arrived , 1500 people, mostly gay men, were present to tell him that (like Frederick Douglass) they would no longer be slaves to fear, that they had already liberated themselves, and that scare tactics would not be enough to make them retreat to the closet, the mental ward, or the noose. The memorial service was not disrupted; the minister did not stay to receive the love. Together, Cecil andJan reach out to the once "incested" women and the once rejected gay men while simultaneously asking us to relate our experiences to others who have been violated in other ways and rejected for other reasons. This all takes place under one roof where former slaves to fear are brought into the sun to see themselves, projecting a reality rarely televised or broadcast. What people witness at Glide is a unifying of spirits -transgendered, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, nonsexual, alcoholic, crack-addicted, deranged, sane, brown, red, yellow, white, black, male, female, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, vegan, carnivorous, destitute, wealthy -former slaves who are unanimously saying "Hey! We are still here, we are going to do something about ourselves and the world, and we are going to do it together. You are welcome to join us!" T Notes 1Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1988 (originally published in 1845), p. lO3. 2bell hooks, Black Looks: race and representation. Boston: South End Press, 1992, pp. 167-68. Also see bell hooks and Cornel West, Breaking Bread, Insurgent Black Intellectual Life. Boston: South End Press, 1991, for their discussion on how their Christian beliefs affect how they are as African-American political beings addressing issues including sexism, racism, homophobia, poverty, etc. 3See Cecil Williams, No Hiding Place. San Francisco: HarperC;:ollins, 1992, for his journey to liberation. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., has worked on issues including nuclear disarmament, South . African apartheid, political asylum, and other human rights concerns. She currently sits on the Reconciling Congregation Program Board. 11 XlSlNG LIXE T}{E P}{OENIX: Evangelism and a New Church Movement Bv M elanie Morrison In 1988, the Holy Spirit was at work in different regions of America's heartland, stirring things up, bringing people together, descending like a dove and ascending like a Phoenix. Unknown to each other, and within months of each other, three new faith communities were being born -Phoenix Community in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Spirit of the Lakes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Grace Baptist in Chicago, Illinois. These new congregations were not the result of demographic studies, denominational planning, or new church funds. No one could have predicted them. But that is the biblical witness: sometimes the Spirit moves across rigid boundaries, making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. It happened before -times when the Spirit surprised and disrupted the officially adopted church growth programs. It happened when Philip baptized a man who was considered sexually abnormal and outside the faith community because he was a gentile eunuch. It happened when Peter followed his dream and his heart and baptized uncircumcised gentiles and defended his actions by saying, "If God wishes to give them the same gift that God gave us, who am I to stand in the way of the Spirit of God?" It happened when Christians worked for the abolition of slavery and when Antoinette Brown was ordained to the ministry in the mid-1800s. Ithappened with the development of the Metropolitan Community Churches in the late 1960s. It happened as established churches joined programs such as the More Light Churches Network in the 1970s and early 1980s. It happened again in 1988 in Kalamazoo -in Minneapolis -in Chicago -as lesbians and gay men gathered in living rooms to plan and dream and envision new church communities that would be welcoming and hospitable places for people who have experienced the world as unsafe -and the church as the least safe place of all. We are talking church growth here, evangelism, the revival of hearts, the moving of the Spirit. We are talking about gathering in women and men who haven't dared to walk through a church door for ten, twenty, thirty years after hearing one too many times that they were considered sinners and their expression oflove an abomination. We are talking evangelism with the unchurched or better said the dis-churched. In these new base communities and by 1994 there are many more springing up -powerful stories of resurrection are being told and heard: persons confronting fear and learning to act and speak with increasing boldness even when we are afraid. These are stories of people who have experienced the deadness of silences and invisibility and yet responded to the challenge to come out, to choose life, to leave the grave and the closet behind, and to join the community of faith again. Like a Phoenix Rising The story I know best, of course: is that of Phoenix CommunIty Church in Kalamazoo. In October of 1987 my friend and colleague Cyril Colonius was forced to leave the congregation he had served for six years solely because he is gay. In the aftermath of that dismissal I suggested to him that the time had come for us to start a "base" community that would be truly welcoming and liberating for all, including lesbians and gay men. Cyril had previous experience try-. ing to start such a new church in Southwest Michigan. In the early eighties gay men and lesbians were gathering for Bible study in Cyril's home and they decided to approach the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries for funding to start a new congregation. Papers were drawn up, forms filled in, conversations held, and things looked good until the Board for Homeland Ministries reminded Cyril that all of this was contingent upon approval by the local Association. The Association committee said "no" and the venture folded. I told Cyril that this time around yve would do it differently. We would not ask for denominational funding or approval. We would simply do it. We would grow and flourish as a congregation or we would not. If we did become viable and chose someday to seek affiliation like any other new church, then the vote of the Association would not determine our survival. On Ash Wednesday evening, February 17, 1988, eighteen people gathered in Cyril's living room in Kalamazoo to begin conversation about forming a new congregation. We chose the name Phoenix Community Church as a symbol of the hope that gave birth to this church. The phoenix is a mythological bird that rises out of its own ashes to new life. This Egyptian myth was appropriated by the early Christian church as a Open Hands 12 symbol of resurrection. We who gathered in Kalamazoo also appropriated this myth as a symbol of our belief that resurrection is possible out of the ashes of discrimination, self-hatred, and oppression. We set out on a journey together believing that hope like a Phoenix could rise again in us and that God could renew our strength and set us flying. And, indeed we have discovered that God is faithful! By 1990 Phoenix had grown from eIghteen to thirty members. In those first two years we adopted a Mission Statement, Inclusive Language Guidelines, and By-laws, all of which strengthened our understanding of who we are. \Ve put together a New Member's Packet and held regular membership Orientation Sessions. We moved from being primarily a worshipping community to becoming a small church community with educational programs for children and adults. - ~ Stretching the Wider Church W e decided in 1990 to seek affiliation with the United Church of Christ. Toward the end of that year-long process, as the vote about Phoenix was nearing, four meetings were held at different locations around the Association so that members oflocal churches could come and hear the Phoenix story and meet Phoenix members. I felt intense pride as members of Phoenix got up before an audience of strangers and vulnerably told their stories of how they had just about given up hope of ever finding a church home when someone told them about Phoenix Community Church. They witnessed to their faith rebirthed, to their experience of worship being like a homecoming, like finding and being found because they could be who they Spring 1994 are without fear or shame. They invited members of other United Church of Christ churches to join with Phoenix in our ministry and mission, to support us and nurture us and challenge us and say "yes" with us to what the Spirit is doing in our midst. I felt such hope, knowing that no matter what way the vote went, this too was evangelism, this too was church growth. The wider church was being stretched and pushed into new places and we at Phoenix were experiencing community with other church people. Of course, I also felt sadness when ugly remarks were made, when our motives were impugned, when the Bible was once again used as a weapon. I felt protective -fearful that we might have to endure one more rejection at the hands of the church. And I wondered to myself what I would do if we were not accepted. An amazing thing happened on the day of the Association meeting. One by one, members of local churches rose and came to the microphone and told their own stories, made their own testimonials about meeting Phoenix people and worshipping at Phoenix. One pastor of a small town church said that he had been very skeptical and then he and his wife had attended worship at Phoenix and he had experienced the Holy Spirit moving there as he had seldom known it in worship. He said, "1 would be honored to be in partnership with this spirit-filled people." There were also those who spoke against our affiliation, but when the vote was taken, 92 people voted for and 29 against the inclusion of Phoenix into the United Church of Christ. InJune of 1991, more than 200 people from around the Southwest Michigan Association gathered for a covenant service in Kalamazoo to welcome Phoenix Community Church into the United Church of Christ. Cyril and 1 left Phoenix in 1993 and the congregation recently called a new full-time pastor. Phoenix has grown to sixty members, with new people coming to worship most Sundays. Worship attendance frequently exceeds the number of members. As Phoenix grows and matures, the programming continues to diverSify, with study groups, all-church more 1111. 13 retreats, support groups of various kinds, and an educational program for children. Phoenix is also asking what its mission can be in the larger community, beyond welcoming gays and lesbians. Evangelism at Its Best Phoenix and the other new church communities are not only about the task of creating welcoming congregations for lesbians and gay men, but are also committed to liberation theology, to making the links between racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism. "In Christ, there is male and female, old and young, disabled and temporarily able bodied, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual." When the Apostle Paul declared: "In Christ there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free" this was a liberating message that proclaimed equality andjustice. However, the proclamation that we are all "one" can sometimes blur our differences and serve to reinforce the norms of the majority. Thus, in our church communities, we might reword Paul's declaration by saying, "In Christ, there is male and female, old and young, disabled and temporarily able bodied, lesbian, gay, and heterosexual." We must celebrate the fact that each of us has particular gifts for ministry and mission not in spite of, but because of, our particular sex, age, race, orientation, and abilities. We are seeking new theological "wineskins" that can adequately hold and convey the good news of God's love and justice for our day, as well as recovering the old language and imagery when it is life-giving and can convey to people in our times the heart of the message. The real-life experience of being an exile can lay the foundations for liberating, welcoming faith communities. That was the wisdom of the ancient prophets who reminded Israel to welcome the stranger and the sojourner because "you know what it is to be a stranger and a sojourner in Egypt." We give more than lip service to hospitality at Phoenix Community Church because we know what it is to be a stranger, an exile, and invisible within many churches. We know how it feels not to hear our true name spoken in a church or have our experiences validated as real and normal. The Message for Already Existing Churches In the early days of Phoenix Community Church, people in other churches asked me: "Why do you find it necessary to start a new congregation? Why not work within existing congregations to make them more open?" My response was: "That is important work. You do it! But some of us can't wait any longer. Too many gay brothers and lesbian sisters have grown impatient and have given up on finding a church home. We need a spiritual home where we tell our stories now, sing our songs now, celebrate our relationships now, hear the good news preached now . .. not later, not sometime." Thankfully, there are already existing congregations that have perceived the urgency of this evangelistic task by declaring themselves Open and Affirming, or Reconciled/ Reconciling, or More Light, etc. Such congregations give the people of Phoenix Community Church hope and strength to carryon, knowing we are part of a wide circle of caring and daring congrega.tions. One of the meanings of this new church movement is that God will not be bound by huma.n barriers or prejudice. God will do the calling and the welcoming. The heart of the matter is not sexual orientation, but as the prophet Micah summed it up, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk reverently with the Creator ..... This article was adapted from an address delivered at an evangelism and church growth conference at Chicago Theological Seminary, November 4, 1992. The full version is published in The Chicago Theological Seminary Register 84 (Winter/Spring 1994). Melanie Morrison, Ph.D. candidate, is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and one of the fo unding pastors of Phoenix Community Church, UCC in Kalamazoo, Mic higan. She is co-director of Leaven in LanSing, Michigan. MCC: PIONEERS IN LESBIGAY CHU~CH OUtREACH The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church~s (UFMCC) \fvas feundeCl by the Reverend Troy Perry in 19681:0 mipisteLtb the needs of gaY"men and.,lesbians throughout the world. from t'ts b~ginning}with a single group of twelve members in Los Angeles, the FeUowship has grown to over 32,000 members and 280 churches in 16 countries as 'of May 1,993. In the ~.S. ,there are 230 local churches in 45 states. The l~rg,~stMCC is Cathedral of ~ope ip Dallas (see page 9). The smaUest town ~itn ,an "MCC "church is Eureka Springst 'Arkans~s (population about t:90py 'Foreshadoyving the diversity that was t9 .,. floYi'?T 1r 'the next !wenty-six Yf?ars, th? first servj~e of the firstcongregation"in, 1968, i~cI~ded one ~erson of,(olor (a Lptino), oneJew, and one heterosexual cou'l)Jf?', their backgrounds poth'Catholicand Protestant.~sthe largest interQalidn~iQrgani~a"tio"ribased in the ",lesbian and gay community, UFMCC has gon'e 9nr ecord as being ac~iveIY,committed. to non-violent oppositioq ,tt> "'~ll " formsofl oP8r:ession, inCi udin'g sexism; racism, nationalism, and hom~pnbbia. · . Open Hands 14 od's grace is too vast. We lack the courage to believe in such radical grace, much less to be ts agents in the world. What stands in our way? NotJesus or the Bible, but that old Mfiddler on the roof" -tradition. Customs, ecclesiastical decisions, hurch order, theology, and creeds build 'alls between us and what God so graously offers. jesus taught that God gave the law as a path to life . God was not after aderence to the law as an end in itself. """he law was an instrument to provide ·e. In fact it was originally written, says Exodus 31: 18, "with the finger of God." 'nfortunately, people did not find God -the law. Thus, inJesus, theJew, God's nger began writing again. In john 8:1-11 , we find the familiar ory ofJesus' encounter with a woman 'ho was having an adulterous affair. hile this account is now accepted as anon, it does not appear in the earliest tanuscripts of John's Gospel. Centu..es after the Gospel of John was origially written, an unknown monk tran-~ribing the text, recognizing John's dency to make his point through a .-ry of jesus in action, as Word incarate, must have inserted these verses. John -and in this case, a Spirit-led edior -used the events oEjesus' life to illustrate what God intended the ancient Hebrew law to be -a way of walking in the light, a road to life. In the chapter of John's Gospel immediately preceding this story, an argument between Jesus and the Pharisees ended in an unsuccessful attempt by the Pharisees to have Jesus arrested. Jesus takes a night to retreat and cool off. But the next day, while he is out Spring 1994 teaching, the Pharisees again try to trap him. They bring before him a woman caught in the act of adultery. The law says kill her, they tell jesus. What do you say? Jesus says nothing. Instead he writes with his finger in the dirt. Remember the finger of God, SignalsJesus. Remember the Original Author's intent. Thereby the Word of God incarnate gives God the floor again. Then Jesus rises and says: Folks, let us live what the law requires. If the law kills, and one of you is clean enough to execute this woman, then go ahead. Jesus, and Jesus alone, was clean enough. Ifhe had come to fulfill the law in that way, he could have cast the first stone. But he does not. Later, when the defenders of the law have gone, Jesus shows the woman what the writing of God's finger really means. I don't condemn you, he says. God is after life, yours too. I'm giving you space. Go live in that space . Live! Don't turn against the God of life. Sin no more. Rather, trust the life God gives you if you follow me. Then you will know no condemnation. Experts on the law, whether Jew or Christian, live in condemnation -and spread it far and wide. Jesus, on the other hand, calls Christians and Jews alike to make room for sinners, to provide them a space free of condemnation. If you follow me, he says, you will have the light of life. Ifyou do not use rules, orders, commandments, and laws to burden and judge people even when they have clearly transgressed -then you will see the light and walk toward life. And you will be a light that shows life to others. Unfortunately, many Christians read Jesus' words and focus on "sin no more" until it becomes a fence around "neither do I condemn you." We understand Jesus' words to mean, "This time, I'n let you go, but never do it again -or elsel Sin again and the handwriting is on the wall." With such words, we take a step forward and then a step back. We never. fully accept that God in Christ does not condemn us. And what we have not accepted for ourselves, we can seldom pass on to others. (If we do pass it on, we do so begrudgingly, because deep inside, we are unable to accept it for ourselves.) Ifwe insist on haunting people with "sin no more," we have missed the point ofJesus' words. When people -gay and straight, male and female, rich and poor -experience in the church the "no condemnation" of Christ, they are thereby experiencing God's way of dealing with sin. We are invited to place our trust in God's way of no condemnation -and through our every action to show the world that way. ... This article was adapted from Hart's article "No Condemnation" in The Other Side, September-October 1993. Used with permission of The Other Side, 300 W. Apsley, Philadelphia, PA 19144. Subscriptions: $29.50 per year. Hendrik Hart is a staff member ofthe Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, Ontario, a research and teaching institution in the Reformed tradition. 15 Confession ofSins o Holy Dreamer-into-Being, you created us, life forms on a single planet of the billions you made, to give yourself pleasure. You want us to talk back, and to return the love you invest in us. You sent your living Word, J esus, to speak clearly. But we persistently disobey and misunderstand him. We regret what we do and what we leave undone. We know you are merciful. o God, like a loving parent, forgive us. We are victims of our fears We seal the doors of the upper room, attempting to contain Christ for ourselves, and we exclude his world. o God, forgive us, and burst open the doors. We are hypocrites like stale sponges Trying to cleanse the church of all who will not conform to our own personal mores and taboos. o God, forgive us, and scour our hearts. We are cowards to society Allowing demographics and the flow of dollars to determine who will be our neighbors, and refusing to be neighbors to those whom Christ has called. o God, forgive us, and help us make new friends. We are traitors to your Word From our heritage of ancient laws, we observe some and break others. We use the Bible as a weapon to slash at the very people whom you command us to save. o God, forgive us, and help us heal their wounds. We are tightwads Withholding wealth to punish the church for daring to aid the politically incorrect. We have extorted comfort at the cost of compassion. o God, forgive us, and ransack our wallets. We are blowhards Touting the sweet decency of our niceness, as though we alone were above judgment and all others beneath contempt. o God, forgive us, and silence us with your grace. We are, paid mourners for the mainline church -, Blaming its demise on those who try to open its doors and its closets for tens of thousands for whom Christ died. o God, forgive us, and make us faithful. David Romig was a member of the Joint Committee on Worship that prepared the Presbyterian Worshlpbook. Open Hands 16 A Litany ofTrust in God Leader: In the many silences of the heart, 0 God, when feeling is beyond saying, your faithful people everywhere wait upon your Spirit. In the silence of joy -when a baby is born, when a sunset blazes, when a loved one is restored to health, when peace replaces strife People: In our joy, we wait upon you, 0 God. We give you thanks and praise. Leader: In the silence of sorrow -when love is lost, when pain is too constant a companion, when time brings change that is hard to bear, when death seems victorious People: In our sorrow, we wait upon you, 0 God. You alone are our rock and our refuge. Leader: In the silence of anger -when justice is postponed until tomorrow, when violence shatters body and soul, when prejudice sets neighbor against neighbor, when no one will listen People: In our anger, we wait upon you, 0 God. Teach us the ways of justice and mercy. Leader: Let us put our trust where it belongs, not in our positions or power or wealth, for such things are lighter than breath. People: In our joy, our sorrow, our anger, we trust in God's unfailing love and guidance. We rely upon the blessing of being a community of faith, a Church universal. Sisters and brothers of many colors, ages, sexual orientations, and abilities, we are one in Christl Together, let us wait upon the God of our salvation I This litany is based on Psalm 62:5-12 for January 23, 1994 in the New Common Lectionary; used for Ecumenical Welcoming Church Sunday, 1994. Ann B. Day, M.Div., is an ordained minister. She serves as the ONA Program Coordinator for the United Church Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns. Spring 1994 17 T E MARKETING THE GOSPEL: A FAITHFUL CHOICE By Martha Scott At first glance, evangelism and ministry with and for the gay; lesbian, and bisexual community seem mutually exclusive. This is especially clear on Sunday morning, when (with my channel selector in hand) I qUickly review the TV evangelists. A Pharisaic View of Evangelism From the religious Right, who dominate the airwaves, there is no good news for gay, lesbian, and bisexual Christians. In fact, it is impossible to be a Christian and be anything but heterosexual. This is a narrow if not false understanding of evangelism. ' The religious Right (and many moderate Christians) choose to define evangelism in its most Pharisaic terms. National holiness will be reached when all have obeyed every law and code of personal holiness. Those who challenge and do not keep these codes are denied the promises of God and should be eliminated in order to preserve the purity of the "chosen." Herein lies the error of Pharisaic evangelism, for Jesus held a rather irreverent view of personal holiness codes: he spoke to women, touched bleeding women, ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, exalted the faithfulness of Samaritans (Gentiles), discounted the ritual cleansing of dishes and the washing of hands before eating, and blasphemed the Sabbath laws by plucking grain and healing the sick 1 Those who promote Pharisaic religion err if they think salvation can be equated with personal holiness codes. Another View of Evangelism The Good News is that Pharisees are not in charge of the distribution of the Holy Spirit or the promises of God. God is. And God shows no partiality. Evangelism means helping God's people recognize that they are children of God, God's creation, people of sacred worth. It is offering words of God's love and promise for them. Itis inviting and welcoming them to live in right relationship with God and neighbor in the new heaven and earth, the kindom of God.2 Those who see evangelism in its largest context will want one focus to be on the community of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals for welcome and initiation into the kindom of God. To this end, there are some important demographic trends and life styles to which welcoming congregations will want to pay attention as they reach out. But first, a word about advertiSing and marketing. Marketing the Gospel Many of us are almost repulsed by the idea of "marketing the Gospel. " We think that somehow people should be dedicated to research a community for its churches, looking into each church's beliefs and when and how to contact its pastor or a member of the congregation for more information. We seem to believe that the initiative to find our church is to be left up to those who might be looking for a new church home. During a recent trip as a church development consultant in Wisconsin, I and several other members of the committee (who had never been to this church before) spent almost an hour looking for the only United Methodist Church in town. Not only did the gas station attendants and business community not know where it was, but there were no signs anywhere. I did, however, pass at least six signs for the antique gun show that weekend. Our churches are some of the best kept secrets around. In part this is why they are dying. Four points about church advertising are worth mentioning. First, growing churches in general have growing budgets for advertising. Advertising is to evangelism what the yellow pages are to business. Both must assume that what they offer is ofvalue to the public. Churches must also recognize that people, especially the Boomers, are busy. They don't shop around and do Open Hands 18 :-esearch projects on churches. They are ~ost likely to be attracted to what they .ear about. Second, there is no excuse for not ad··tising. Too often my colleagues retort at advertising is fine for "First Church" ecause they have money. But their ~urch and its budget is too small. Non--- se! All the leading book stores have _..ekes of books in the business section marketing on small budgets and for . 1-profit agencies. (See page 27.) -:hird, advertising in the gay and lesbicommunity is worth its weight in gold. a ~1arketing Insights Report from m ean Demographics entitled "Non ztional Affluent Consumers" John ebel writes: "Given the short history ational marketers advertising di;' to the gay and lesbian market, any 'enising has an exaggerated impact."3 .11S is true in the secular world, it is more true in the religiOUS realm. A reh today that goes out of its way, and even stands against its parent denomination, to welcome gays and lesbians will share this exaggerated impact. Those of us who have marched with our congregations in Gay Pride Parades across the country know that even though some observers are infuriated, many more have cheered on our efforts. If the church you serve is not yet ready for such a blatant witness, take heart in Knoebel's other finding: "It's really not necessary to create special advertising for the gay and lesbian market."4 Simply advertising in gay/lesbian newspapers and newsletters, on business and organization bulletin boards, and in their neighborhoods is welcomed as a sign of acceptance and will bring response. Fourth, it is essential that advertiSing thegospel be done well. These days, content of ideas must be accompanied by quality presentation. Invest in a couple of good books that not only suggest KEEPING OUR DOORS W IDE OPEN By David K. Hartley and Wilbert S. Miller 'LUcated one and a half miles north of the White House in Washington, D.C., Augustana _~t"eran Church is in a strategic location to develop intentional ministries in the midst of a cors:antly changing neighborhood:. Founded by Swedish immigrants in 1918, the congre_a~on moved to its currentlocation in the Dupont Circle neighborhood in 1937. . " the early 1950s, as whites were fleeing to the suburbs and blacks were moving in, gJstana dug in and reached out to its changing neighborhood. In an evangelism gram called "Operation One Mile" members conducted house-to-house visitation in a e-"1:le radius, inviting pES,ople to join Augustana. Our membership is now approximately ercent African-American. This historic outreach program has guided Augustana's g ever since. ,As the neighborhood continued to change, Augustana's vision remained constant: keep e doors open to all people who live in our community so that they can hear the good ~ws of Jesus. Thus, when the neighborhood became a nucleus for gay men and lesbian ,""e"l in the 1980s, we openly welcomed yet another new group by becoming one oNhe l ~econciled in Christ congregations in the Washington area, by advertising in the gay -~er. The Blade, by starting an AIDS ministry, and by providing support for Lutherans ....."'"cerned. Perhaps 20 percent of the congregation is now gay. ~e"l years ago, our membership was 280; today it is 460. Gays have joined Swedes and 1...."~, lcan-Americans (the three groupsare not mutually exclusive) in fellowship and in worship ._l ~od in a joyous array of diversity. Continuing our welcoming stance, we recently established an outreach ministry to the 'ng Latino presence by calling a Salvadorean-American to lead a 30-household commu.' "ow being integrated into Augustana's mainstream~ Ministries are also taking place for •.... e elderly poor and school-age youth. ugustana expects to be at its present address in the year 2094, tailoring ministries to the needs of its parish and keeping the doors wide open to all people. Indeed, God has cal ed us to be the steward of the good news at this corner of the universe. Since "God so ed the world'} we too have an awesome opportunity and responsibility to love the world +" the same openness and enthusiasm. a. 'd K. Hartley, M.A, who chairs Augustana's Social Ministry Committee, is a real estate appraiser for ~A'l-profit organizations and is active in Lutherans Concerned and civic affairs. . bert S. Miller, M. Div., served an inner-city parish in Phifadelphia prior to coming to Augustana in J982. ~pring 1994 ways of advertising, but demonstrate how to present the material in a way that maximizes the attractiveness of the content. (See page 27.) Looking at Demographics Once you've decided to reach out to the gay and lesbian community, it is important to know a few important demographic variables about that community -like how many are out there, where are they, and what are they like . First, the nUII1bers. There is no consensus about what percentage of the human community is gay or lesbian. In general I would dismiss the "one in ten" theory (25 million, including children) and accept Knoebel's figures: 4-6 million gay men and 2-4 million lesbians. Combined, these numbers are twice or three times higher than membership in many of our mainline Protestant churches. Though the smaller number is the safer guess, this is still a large number of people -many of whom are unchurched! In addition, the gay / lesbian community has parents, siblings, and friends who despise traditional church stands on gays and lesbians. There are still others who fall on the straight side, but who have had same-sex relationships. These statistics would all be much more precise if people could safely record their sexual preference in the u.s. Census survey. Until then, we will have to predict. And we could predict that if politicians and marketers take the gay / lesbian population seriously, the church should want to as well. Second, each denomination already has a "market share" depending on the geographical region being considered . United Methodism, for instance, could expect that at least 5-8 percent of the population in Nashville, Tennessee is United Methodist. Less than 5 percent of the population of gays and lesbians in Chicago are probably United Methodist. United .Methodism is simply stronger in the Nashville area than in Chicago. Third, and more importantly, if the growth of the Metropolitan Community Church is any indicator (and I believe it is) denominational lines in the lesbigay community are very fluid . more 1111. 19 Denominational loyalty wanes when acceptance is historically withheld. It peaks and crosses over to new alliances when welcome is evident. Thus, the "potential pool" of new lesbigay members for any church is larger than its denominational demographics predict. Other Variables M arketing research on the lesbian and gay community offers us other information that will help us locate and identify this community. Although gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are everywhere, they are most numerous in urban areas. The reasons are obvious: cities are more diverse and accommodating; it is easier to be anonymous; and, ironically perhaps, it is easier to find a like community in the city. The lesbigay community also congregates in college and university towns for at least some part of its life. A higher than average educational achievement means a Significant number of lesbigay persons have a higher than average income, which may give them access to wealthier or economically developing areas of a city or suburb. Most importantly, gay and lesbian people are diverse in their sharing of themselves. Knoebel has suggested a wave theory. Simply stated, older gay and lesbian people may continue to want to stay closeted. It is the way they have learned to survive. The church may offer real sanctuary, but sharing will need to be at their initiation. Some of the younger ones will openly share their sexual preference and if the church doesn't like it -tough. In addition, there are those who have benefited from being out, may have even been hired because they were out. For others, being out would cost them their jobs -clearly a decision they mayor may not make. Because demographic information is difficult to obtain, Overlooked Opinions has created the first and only lesbigay opinion polling firm. Their research is based on a panel of 100,000 gay men, lesbians, and bisexual men and women. Some interesting statistics emerge from the lesbigay population that was sampled. It is well-educated, with a fairly high standard of living. Over half of the lesbian couples and over a third of the gay men share a household. They enjoy reading, eating out, the theater, and camping (65 percent of the lesbians sampled go camping). Only 13 percent of gay men are Republicans. Finally, 79 percent of gays and lesbians made purchases based on gay media advertising.s Implications for our Outreach Church marketing and programming should take note that the church may be asked to perform holy unions, especially with lesbian women, who are partnering around living quarters. Programming and worship will need to appeal to both the intellect and the aesthetic soul of the worshipper. In addition, political allegiances suggest that this group will be most comfortable with liberal arguments and might be attracted by social service projects and systemic social change ministries. Support groups might be focused around a reading group for lesbians or a dining out group for gay men. Advertising in gay media that the church is open and welcoming will probably bring visitors. So what ifyou aren't in an urban area, or a college town, and you can't tell if there are any gay men, lesbians, or bisexual people around town? Does it make sense to raise the issue? Sure it does. There are probably closeted people there. Also, all areas will likely have family members of gay men, lesbians, or bisexual persons. Evangelism is sharing God's love in word and action. It involves us in transforming the world from hate to love, from oppressive structures to "just" communities, from religion as a purity code to religion as a corporate condition of the heart, wherein we choose to live in right relationship to God and neighbor. This will be good news to the lesbigay community and anyone else who has ever been made to feel that their ostracism and persecution from the church or society was the will of God. We need to put an end to Bible abuse. God shows no partiality and the Bible is GOOD NEWS. ~ Notes lSee Donald Kraybill, "Impious Piety," Upside Down Kingdom. Scottdale, PA Herald Press, 1978, ch. 8. 2The term "kindom" is used by many people; originator unknown. See Ada Maria IsasiDiaz, "Solidarity: Love of Neighbor in the 1980s," Lift Every Voice. ed . Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite and Mary Potter Engel. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1990, p. 33. 3John Knoebel, "Non-Traditional Affluent Consumers," American Demographics. Ithaca, NY, p. 8. 4Ibid., p. 7 5Overlooked Opinions, 3162 N. Broadway, #2, Chicago, IL 60657. Editor's note: In general, a sample this large would safeguard reliability, but given the hiddenness of part of the lesbigay population, one must acknowledge that the sample may be skewed toward lesbigays who are more "out," more oriented to the lesbigay community, and/or more consumer oriented than the total lesbigay population might be if we could get a truly random sample of it. Martha Scott, Ph.D., is an ordained elder in theNorthern Illinois Conference and has served churches for the last nineteen years. She now directs the Office of Field Education and Church Relations and is lecturer in Preaching and Practical Ministry Skills at the University of Chicago Divinity School. GROWTH ABOUNDS IN WELCOMING CHURCHES Church/Location Official Decision Membership Membership to be Welcoming Then Now McKinley Memorial Presbyterian 1980 Champaign, IL St. Mark's Lutheran 1984 San Francisco, CA Wallingford UMC 1984 Seattle, WA Northeast UCC 1989 Indianapolis, IN Second Congregational 1992 Bennington, VT 191 207 163 487 l56 270 151 179 303 340 Open Hands 20 n InTER-FAITH cominG OUT DAY IERVICE ....... . --ersity Catholic Center. -fundamentalist Catholic stus who objected to the co-sponsorof the inter-faith service by the niversity United Methodist Church, located at the center of the campus of the Univer:: of Wisconsin-Madison, hosted an er-faith celebration of National Com. g Out Day on Sunday, October 10, _93. Nearly 200 persons attended the ~:ice which was co-sponsored and pported by fourteen local churches d synagogues. -rhe service was widely advertised as ".itness for the overcoming of indiference, fear, hatred and violence rough understanding, truth, love and mpassion." It drew substantial front e coverage from local newspapers mainstream and lesbian/gay. It also ': a small group who picketed the ur interfaith service grew out of an rmal gathering of members and ers of local faith communities who e responding to threatening letters oed by University Church and other . congregations kn own to have n a welcoming stance towards les. .5, gays, and bisexuals. In addition o-hosting this service, participating communities intend to maintain a a. network for mutual support and mstry. . 'niversity United Methodist Church so signed on as a co-sponsor of a sees of events organized by the Ten Pert Society (an officially recognized ,-sbigay student organization at the -ni\-ersity of Wisconsin-Madison). The rpring 1994 By Iteven E. UJeb/ter Ten Percent Society reciprocated by publicizing the interfaith service as the opening event of their Coming Out Week. What is National Coming Out Day? National Coming Out Day is a holiday created by the movement for the equal rights oflesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. Itoriginated as a commemoration of the first nationwide march on Washington which occurred in October of 1987. That march is credited with reinvigorating the lesbian and gay movement by giving greater viSibility to sexual minorities which share the experience of being "in the closet" and who seek liberation through "coming out." As a "secular" holiday, National Coming Out Day lends itself well to interfaith celebrations in much the same way as Thanksgiving Day, a holiday which does not belong to any one faith tradition. Our Witness and Outreach: A Truly Recondling Event Our interfaith service began with a guided meditation by the ReverendJonaluJohnstone, a local Unitarian pastor, who led us through the spiritual isolation and darkness of the "closet" into the liberating experience of "coming out." This meditation set the tone for the rest of the service, underscoring the spiritual dimensions of this shared experience of many lesbians and gays, spiritual dimensions which are also relevant to non-gay persons. The choir of University United Methodist Church sang the hymn "These Things Shall Be" by John Addington Symonds, a gay man in 19th century Victorian England. (Unitarian hymnal has an inclusive version.) It is a hymn particularly appropriate to Coming Out Day because its author lived "in the closet" in Victorian England, but chose to "come out" to the future by writing of his private struggles as a gay man and taking care that the manuscript would be preserved to be published in 1984 as The Memoirs of John Addington Symonds.l Those who gathered were addressed by Wisconsin State Assemblywoman Tammy Baldwin, an out-of-the-closet lesbian representing a Madison state assembly district, and Professor Joanne Elder, a Quaker and member of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The interfaith service, which was titled "Coming Out, Coming Together", was truly a reconciling event. Itbrought together persons of a wide range of ages, thirty members of a Unitarian youth group, lesbian, gay and heterosexual persons, lay and clergy, Catholics, Lutherans,Jews, Quakers, United Methodists, Unitarians, Presbyterians, and United Church of Christ. And as the service began, some persons left the picket line and accepted an invitation extended to them by members of University Church to attend the service, .. Note IGrosskurth,.Phyllis, editor, The Memoirs of John Addington Symonds. New York: Random House, 1984, Steven E. Webster participates in lay leadership at University Church and is active as a lay preacher in various Wisconsin pulpits. His unsuccessful attempt to secure ordination in the United Methodist Church as an openly gay person received nationwide attention in 1974 and led him to join in the founding of Af firmation in 1975. University Church considers the campus of the University of Wisconsin to be its primary field of mission. 21 BECOMING A LESBIAN EVANGELIST: Model for £) N£)tion£)1 Outre£)ch Ministry The Presbyterian Church u.s.A. says in the Book of Order that it is called to be Christ's faithful evangelist by: • "participating in God's activity in the world through its life for others by healing, reconciling and binding up wounds . .. • "ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless . .. • "engaging in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger, and injustice . .. • "undertak[ingl this mission even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ. " When my call to the co-pastor position at Downtown United Presbyterian 1ti By J()oie Ad()ms 5pi\hr the Book of Order and from pondering the word "evangelist" the vision came and DUPC Co-pastor Rose Mitchell called to share the group's vision with me: DUPC would seek a partnership with Spectrum, Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Concerns, in San Anselmo, California where I was serving as Executive Director. DUPC would create and fund a special mission project and Spectrum would serve as the hiring body and fiscal agent. This mission project would be called "That All May Freely Serve." I would then move from being Spectrum's executive director to being an evangelist. I would be homebased in San Rafael, California, through Spectrum. I would be given the opportunity to translate, live, speak our truth, spread the good news of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. We would be talking about integrating our JY. Coni and I listened, prayed, and spoke with our family. We walked the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge, holding hands and watching the waves roll in at dusk. We smiled to one another. "I know," she said, and she waited. She always waits for me to come to what she intUitively knows deep inside. "You were born to do this work," she said. "Maybe there'll be times that we can do this together." "When you can break free from your work," I said. She smiled at me and answered "I h ope so." We walked qUietly back along the shore, holding hands. It was dark by then. We drove home and held each other tightly all night. I woke up very early the next morning. After telling my staff at Spectrum, Coni and I called DUPC and I said "yes, I would become an evangelist." On the Road On February 28. 1993, I said goodbye as executive director of Spec- I '".. , t, .UI 1\ ::;!: ~. ~ 1111 • ,,", I • "., ,,'~ ....... ~. I III nl~~IOtI~~ .... .r::""f;::~all."IIJIIII~!!Jm::m;!~~1II1*lm:·~:.·l a ~ ~ "":: :: 'Hlln ft 1.. : ~~,... lll1ih;' •~.-~;iiiiil.... 7.1111 ;;..::1::: :.:.:. ~"....Jel. ---:kt. ...._ ... .-.. 8 .. 1::1 ~'1 1111 ~I •••ln~'.H""'rJm111 HThatAl1 May Freely Serve" ' ~ 1~, ,,~al; ~ I~'~ Church (DUPC) in Rochester, New York was denied by the General Assembly PermanentJudicial Commission in November of 1992, a group of faithful Downtown Church members and committed friends gathered and asked, "How can we bring into concrete form the Good News of the gospel for our day? How can we make concrete an inclusive vision of ministry?" Through prayer and discernment upon reading this particular chapter in sexuality and spirituality as well as inviting heterosexual allies and friends to join us in a movement of the spirit. What a vision! A friend of mine said, "You have always been an evangelist, you have always spread God's good news of inclusiveness. This work would take you across the country to do what you already do so well." trum. The next day I flew to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my home town, as a lesbian evangelist. From that moment on, I have experienced a spiritual opening far beyond what I could have dreamed. I have witnessed in the people across this country a yearning for truth-telling, for authenticity, and for delving deep into God and themselves -a partnering with God. I have clocked thousands of miles on several airlines and met thousands of people who have shared their Open Hands 22 stories of the heart, grappled with me m asking their difficult questions, cried, laughed, b een angry, open, cranky, .•opeful, and despondent. I have witnessed the most sacred of oments: a woman preparing to die in Burlington, Vermont saying good-bye to er partner, her former husband, and eir children; a mother coming out to er son in Portland, Oregon; a mother d father telling me of a stained glass .ndow soon to be put in their church noring their gay son who died of -DS. I have met college students askb hard questions in their own lives ut sexuality and spirituality; pastors ishing to be all of who they are with elf congregation s; seminarians rough tears saying "I know I have been ..ed to this work, Janie. I don't want lie about who I am, for it is a gift to who I am. Please help me deal with .15 pain." I have also received (and ob_~5si\'ely answered) thousands ofletters m across this country. I am deeply ched by the openness and care that mes across the pages. Talking about sexuality and spiritu; helps people talk from deep inside. ;";.5 one woman in Atlanta put it, "We n't even talk about heterosexuality, let ne homosexuality." And she smiled me and said, "But I guess we will '." Another person in Los Angeles d. ". . . as an older person, we never <.ed about these things. But you know ~at, 1 found out I'm talking about a of deep things I never talked about iVre." Another yelled at me at a gath...g. "I hate you,]anie Spahr, for makme think about things I don't want ink about." ':herever we go, we are astounded .He people and the truth-telling that rs. Whether we are in a meeting or e-on-one, we know that we have been uch with the angels of God. In fact, ..ave been in touch with God Her1have never known as clearly as I -e come to know this year the text, . where two or three are gathered in -name, so I am in the midst of you." eam Effort his ministry is a huge team effort fro m the touring partners like ..ny Davidson who travel with me, to :rng 1994 Susie and Cyndy who spend many God's inclusive love and a vision of an hours each week in San Rafael, Califorinclusive church where everyone has nia getting the administrative tasks access to the table and to leadership. T done, to Stan and Suzanne who run the Information Office at DUPC in RochJanie Adams Spahr, ester, New York, to people every place D.Min., lesbian fem inist in between. We are touched by the wonPresbyterian minister der of God's people and well aware of and evangelist, is the the tremendous effort being done so mother of two sons, Jim that we can be on the road again and and Chet. Her life partagain and again. ner, Coni Staff, is a Being a lesbian evangelist is an amazUFMCC minister. ing experience -an incredible opportunity to spread -and to receive back Artist: Patricia Wygant [jar the ''That All a hundredfold -the good news of May Freely Serve" logo] REACHING ,out ISA WAY OF 1.:1 FE ByRosemaryC.Mitchell Th~ D9wntown Church (DUPC) has a long ,history ?fihv6lvement in social justice issues. From the days of the. Ladies Missipnary Society that reached out to "stranger girls" who had found theirway to Rochester, New York on t~.e:Erie .CanaI, to inyolvemenf in Temperance (an early women's movement), to declaring ourselves a Sanctuary Church and a More Light Church, Downtown's members have never he~itatedto preach, discussi or get involved in the issues. It is "8 way of Hfe for us. Members expea that difficult topics or situations will be addressed il:) sermons and talked about in adult classes ANDthat we will move to action as? faith com~unity. Declaring ourselyes a More ~JghtChurch in 1979 just made sense.The decision followed a great dear of intentional study and discussion. Since 1979 there have been courses on Sexyality and Spirituality orHomosexuality and the Bible every year, This continuing education of our congregation has increas?d·the comfort level and the ability of members to articulate their own beliefs., During the firstyear following pur call to Janie Spahr to serve as a co-pastor, ,no one"left and no one witbdrew their financial pledge! Almost everyone who has joined BUPC in the last three or four years is coming. back aft:f years away. from the church -and they're looking for a church which reflects their "sixties" values of inclusivity, participatory decision-making,aod an open discussion of ·theologic~lissues. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons have trusted us. . and our words that we are inde~d ·. a Vl{elcoming chyrch and that membership means full membership..Having gay and lesbian members actively participate has increased the understanding and knowledge of our whole congregation. As strangers have become friends and shared .their stories with us, they have been a real gift to qur lifetogethef as God's household of faith . Rosemary C. Mitchell, M.Div.,.has been a full-;..timePresbyte'rian pastor since'}977 and hasserved churches in Needham, Massachusetts, Washington, D. C. and Rochester, New York, She has co-authored two volumes entitled Birthing~and BI.essings: Liberating Warship far the Inc:/usive Church. She is married and the mother of three terrific children. 23 WELCOMING SEXUAL MINORITY PERSONS: A Checklist By Partners in Reconciliation of the Metanoia Peace Community HOW can congregations welcome sexual minority persons? This checklist was created by fourteen sexual minority persons from four denominations who gathered with Rev. Joyce McManus especially to help create this list. All had searched for congregations where they could feel welcomed and affirmed. All had struggled to help their home congregation understand the ways they had felt excluded because of their sexual orientation. Several had changed churches when they found their congregation unwilling to listen to their experiences. Basic Welcoming Responses o l. People in the congregation initiate and value conversations with newcomers. o 2. People in the congregation recognize new persons the second time they come. o 3. The language used in conversations reflects an awareness of diversity in family units: e.g., asking about spouse rather than husband. o 4. Printed materials include the words gay, lesbian, bisexual. o 5. Inclusive language is used. (Three men agreed: if a church hasn't worked through inclusive language issues, it probably isn't ready to welcome me.) o 6. People in the congregation express genuine interest in getting acquainted, even when conversations focus on homosexual concerns or relationships. o 7. Newcomers are seen as persons, not as an issue or objects of study. o 8. Being Single is honored graciously. Assumptions about sexual identity or the desire to "cruise" are held in check. o 9. Stereotypes are challenged; e.g., that you are only homosexual if you are in a relationship or that all single homosexuals are looking for a sexual encounter. 010. Care is taken not to "out" anyone. 011. Congregational members acknowledge that new persons may be a couple, and then follow the visitors' lead. Some may wish to acknowledge a relationship publicly; others may not. Integrating Sexual Minority Persons into a Congregation o l. Couples' events and classes are usually open to same sex couples. o 2. Most congregational activities are not segregated by age and sex. o 3. Anniversaries of same-sex couples are celebrated in the same way as anniversaries of heterosexual couples. o 4. Sexual minority persons who have skills and interest in working with children and youth in the congregation are welcome to do so. o 5. Persons are asked to serve on committees because of their gifts and abilities, not as token representatives. o 6. The congregation's welcoming task force or committee is not always chaired by a gay or lesbian member. This committee is integrated into the churcns committee structure, not ad hoc. o 7. There are times and places where sexual minority persons can congregate as a group to be with people who have the same sexual orientation (without other members getting upset or panicked). o 8. In phone and picture directories, family units are recognized as such. o 9. Greeters or liturgy teams are mixed, not always malefemale teams. 0 10. Members of the congregation are offered opportunities to learn about the history and experiences of gay and lesbian people. These programs are well received by the whole congregation. o 11. Current events within the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community are announced and celebrated. Political Solidarity in the Midst of Uncertainty o 1. The congregation identifies itself openly as a community where sexual minority persons are welcomed and included. 24 Open Hands _ Leaders disavow the "Don't make waves" position, recognizing that silence supports discrimination and alienation of homosexuals. 3. The congregation devotes resources and staff support for developing new ministries with and for sexual minority persons. .. 1embers of the congregation receive training in how to respond to derogatory comments that belittle homosexual or bisexual persons. -: he congregation organizes or endorses public activitles which support civil rights for sexual minority persons. ...{embers of the congregation initiate conversations with -heir friends, sharing their experiences with sexual mirity persons. hnisters are actively involved in welcoming commitlees or advocacy work. ~"""'~iU Peace Community is a United Methodist Reconciling Co ngrePortland, Oregon. Partners in Reconciliation is a ministry of A PASTOR' S FOOTNOTE By Joyce McManus ave spent the last ten years of my life working with egations around concerns of church growth and a'. Most congregations perceive that they are friendly e coming and they are friendly -to theirfriends! ',ever, until members of a congregation take on den of seeing t hemselves through t he eyes of the -=..r~lT\er they often are not welcoming to new persons. ge you to go back through the list and look at your through the eyes of a female visitor who is a 'nority person. Ask yourself, "What is the likeliat the people who speak to her will be sensitive in arguage to the fact that she may be a lesbian even =,h she has not identified herself as such? If during 2r COllcerns, she mentions the loss of her friend to someone sitting near her speak to her after ~._"""T'chin. specifically mentioning her prayer request? In on are there illustrations that include gay per. I your lesbian visitor see any printed material assures her t hat she too is welcome and wanted SIng this list as a resource, evangelism or outreach ttees might discover new ways to welcome sexual ltv persons. e McManus, M. Div. , was called in 1993 as a cor of Metanoia Peace Community, a Reconciling gregation of the United Methodist Church in PortOregon, to direct the ministry of Partners in Recon- PASTOR-IN-EXILE: Another Model of Outreach Metanoia Peace Community is a new, unconventional, more biblically-based United Methodist congregation whose vision emerged from the World Peacemaker Group in Portland, Oregon in mid-1985. Begun by John Schwiebert, an ordained United Methodist minister, and supported by the bishop and annual conference, Metanoia began worship services in June 1986. In 1988 Metanoia declared itself a "Sanctuary Church" and in 1990 a "Reconciling Congregation." Members and sojourners of Metanoia are encouraged to live together and share resources, where possible, as an expression of Christian community. Every member is expected to be accountable to her/ his peers through participation in a Covenant Discipleship Group of four to eight persons who meet weekly in homes of members. Metanoia Peace Community currently has two clearly defined missions. The older of the two is the Peace House/Grief Watch Mission. Nine Metanoians live together at 18th Ave Peace House sharing income. Another income-sharing community is being formed a block away. Other members share living space and expenses, but not income. Four full-time "missioners" oversee the Peace House and run a program known as Perinatal Loss which ministers to parents who are experiencing grief follOWing the death of a son or daughter. The second and newer mission of Metanoia is Partners in Reconciliation which has several goals: • to create within the larger church and the wider public a climate ofunderstanding in which gay people and straight people are able to respect and trust each other; • to foster healing and reconciliation in response to the current climate of fear, hate, and mistrust which has given rise to antihomosexual ballot measures in Oregon; • to overcome the real fears of persons who perceive sexual minority persons as "queer"; • to challenge our sister United Methodist congregations and the United Methodist Church as a denomination to fully include and value sexual minority persons. A major effort of this mission is the support of the full-time public ministry ofJoyce McManus, a United Methodist clergywoman and a lesbian, both as co-pastor of Metanoia Peace Community and as a sexual minority activist in the wider church and community. Joyce serves in defiance of the United Methodist denominational policy against the appointment of "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" as pastors. She is officially on leave of absence from the Northern Illinois Conference, where she had previously served as a pastor, prior to "coming out" as a lesbian in June of 1993. She serves with Metanoia as a "pastor-inexile" in anticipation of the day when the United Methodist Church will end its discriminatory policy and allow her to be formally appointed by a bishop to the position she now holds or to some other pastoral assignment. .. This article was excerpted from "What Is Metanoia Peace Community?" written by Metanoia's co-pastor John T Schwiebert. 994 25 priate referrals. If a young person comes out to you or another youth group member, know where to locate help. Social and support groups are often the best emotional and spiritual healers for these W hy should you and your church reach out to lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth in whatever capacity you are able? The number one reason is that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth can contribute to your group. Their unique culture, history, and experiences can bring new energy to topics such as relationships, politics, biblical interpretation, historical figures, humor, art, and many other subjects. You may be able to put lesbigay youth in touch with their history and culture. Your efforts on behalf of lesbigay youth can also help stem many of the difficulties they face because of homophobia, including but not limited to: isolation, violence and harassment,l suicide,2 high school drop out,3 substance abuse,4 homelessness,5 family tension, and strained relationships. These difficulties are not rare cases. In the last year, in SWAGLY (a lesbian and gay social support group in Worcester, Massachusetts) three members dropped out of school due to overwhelming harassment. Two young people were turned out of the house for at least one month. Almost all members were at some time frustrated that they could not pursue truth-based relationships with family and friends. All in a group ofless than fifteen members! Homophobia affects more than lesbigay youth. Raising issues in mixed youth groups may also help youth with lesbian or gay parents, young people experiencing a close friend's coming out process, young heterosexuals dehumanized by their homophobic actions against others, and those locked into rigid gender roles. You may also help stem premature sexual activity, a homophobia-driven dysfunction which many youth engage in to assert their heterosexuality or as an attempt to convert from homosexuality. How you can reach out Raise the issue. Openly integrate lesbian, gay, and bisexual people into your language. Be a role model. If you are lesbigay, help young people learn social skills such as combating internalized homophobia and coming out. If you are heterosexual, demonstrate to youth how to affirm and appreciate all people regardless of sexual orientation. Support your youth ministers', public school teachers' and youth leaders' efforts to provide homophobia and sexuality education and outreach to lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth in your local or regional youth groups. Train youth leadership. Sponsor workshops. Provide appro- LeUlM"",Youth This was the front panel of the brochure for the first social-support Together youth group in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Twin Cities area. Begun in 1984 it provided a safe source of support for over 1000 youth during its ten-year history. Wingspan Ministries of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church (an RIC church) offered staff time and financial support for this youth-run, adult-supported group. "Leadership development became a major emphasis of the youth group, " says Leo Treadway, who served as a Ministry Associate for the Wingspan Ministry of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran ~hurch and an adult leader of LGYT. "Youth became speakers for profeSSional organizations and for other youth programs, as well as Peer Educators for the local Youth and AIDS Project. They had a phenomenal impact on groups such as the Boy Scouts and United Way." While LGYT itself has closed, it served as a model for some of the dozen support groups in the Twin Cities area. The area also now offers District 202, a drop-in center which A safe source of friendship & support opened in 1993. for lesbian. gay, and b,sexual youth Cartoon by Allison Bechdel GraphicS by design: Robert W. Schmitt Open Hands young people. More severe difficulties may warrant professional help. Research your referrals. Be sure they are sensitive to lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns and will not inflict emotional damage.6 Create a comfortable environment. Make office and youth group meeting spaces lesbigay friendly with positive posters and pamphlets. Use affirming language. Be sure special events and publicity reflect inclusiveness. Encourage your youth group to explore your denomination's "welcoming church program." (See page 3 for list of program leaders and addresses.) Reach out beyond your immediate circle of youth contacts. Find ways to advertise that reach the larger youth community in your area . ... Notes lThe Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth, 1993. State House, Room 111, Boston, MA 02133. 2Paul Gibson, "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide, "Report ofthe Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suidde. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989. 3Joyce Hunter and Robert Schaecher, "Stresses on Lesbian and Gay Adolescents in Schools," Sodal Work in Education, (Spring 1989). 4Gary Remafedi, "Adolescent Homosexuality: PsychOSOcial and MediCal Implications," Pediatrics 79 (No.3, 1987). 5Gabe Kruks, "Gay and Lesbian Homeless/ Street Youth: Special Issues and Concerns," Journal of Adolescent Health 12 (No.7, 1991). 6John C. Gonsiorek, "Mental Health Issues oj Gay and Lesbian Adolescents, "Journal of Adolescent Health Care 9 (No.2, 1988). Gregory Anderson, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude in SOciology and music, serves as the Coordinator of the United Church Coalition for Lesbian/ Gay Concerns Youth and Young Adult Outreach Program. 26 OU~'RI~ CH IMAGES AND OUTREACH Carl 5., and Johnson, Sally A. Energizing the Congrega: Images that Shape Your Church's Ministry. Louisville, 'estminster;John Knox, 1993. This book offers five imhurch: pillar, pilgrim, survivor, prophet, and servant explores how each type of church moves from worship at e"1ter to its own approach to outreach. H. \Villiam. Faith before Faithfulness: Centering the f.usive Church . Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 1992. es decline of members and influence of "mainline" hes, then proposes that churches shift their identity mainline" to "inclusive-evangelical." R~claims the cone\'angelical" and "conversion" from exclusive evangelicals ere most liberal churches relegated them). Provides (ful insight into the need to move from a church growth egy to a spiritual growth strategy -all while maintaining -won ideals of tolerance, political involvement, diversity, stice" in our pluralistic congregations. Includes ten. study guide in appendix. en)' M. Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of Church. Louisville, KY: Westminister/John Knox Press, 3 l\'hile not specifically focused on evangelism, this book es a vision of the inclusive church, with all members fully around a common table of hospitality. TS OF EVANGELISM onimer, and Johnson, Alan. The Great Commission: ical Models for Evangelism. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992. hat the "great commission" is often quoted in evangeaterials -usually out of context -Arias provides a gh exegesis of material in all four gospels. Johnson es a very helpful 24-page study guide. c.; \11;,\:,~Cmann, Walter. Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism: LivIn a Three-Storied Universe. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. res evangelism in the Bible; offers an image of evange. as a "drama in three scenes"; challenges the church to nk its current practices and methods. ::er, Donald E. A Conspiracy of Goodness: Contemporary 11'tages of Christian Mission. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992. Calls r recovery of an "apostolic" mission; speaks of outreach to e marginalized; and offers wonderful contemporary images or mission: "global gardeners", "bridge builders", "star rowers", and "fence movers." MODELS 'FOR OUTREACH Bos, A. David. A Practical Guide to Community Ministry. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993. Examines a growing movement where local churches join ecumenically to minister to immediate neighborhood needs. Page, Patricia N. All God's People Are Ministers: Equipping Church Members for Ministry. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1993. A survey of methods and resources, with a focus on ministry as reconciliation and as friendship. Schaller, Lyle E. Innovations in Ministry: Models for the 21st Century. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. Identifies emerging models for ministry, especially laity-driven ministries which are shifting from small, local churches toward large, seven-day-aweek regional churches. Also identifies a "Key Church Strategy" where large churches with discretionary money are encouraged to start highly focused multisite ministries. Stallings, James O. Telling the Story: Evangelism in Black Churches . Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1988. As the preface says, "this book is about stories -personal, cultural, and God's ... It is about evangelism that must always tell the story of God's loving and liberating activity in the lives of people and in the world through Jesus Christ." Explores the use of story in the black church tradition. Two helpful reflection activities at the end of the book. Whitlock, Katherine. Bridges of Respect: Creating Support for Lesbian and Gay Youth. Philadelphia: AFSC, 1988. Introductory material about youth needs. Extensive resource listing. AFSC also publishes a newsletter, "Crossroads: Supporting Sexual Minority Youth." AFSC, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19lO2. MARKETING AND ADVERTISING STRATEGIES These resources explore concepts of marketing! advertiSing, with strategies for implementing plans without large budgets . Klein, ErJca Levy. Write Great Ads: A Step by Step Approach. New York: John Wiley &: Sons, Inc., 1990. Levinson, Jay Conrad . Guerrilla Marketing Attack. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Marketing without much money. Ramacitti, David F. Do It Yourself Advertising. New York: AMACOM, 1992. How to do quality ads. Rice, Craig S. Marketing Without a Marketing Budget. Holbrook, MA: Bob Adams, Inc., 1989. How to work on a shoestring. Roman, Kenneth, and Maas, Jane. How to Advertise. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976. A profeSSional guide; what works, and what doesn't. Shawchuck, Norman, et al. Marketingfor Congregations: Choosing to Serve People More Effectively. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992. A thorough treatment of marketing. ng 1994 27 Welcome New Churches Many readers commented on the impressiveness of the combined list of "welcoming" churches in the last issue and the fact that our movement has grown by 22 percent over the last year. The combined list will be published annually (in the Winter issue). We will continue in each issue to profile churches that have recently joined the movement. First Presbyterian Church Yorktown Heights, New York With a long history of inclusiveness, the First Presbyterian Church strongly objected to the November 1992 denial ofjanie Spahr's call by their denomination. A member of a neighboring More Light church came to speak and the church decided to work toward a More Light statement. To ensure dialogue and congregational participation, the process included sharing personal stories, hearing a therapist talk about sexual orientation and homophobia, viewing a video, and closing with an open forum. Then, in a meeting described by the pastor as a "most spirit-filled, spiritmoved meeting," the church's governing board adopted its More Light stance. The church sees this step as a continuation of its ministries of justice and social involvement. Good Samaritan Church Pinellas Park, Florida Located on the edge of St. Petersburg, this 248-member congregation is attentive to justice issues and ecumenism. The only Presbyterian (U.S.A)/United Church of Christ congregation in the state, it is doubly committed to implementing its More Light/Open and Affirming stance! The congregation began dialogue and education on lesbian and gay concerns fifteen years ago. Through association with a crisis hotline, the church learned of the fears and hardships facing adolescents as they come out. This concern developed into "True Expressions," a ministry with high school students and young adults coming to terms with their homosexuality. The congregation also houses a Head Start center and has begun a local AIDS ministry. Noble Road Presbyterian Church Cleveland Heights, Ohio "I've always known Noble Road was inclusive. I guess some people just need it in writing," said one member about the church's recent decision to become More Light. Over the past three years, this 200-member congregation has discussed scripture and homosexuality, heard the stories of gay persons, and studied the issues facing the larger church. Information and assistance was sought from other More Light churches. A retreat of the church's governing board focused on homosexuality and the church. A few persons were unhappy More Light Conference The 10th annual conference of the More Light Churches network will be held at Grace Trinity Church in Minneapolis from May 6-8, 1994. "From Dialogue to Ministry" is the theme with keynoters John Fife, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and Christine Smith, professor of preaching at United Theological Seminary. To register, call St. Luke Presbyterian Church at 612/ 473-7378. about the More Light decision, while several families with gay members have come out. The dialogue continues. ............... "T,AT,AT.Q OPEN -II-[!~!~: J "T,AT,AT.Q OPEN AND AFFIRMING College Street Congregational Church Burlington, Vermont "A church with an open mind and a warm heart," College Street is a 157member, inner city congregation. It is part of the Joint Urban Ministries Project, seven downtown churches which minister to people living on the streets, addreSSing basic n eeds that aren't met by other programs. The church's aNA commitment continues a long tradition of social activism that began with its founding by suffragettes and abolitionists in 1860. Members of the church participated in Burlington's Pride March and the congregation looks forward to becoming more informed and active on ONA issues. First Congregational Church Holliston, Massachusetts A 700-member suburban congregation, First Congregational offers creative worship which responds to tradition and change with an emphasis on the inclusiveness of God's love in Jesus Christ. It has an exciting music program including youth, adult, and bell choirs. With dynamic lay leadership, the church provides numerous ministries for the community, including a weekday nursery/day care. Its ONA commitment is posted in the church and explained in new members' classes. Open Hands 28 a Lutherans Concerned/North America International Assembly Lutherans Concerned/North America will celebrate their 20th an'ersaryin Charlotte, North Carolina from July 14-17, 1994. The theme "God's Own People." Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Barbara dblad, a visionary in gay and lesbian ministry who has been heard ';lillions of people on her Protestant Hour radio broadcasts. Bant speaker will be Dirk Selland, a u.s. submarine officer who came . to his Navy chaplain as a result of President Clinton'spromise to the ban on gays and lesbians in the military and was subsequently .e of few openly gay members of the armed services to testify at the '.s. Senate hearings last spring. Selland will speak of his Lutheran ongregation's reaction and their eventual renewal. For information, a:: 704/366-9416. 1994 Storrs Congregational Church Storrs, Connecticut Located on the scenic campus of the University of Connecticut, this diverse congregation of 500 members is highly committed to ministry with the university and wider community. With 35 other churches, it participates in the Windam Area Interfaith Ministries which serves the needs of people in the inner city and rural areas. Storrs Congregational was a "pilot church" for the UCC sexuality curriculum, "Created in God's Image," and now helps train other churches wishing to use the materials: [ RECOYHRISTJ Lutheran Student Movement of Canada Saskatoon, Saskatchewan The second RIC ministry in Canada, this Lutheran Student Movement chapter voted unanimously to declare itself RIC in January. The LSM chapter not only made a stand for justice and committed themselves to including lesbian and gay students in their spiritual community, but earned the much-anticipated # 100 position on the RIC roster. Peace Lutheran Church Alexandria, Virginia Reacting to their study of the ELCA Sexuality Study draft last summer, Peace members decided to become RIC because they "did not want to be understood as a congregation which was not embracing of gay and lesbian people." The congregation has a history of working against exclusivity in all its forms, of generous giving to many community t United Church of Tampa a, Florida l=oundational to the Gospel message .ts a stand in love and solidarity with r. oppressed and marginalized, f \vhom are us, and to that end ommitted to being a Just Peace pen and Affirming church." To 126 members explore and hen these commitments, First ed provides a variety of opportuni.or worship and education. Its "en study, "Rescuing the Bible from mentalism" will address interpreof scripture as it relates to homola and misogyny. Beginning at Easthe church plans to offer two "ship services on Sunday. A new ng group will offer a time of supand worship for women of the h. As part of its ONA commitment, ,-ongregation has placed an ad in '-ea's gay/lesbian newspaper. Good Samaritan Church Pinellas Park, Florida See Good Samaritan listing under More Light. Southwest United Church of Christ Portland, Oregon A growing congregation celebrating its tenth anniversary, Southwest UCC takes seriously the task of making the Gospel relevant in today's world. Its 80 members have decided not to own church property; they meet in the Franciscan Renewal Center. The congregation is active in mission to the homeless of Portland and involved in justice concerns in Central America. The church's ONA process deepened relationships among members and increased their awareness of the need for churches to make public witness to God's inclusive love. The congregation is part of an ecumenical group of churches that gathers to share resources and stories related to "welcoming ministries." 29 •••••••••• •••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • •••••••• charities, and of participation in justice work, all under the motto "What would Jesus do?" ---RECONCILING ---' Grace United Methodist Church Santa Cruz, California One of the trademarks of this 100member congregation is it "feels like family." Grace is a fairly stable congregation with many older, long-time members. Its ministries include English as a Second Language classes and feeding homeless women and children once a week. The congregation has discussed becoming a Reconciling Congregation for about five years and made this commitment last fall. RIC List Surpasses 100! A recent flurry of new Reconciled in Christ congregations in Canada, Iowa, Illinois, and the District of Columbia has brought the total number to 102 congregations and campus ministries, nine synods, and the national Lutheran Campus Ministry. This is a wonderful milestone, which reflects an enormous amount of effort, love, dialogue, and relationship-building by tens of thousands of Lutherans across the U.S.A and Canada. RIC Congregation Risks Expulsion for Gay Pastor The Rev. Ross Merkel, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oakland, California has been removed from the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) by an ELCA diSciplinary panel for "persisting more than five years in a homosexual relationship." The congregation has indicated that they have no intention of replacing Merkel, so it is expected that charges ............................................... .............. . ~ RCP Celebrates 10 Years with Tour of Original Musical Drama In a gala celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Reconciling Congregation Program (RCP) is commissioning an original musical dramatic presentation which will tour and be performed in fifteen different cities this June. Written by Tim McGinley, minister of music at Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, HOME: The Parable of Beatrice and Neal will premiere on Friday, June 10th in Chicago. HOME is derived from the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, with modern • musical elements from the Roman mass. The RCP is recruiting performers to rehearse the production in Chicago and then perform it in cities throughout the midwestern U.S.A. This tour promises to be an inspiring witness to the accomplishments of the RC movement in the past decade and a proclamation of the message of God's unconditional love to thousands of persons. If you would like to assist with the tour or help produce a local performance, contact the RCP office. Call (312) 736-5526 for final schedule will be filed against the congregation. The outcome of that trial will likely be the expulsion of St. Paul from the ELCA Merkel came out to the congregation in a sermon last June and introduced his partner of five years. Although this was a "public secret" within the congregation which supported Merkel in his relationship, Bishop Lyle Miller offered Merkel the choice of resigning or facing charges. St. Paul Lutheran Church was the second congregation to join the Reconciled in Christ program. Under Merkel's leadership over the last fourteen years, St. Paul has become a growing, vibrant urban congregation with an uncommonly strong feeling of "family," involvement in a variety of ministries, generous financial support of the synod and ELCA, and a deep commitment to ministry with lesbian and gay people (particularly couples), at-risk youth, and people with AIDS. St. Paul preSident Paul Basting noted that in the wake of Merkel's sermon, one person left the congregation and thirty have joined. Tentative Rep 10th Anniversary Tour Schedule 6/ 10 Chicago 6/11 Indianapolis 6/ 12 Nashville 6/ 13 Louisville • 6/ l4 Charleston, WV 6/15 Pittsburgh 6/ 16 Cleveland 6/ 17 Toledo 6/ 19 Columbus 6/21 St. Louis 6/22 Kansas City 6/23 Cedar Rapids 6/ 24 Minneapolis 6/ 25 Madison 6/ 26 Chicago 30 Open Hands 'V IIDEO PROJE CT DIRECTOR Congregation Program is seeking an mrnaKer to develop new educational videos. reative stage through final L'nnu,lPrI ne of lesbian/gay/bisexual concerns vItae/qualifications to: RCP 3801 :\. Keeler Ave. ChIcago, IL 60641 Fax 312 736-5475 TELL US! hen Dld You First Find Open Hands? How Has Open Hands Changed Your Life? How Does Open Hands Nurture Your Faith Journey? \Vrite or fax us a few sentences! \;e'll share them during our 10th Anniversary Year! 3.J'1ni\-ersary of Editor, Open Hands 3801 N. Keeler Chicago, IL 60641. •.. embers and friends of welcoming es will be among the multitude s from around the world gath. ew York City during the week -26. ThIS week marks the 25 th :~he Stonewall Rebellion, contact Jan Griesinger at 6l4/ 593-7301. June 23, 7:30 P.M.: Eucharist at Church of St. Luke's in the Fields in IT" Who Subscribes to Open Hands? r;J Gender Women ................ ...................... 52% Men .......................... ................. 48% Orientation Lesbian/Gay ...... ................. ...... 47% Bisexual .................................. ..... 8% Heterosexual ............................. 45% Race White ......... ...... ................. ......... 95% People of Color .......................... 5% ffi Age Q:) Under 30 ..................................... 4% ~ 30-60 .......................................... 75% ?'\ ~ lo.. Over 60 ........................... ........... 21 % ;:s Church Status V) -E Laypersons ............................... 50% .\:: .J::> u Clergy/ church professionals ...... 50% .:c: Denomination ;:s V) ~ United Methodist .................... 57% = United Church of Christ .... ..... 9% :i! Presbyterian ......................... ....... 7% ~ Lutheran .. ................ .... .. ... ... ........ 5% E Episcopalian ............................... 5% ~ ] MCC ........................ .................... 4% 's. Roman Catholic .............. ........... 2% Others .... ......... ........................... 11% [h ~ eginnin g of the mod"ement in the U. S. ally Eucharist e Cathedral of e ::,ponsored by the emonal. Greenwich Village, with openly gay bishop, the Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, as celebrant. Sponsored by Integrity. June 24 12:00 Noon: "Hands Around the God-Box: An Interfaith Prayer Vigil to End Homophobia in the Church" at the Inter-Church Center, 475 Riverside Drive. Sponsored by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) in coalition with other Christian groups. June 25, 7:45 P.M.: "Celebrating Stonewall 25: A Generation of Faith." Worship celebration featuring the Rev. Troy D. Perry as the main speaker. Sponsored by UFMCC; seating on first-come, firstserved basis. June 27-30: National Retreat of American Baptists Concerned at Madison Avenue Baptist Church. For information, contact Rick Mixon at 510/465-8652. Camp and Sing An ecumenical "choir camp" for gay, lesbian, and bisexual Christians is being sponsored by the United Church Coalition for Lesbian &: Gay Concerns from June 19-21 at the campus of Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. This first Annual Ecumenical Institute of Sacred Choral Music for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Christians (if you can say that in one breath, you have great singing potential!) will culminate in a major concert with 200 singers. The concert will perform in New York City on the evening of June 23rd during Stonewall 25 festivities. Cost of the camp is $125 per participant, including room and board. For more information, contact Rev. Christine Leslie at 908/ 598-0862. g 199 31 Lesbians Needed for Research Projects Here are two opportunities for lesbians to participate in research projects, one on aging issues and the other on spiritual journeys. Over-60 lesbians are being sought to complete a questionnaire on demographic, legal, and financial matters related to preparation for incapacity or death. Confidentiality is assured. Send name, address and phone number to: Rev. Elinor G. Galusha, Aging Studies Program, University of Iowa, 430 Fairway Terrace, SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403; 319/ 363-8430. Lesbian Christians -and those who have left the church -are needed to complete a survey about their spiritual journey For a survey form or for more information, contact: Social Psych Project, PO Box 1222, Plaistow, NH 03865-1222. Responses will remain confidential. A nominal monetary compensation will be provided. Job Announcement Rep Outreach Staff The Reconciling Congregation Program will hire a full-time outreach staff person to begin in late summer 1994. This position will have primary responsibility for expanding the national RC movement through various outreach programs. Application deadline June 15, 1994. For complete job announcement, contact RCP office at 3121736-5526 or fax: 3121736-5475. QTY. BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE Unique Resource on (!jeen _ __ Be Ye Reconciled (Summer 1985) Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual _ _ A Matter of Justice (Winter 1986) (!-(ands Concerns in the Church for _ _ Our Families (Spring 1986) Christian Education • Personal Reading _ _ Our Churches' Policies (Summer 1986) Published by the Reconciling __ Images of Healing (Fall 1986) Congregation Program In conjunction Research Projects • Worship Resources __ Minorities within a Minority (Spring 1987) with More Light, Open and Affirming, Ministry & Outreach and Reconciled in Christ Programs. __ Sexual Violence (Fall 1987) _ _ Building Reconciling Ministries (Spring 1988) __ Living and Loving with AIDS (Summer 1988) o Please send me the back issues indicated ($5 each; 10+ @ $3). __ Raising Reconciling Children (Fall 1988) o Send me Open Hands each quarter ($16/year; outside U.S.A. @ $20). __ Sexual Ethics (Winter 1989) _ _ Lesbian &Gay Men in the Religious Arts (Spring 1989) __ The Closet Dilemma (Summer 1989) Enclosed is payment of $ OR ___ Images of Family (Fall 1989) Charge $ to my VISA MASTERCARD (Circle one) __ Journeys Toward Recovery and Wholeness (Spring 1990) __ The "Holy Union" Controversy (Fall 1990) # Expiration __/__. __ Youth and Sexual Identity (Winter 1991) Signature _ _ _________________ _ __ Lesbian/Gay Reflections on Theology (Spring 1991) _ _ The Lesbian Spirit (Summer 1991) __ Bisexuality: Perceptions & Realities (Fall 1991 ) Name _______________________ _ _ Creating Alliances: Working for Change (Winter 1992) Address _______________----=-______ __ Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals in Ministry (Spring 1992) __ Our Spirituality: How Sexual Expression and Oppression City/State/Zip ___________________ Shape It (Summer 1992) Daytime Phone ___________ __ Aging and Integrity (Fall 1992) _ _ Welcoming Churches: Ecumenical Movement (Winter 1993) Local Church _____________~~_ ___ __ Rethinking Family Values (Spring 1993) Denomination ___________________ __ Biblical Interpretation (Summer 1993) __ Responding to the Right: Strategies for Change (Fall 1993) Send to: Open Hands, 3801 N. Keeler Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641 _ _ Celebratingthe Inclusive God: Worship (Winter 1994) Phone: 312/736-5526 Fax: 312/736-5475 _ _ Reaching Out Boldly! Evangelism (Spring 1994) 32 Open Hands Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Open Hands Vol 9 No 4 - Reaching Out Boldly! Evangelism with a Welcoming Flavor Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Website A resource comprising of a web page or web pages and all related assets ( such as images, sound and video files, etc. ). URL https://www.transadvocate.com/open-letter-to-my-black-transbrothers_n_10194.htm Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Open Letter To My Black Transbrothers Subject The topic of the resource Monica Roberts, a black trans sister offering praise and honoring the leadership of her black trans brothers following the much too close suicides of Marcelle Cooks-Daniels and Alexander "Bear" Goodrum. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://www.transadvocate.com/open-letter-to-my-black-transbrothers_n_10194.htm https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/b028eb7f1fb3ee338d66d563c5e51b94.pdf 567eb1cbb60d43d1f51a70901ecc6c89 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_093 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980-10-05 Title A name given to the resource Opening Pages of Bishop John Darcy Noble's Consecration Service Booklet Description An account of the resource The opening pages of the official program for the Ceremony of Consecration of The Most Reverend John Joseph Noble, D.D., as Bishop Coadjutor of New York of the Eucharistic Catholic Church, held at Metropolitan-Duane Church, New York City, on Sunday, October 5, 1980. The booklet includes Bishop Noble's official portrait, the order of service, and the names of the principal participants, including Archbishop Robert M. Clement, who served as consecrator, and Archbishop George A. Hyde, Primate of the Orthodox Catholic Church of America, who served as co-consecrator. The service booklet reflects the continuity of apostolic succession within the Church of the Beloved Disciple and the enduring relationship between Clement's ministry and the ecclesiastical lineage established by George Augustine Hyde more than three decades earlier. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/bdcea201eab777d978bbe67217ed8c0c.pdf 319cc50b7e18b41497a50c66ce9ce871 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_052 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974-10-06 Title A name given to the resource Opening Pages of Bishop Robert Mary Clement's Consecration Service Booklet Description An account of the resource The opening pages of the official program for the Ceremony of Consecration of The Most Reverend Robert M. Clement as Bishop of New York of the Eucharistic Catholic Church, held at Metropolitan-Duane Church, New York City, on Sunday, October 6, 1974. The booklet includes Bishop Clement’s official portrait, the order of service, and the names of the scheduled principal participants. It names Archbishop Richard A. Marchenna as consecrator and Bishops Emile R. Fairfield and Martin Luther Williams as co-consecrators. Fairfield was ultimately unable to attend the consecration. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/026cdb53c9d01a6356d2acee7d58ee93.png 7f2299d122f950b199e4759586470956 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Podcasts from WMPG.org and 90.9 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ophelia Hu Kinney Subject The topic of the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Ophelia Hu Kinney (she/her/hers) is the wife of a fearless reformer, the daughter of loving immigrants, and the sister of a hopeful romantic. She is the Director of Communications at Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization advancing LGBTQ justice and inclusion in The United Methodist Church. She is also the Worship Coordinator at HopeGateWay in Portland. She describes herself as a garden-variety queer woman who lives with her wife in Scarborough. She blogs about leaving evangelicalism for the Christian wilderness at QueeringTheKindom.com. And because Tamara and Ophelia are Facebook buddies, Tamara is ready to brag about her friend and mention that Ophelia recently won NYC Midnight’s 100-word Microfiction Challenge with her story “Honeysuckle.” It’s a thoughtful and emotionally rich story -- which perhaps tells you something about Ophelia herself. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres-McGovern Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ophelia Hu Kinney https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/cf000b65fe523a9add2a13c9289350ac.jpg 951f8358fc0e0b1009894a61fdaefa6a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Vimeo Video A video hosted on Vimeo Vimeo ID Character ID assigned by Vimeo 311021346 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History Interview with Rupert Raj (2016) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Vimeo: The ArQuives https://vimeo.com/311021346?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=52643297 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/b8efcdfb640c7996157022de48fe1c6d.jpeg c9c7db2da338ebcb482e6ca3891c9456 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_072 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978-10-22 Title A name given to the resource Ordination of Five Priests for the Church of the Beloved Disciple Description An account of the resource Bishop Robert Mary Clement ordains five priests for the Church of the Beloved Disciple during a liturgy in New York City on October 2, 1978. The ordinands—Fathers Mark, Paul, Victor, Gabriel, and Philip—were called to continue the church's ministry of serving LGBTQ Christians after having experienced rejection or exclusion from other Christian traditions. Their ordinations reflected the Church of the Beloved Disciple's commitment to cultivating an openly gay clergy and ensuring the continuity of its sacramental and pastoral mission. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/beb2bd9aff79c879c39450d00e24b4f3.pdf de0ac2f250dbbc63450f65d52a1854ab Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ordination Paper https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ba3a3ea63601310cede74bc57eee608c.pdf 7dfd2e0da604a86478329fa0b9e393e0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ordination Service Invitation https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/16023db4ae334001156358012943ed46.jpeg c6e33bfa73372435a5ddcdebc3f52514 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_084 Title A name given to the resource Original Holy Eucharist Church Altar Description An account of the resource Photograph of the original altar of the Holy Eucharist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, showing the primitive altar cross, Gospel Book, and altar furnishings preserved from the congregation's earliest years. In a letter dated October 26, 1979, Archbishop George Augustine Hyde informed Bishop Robert Clement that these objects had been rediscovered after decades in storage and described their historical significance to the founding of the Eucharistic Catholic Church. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/7d1c0d22ca7503ee2e3efb9543d7d24c.jpeg 3cbcaf7b4b4e108990756d04a0844439 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_085 Title A name given to the resource Original Holy Eucharist Church Chair Description An account of the resource Photograph of one of the original wooden chairs used by the Holy Eucharist Church in Atlanta during its formative years. In his October 26, 1979, letter to Bishop Robert Clement, Archbishop George Augustine Hyde recounted the rediscovery of two such chairs after twenty-five years in storage and noted that they had furnished the congregation's earliest worship space. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/fecbc1ececa5cd63f7741a463acfcb23.jpg e268c902d0e21db53825ab2186d12d43 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Upstairs Lounge Fire YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H-yprOLmRkc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound <p>“United We Stand”</p> <p>written by Tony Hiller and John Goodison<br /><br /> There's nowhere in the world that I would rather be <br /> than with you my love.  <br /> And there's nothing in the world that I would rather see <br /> than your smile my love. <br /><br /> For united we stand,<br /> divided we fall.<br /> And, if our backs should ever be against the wall, <br /> we'll be together, together, you and I .<br /><br /> And if the world about you falls apart, my love,<br /> then I'll still be here. <br /> And if the going gets too hard along the way, <br /> just you call, I'll hear.</p> For united we stand, <br /> divided we fall.<br /> And, if our backs should ever be against the wall, <br /> we'll be together, together, you and I. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Original Recording of “United We Stand” Description An account of the resource This popular song (recorded by the Brotherhood of Man) is the anthem sung regularly by Upstairs Lounge patrons gathered around the piano. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Used by permission of Tony Hiller Music. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/34a252322d553e393d8fa95625fd3d4b.jpg c570ba120bcbb09937112932a95a973e Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Other lesbian mother with other B’nai Mitzvah child, 1993 Description An account of the resource Both this photo and the last are of a lesbian couple with their twins, who are both being B'nai Mitzvah'd. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived CBST Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Estrin (Courtesy of Sara Krulwich and Lynn Paltrow) https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/5fa639e3a883011034fc7e0450acb8b1.jpeg dcca29de41de9d3865c2818417e7dc5b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_046 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970s Title A name given to the resource Our Lady and the Christ Child Description An account of the resource This restored view depicts the Church of the Beloved Disciple's principal Marian statue holding the Christ Child, both crowned with floral wreaths for a feast day celebration. The image occupied a place of honor within the sanctuary and was carefully decorated by members of the congregation as an expression of reverence and beauty. It served as a focal point for prayer throughout the liturgical year and accompanied the parish during outdoor Marian processions through the streets of Manhattan. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/e92458dc292e90a5cc4f6a223fb5bc4e.jpeg 60bf6530c32ded9aa2dac9aa827b9622 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_044 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970s Title A name given to the resource Our Lady of the Church of the Beloved Disciple Description An account of the resource The Church of the Beloved Disciple's statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was richly adorned with embroidered garments, a lace veil, fresh flowers, and a floral crown prepared for the church's liturgical seasons and Marian feasts. Displayed within the sanctuary and carried in annual processions, the image reflected the congregation's deep devotion to Mary as a symbol of compassion, fidelity, and hope. Through such traditional expressions of piety, the church affirmed its place within the historic Catholic devotional tradition. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/e634eee9d588829668959c0251170be5.jpeg e9e5bc98475d964b91655bcf0ea46973 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CBD_045 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970s Title A name given to the resource Our Lady of the Church of the Beloved Disciple Description An account of the resource Seen in profile, the church's statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dressed in elaborate vestments and crowned with flowers in preparation for a public procession. Carried through the streets on the Feast of the Assumption and other Marian celebrations, the image linked the Church of the Beloved Disciple to centuries of Catholic devotional practice while making that tradition visibly present within New York City's LGBTQ community. The statue became one of the congregation's most cherished symbols of continuity, beauty, and sacred presence. Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Church of the Beloved Disciple Archive, https://beloved-disciple.com Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Our Story Stole Text This green stole comes from a Pastor and family in Minnesota whose child is a lesbian. It comes with the desire for the church to learn to listen to its gay and lesbian children. Until we are able to hear their stories and recognize that these are children of God, baptized and taught in our congregations of the grace of God, this will remain an unresolved issue for the church. Our earnest prayer is that the church will find the courage to listen to those stories and to recognize them in the leadership of the Holy Spirit, calling us to a new day and a new approach to this part of God’s created people! This is not a moral issue! It is an issue of who some of us are created to love! And the gift of being able to love is a gift which has the power to open us to the love of God. Let’s keep talking until we have room in the church for all of God’s children. In Christ’s Service, An ELCA Pastor and Spouse Stephen D. and Nancy A. Bohling Denomination Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Contribution Date 2015 Contribution Story Originally a part of the collection of stoles housed by ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation, this stole was donated by them to the Shower of Stoles Project in 2015. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1229 Title A name given to the resource Our Story Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Minnesota (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pastor Stephen D. and Nancy A. Bohling Bohling, Nancy A. Bohling, Stephen D. Evangelical Lutherans of America (ELCA) Lutheran Minnesota Theology https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/48b2891b452ad256f6f84e003e1d2634.jpg 1cf2abec34cb955391940e8d0c6a0ae1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Podcasts from WMPG.org and 90.9 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource OUT Cast Radio Poster Subject The topic of the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Promotional banner for OUT Cast Radio Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Marvin Ellison https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/9641fa3d449bbf4f0599f23144f7acf1.jpg 1c5e8ee4f64ab11ba077e3e7c2832eb3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Podcasts from WMPG.org and 90.9 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource OUT Cast Social Media Call for Shows Subject The topic of the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource The call that OUT Cast sent out on social media platforms in 2018 for shows on LGBTQ issues or rooted in the LGBTQ perspective. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived OUT Cast Facebook Page