Prayer after the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut

"...A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."

~Jeremiah 21:15

Spirit of life and love, always with us, as close as our very breath –

Tonight we gather with heavy hearts and tear-filled eyes, shocked by an act of violence that has left 20 children and at least 6 adults dead, an act of violence in what should have been a safe place – a school. Twenty children who will not finish celebrating Hannukah, who will not celebrate Christmas, who will not see the days begin to grow longer after the Winter Solstice; twenty children for whom Advent is over. There is so much we don’t know, and truly it is incomprehensible why someone would open fire on two classrooms of small children.

What we know is that we are here, together. We know those of us who have small children will be holding them a little closer, a little longer, tonight. We know that all of this is easier to bear in community. And we pray...

We pray for the children;
We pray for the children who lost classmates, friends, brothers and sisters;
We pray for the parents and grandparents who lost children, whose friends lost children;
We pray for the other teachers and staff at the school, who lost co-workers and students;
We pray for the first responders, the police and medical personnel, who work fiercely to save lives – and grieve when they cannot;
We pray for the town of Newtown, Connecticut, which must cope and grieve with the eyes of the world upon them;
We pray for the person who committed this heinous act, and for the family members he left behind who must be struggling to understand in their own shock and grief;
And in the silence, let us pray our own prayers...


Spirit of life and love,
Lift us up in our grief and confusion, help us find a ray of hope,
that we might find a way to honor the lives cut short.
Strengthen our families, that we might live and love without fear.
Hold us in your loving embrace, as we, like Rachel,
cry for the children who are no more.

Blessed Be, Shalom, and Amen.

 

One More Step - and maybe another

Anyone who has read this blog in the past knows that I've long been a supporter of marriage equality. My consciousness was first raised on this subject by college friends over three decades ago, when my spouse and I were planning our own wedding. You can read about my journey here. My home state, unfortunately, was in the first or second wave of states which passed amendments which enshrined discrimination in our state constitution. Members of my home congregation, and the congregation I currently serve, and I were all active in working against it, unsuccessfully.

Over the past several years I've preached and written blog posts on the topic, prayed with folks after the losses at the ballot box, and given money and time to efforts for marriage equality. Good friends from seminary have entered into civil unions; and colleagues of mine have had the joy and privilege of signing legal documents joining couples in civil unions and legal marriages in other states.

I have also officiated at weddings for gay and lesbian couples, but there has been no legal paperwork involved. The (non-heterosexual) couples I've married have gained no legal rights, and no recognition of changed status. What I can offer is counseling, a ceremony in which I state, "While today's ceremony confers no legal position in this state, this is a wedding. This congregation, and I as one of its ministers, consider this ceremony just as sacred and binding - and will consider this marriage just as valid - as those authorized by the state;" and my assurance that I will be happy to complete legal paperwork for them when that is possible.

Recently, marriage equality was on the ballot in four more states. Minnesota's ballot, like my state years ago, asked voters to place the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman in the state constitution. This time, though, the amendment was defeated! Now, marriage between two people of the same sex is still illegal by statute - but it's not in the Minnesota constitution. Additionally, voters in Maryland, Washington, and Maine all approved marriage equality measures, and marriage licenses began to be issued Maryland and Washington this week. Four victories for marriage equality!

Once more, as I watch news video and read the accounts, I am struck by the faces of the people who are acquiring marriage licenses. This article is a case in point. The photo at the top of the article shows two bearded men, wearing flannel shirts, zippered jackets and camo print ball caps. The expression on their faces is solemn, but look at their eyes and what do you see? I see hope tinged with caution, as though they can still barely believe that after a decade together they are going to be able to have their loving relationship recognized by the state.

Flip through the other photos, and look at those faces. Notice that they are startlingly "ordinary." By that, I mean they do not conform to homogenous stereotypes of gays or lesbians. They are young, old, and in between. They are of varying ethnicities.  They look like my neighbors, my congregants, and my friends and family. Many of these couples have been together for decades, and probably would be married if the law had allowed it. Look at their hope, look at the love and joy shining in their weary eyes - for these photos were taken in the wee hours of the morning! These are couples who know commitment, who know love, who have cared for one another. It's a beautiful thing, and I'm very glad for them.

And today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) announced that it would review the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down California's Proposition 8. It will also review the case of Windsor v US, regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Some of my friends are concerned, and apprehensive. A couple are hopeful. I'm choosing to be cautiously optimistic. I look forward to the day when I can officiate for two women, or two men, AND know that the state will recognize them as legal spouses. The moral arc of the universe is bending, may it bend further toward equality - and soon.

Blessed Be.

(Yes, this last video is a commercial. But it's lovely, and I've always bristled at the arguments about religious freedom and marriage equality, which never acknowledge that for some of us being unable to legally solemnize a union between two men or two women infringed on our religious freedom...)

Prayer - Practicing Radical Hospitality

(Our worship theme for October has been "Living our UU Faith: Practicing Radical Hospitality." This was the prayer I wrote for Sunday, Oct. 7th. We also lit a candle for National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11th), and acknowledged our congregation's six years of officially being a Welcoming Congregation.)

Spirit of Life and Love,
always present and as close as our very breath -

Breath made visible in the early mornings now,
as the temperatures dip lower and the leaves
loose their grip on tree branches.

We are gathered here to worship, to celebrate,
and to contemplete, in community.
We offer one another greetings, recognizing
one another's faces, and extending
our warm welcome to those who come as strangers.  

Remind us, Spirit of Love,
that we, too, were once strangers.
Some of us still harbor estrangements in our lives -
from those once close to us, or our neighbors,
or even from parts of ourselves.
Help us consider the gifts we are rejecting,
and the whisperings of our own still, small voices
in this shared silence...

...  

Spirit of Life and Love,
Let those who come now know: you are safe here,
you will be heard here, you are loved.

Let us accept the gift of each person -
as well as the gifts of this crisp and colorful season.  

In faith we pray, Amen.

(c) 2012

Just a quick post, but something that's been on my mind is how essential it is to be allies in the work for social justice. In the wake of the hilarious letter written by Minnesota Viking punter Chris Kluwe (and its subsequent family-friendly version) Outsports recently posted this article online, about gay-supportive NFL football players.

So, I'm constitutionally unable to be a Vikings fan. Who on "my" home team (The Green Bay Packers) is a supporter? C'mon, guys, anyone? Document the evidence, please...

(Inspired by The Buddha's "Five Remembrances," this was our meditation this morning. Note that our meditations typically include a good minute or so of silence ... )

MEDITATION

Spirit of Life and Love, always present and as close as our next breath… We come together from our separate lives on this crisp morning, in this season of harvest and planting, with our great joys and deepest sorrows, our triumphs and failures, our strengths and our weaknesses.

Some of us are feeling the weight of our years, earning a bone-deep awareness that we all age and grow older. Some of us are coping with illness, leaning into an understanding that we all eventually struggle with ill-health of mind, body, and spirit. Some of us are grieving the loss of a loved one to death, and, at whatever stage of grief, learning that none of us lives forever. Some of us are coping with changes – big or small, changing schools, changing jobs, changing relationships – and coming to terms with these changes. Some of us are wishing we’d done something, or said something, and feeling the consequences of our lack of action or speech. And as always, concerns for our community and our larger world are very much with us.

We come together in one body, to hear words of wisdom and inspiration, to seek comfort and hope. We come together to remember that we are alive, that illness need not always mean incapacitation, that love survives even death. We come to remember that change can signal bright new beginnings. And in the silence, we consider these thoughts, and the wisdom offered by own hearts and souls…

...

Spirit of Life and Love, help us live every moment we have to the fullest, and rejoice in times of wellness. Let us grieve honestly and fully, and accept the changes we experience, whether or not we wished for them. And most of all, Spirit, let there be endless opportunities to match our actions with our values. May we always feel the movement of the Spirit of Life moving through us and connecting us to everything that is; and may we come to know the peace and hope that abides when we realize that deep connection.

Blessed be and Amen.

(c) September, 2012, Earthbound Spirit

Prayer for August 19, 2012

It's been a long, hot, dry summer, punctuated by gun violence and a rising tide of vitriol in political campaigns. There was a pulpit guest at church yesterday, and I wrote this meditation/prayer for the service...

I invite you to get comfortable in your seats, and join your hearts and minds with mine, in a spirit of meditation and prayer...

Spirit of Life and Love,
Always present and as close as our very breath…

This morning there is a new crispness to the morning air,
as summer begins its slow fadeout into autumn.

Garden plants are heavy with vegetables and fruits,
Having been sustained by much needed recent rains.

This uncommonly dry season,
and recent events of unspeakable violence,
remind us that we live in a world of uncertainty –
a world where many are touched
with grief, pain, and private sorrows…
and many celebrate personal
and public triumphs
with unmitigated joy…
and many of us wait for whatever will come…

We are grateful for this gathering in community,
this house of hope and comfort,
where we share our dreams and disappointments,
our happiness and hardships.

For this is a place where we know
we can speak, and be heard;
we can bring our brokenness, and find healing;
we can express our hunger and be nourished…
And in the silence, we can embrace our thoughts
and the longings of our own hearts…


Spirit of Life and Love,
As we enjoy these last weeks of summer,
let us remember to celebrate the beauty of all creation –
from the grand and glorious to the quietly inspiring.
And let us renew ourselves and our commitments,
always moving toward the common good.

Blessed Be, and Amen.

(c) Earthbound Spirit, 2012

Chicken and Civil Rights

UPDATE: The day has come and gone, and the debate goes on... Here's another article which says what I want to say, far more eloquently. And, please do read and meditate upon the quote which appears at the end of this post. ~EBS

Today is “Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day,” whatever that might mean to you. To a few acquaintances of mine, this means an opportunity to counter the ‘appreciation’ with some action of their own. Some are participating in a same-gender ‘kiss-in’ at their local franchise. Some are making donations to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). Many are sharing lots of pictures and stories via facebook and twitter.

Of course, this ‘event’ is a result of a media/social media storm of controversy over donations made by Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy to organizations like Focus on the Family that work to legislate discrimination in state constitutions and prevent the passage of other legislation aimed at reducing bullying in our public schools. The message from these groups is that my gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender siblings do not deserve basic civil rights. Like the right to marry, the right to not be fired from a job because they aren’t heterosexual, the right to be educated in a safe environment, the right to be with the one they love in a hospital.

Contrary to what some would have us believe, the controversy is not over Mr. Cathy’s personal beliefs and statements. Dan Cathy is free to believe what he wishes, and to state his beliefs in whatever forum he can. It’s when he takes profits from his business and funnels them into political organizations that he opens his business up to criticism and boycotts. The best article I’ve read on this yet is by Conor Gaughan in the Huffington Post.

One company has severed its relationship with Chick-Fil-A over the issue. On the other hand, one of my colleagues reports that lines are out the door at the franchise near him, with a service road being temporarily closed to meet the demand for parking. There is no Chick-Fil-A closer than an hour away from me; in fact, that is the only franchise in the state. Besides, I don't eat chicken anymore, so it's easy for me to not do business with this company.

But the organizations like the ones Dan Cathy has donated a lot of money to are demanding that businesses be "neutral" on the subject of gay rights. Some of them have demanded that J.C. Penney break their contract with Ellen DeGeneres, who they hired as their new spokesperson, because she's a lesbian. They've also been outraged at Penney's advertising that included photos of families with same-gendered parents. In one of the more ridiculous statements I saw, one organization's spokesperson even took Kraft Foods to task for the creation of an image of an Oreo cookie with filling in the colors of the rainbow.

I guess it's o.k. when they threaten boycotts, but not when the group they're working against does it?

I can't claim to be perfect about where I spend my money. I'm sure somewhere along the way my purchases have supported businesses that wouldn't agree with my politics, my religion, or the fact that I am an ordained minister and a woman. But I can darned well do my best to avoid doing so whenever I can, and do my best to support the businesses who are trying to do the right thing and represent all their customers in their advertising. So, I've started shopping at J.C. Penney instead of another store recently.

Because I'm not neutral on this issue. Friends, if you must 'eat more (fast food) chicken,' please go to KFC, or some other fast food franchise. Consider changing your shopping habits. Maybe make a donation to GLAAD, or another organization. Because neutrality isn't really "neutral."

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”~Elie Wiesel