Interfaith mediation event

The images are from Etsy – I found them and a few others while shopping for interfaith jewelry making supplies; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a magen David / cross / crescent design before, in any context (metal one here, wooden one here).

At Episcopal Church of the Ascension, our priest, Rev. Randy Lord-Wilkinson, is also the convener of the Gaithersburg Interfaith Alliance; thus and otherwise are we connected with the Interfaith Meditation Initiative based in Washington DC – their mission is to bring together ordained and lay religious leaders from diverse faiths to share meditation with each other and with public audiences in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and universities.

IMI had a previous event that included Ascension last November 6^th; hosted by Kehilat Shalom, led by their Rabbi Charles Arian along with Randy and Imam Bahsar Arafat of the Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation. 

Julia wasn’t able to attend, and I wasn’t visiting, so we were glad to hear about tonight.  And this time we were at Ascension, in the chapel building.  We began at 7:30, and Rabbi Arian and Rev. Randy were joined by Waleed Ziad of the International Cultural Center and Andrew Stern, IMI’s Founding President.  It was quite a small group that attended, just a few from each community at most; but though it’s a shame that so many people missed it, there was something good about the intimacy and all.  We had a welcome from Randy, an introduction from Andrew, and then Rabbi Charles, Mr. Ziad, and Randy each spoke briefly about mediation in the context of their faith tradition and guided us in mediation exercises; in between, Andrew led us in stretching and Randy in chair yoga.

One highlight was the body size and shape diversity – the presenters ranged from smaller than me to larger than Julia, and alas the latter is a rare experience for us in most spaces.  Another was how well the Muslim piece worked for me – especially the chanting of “Al-lah” – which I know was partly because I’ve had too little experience with Islamic practice.  And on a related note, amen to Randy’s bio:  “His experience with classical Christian spirituality, especially Centering Prayer and the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, is that prayer impels Christians into social justice.”  (Yes, socially unjust Xtians -- the power of Christ impels you!)    

Charles and Waleed led us in a combination of personal meditations on individual words – I chose “mensch” – and communal chants of sacred Hebrew and Arabic phrases.  Randy gave us a handout on Lectio Divina, divine reading, a Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer. 

For scripture, we were given the Common English Bible versions of 1 Kings 19: 3-13 and 1 Corinthians 13, and fifteen passages from the Qur’an -- Chapter 49 : Verse 13, 60:8, 5:46, 4:85, 41:34-5, 3:133-4, 16:97, 90:12-17, 24:35, 24:41, 30:21, 7:199, 2:136, 19:16-21, 17:23-4. 

Click here to see the Praying With Scripture lectio divina handout (PDFed scan of my hard copy).  I don't have a soft copy of the scripture handout, but I could get or make one. 

1 Kings spoke to me particularly about my discernment process around my new life here in Maryland (I’ve always lived in Massachusetts, in metro Boston, and moved here in January to begin living with Julia, who has always lived here).  “Why are you here, Elijah?”  Why are you here, Mycroft?  Why am I here? 

1 Kings 19

Elijah was terrified.  He got up and ran for his life.  He arrived at Beer-sheba in Judah and left his assistant there.  He himself went farther on into the desert a day’s journey.  He finally sat down under a solitary broom bush.  He longed for his own death: “It’s more than enough, Lord!  Take my life because I’m no better than my ancestors.”  He lay down and slept under the solitary broom bush.

Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!”  Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went back to sleep.  The Lord’s messenger returned a second time and tapped him. “Get up!” the messenger said. “Eat something, because you have a difficult road ahead of you.”  Elijah got up, ate and drank, and went refreshed by that food for forty days and nights until he arrived at Horeb, God’s mountain.  There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord’s word came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 

Elijah replied, “I’ve been very passionate for the Lord God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant.  They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword.  I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too!”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord.  The Lord is passing by.”  A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord.  But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake.  But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake.  After the earthquake, there was a fire.  But the Lord wasn’t in the fire.  After the fire, there was a sound.  Thin.  Quiet.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat.  He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance.

A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

* * * * * * *

1 Corinthians spoke to me especially about the miracle of finally finding true love with Julia, and within that sharing this experience with her tonight.   

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing.  If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.

Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth.  Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.

As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end.  As for tongues, they will stop.  As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end.  We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end.  When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child.  But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things.  Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face.  Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known.  Now faith, hope, and love remain – these three things – and the greatest of these is love.

* * * * * * *

The Qur'an readings reminded me that I need to read much more of and about the Qur'an, though of course they were meaningful in other ways as well.  In our scripture handout, each passage was preceded by a phrase summarizing the theme -- I think this was primarily intended to help new-to-Islam readers.    

O mankind!  We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know and honor each other (not that you should despise one another).  Indeed the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous.

* * *

God does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who have neither fought against your faith nor driven you out of your homes.  In fact God loves the equitable.

* * *

And in their [the earlier prophets] footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the law that  had come before him.  We sent him the Gospel, therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the law that had come before him, a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God.
* * *

Whoever recommends and helps a good cause becomes a partner therein, and whoever recommends and helps an evil cause shares in its burden.

***

Repel (evil) with what is better.  Then will he, between whom and thee was hatred, become as it were thy friend and intimate.  And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint.

***

Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden (paradise) whose width is that of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous -- Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity or in adversity, who restrain (their) anger and pardon (all) men -- for God loves those who do good.

***

Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to them will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.

***

And what will explain to you what the steep path is?  It is the freeing of a (slave) from bondage; or the giving of food in a day of famine to an orphan relative, or to a needy in distress.  Then will he be of those who believe, enjoy fortitude and encourage kindness and compassion.

***

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.  The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche, and within it a lamp; the Lamp enclosed in Glass; the glass a brilliant star, lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive neither of the East nor of the West whose Oil is well-nigh luminous through fire scarce touched it.  Light upon Light!  God doth guide whom He will to His Light.

***

Seest though not that it is God whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, (even) the birds (of the air) with wings outspread?  Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise.

***

And among His signs is this that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are signs for those who reflect.

***

Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.

***

Say ye:  We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord.  We make no difference between one and another of them, and we bow to God.

***

Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.  She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them:  then We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.  She said:  I seek refuge from thee to (God) Most Gracious:  (come not near) if thou dost fear God.  He said:  Nay I am only a messenger from thy Lord (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.  She said:  How shall I have a son seeing that no man has touched me and I am not unchaste?  He said:  So (it will be):  thy Lord saith:  That is easy for Me:  and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us:  it is a matter (so) decreed.

***

In conclusion, we were asked to find a fellow attendee we didn’t know and share our impressions with each other for a few minutes; my confidante was a young woman from a Sufi community.  And then Andrew invited the presenters to give a closing thought if they wished.  

It was hard to believe we had been there less than an hour and a half when it was time to schlep the refreshments from the main church building, set them up, and refresh ourselves with them and conversation. And less than half an hour later when we headed for home.  

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Easter Sunday 2014

The image from the cover of the bulletin – for some reason it was made of these five pieces in the online PDF; I could have put the puzzle back together, but I thought it was better to do it this way (I copied and pasted the pieces onto a PowerPoint slide, arranged them like this, saved the slide as a jpg, and cropped it in Picasa).  My favorite thing about the image is that the person and the style of art look African / of color; and we do have a significant number of African members at Ascension.

“‘Welcome, happy morning!’ age to age shall say…”

-- Venantius Honorius Fortunatus 

We began our Easter Sunday by giving Julia's mum an Easter basket -- treats, toys, turtle bag and greeting cards (from us and her grandogter Ursula) from a dollar store; Cadbury Flake egg with four Flake bars inside from a mall candy shop that includes British imports.

Here we are in our church clothes -- the last of our five church outfits each this week! Whew. J's purple pants (!) from Tommy Hilfiger via Casual Male XL (on clearance), tie from Geoffrey Beene via TJMaxx; my scarf from our local Goodwill of Greater Washington (tags cut off), jewels by Artemisia Studio (Emanda Johnson) of Etsy.

The table in the narthex with the bulletins about who gave Easter flowers in memory / honor of whom.  The plants are kalanchoes in orange – J’s mum has one as a houseplant.

We went to the 11:00 service – there was also a 9:00, and we arrived so early (because as at many Easter and Xmas services, both were standing room only) that it wasn’t over yet.  So we got to see all of those people leave, and talk with the ones we knew.  It was particularly nice to see everyone so dressed up -- including a lot of purple.  
Our new nametags – our first ones here, which became available at the service last night – came in handy!

The service was very good – though as high-churchy as we are, we would have welcomed even more “smells and bells”, including a thurible (incense burner).  And I liked that it was called The Sunday Of The Resurrection : Easter Day, like a movie.  
Our usual musical suspects – organist / choirmaster / cantor and choir -- were joined by one of the several versions of the Sterling Brass division of Sterling Artists.
We were seated at one of the windows that looks out into the rest of that floor and down into the floor below – at one point I saw some adults and children in the seating area down there, the children with their empty baskets waiting for the egg hunt; we got to see more of them as we left, as they gathered in the pews for the Children’s Service at 12:30.
We heard John 20:1-18 in English and Spanish.
We prayed for those victimized by gun violence at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and everywhere else.
Our priest, Randy, couldn’t get to us during the Peace to give us his usual hugs, so he gave us the peace sign with his hand – why didn’t I ever think of that?
Again we had a round loaf of bread instead of our usual pita – and this time J noticed that it had a design on top – three flowers with stems, she thought, maybe daisies.
All told, an hour and forty minutes (as opposed to about an hour), but it didn’t seem nearly that long, or too long; though we covered a lot of ground.

For Easter dinner, at her mum’s request, J made a pot roast with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions (and beef broth and a packet of soup mix) in her crock pot; mashed potatoes with cream cheese, half-and-half, butter, and salt and pepper; and a store-bought loaf of bread that you finish baking at home.
And I made a salad with many kinds of leaves, cucumber, red bell pepper, carrots and celery.
And for dessert, a store-bought yellow cake with lemon frosting and coconut shavings.

And a special Happy Peaster from our Easter Buggy, whose Zia J sent her a Puppy Cake cake (carob) and frosting (yogurt) kit from which we made six cupcakes.  More in Ursula’s Facebook Group.

Erev Easter 2014

“Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,
Bright with a glorious splendor, for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.”
 -- Book Of Common Prayer
(Easter Vigil, page 286)

“They feast upon the abundance of your house;
You give them drink from the river of your delights.”
-- Psalm 36:8
(Common English Bible)

As part of our Holy Week havdalah, we went to the Great Vigil of Easter service at Episcopal Church of the Ascension (click here for the bulletin).  It was so good to see the altar cloths and other moveable furnishings replaced, after having seen them stripped away at the end of the Maundy Thursday service and absent at last night’s Good Friday service.  How much more so, to see them transformed into the Easter versions – spring flowers, multi-colored and metallic ye olde tapestry cloths and vestments, special candles, the handmade “He Is Risen” banner.

We gathered inside and were all given candles, then went out to gather around a little Weber grill on the front walk, where the priest kindled the new fire and lit the Paschal Candle; he led us back in in three stages with a versicle and response, and our candles were lit as we went.

It was a good, long, full service.  Some of my favorite aspects:

• The way it was woven of threads from the other Holy Week services, plus new and old ones.
• 
  
• The vigil and transformation concepts and themes, especially their relationship with trans* people – putting me again in mind of the international Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20th), including the use of individual candles.  The individual candles also reminded me of our and other Christmas services, and those felt more recent and related than ever before.  I also thought about how the Apostles couldn't stay up with Jesus on the eve of his death, and yet we stay up with him tonight.  And of the Pesach seder:  Why is this night different from all other nights?   
• 
  
• The tapestry of the altar cloths depicts ye olde urns and flowering plants, but it also looks like hot air balloons, and their 1980s revival was part of my childhood – mostly symbolically, though we did see them in person at least once when visiting the part of my mother’s family that lived in the Southwest.
• 
  
• The little white plastic holders for our individual candles made them look like small Unitarian Universalist flaming chalices (the primary symbol of that tradition and Association).
•   
• There were many explicit and implicit connections between Judaism and Christianity (my faiths) – Passovers, Diasporas, candle-lighting, Cantors and more.  As in Jewish community, I was particularly mindful of people all over the world doing this same thing at this same time.  
• 
  
• We were read Genesis and Thanksgiving Over The Water – both especially relevant as Earth Day is this coming Tuesday (April 22nd); the latter begins “We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water.  Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.”  And Genesis is central to trans* theology for many Jews, Christians and others:  “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – it’s even better when better translated.
•   
• “O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature…” (the beginning of a contemporary version of a Collect from the Book Of Common Prayer) – doesn’t / can’t this happen to each of us, many times, during our lives?  If we let it  -- if we meet it.
•   
• Being challenged for the second time this week by the story of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21), especially God’s hardening the Egyptians’ hearts when they wanted to stop oppressing the Israelites – as He had done to Pharaoh not long before.
•   
• Two sisters, a small girl and a baby, were baptized.  The older girl reminded me of myself at her age or thereabouts, especially because of her page boy haircut.  She was especially entertaining because she wasn’t shy about standing up on tiptoe and holding onto the baptismal font with both hands to look in, or dancing around it – the priest told us she dances at the service her family attends every Sunday – but when he asked her to look in she became quite shy.  And the last three questions of the Baptismal Covenant are central to me in my faith and ministry, and are part of the sermons I’m writing about trans* and fat justice: 

Celebrant:  Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People:       I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:  Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People:       I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:  Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People:       I will, with God’s help.

(Book of Common Prayer, pages 304-305)

Also, it turns out that Ascension has a tradition of giving baptisees a white taper candle at the end of the ritual.

And now, a few more photos.

The Easter eggs, given by congregants, having their own vigil in the narthex as they wait for the hunt after services tomorrow.  (Aren’t the egg baskets that are also eggs cute?  They're sort of like some classic alien flying saucer designs, too.)

They made our nametags!  Our first ones here.  We’ll wear them tomorrow.

The little BBQ we used for the new fire and candles, waiting the Altar Guild to come and collect it.

Good Friday 2014

"It was certainly our sickness that he carried, 

and our sufferings that he bore, 

but we thought him afflicted, 

struck down by God and tormented." 

-- Isaiah 53:4

Common English Bible

This is the graphic from Episcopal Church of the Ascension's Good Friday bulletin.

We attended the 7:30 service; there was also a noon.  This is our first Holy Week at Ascension, we started attending in July.  

It was an interesting combination of Wednesday's Tenebrae service -- including the responsive reading of a Psalm -- and last Sunday's Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion) service -- including another dramatic reading of the Passion.  

It was strange and hard to see the altar and all behind it stripped bare -- especially as last night's Stripping of the Altar (at the end of the Maundy Thursday service) had so powerfully reminded me of the closing of Episcopal and other churches, including my own home church back in Boston.  How much more so, to see the more than half life-size plain wooden crucifix lying against it.  I noticed that the Book Of Common Prayer said that you could bring it in at some point during the service, but I don't think that that would be good, or at least not as good.

It was also very striking to see the cupboard in the wall where part of the communion supplies are kept with its small wooden door wide open, revealing the empty white box of its inside, like a tiny tomb.  

I think a lot could be -- and probably has been -- done with Isaiah's description of the Lord's servant as 'ugly', "inhuman, his appearance unlike that of mortals", disabled, ill etc. (our first reading was 52:13 - 53:12, the Common English Bible version). 

I appreciated that the sermon started with a long bit about the anti-Semitism stemming from the misunderstanding of the Judean / Jewish authorities' role in Jesus' death.  

And of course it was all a very interesting way to begin Shabbat!

Maundy Thursday 2014

Maundy Thursday 2014 at Episcopal Church of the Ascension.  The choir sings the Anthem at the Offertory (collection), “In A Borrowed Tomb” (text J. Paul Williams, music Patti Drennan).

“As servant, then, he knelt at their feet, at their feet,
As servant, then, he knelt at their feet;
As servant, then, he knelt, a servant’s towel for belt,
He showed the love he felt at their feet, at their feet,
He showed the love he felt at their feet.

“‘What I have done for you in my love, in my love,
What I have done for you in my love;
What I have done for you, so you are called to do,
To be a servant true in your love, in your love,
To be a servant true in your love.’”

What Wondrous Love Is This
Gather 2nd edition #295
Our Hymn at the Procession

This service was quite emotional and challenging for us – mostly unexpectedly so, and more so than any other part of Holy Week so far.  

This was partly because there was footwashing – in front of the altar, members washed each other’s feet as they felt called to; behind the pews, the priest washed the feet of anyone who wished it – but though we wanted to participate, we didn’t feel ready.  On the one hand, we know that's part of the point -- but on the other, we are still new to this church / Church, and to this ritual.  Julia has never been part of it, and I only have once -- at the late great Saint Luke's & Saint Margaret's, also known as "SLAM", a lovely little Episcopal church in Brighton / Allston MA that was closed a year after I began attending.  SLAM was in the parish where Rita Hester was murdered in 1998 -- leading to the creation of the international Transgender Day Of Remembrance -- was led by Rev. (Dr.) Cameron Partridge, one of only several out trans priests in the Episcopal Church, and was otherwise a rare and precious thing.  But the SLAM footwashing is actually a funny memory, too, as the water we used turned out to be far too cold!    

It was especially emotional and challenging -- and especially surprisingly so -- to witness the Stripping of the Altar, as we sang "Jesus, remember me, when you come into your Kingdom" over and over (Gather 2nd edition #293).  I was powerfully reminded of the past and potential closures of Episcopal and other churches, and so of course of SLAM again.  I didn't participate in any of the closure-preparation stripping at SLAM, though I was asked to, and I wish I had.  

In the silence afterwards, as the last things were stripped away, and we were free to stay or depart in silence, the little boy in the pew behind us, who had mostly been busy with the coloring books the church provides, asked his mother "Why are you crying?"  

As Julia said to me as we made our way home:  "Sometimes it's just a story...and sometimes it's real."

Here is the bulletin.

Tenebrae (Shadows / Darkness) service 2014

We continued our Holy Week tonight with the Tenebrae (Shadows / Darkness) service at Episcopal Church of the Ascension.

It was our first Tenebrae ever, too. Very different, and very good. Our priest, Senior Warden, and Mission Area Leader for Worship led us through responsive readings of several Psalms, readings from Isaiah, Hebrews and John, and other texts, while gradually extinguishing the candelabra on the altar and the other lights. Then a great noise was made, the one candle that was hidden lit was restored to its place, and we all departed in silence. Here is the bulletin (the location of the soft copy is one of the little mysteries of the faith, so I’m experimenting with our home office; it's too large for Google Drive to preview, oy, but I'll figure that out or of course switch to the church's link if they upload).

The Tree Of Life necklace I wore is from the Goodwill Boston (MA) in Jamaica Plain last year – amber cabochons in six colors, sterling silver, black leather cord; no maker’s mark.

Pesach / Passover 2014

Chag Sameach!!

This is our first Pesach / Passover living together.  We considered sedering at Bet Mishpachah (the queer shul of DC) or maybe elsewhere, but decided to celebrate at home.  I was tempted to overthink and overdo it -- as I so tend to! -- but didn't, instead keeping it pretty simple and spontaneous, and it turned out nicely.  I didn't even buy or unpack much, but put it together at the last minute from our recent supermarket finds -- including the good old free Maxwell House haggadah -- and things we already had around the house.  It did help that I've attended and co-led some seders, including the Pride Seder (held in June) invented by my home shul Congregation Am Tikva (the queer one of Boston).    

I had thought to try one of my new jars of gefilte fish tonight, but Julia's mum felt like Chinese food, and we decided to join her -- J and her mum have a tradition of Chinese delivery on Friday nights, and we half-joke that it makes my Jewish self feel more at home here.  We kept it otherwise informal too, and didn't seder per se, but talked about the process and the rest of Pesach -- partly at the request of J's mum, though she knows a fair amount.  The pastor at her former church was actually a former Jew who brought some of his traditions with him, including using matzah for communion and as a Sunday school snack with peanut butter. 

Here is our Pesach table:

A fringed cloth batiked with suns/moons and stars that I found at Boomerangs last year but hadn’t used yet;

Julia’s mum’s Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne plates, silverware and measuring cup (behind the seder plate flowers, containing the traditional salt water);

our seder plate – close-up photo and detailed description in a bit;

Manischewitz egg and Osem dark-chocolate-covered matzah;

Mullingar Pewter goblets depicting Queen Maeve and Brian Boru for our sparkling white grape juice and Miriam’s Well;

a signed artist proof of the late Zamy Steynovitz’s “Shabbat Bouquet” that we received as a surprise gift just this past Erev Shabbat;

the dried purple flowers J's mum saved from the arrangement we took home from J's paternal Gran’s memorial event last month;

a stained-glass ball candle that belonged to my late Mum resting on J’s green glass ye olde Jamestown Virginia souvenir;

and the crosses we made from the palm leaves we were given at Palm Sunday yesterday (we’d never done it before, but found tutorials on YouTube).

Here is a close-up of our seder plate:

Again, the plate is one of Julia’s mum’s Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne ones.

Our maror / chazeret is spinach (though we actually eat it quite often);

Our charoset is cashews, dried apricot, date and cranberries, and a prune (my in-between-meals snacks, especially when I’m working away from home; Prune was one of my childhood nicknames because my name was June);

Our karpas is henbit deadnettle/ greater henbit from our yard in a Lenox crystal vase that was a prize at a dog show when J’s late father used to show dogs;

Our zeroa is two kinds of our dogter Ursula’s treats – a classic bone-shaped biscuit (which she got to eat afterwards, and we particularly like that it says “WOOF” because we’re Bear fans in the queer sense), and a Himalayan Dog Chew’s Yaky Nugget -- a sort of hard-candy made of yak and cow milk with lime juice and salt that you can microwave to make into a chewy puff;

Our beitzah is the usual hard-boiled egg (boiled with several others so we can make egg salad this week), and the egg cup is a panda one I found at Boomerangs for J's birthday;

And we have an orange, inspired by Susannah Heschel’s 1980s creation of a new tradition to further the inclusion of queer and other marginalized people (a Halo-brand orange, no less).

Our poor dogter Ursula didn’t appreciate being passed-over (ha!) for dessert – Osem dark-chocolate-covered matzah – not to mention everything else.  (She's a Pugston Terrier / Bugg -- a Boston Terrier / Pug mix, brindle with a white chest and paws.) 

  

Palm Sunday 2014

Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion) today at our church, Episcopal Church of the Ascension (Gaithersburg MD); just after we of the procession had seated ourselves amidst the rest of the congregation.  

This is our first Holy Week at Ascension – Julia began attending in July, I accompanied her a bit during my visits, and then much more so since I moved here from Boston at the end of January.

As often, we chose the 11:15 service (as every Sunday there were several; we've only been to the 5:00). Along with parts of the English and Spanish congregations, we picked up our bulletins and palm leaves in the church, then gathered at our neighbor the new incarnation of Gaithersburg High School -- the previous was Julia's alma mater -- with Rev. Randy and Rev. Sister Elena Thompson (part of the interim leadership of our Spanish services).  There we started the service -- including reading Matthew 21:1-11 in English and Spanish, then processed singing and tambourining -- we were given small white and maroon plastic ones with silver zils – to the church's sanctuary.

Click here for the bulletin.  Highlights included the perfectly Summery Spring day after a very unusually Wintry Winter, half-joking with the other early bird couple at the high school about whether we were in the right place, comparing Pesach plans with another fellow congregant (Passover begins at sunset tomorrow), remembering / learning what else a burrito is, the tambourines reminding me of prophetess Miriam (Moses’ sister), a palm leaf tied into a cross* and attached to the head of the guitar -- we're going to learn how to tie our leaves into crosses too, the red threads of the red-and-purple Jerusalem crosses cross-stitched on the white altar cloths continuing into their fringes reminding me of tzitzit, a woman playing Jesus, another woman Passion player's little son playing the tambourine during every song in his pew -- and doing it well, and  yet another woman's red dress printed with large black and white ye olde keys.

Shabbat shalom and Steynovitz!

Shabbat shalom!!

Look at what we just received from the ever-astounding Marcia Garber! Thank you so much!!!!

The late Zamy Steynovitz’s “Shabbat Bouquet” (signed artist proof). Marcia had e-mailed us that she’d donated in our honor at Mass Trans Political Coalition (MTPC)’s annual benefit event Lawyers For Transgender Rights, and that she had something to send us, but we had no idea--! She saw this in the LTR silent auction and thought of us. And her enclosed card was lovely in every way as well.

And how especially bashert that it arrived as we were preparing to begin Shabbat, and in the same delivery as a flowering tree that Julia's mum had ordered!

TransEpiscopal fundraiser

TransEpiscopal, of which I am a grateful member, is fundraising to lift our work to the next level. TE is the organization for trans* and allied Episcopalians and has a special partnership with Integrity USA, the organization for LGBT people and allies in and around the Episcopal Church.  Click here to visit the below post on TE's blog.  

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Moving our work to the next level

Dear Friends:

In the last seven years, TransEpiscopal has achieved a number of remarkable successes. We have supported trans people throughout The Episcopal Church, brought trans people into the foreground of the church’s national conversation, built strong alliances with other progressive groups both within The Episcopal Church and in other denominations, and driven the passage of pro-transgender legislation at two General Conventions and in a number of diocesan conventions.

We have achieved all of this while remaining a small, informal, unincorporated organization without officers or formal rules. Our ability to do this has depended on the generosity of our members and friends, who have given unstintingly of their time, talent and treasure to keep us going.

We are now at a moment when we need to start building the material foundation that will hopefully take us to the next level. We currently have a few hundred dollars in our account with Integrity; against that, we owe $800 in dues to the Consultation, the umbrella group of progressive Episcopal organizations, covering last year as well as 2014. Beyond that, General Convention 2015 is only about 15 months away, and we still have much to do.

• We need to encourage the church to fully assimilate and internalize the measures that it has already passed, particularly concerning nondiscrimination in access to ordained ministry and in the rights of the laity; 

• We need to familiarize the church with non-binary gender identities, and help church leaders understand and welcome genderqueer people; 

• We need to persuade the church to drop transgender health insurance exclusions for clergy and other employees, which remain a substantial barrier to trans people’s full participation in the life of the church; 

• We need to help develop liturgy that will celebrate the experience of trans people. 

To do all this, we need to start rebuilding our finances soon and so we're asking for your help. Please go to TransEpiscopal’s Web site, http://blog.transepiscopal.com, look for the donate button on the left side of the page, and make a contribution.

With your help, TransEpiscopal can continue to do God’s work.

Donna Cartwright
Co-convenor
TransEpiscopal

Composing Disability @ George Washington University

Riva Lehrer's "At 54" (2012) and another of her pieces (two copies of each, in this collage), given to the CD con for their use.

Yesterday and the day before we attended the Composing Disability: Diagnosis, Interrupted symposium / conference at my partner Julia McCrossin's alma mater The George Washington University.

"This conference will take as its focus the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2013) by examining the fraught relationship between the diagnostic work of the medical industry and the embodied lives of disabled people. The conference will conclude on Friday evening with an intimate group of DC-based poets and performers reading disability-themed poetry.  Featured speakers include Ellen Forney, Ann Cvetkovich, and Katie Rose Guest Pryal."

Composing Disability Tumblr  |  CD Facebook  |  CD Facebook event  |  CD Twitter (#gwdisability  #onlyatgw) 

THE FAIRNESS FOR ALL MARYLANDERS ACT PASSED TODAY!

THE FAIRNESS FOR ALL MARYLANDERS ACT PASSED TODAY!

I’ve always lived in Massachusetts, and have been one of the leaders of the faith campaign for MA’s trans rights bills.  I moved to MD at the end of January to begin living with my partner Julia McCrossin, a lifelong MD (and DC) resident. 

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Mycroft-

We did it! After years of hard work, today the Maryland House of Delegates passed SB 212: Fairness for All Marylanders Act by a 82-57 vote, finally adding much-needed protections for transgender Marylanders to our state's anti-discrimination law.

Victory today would not have happened without the work of countless people - transgender people sharing their stories and organizing, community leaders, partner organizations and allies - and YOU. We knew this year could be different, starting with momentum on our side. Our work over the past few months and the groundwork laid by so many over the years made the difference. This is truly a community win. 

Equality Maryland has proudly worked with the Maryland Coalition for Transgender Equality to advance equal rights for our transgender community. See the full statement from the coalition below and click here to see how your legislators voted, and to thank supporters and hold opponents accountable.

We'll keep you updated on our next steps. For now, let's celebrate.

Fairness has won the day.

 

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March 27, 2014

ANNAPOLIS- In a big win for transgender equality in Maryland, today the Maryland House of Delegates passed SB 212: Fairness for All Marylanders Act with a vote of 82-57. The bill, passed by the Senate earlier this session in an overwhelming 32-15 vote, updates Maryland’s anti-discrimination law to include transgender people. This ensures that everyone is free to work for a living, secure housing, and get served lunch at a restaurant regardless of gender identity.

The Maryland Coalition for Transgender Equality, a coalition of more than 50 organizations and individuals working to advance equality for transgender Marylanders, hailed the victory as the culmination of many years of work by the transgender community and allies. The Coalition praised the bill's lead sponsors Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegate Luke Clippinger for their hard work and thanked them for their leadership.

“I am proud of my 81 colleagues who voted in support of fairness for transgender Marylanders today. Allowing people to earn a living and live without fear of discrimination is the right thing to do,” said House sponsor Delegate Luke Clippinger.

Carrie Evans, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, the state’s civil rights organization for LGBT Marylanders comments on Senate Bill 212’s passage, “This is the culmination of a very long and sustained effort by Equality Maryland to ensure transgender Marylanders are included in our state’s anti-discrimination laws.  Today’s win is the result of so many people and organizations – transgender individuals and their families showing up and telling their stories year after year, elected officials like Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegates Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison and Joseline Peña-Melynk , many years of dedicated and committed Equality Maryland Board and staff, amazing coalition partners like the Human Rights Campaign and so many more people and organizations that we will highlight in the coming months.”

SB 212 now heads to Governor O’Malley's desk, who stated at MCTE's Lobby Day last month, "I am waiting to sign it."

"After more than 15 years of advocacy for trans Marylanders, the tremendous work by all of our legislative champions, and the solid support of the leadership in Annapolis, history was made today. The House of Delegates sent the same loud and clear message the Maryland Senate did: Every Marylander deserves equal rights under the law. We welcome the Governor’s promised signature and the full and successful implementation of this bill," said Jenna Fischetti of TransMaryland, an MCTE coalition member.

“Today the Maryland legislature lived up to its reputation as a fair and just body and rightly recognized that everyone should be treated equally, including transgender Marylanders,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin.  “Being free from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression is what makes America work.”

The passage of SB 212 will give transgender Marylanders recourse for discrimination experienced in employment, credit, housing and public places like restaurants and movie theaters.

“Today is a historic day for the great state of Maryland.  While the discrimination against people based on their gender identity has certainly not seen its last day, we now have the tool we need in Maryland, to fight back against discrimination when it occurs,” said Aaron Merki, Executive Director of FreeState Legal Project.

"It is clear that community and legislators are aligned in providing protections for all Marylanders including those who are transgender. Passing SB 212 will help ensure that transgender people have the same opportunities in employment, housing, and safe public spaces,” said Vann Michael of Black Transmen, Inc. "Passing SB 212 is naturally the next step for Maryland's legislators to demonstrate their commitment to all residents of the state and be a national leader for legislative bodies on how to equally support the full transgender community."
 
A recent Goucher poll found that 71% of Marylanders supported updating Maryland’s anti-discrimination laws to include transgender people. A broad array of organizations and individuals have shown support for transgender rights in Maryland, from faith communities to feminist organizations and civil rights groups.

“The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland has joined with the other members of Maryland Coalition for Transgender Equality to work for passage of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act in support of our transgender members, friends and family throughout the state,” said Reverend Diane Teichert, GLBT Issues Coordinator of UULM-MD and Minister of Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi.

When SB 212 is signed into law, Maryland will join 17 states and the District of Columbia in enacting anti-discrimination protections for transgender people. 5 jurisdictions in Maryland already include transgender people in anti local anti-discrimination laws: Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery Counties, Baltimore City and Hyattsville.

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Equality Maryland
(phone) 410-685-6567 (fax) 410-685-5229 info@equalitymaryland.org
1201 S. Sharp Street, Suite 109, Baltimore, MD 21230

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Lenten Morning of Meditation

My Julia is the big beautiful one walking the labyrinth on the far left; the photo is by our priest, Rev. Randy.

This morning we attended the Lenten Morning of Meditation at our church, Episcopal Church of the Ascension.

It was organized and led by our priest, Rev. Randy, who required a minimum of ten participants to RSVP (yes, a minyan, and we were the last two) but also welcomed drop-ins, and we were joined by a few people after we began.  We began at nine with some social time and refreshments, then sat and more formally introduced ourselves.  Randy explained the plan for the day and gave us two brochures about labyrinths, Ascension’s and the Hallowood Retreat & Conference Center's (Comus MD) – the text of the former appears here and draws on Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress’ Walking A Sacred Path : Rediscovering The Labyrinth As A Spiritual Tool.  Our labyrinth was custom-made for us by The Labyrinth Company of Baltimore; it's canvas and can also be used outdoors, and is based on Chartres Cathedral's floor one (France).

We remained in our chairs to meditate in whatever sense we wished until we were ready to enter the labyrinth, though we needn’t enter it at all.  We were welcome to walk in the way(s) best for us – in relationship with our fellow walkers – and however many times we were willing and able in the allotted time.

We also had the option of a lap-size labyrinth, about a foot and a half in diameter and an inch thick in something like resin made to seem like wood, which one usually "walks" with one's finger(s); we both walked this too.

Now, although I appreciate labyrinths and our church's ability to possess our own, today reminded me of how they are problematic, especially in their physical accessibility issues -- that is, they can be difficult or impossible for those with disabled, fat, and other non-normative bodies and mobilities.  Particularly when they are the small size and narrow design of ours.  It would be good if this was acknowledged before and at programming that includes labyrinth use -- indeed, this could be a valuable part of the program.  The lap labyrinth does help with this problem, though it also needs help to be most helpful.

At the same time, we had good experiences of the labyrinth and the rest of the day -- and I don't think I'll surprise anyone by saying I was primarily using the labyrinth and the rest as a tool in my discernment process around my new life here in MD (I've always lived in Boston MA, and moved here at the end of January to begin living with Julia, who's always lived here).  We haven't taken much advantage of our past labyrinth access, and now we are inspired for the future.  I want to add more about the specifics of my experience of today's walks and the rest, but there is also something about that being private.  

On a related note, today also reminded me that we don't have any labyrinths of our own and would like to.  I'll probably begin by making myself some jewelry (always a good way to start, don't you think? ; > ), and begin that with labyrinth charms from TierraCast (page 21; they come in silver, copper and gold in two sizes) -- they're wholesale only, but here's an Etsy search I've been doing that includes them (as well as a lot of things inspired by the movie, which I couldn't get all the way through when I tried to watch it for the first time a few years ago, sorry).  I can also include labyrinths in my more out-going artwork, which is primarily stationery.  Perhaps something to include if I participate in Ascension's holiday bazaar.

When we were each ready, we walked from the chapel building to the sanctuary of the main building and gathered in the pews to process the first half of the day with Randy.

We then counted ourselves off by ones and twos, and the two groups went to two rooms on two floors for the same activity.  My group of Twos was led by Randy; we used the African / Lambeth Bible study method (given by the African delegation at the Lambeth Conference in 2008) to experience the Common English Bible version of John 4:5-42, the story of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.

"He came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, which was near the land Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down at the well. It was about noon.  A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me some water to drink.'"

This study was especially helpful to me as I reflected on my and Julia's workday at the Maryland statehouse this past Thursday -- while lobbying for the Fairness For All Marylanders Act, MD's trans equal rights bill, we had some very challenging conversations with legislators.  I'd heard about this Bible study method but hadn't participated in it; Ascension has been using it for vestry meetings and otherwise to great effect.  The instruction side of the handout read:

"This Bible study method was introduced at the Lambeth Conference, a gathering of bishops of the Anglican Communion.

Opening Prayer:  O Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning. Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. One person reads passage slowly.
2. Each person identifies the word or phrase that catches their attention (1 minute).
3. Each shares the word or phrase around the group (3-5 minutes, NO DISCUSSION).
4. Another person reads the passage slowly (from a different translation if possible).
5. Each person identifies where this passage touches their life today (1 minute).
6. Each shares (3-5 minutes, NO DISCUSSION).
7. Passage is read a third time (another reader and translation if possible).
8. Each person names or writes ”From what I’ve heard and shared, what do I believe God wants me to  do or be? Is God inviting me to change in any way?” (5 minutes)
9. Each person shares their answer (5-10 minutes, NO DISCUSSION).
10. Each prays for the person on their right, naming what was shared in the other steps (5 minutes).

Close with the Lord’s Prayer and SILENCE."

As planned, we ended at noon, and regrouped in the chapel for some optional final socializing and refreshmenting as we collected our things and left.

The most interesting thing about the breakout room my group was in – which I hadn’t seen before and is one of those used for our Sunday school – was a poster of Bohdan Piasecki's "Last Supper" painting.  Commissioned in 1998 by Brothers And Sisters In Christ (BASIC), which merged with We Are Church Ireland in 2012, it restores the Jewishness, women and children, and other significant aspects to the scene.