TransScript

Living Bible: Episode 1

2012-01-09T10:38:00.001-08:00

I ask people if there is a bible story that resonates with them and if it reminds them of a story in their own life. The bible is a collection of stories about God. This project seeks to add your story to that collection... One person at a time.

Here is Emily:

Location:Chicago

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 13 (Footloose: Kenny Loggins)

2011-12-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

A meditation on the rabble rousing ways of Jesus. A rebel who encourages other faithful folk to break the rules that were being taught as the way to win God's favor. What are the ways folk try to tell us we must behave now? How do you fall outside of the expectation of a faithful one?

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 12 (Won't You Please Let Me Back into Your Heart: Jackson 5)

2011-12-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

This song is sung by the amazing Ally Nugent

Today's video is a meditation on the story of Jesus healing the blind man. I'm particularly thinking of the story as it appears in Mark, because Jesus fails the first time and it takes two tries to restore the man's vision.

Mark 8:22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?" 24 And the man looked up and said, "I can see people, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

This need for Jesus to try again does not appear in other Gospels. I think it's a great opportunity for us to think about how second (or sometimes third, fourth, fifth or a million) chances are needed to get things right. After all, if God has to try again sometimes, why would be expect perfection from oursevles, partners, pastors or others we hold in too high a regard?

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 11 (It Isn't Happening :Be Good Tanyas)

2011-12-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

A meditation from the point of view of Jairus, whose daughter dies because Jesus gets distracted and doesn't make it before his daughter dies. I imagine these words are how Jairus feels in the moments before Jesus bring his daughter back to life.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 10 (Orbiting: The Weepies)

2011-12-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

This episode is sung by the amazing Ally Nugent.

Mark 3:21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- 30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." 31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." 33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

This song is for one of the moments in the gospels that always sticks to my ribs and feels like there is so much more to explore in the story. It's the moment in the Gospel of Mark where Mary is convinced that Jesus is a demon and comes to take him home because the neighbors are talking about his behavior. Jesus' response to his mother coming to get him is to deny her by telling those who are learning from him that they are his true family.

This is a moment that resonates with a lot of people who have created families that replace their biological ones. Sometimes families hesitate in their unconditional love when a member of the family takes what is thought to be an unconventional path.

This song takes a mature look at the text and that there isn't an easy sitcom solution. As I meditate on this story, with this song I like to alternate the voice of the singer from Mary to Jesus and back again.

This like so many family disputes is one where I imagine both people think they are right and are acting with the best intentions and out of love. I imagine them each standing on their side of the door wishing the other could join them on the the journey that is leading them away from each other.

I couldn't find any ancient images of this story or icons. So instead I've found images that highlight their relationship or show them near a door.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 9 (How to Save a Life: The Fray)

2011-12-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

A meditation where Peter remembers his favorite memories with Jesus and wonders if there was anything else he could have done to prevent his friend from dying. I imagine that this is the emotion that Peter would have had after Jesus' death. Like the feeling of helplessness, doubt and shame many friends feel after the suicide, the steps you are supposed to take to try to prevent suicide match very closely to Peter's sometimes insubordinate interactions with Jesus before his death. They caused me to think of Peter less as a bumbling disciple who always had the wrong answer to Jesus' questions and more as a good friend trying to prevent the eminent death of a loved one.

Take a look and see what you think:

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 8 (The Rose: Bette Midler)

2011-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

It's not known if the dark cloud the Holy Spirit says will come upon Mary is traumatic or not. Is this unwanted sexual aggression or a gift of bearing God into the world? Imagine Mary singing these words as see tries to process the news she will bear a child, or as her words to a toddler Jesus when she tells him the story of his birth.

The moment depicted in the images of this video, where Mary is told that she will have a baby who will be the Son of God, is called the annunciation. It's an easier word to remember if you think about it as when the angel announces to Mary that she will become pregnant.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 7 (I Will Survive: Gloria Gaynor

2011-12-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

Why wasn't Thomas locked up inside hiding with the other disciples when Jesus comes back to visit them for the first time after the resurrection? Perhaps he was off doing all the work Jesus had taught them to. Perhaps, he was getting groceries to feed the others. Or, perhaps he was in the angry stage of the cycles of mourning and he was pissed off that the teacher who he believed would save the world and bring justice has died and left them alone. Today's Gospel According to Pop explores what it would feel like for Thomas if this was the case. And if Thomas was the disciple that Jesus loved, as some scholars speculate, this could be exactly the song Thomas would have had in mind. Check it out and see what you think:

Gospel According to Pop FAQ

2011-12-16T16:15:00.001-08:00

Why pop songs?
They're catchy and many people already know the tunes. They play on universal themes and often pack an emotional punch. Luther used the pub tunes of his day and rewrote the words. When I've rewritten the words to a song I'll label it a remix. The songs that once were pop during Luther's time sometimes seem unsinkable and boring. So consider this revival.

Why are the songs paired with ancient art and icons?
I know some of my faithful readers are a bit creeped out by icons. That's exactly why this project is needed. Here I seek to reclaim the images that have oppressed us, or caused some of us to feel less than faithful. The stories are richer than any one interpretation. We're taking back the stories and the centuries of art that goes with them, because the tradition of tolerance is older!

Why isn't the music produced, always in tune or in rhythm?
My rules for recoding the songs is that they cannot be produced, must be recorded in one take and mistakes are encouraged because they show the ordinary in the sacred and the sacred in the ordinary. I seek to show people that anything I do to help create sacred community can be done yourself at home without any special outfits or equipment. Like the Amish who intentionally leave at least one mistake in their quilts to remember that only God(dess) is perfect, if these songs were too professional singing they would be inaccessible and inappropriate.

Can I help make the Gospel According to Pop?
Yes. You can send song or scripture ideas you'd like to see or even join in the conversation. Here's how: 1) record yourself singing a pop song. Please use songs from the BMI collection, as that is the group that I have a copyright agreement with. 2) send it to me: streetvicar@gmail.com 3) then either let me know the story you'd like to pair it with or I'll find one.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 6 (1234: Feist)

2011-12-16T15:46:00.001-08:00

A meditation, and much nicer way for Jesus to tell the woman at the well that he knows her heart and the journey it's taken over the years.

Stay tuned for another episode that will how the woman's response to Jesus.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 5 (Rolling in the Deep: Adele)

2011-12-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not Adele. I can't hit the notes she can. Well, even her throat can't handle hitting the notes that she does. Set that aside for a second.

This is the Gospel According to Pop where we look at the Gospel stories in a new way by thinking about the human sides of the stories and the stories behind the stories.

Today, I ask you to think about what it felt like for Judas as he left the Last Supper, where Jesus just told his 11 closest friends that Judas would betray him.

As I put these meditations together I'm a bit at the mercy of icons and famous paintings. Becuase I'm trying to mix the old and the new to take bits of what have been seen as sacred for decades and hope it rubs off on the ordinary things I pair them with. This sometimes means that Jesus often bears a much whiter tint than I would have chosen for my own meditations.

In this circumstance because Judas lets the soldiers know who Jesus is by kissing him, I found that mixing the images of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss with Adele's song added a homoerotic undertone to the story. It wasn't something I expected, but it something kind of fun and new to think about.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 4 (Hit Me Baby One More Time: Britney Spears)

2011-12-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

Ever thought of Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" as a funeral dirge that Mary sings to her son as she holds his body in her hands? We'll, check out this latest installment of the Gospel According to Pop and I bet you'll never think of the song in the same way again.

The moment when Mary holds her dead son after he is taken off the cross is called the Pieta. It's a pretty famous moment in the life of art. But, it's not actually an event mentioned in the gospels featured in our contemporary bibles.

So enjoy this special gospel moment, brought to life in a way only Britney Spears could. Those are pastoral words I never imagined I'd ever say. It just goes to show you that God(dess) must have a sense of humor!

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 3 (Be Ok by Ingrid Michaelson)

2011-12-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

A meditation on the healings and miracles of Jesus:

You can imagine any of the ailments listed in the bible being healed as you watch and listen. Or, you can think about your own life and what you would do or feel if someone was within arms length that could cure any disease, addiction, blemish or feeling of self doubt. Would you reach out and claim your wholeness? Or would you feel afraid? Maybe you have claimed as a gift what others see as a disability and you wouldn't want to be "healed."

What if you were it was all within your grasp? There are no ruby slippers: just some hands, some spit mixed with mud and some faith.

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 2 (Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry)

2011-12-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

A meditation on the Last Supper and Gethsemene:

Gospel According to Pop: Episode 1 (Baby, baby, baby)

2011-12-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today's Gospel is written by Justin Beiber. Yes, I know. I felt that way too at first. But imagine it through Joseph's eyes.

During this Advent time, we are asked to be people waiting for God's arrival in the world. This year there have been several stories of people using pepper spray as they impatiently wait. So, I've been thinking about all the ways that people wait impatiently for God.

Today's episode of the Gospel According to Pop is a song that I don't typically love listening to. I guess I'm just too old to get it. But, there is an entire generation of loyal followers who think it is the best thing imaginable.

This song took on a new meaning for me when I thought about the words being sung by Joseph after he learns that is fiance Mary has been impregnated by the Holy Spirit and is carrying a baby that is not his. Sure, it will be God and all. But, I imagine these words capture his first reaction to the news.

Gaga Mass & Vanguard Tour

2011-04-21T15:14:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to announce that the Lady Gaga Mass will be traveling to select locations along with the Vanguard Traveling Exhibit and Speaking Tour. With the Vanguard Talk at 7pm (featuring Joey Plaster Oral History Chair at the GLBT Historical Society and Mia Tu Mutch trans youth activist) and the Gaga Mass, arranged by Pastor Megan Rohrer (Executive Director of Welcome and co-pastor of the Community of Travelers) at 8 pm. The Gaga Mass offering will raise money for local LGBTQ youth ministries and shelters in the area of our tour.

We'll be adding tour dates, times and locations to this site soon. Start getting excited!

Copyright permission for the Lady Gaga Mass obtained through PERFORMmusic License#6400
Mad love to the Gaga!

Lady Gaga Mass

2011-03-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

Arranged by Pastor Megan Rohrer

For the Community of Travelers 3/6/2011

Want the chords for these songs?
Email megan@welcomeministry.org

PERFORMmusic License#6400

Gathering Song

To the Tune of Paparazzi: No Capo

We’re gathered around
Our hymnals are out
Got my stole on it's true
Need that icon of you
It's so mystical
We are so religico

collar and jeans
Your cross so glamorous
Not sure what it means
But in this room tonight
We’ve got water, bread and wine
There’s even candle light
'Cause baby you know that

God’s your biggest fan
The bible says God loves me
Papa-son and Spirit
Baby there's no other God above
You know that I'll be your-
Faithful clergy

Promise I'll be kind
God became man but stayed devine
Baby you'll be saved
Even if you don’t feel worthy
Papa-son and Spirit

Welcome

Prayer of the Day

Gospel Acclamation

To the tune of Poker Face : Capo 1

Ha-lle- lu-jah, hallelujah
Praise be to Christ, hear these holy words
Ha-lle- lu-jah, hallelujah
Praise be to Christ, hear these holy words

Please read my
Please read my
deacon read the Gospel of the day
(this week it comes from Matthew)

Please read my
Please read my
deacon read the Gospel of the day
(this week it comes from Matthew)

ga-ga Gospel of the day, gospel of the day
ga-ga Gospel of the day, gospel of the day

The Gospel is Read

Ha-lle- lu-jah, hallelujah
Praise be to Christ, hear these holy words
Ha-lle- lu-jah, hallelujah
Praise be to Christ, hear these holy words

Prayers of the People

where there is charity
there is our heart
we do all things with love

To the Tune of Bad Romance: No Capo

[PART ONE]

Ohhh ohh ohhh
ohhhh ohhhh
Let us do all in love

Ohhh ohh ohhh
ohhhh ohhhh
Let us do all in love

Ubi caritas
Est cor nostrum
Omnia nos amore
Let us do all in love

[PART TWO]

We pray for the hungry
We pray for disease
We pray for outcasts and
For all to be free
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love

We pray for the lonely
and for the depressed
We pray for all workers
And those who are stressed
We want God’s love
Love love love
We want God’s love

PART THREE: x2

Live and love
the best you can
You and me were gonna live forgiven

[REPEAT PART ONE]

[PART FOUR]

We pray for children
And for their parents
We pray for teachers
And all who pay rent
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love

We pray for the war torn
And those who bring peace
for politicians
And the whole diocese
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love

[REPEAT PART THREE]

[REPEAT PART ONE]

The offering is gathered as the table is prepared.

Communion

To the Tune of Telephone: Capo on 3rd

Raise your hearts and minds to God who’s above all
with the saints, and prophets have followed the call

Holy, holy, holy, we lift our voice to you
Blessed be your name, keep us forever true

On the night he was betrayed, Christ took the bread
Broke it, gave thanks, and give it for all to eat

Then after supper, he took the cup and gave thanks
Gave it for all to drink, said this is my blood, eh

The cup of the new covenant, I’ve shed for all of you
Each time you eat or drink this meal, think of me too

Chorus:
Our God in heaven, hallow’d be your name
Your kingdom come, will be done, on earth as in heaven
Save me from temptation and keep me from all sin
all power and glory is yours again and again

Bridge:
A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, men
(Christ Body!) A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, men
(And Blood!) A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, men
(Now were one body!) A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, men

Come now Holy Spirit and put your blessings here
Gather us into one and take away our fear

[the bread is broken]

[chanted]
Sin all you want, but believe even more, love your neighbor and help the poor
Out in the streets, or in the store, God loves you forever more

Sin all you want, but believe even more, love your neighbor and help the poor
Out in the streets, or in the store, God loves you forever more

Sending

To the tune of Just Dance: Capo 4

This is the end of our worship (oh oh oh, oh)
And soon we will all start to rush, start to rush babe
Going to a club or to your home (home, home, home)
Where are my keys, don’t forget your phone, phone

Bridge:
But, before you head out the door
Remember that God loves you and won’t keep score
So go love your neighbor and serve the poor
You are blessed by Christ forever more

Chorus:
Go in peace, be safe da doo doo doo
Go in peace, don’t forget to pray da doo doo doo
Go in peace, come back next Sunday duh duh duh duh
peace, peace, peace, go in peace

Please share a sign of God’s peace with each other before departing.

Gaga Mass - Preview - Prayers of the People

2011-03-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

Prayers of the People

where there is charity
there is our heart 
we do all things with love

To the Tune of Bad Romance: No Capo
Arranged by Pastor Megan Rohrer
For the 3/6/2011 Community of Travellers

[PART ONE]

Ohhh ohh ohhh
ohhhh ohhhh
Let us do all in love

Ohhh ohh ohhh
ohhhh ohhhh
Let us do all in love

Ubi caritas
Est cor nostrum
Omnia nos amore
Let us do all in love

[PART TWO]

We pray for the hungry
We pray for disease
We pray for outcasts and
For all to be free
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love

We pray for the lonely
and for the depressed
We pray for all workers
And those who are stressed
We want God’s love
Love love love
We want God’s love


PART THREE: x2

Live and love
the best you can
You and me were gonna live forgiven


[REPEAT PART ONE]

[PART FOUR]

We pray for children
And for their parents
We pray for teachers
And all who pay rent
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love

We pray for the war torn
And those who bring peace
for politicians
And the whole diocese
May you feel loved
Love love love
We want God’s love


[REPEAT PART THREE]

[REPEAT PART ONE]

Bob Dylan Folk Mass

2011-02-21T09:39:00.001-08:00

This vespers service was arranged for the Community of Travelers (an emerging service that meets at 5pm at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in San Francisco) on 2/20/2010. Since this was the first time the mass was attempted, I'll be making some changes to the service for it's use the next time. Namely I wanted to include the traditional words of the Lord's Prayer into the Eucharist. What you see below was what happened at the on 2/20/2010. Feel free to use the service in other places with attribution. And let me know, I love when the Spirit is infectious!

PERFORMmusic License#6400

Don't matter how much money you got, there's only two kinds of people: there's saved people and there's lost people. – Bob Dylan

Gathering Song

To The Tune of: Times They Are A-Changin': Capo 2

G Em C G
G Am C D
G Em C G
G Am D
D D7 G D
G C D G

Come gather 'round people wherever you roam
And admit all the trials and troubles you’ve sown
we gather together, but still feel alone
our hearts and our minds are ragin’
we were all dust, till God put breath in our bones
so our lives, they are a chang - in'

Come prophets and skeptics and all who dream dreams
the last will be first and the bound shall be free
through bread, wine and water, what’s promised shall be
We all equally need savin’
Christ died on the cross for you and for me
so our lives, they are a-changin'

Come listen to the Gospel please heed the call
It’s promise is truth and pardon for all
We must take that message outside of these walls
To counter all the hatin’
Let’s sing so loud, they hear us in the hall
Because our lives, they are a-changin'

Prayer of the Day

Gospel Acclamation

To the tune of Blowin’ in the Wind: Capo 2

C D G Em
Ha lle halle halle lujah
C D G
Halle halle lujah

G C G
Praise the creator of all that is
G C D
Earth, sea, sky and sand
G C G
Praise be to Christ who came to earth
G C D
In the form of a man
G C G
Praise be to Spirit who is like the wind
GC D
Blowing over the land

C D G Em
Ha lle halle halle lujah
C D G
Halle halle lujah

The Gospel is Read

Reflections Are Offered by Those Gathered

Prayers of the People

To the tune of To Make You Feel My Love: Capo 2

G D
F C
Cm G
A7 D7 (the last time G)

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
All you need is a little grace
To help you feel God’s love.

For all the hungry, and the black and blue
All who live on sidewalks and avenues
When it feels like there is nothing we can do
May you feel God’s love.

When death and illness turns life to gray
and there’s nothing left to do but pray
We’ll come together and always say
May you feel God’s love

C G
When you think no there’s no love left for me
B7 C G
Or you can only think of life’s regret
C G
The winds of change are blowing wild and free.
A7 D7
There’s even more forgiveness for you yet

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
All you need is a little grace
To help you feel God’s love.

The Offering is Collected

The Meal

“Being noticed can be a burden. Jesus got himself crucified because he got himself noticed. So I disappear a lot.” – Bob Dylan

To the tune of The House of the Rising Sun: No Capo

Am C Dm F
Am C Em
Am C Dm F
Am Em Am

The peace of Christ be with you all
And also with you
Lift your hearts, breathe the breath of life
O God, we sing to you

It’s right, and good and we know we should
Give thanks and praise to God
Who made the earth, the sea and stars
And declares that we are good

This song we sing, is an echoing
From our ancestors of faith
Holy, holy holy are you
And Blessed be your name

On the night in which he was betrayed
Jesus took the bread
gave thanks and gave it to all to eat
a taste of the feast to come

After supper, he took the cup
A new covenant in blood (he said)
Each time you drink, remember me,
And pray as I was taught:

God in heaven, we raise your name
And work towards your kingdom now
May we follow you, with hearts that are true
Protect us all our days

These are the gifts of God for all
God, put your Spirit here
And on all who’ve gathered for this in this space
May we eat and drink our fill

Beatles Mass

2010-12-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

For the 4th Sunday in Advent I created a Beatles Mass for the Community of Travelers (an emerging service that meets at 5pm at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in San Francisco). The scripture reading is about how God is born into the world, the Beatles Mass, reminds us that God is continually born into the world and that ordinary things can become spiritual when we use them in worship together.

In the spirit of Martin Luther who changed the words of pub tunes for use in church, this Beatles Mass seeks to get people excited (we had at least 8 people who don't typically attend who came to sing Beatles tunes), and enable those who don't read music to participate.

I'll be adding audio and video of the service, so you can hear how the songs sound as I get a chance.

PERFORMmusic License#6400

Beatles Mass

Lyrics by Rev. Megan Rohrer, Advent 2010

for the Community of Travelers service at St. Aidan’s Episcopal in San Francisco, CA

"God has preached the Gospel through music."

- Martin Luther

“We sing because in singing we join together in common breath and melody in a manner that no other medium can duplicate. Public corporate reading simply cannot match what occurs when people sing together. And when we sing, our song is joined to the saints and angels of all times and places. We become an assembly unified in purpose and thought. And by our singing, we hear God’s Word for us, and the world hears it loud and clear.”

– Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Call to Worship

[to the tune of Blackbird – capo 1]

Welcome to worship this Sunday night
God is here and the time is right
breathe the breath of life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.


Welcome to worship this Sunday night
Breathing as one, together we will sing
Let the church bells ring
You were only waiting for this moment to free.


Prepare your hearts
Prepare your hearts
For the words of God bring change

Prayer

The prayer of the day is read.

Word

[to the tune of Yellow Submarine – capo 1]



Hallelujah and praise be to Christ
praise be to Christ, praise be to Christ
Hallelujah and praise be to Christ
praise be to Christ, praise be to Christ

The Gospel of the day is read.

Hallelujah and praise be to Christ
praise be to Christ, praise be to Christ
Hallelujah and praise be to Christ
praise be to Christ, praise be to Christ

Reflection

A few words from the pastor, followed by group reflection on the reading.

Prayers of the People

[to the tune of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE –capo 2]



let prayers raise like incense through the church while we repent
spread forgiveness, unbind made-up-minds and wallets across the universe     
bless our leaders, of all kinds, bishops, pastors, civic minds
Families, pets, all human kind across the universe



CHORUS:
And so we pray together
God is gonna change the world
God is gonna change the world
God is gonna change the world
God is gonna change the world

we pray for those who are pain, and those who bring back health again
prayers to end poverty and war across the universe
end destruction waste and greed, so we can help out those in need
restore peace and prosperity across the universe



...CHORUS


protect all children, save the earth help us understand the true worth
of all who live and breathe across the universe
help us remember we are loved by the holy trinity above
who calls us to be stewards of, all the universe

...CHORUS

Passing of the Peace

[to the tune of “I wanna hold your hand” – no capo]

Oh please, say to me -
We are all kin in Christ
And please, say to me -
I wanna shake your hand
I wanna shake your hand.
I wanna shake your hand.

The peace, of Christ is with you
And also with you,
So please, get off your seat
Share a sign of God’s peace
Share a sign of God’s peace.
Share a sign of God’s peace.

Oh please, say to me -
We are all kin in Christ
And please, say to me -
I wanna shake your hand
I wanna shake your hand.
I wanna shake your hand.

Offering

The offering is collected at the table is prepared.

The Meal

[To the tune of “Hey Jude” Capo 3]

Na na na na-na na na, na-na na na,

Je- sus (repeat)

Je-sus, he took the bread
Gave thanks and said: take and eat
this is my body, I’m giving to you
Yes this is true, bead of heaven

Je-sus, he blessed the cup
his blood creates for us holy kinship
so we remember God’s promises to us all
despite the fall, we are all God’s children

And every time you drink this cup

Think of Christ and remember

All your sins are forgiven

Na na na na-na na na, na-na na na,

Je- sus (repeat)

Holy one, hosannas to you

Blessed are all who come to your table

we remember the Saints from other times

In this bread and wine, pour out your Spirit

Creator God, who lives among us
we lift your name, above all others

and we remember your sacrifice for our sins
let your reign begin and continue forever, and ever and ever

[silence for the breaking of the bread]

Na na na na-na na na, na-na na na,

Je- sus (repeat)

Blessing

Eucharistic blessing is spoken.

Dismissal

[to the tune of “Let it Be” – capo 2]

May God’s face shine upon you. And clear a path before your feet
praying for tomorrow, Go in peace

Blessed and forgiven, Children of God you’ll always be
claim your wholeness, Go in peace

Go in peace, go in peace, go in peace, go in peace

in service, love and wisdom Go in peace

And when the bay is foggy. And suffering is all we see
May joy replace our sorrows, Go in peace

May we be light in darkness.   For the whole world’s in need.
Help us bring justice, Go in peace

Go in peace, go in peace, go in peace, go in peace

in service, love and wisdom Go in peace

Transgender Religious Leaders say "It Get's Better"

2010-11-23T10:13:00.001-08:00

Jerky Saints Sunday

2010-11-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

This sermon preached at First Congregational in San Francisco is the most I've ever been interrupted during a sermon. But you'll notice at the beginning of the sermon I say that this is a sign of God's in breaking into the world... so I guess God's a bit of a prankster.

Click hear to download the sermon (mp3)
Click hear to listen to the sermon online (play now)

Jerky Saints Sunday
Date:	11-07-2010
Description:	A different take on All Saints Sunday to grasp the unjust actions that our just God has promised to prevent.
Key words:	jesus,justice,suffering,saints
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	First Congregational, San Francisco
Scripture :	Job 19:23-27a; Psalm 17:1-9 ; Luke 20:27-38

You Feed Them.

2010-10-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Download the sermon: (mp3)
Play the sermon now: (listen now)

You Feed Them.
Date:	10-28-2010
Description:	Jesus' command to feed the poor....
Key words:	jesus,mark,hunger,feed
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	SPS Synod Hunger Group
Scripture :	Mark 6:23

Reformation manifesto against poverty & homelessness and for pastor self care

2010-10-22T12:17:00.001-07:00

10/22/2010
Times Square New York

My last night indoors before my 7 days and 7 nights on the street this year I'm spending in Times Square. It wasn't planned to be an intentionally poetic thing. I'm doing a panel talk at CUNY's Graduate Center tonight for Out History. I fly back in the early morning and then head immediately to Davis, CA to preside at the closing worship of the Sierra Pacific Hunger Network's gathering. Then, I'll head immediately to Old First Presbyterian for the Saturday Community Dinner which will feed about 300 people. Afterwards I'll be joining the group of fools (no really, that's what we call ourselves - Faithful Fools after St. Francis of Assisi) and I'll be one of the huddled masses sleeping on the concrete outside of First Unitarian Universalist Church.

This street retreat, I'll be working on and off while I sleep on the streets at night. While this is a little different from past years, I think it will be a revelatory experience. First, I always find it helpful to feel how it feels in my bones to participate in the typical activities that I regularly ask homeless volunteers to participate in. Experiencing it helps me to understand what are unhelpful rules or just make life more difficult and painful for folk.

Another purpose of my continuing to work is to highlight the struggles of the working poor. This time in our economy more than ever, there are so many people working jobs that don't pay all their bills. Even I, someone very well off compared to the lives of those living on the streets, is currently working more than one job in order to get out from under debt, to pay my exceedingly high mortgage and because I haven't had a raise in three years.

And though there are a million reasons that my working while on street retreat can be illuminating, the final one I'll give here, is that during this week before the anniversary of the Reformation I want to highlight the way that pastors that chose to serve those with the least are consistently overworked and underpaid.

Without the ability to get good self care (through vacations, time off to think, time away from crisis and time away from bill worries both at work and home.

So for all these reasons, and all those that will come to me along the way, I officially declare my street retreat (from October 23 - 30) a call for a reformation to: solve domestic poverty; to pay living wages for individuals and families; and to provide self care and support with our prayers, money and priorities for pastors, particularly those engaged in community ministry or the diaconate, to get the self care they need.

Join me on my street retreat/reformation at: mystreetretreat.blogspot.com

And since I will beg on the streets, and in most of these notes, you might as well get used to me begging you to support the vital work that I'm able to do at Welcome. (via the mail: 1751 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94109 or via the interwebs at: www.sfwelcome.org).

I get the privilege of developing creative ways for folk to respond to poverty - whether they live in it or not. If you feel like my blog will entertain you as much as a movie, give $11. If it makes you think like a book would, give $25. If it feels like church, consider tithing %15 of next weeks salary. If you learn as much as a college class consider donating $255. If it changes your life, or at least your perspective, how much is that worth to you?

Since most of my time is spent finding ways to make things free that people in poverty can't afford, I won't be upset if you don't give. But, anything you do give will help me spend less time begging (and more time helping those living in poverty improving their quality of life) when my street retreat is over.

Blessings upon blessings to you and yours. May you be warm and fed, today and all the days of your life.

Pastor Megan

Location:Time Square, NY, NY,United States

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

2010-10-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

Listen to today's sermon.

Download: http://sfwelcome.sermon.net/da/2515421
Playback: http://sfwelcome.sermon.net/da/2515421/play

Sermon : Bethlehem Lutheran, Oakland
Scripture : 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 16:11-15; Matthew 26:7-13

A sermon about the fullness of women.

Servant or Sucker - Long Interfaith Version

2010-10-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Listen Online I Download

Sermon : Unitarian Universalist Church of Marin
Readings : Bernie Glassman - Bearing Witness

Does God want us to give it all away or to be practical, good stewards who save? What is the appropriate faith response to panhandling? Pastor Megan will addresses these questions and share insights from her eight years working with the chronically homeless and from her street retreats, where she lives on the streets in San Francisco's Tenderloin.

Matthew The Sinner/Saint

2010-09-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Download the Sermon I Play the Sermon

A sermon for the feast of St. Matthew that focuses on Jesus' call to minister only to sinners.

Sermon at the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church, September 19, 2010
Scripture readings: Ephesians 2:4-10 and Matthew 9:9-13

Creation, Logic and Disability

2010-09-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hear my sermon preached at First United Lutheran Church. They were celebrating the first Sunday of the season of creation. This sermon is very personal. Please note that there is a bit of silent meditation after the reading of the text. It ends with the sound of a chime. This means that the silence is intentional, and not a problem with the audio.

Download the audio - or play the sermon

Are you a mushy Christian?

2010-08-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

This recent poll about young adults and their faith was really strange to me. This silly little paragraph that stood out the most:
"Among the 65% [of young adults] who call themselves Christian, 'many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,' Rainer says. 'Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.'"

I don't know what a mushy Christian is. I imagine from the context of the article that it's people who use avoid words like "Jesus is my Lord and Savior" or who do yoga. The author of the article concludes that because old school notions of Christianity don't work for young folk that they are in fact not very solid in their belief(s).

As a 30 year old pastor, I must confess that I am often the youngest person at most church services I preach at or lead. I often feel like I'm not actually an adult at these meetings and gatherings because of the marked age difference. Yet, I often hear that the church wants to engage young folk (read those 30 and below) and become more welcoming and diverse.

Yet, when we young folk with our full diversity of sexuality, gender expression, body art, piercings, ADHD, physical abilities and yearning to mash up some of the spiritual practices and experiences from other faith traditions that help us understand our Christian stories and rituals better show up in their pews, very few churches are willing to let us be fully who we are. Or if they do, they stare, make comments or smoother you.

In the early 60's the National Council of Churches faced a very similar reality. Young folk were not interested in church and worship that did not speak to their experiences. As a result, churches adapted, experimented and were transformed by the contributions of young folk. The sixties also brought a lot of experimentation and over-indulgence that the church still seems to be recovering from. Perhaps the boundaries got pushed too far in the 60's, but I hope that the baby boomers who got this freedom when they were young will be gracious enough to trust a new generation with the future of the church.

Like it or not, we are the future (and present) of the church.

I invite anyone interested in exploring ways we can claim the moving and meaningful parts of the ancient Christian tradition while making it fresh and relevant to our daily lives, to join me and the fabulous Tommy Dillon as a part of the Community of Travelers (starting September 12th at 5pm).

You can participate in person at St. Aidan's Episcopal or join us online via live stream. Mushy or not, all are welcome to worship with us!

Sermon: Salem English Lutheran

2010-08-19T06:04:00.001-07:00

Here are the links to my sermon this past Sunday at Salem English Lutheran. Since I don't preach with notes, each of the sermons is unique and fits not only the specific charism of the service and the participants who were there that day.

8:30 Traditional Service
Stream Audio - Download Audio

10:30 Jazz Service
Stream Audio - Download Audio

Date:	08-15-2010
Description:	Our darkness is never darkness in your sight the deepest night is clear as the day light.
Key words:	darkness,rules,Lutheran,GLBT
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	Salem English Lutheran - Minneapolis

loving God vs. intolerant God

2010-08-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

This week I received the above postcard in the mail with a LCMS website link and a Sioux Falls postmark. While I've been getting mail like this on and off since 2000, this postcard is undoubtedly a response to the article about me in the Argus Leader. This type of mail always leaves me with several questions:

Really, does someone think I hadn't heard any of these comments before?
If this was sent in response to the Argus article, I wonder if the sender thought postcards were more affective than exorcisms, or rape threats to "cure" my big gay homosexuality? If only someone had thought of it sooner.
Does the sender not know that the color purple makes people gay? Remember the tinky winky scandal.
What was it that Martin Lutheran meant when he said we could sin boldly?
Do you really think this is a catchy slogan? Would you wear it on a shirt? Put it on the bumper of your car? Have your children hold it on a sign in front of the press?

It occurs to me that I actually preempted this postcard with last Sunday's sermon: Servant or Sucker. Listen to the sermon or download it here. What I didn't post was the children's sermon. So here it is:

The reading according to the gospel of The Little Engine that Could:

A little steam engine had a long train of cars to pull.

She went along very well till she came to a steep hill. But then, no matter how hard she tried, she could not move the long train of cars.

She pulled and she pulled. She puffed and she puffed. She backed and started off again. Choo! Choo!

But no! the cars would not go up the hill.

At last she left the train and started up the track alone. Do you think she had stopped working? No, indeed! She was going for help.

"Surely I can find someone to help me," she thought.

Over the hill and up the track went the little steam engine. Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo!

Pretty soon she saw a big steam engine standing on a side track. He looked very big and strong. Running alongside, she looked up and said:

"Will you help me over the hill with my train of cars? It is so long and heavy I can't get it over."

The big steam engine looked down at the little steam engine. The he said:

"Don't you see that I am through my day's work? I have been rubbed and scoured ready for my next run. No, I cannot help you,"

Don't you think it's sad that the little engine couldn't find anyone to help and never made it up the hill?

Of course the children shouted out that that is not the way the story ends. I then talked about how sometimes when we were short stories from the Bible, Sunday after Sunday, it's easy to forget that it's just one part of the story. A story that ends with God's love, our forgiveness, an empty tomb and God's declaration that we are good.

However, the beauty of the Bible is that the stories are complex. I love them not only because they speak to me and tell me that God love's me, but also because they speak to those that I will work my whole career counteracting.

I love that this Sunday's lectionary text is almost the counter argument to everything that I've written. Jesus is not proclaiming to be the anti-war, homeless advocate that I would love him to be. Instead, he proclaims that he will be argued about, will cause division and to set the world on fire (see Luke 12: 49-56).

On the first reading, it seems like Jesus is the intolerant God proclaimed in the postcard. And yet, when I read it again it seems like Jesus is a truth teller with the self awareness to name the problem that his presence in the world created. He knows the story is headed toward a cross. The writers who wrote the text more than a hundred years after Jesus' death knew that he would continue to be a divisive character in the future.

In the face of Luke's message, I think whenever we see news talking about churches leaving the ELCA over sexuality decisions or we get mail from other Christians saying what we're doing is wrong we should let people know that fighting in the church about Christ and the gospel is old news. In fact, it's precisely what Jesus said would happen.

Yes, it's the truth that there is discord. So what do we do? Perhaps the answer is in the next text:
⁵⁷“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. ⁵⁹I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

These verses are not only call us to stay in conversation and seek reconciliation, but they also bring us back to the end of the story, when the little engine makes it to the top of the hill, when God reminds us of our baptism, when we remember that nothing - neather death, nor life, nor postcards, nor genitals, nor what we do with them can ever seperate us from the love of God in Jesus.

Sermon: Servant or Sucker?

2010-08-01T15:08:00.001-07:00

Listen to the sermon: Servant or Sucker?
or download it here.

The Sound of Evangelism

2010-07-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

The Sound of Evangelism
Date:	07-04-2010
Description:	A new look at evangelism, down falls and it's never ending call....
Key words:	evangelism,outreach,homeless,preaching
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	St. Paulus Lutheran
Scripture :	Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Galatians 6:1-16; Isaiah 66:10-14

Foolish God & the Prodigal

2010-03-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

A Little Christmas for Lent

2010-02-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

Push the triangle above to listen to the sermon. If you have trouble hearing the sermon you can also listen to it at: http://www.sermon.net/sfwelcome

What We Have Been Waiting For

2009-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

Listen to the sermon by pushing the triangle below. If you have trouble playing the sermon you can also find it at: www.sermon.net/sfwelcome

Sermon by The Rev. Megan Rohrer, December 13, 2009
Scripture readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20 and Philippians 4:4-7
Preached at the San Francisco Swedenborgian Chuch

The poverty of loneliness

2009-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Push the triangle to play the sermon. If you can't get it to play, listen to it at: www.sermon.net/sfwelcome

Date: 11-15-2009
Description: A sermon about the very real and debilitating loneliness that plagues some people's lives.
Key words: lonelieness,depression,suicide,jesus
Pastor : Megan Rohrer
Sermon : St. Francis Lutheran Church
Scripture : Mark 13:1-8

The Rich Young Ruler

2009-10-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

Click the triangle above to listen to the sermon. If you don't see the triangle, you can hear the sermon on www.sermon.net/sfwelcome

Date:	10-11-2009
Description:	Give all your money to the poor, or keep in for an emergency? The call to be vulnerable.
Key words:	poverty,stewardship,mark,jesus
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	St. Cyprian's Episcopal
Scripture :	Mark 10:13-31; Amos 5:6-15

Ministry to the Little Ones -Sermon

2009-10-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Click on the triangle above to listen to the sermon. If you don't see the triangle, you can listen to the sermon at http://www.sermon.net/sfwelcome
Date:	10-04-2009
Description:	Seeing ourselves as a single mother and vulnerable little one. And God is a momma bird!
Key words:	justice,mark,isaiah,mothers
Pastor :	Megan Rohrer
Sermon :	Old First Presbyterian Church
Scripture :	Isaiah 56:1-8; Mark 10:13-16

Open Letter to the Bishop

2009-09-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Dear [insert name of your favorite ELCA Bishop]-

I've been hearing some rumors that Bishops are wondering if the pastors who were ordained extraordinarily (like myself) need to be re-ordained before they can be admitted onto the ELCA roster of approved pastors. This is of course following the church's decision to allow non-celibate gay pastors to be ordained (reversing a 20 year policy).

Re-ordination, really?

First these Extraordinary Ordinations follow our confessions, which outline how to ordain a pastor when Bishops make an (against the Gospel) requirement that celibacy is a requirement for the priesthood. How can the Bishops argue that following something in the confessions is not legitimate? Really, the ritual created by Martin Luther to ordain pastors who refused celibacy is not good enough?

Second, a parable:
A man refuses to attend a wedding because of his religious principles. Years later after seeing the faithful relationship the man changes his mind. When he goes to the married couple to tell them his principles have changed, he also asks the couple to get remarried now that he is willing to show up. Do you think the couple would agree? How would their children feel? Further, what if their salary was based on the number of years they were married or they had to pay for a new marriage license?

Third, what if the person who is now your bishop was present at your first ordination. What exactly would be the difference in this new ordination?
So dear Bishop [insert your name here], I understand that:

you may have missed our ordinations;
your principles may have changed or you may be living in bound conscience;
you may want to make nice with those who are afraid of change, so they don't leave the church

but you well know that:

our clergy minimum wage is based on the number of years we have been ordained;
that our candidacy process models the ELCA's;
that congregations are able to call pastors and ordain them without the approval of a Bishop;
even if you didn't show up for our ordination ritual, God(dess) surely did!

I pray for you during your time of leadership and cannot imagine the pressures and responsibilities that you have upon you at this time. I urge you to listen to your Lutheran gut, and make the right decision.

Blessings,

Rev. Megan Rohrer
called and ordained by:
Christ Church Lutheran (ELCA)
Sts. Mary and Martha Lutheran (ELCA)
Ebenezer (HerChurch) Lutheran (ELCA)
St. Francis Lutheran (formerly ELCA - until it was expelled for calling gay pastors 20 years ago)

Sermon - The World Would be a Better Place if Everyone Was Naked!

2009-08-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Preached on my 6th day on the street. Click the triangle above to play. If you don't see a triangle find the sermon at www.sermon.net/sfwelcome
Date: 08-23-2009
Description: A sermon preached at the 8:30 Contemporary service at Salem English Lutheran in Minneapolis.
Key words: homeless,HIV/AIDS,health,justice
Pastor : Megan Rohrer
Sermon : Salem English Lutheran - Minneapolis
Scripture : John 6:51-66

Sermon- Really, Really, Really, Really

2009-08-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Preached on my 6th day on the street. Click the triangle above to play. If you don't see a triangle find the sermon at www.sermon.net/sfwelcome
Date: 08-23-2009
Description: A sermon preached at the 8:30 Jazz service at Salem English Lutheran in Minneapolis.
Pastor : Megan Rohrer
Sermon : Salem English Lutheran - Minneapolis
Scripture : John 6:51-66

Sermon/Bible Study- Rocky Goodsoil

2009-08-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

Press the triangle above to listen. If you do not see a triangle you can listen to the sermon at: www.sermon.net
Date: 08-22-2009
Description: Bible study and brief meditation the day after ELCA votes to have full inclusion of GLBT folk.
Pastor : Megan Rohrer
Sermon : ELM - Churchwide Assembly 09
Scripture : Mark 4:1-20

Celebrating Full Inclusion of Queer folk in the Lutheran Church

2009-08-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

Lutheran Group Eases Limits on Gay Clergy

2009-08-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

By MICHAEL LUO and CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Published: August 21, 2009

After an emotional debate over the authority of Scripture and the limits of biblical inclusiveness, leaders of the country’s largest Lutheran denomination voted Friday to allow gay men and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as members of the clergy.

The vote made the denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the latest mainline Protestant church to permit such ordinations, contributing to a halting sense of momentum on the issue within liberal Protestantism.

By a vote of 559 to 451, delegates to the denomination’s national assembly in Minneapolis approved a resolution declaring that the church would find a way for people in “publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships” to serve as official ministers. (The church already allows celibate gay men and lesbians to become members of the clergy.)

Just before the vote, the Rev. Mark Hanson, the church’s presiding bishop, led the packed convention center in prayer. When the two bar graphs signaling the vote’s outcome popped up on the hall’s big screens seconds later, there were only a few quiet gasps, as delegates had been asked to avoid making an audible scene. But around the convention hall, clusters of men and women hugged one other and wept.

“To be able to be a full member of the church is really a lifelong dream,” said the Rev. Megan Rohrer of San Francisco, who is in a committed same-sex relationship and serves in three Lutheran congregations but is not officially on the church’s roster of clergy members. “I don’t have to have an asterisk next to my name anymore.”

But the passage of the resolution now raises questions about the future of the denomination, which has 4.6 million members but has seen its ranks steadily dwindle, and whether it will see an exodus of its more conservative followers or experience some sort of schism.

“I think we have stepped beyond what the word of God allows,” said the Rev. Rebecca M. M. Heber of Heathrow, Fla., who said she was going to reconsider her membership.

Conservative dissenters said they saw various options, including leaving for another Lutheran denomination or creating their own unified body.

A contingent of 400 conservative congregations that make up a group that calls itself Lutheran Core is to meet in September. Leaders of the group said their plans were not to split from the Evangelical Lutheran Church but to try to protect its “true tenets” from within.

Among so-called “mainline” Protestant denominations, distinguishable theologically from their more conservative, evangelical Protestant counterparts, both the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ already allow gay clergy members.

The Episcopal Church has endured the most visible public flashpoints over homosexuality, grappling in particular in the last few years with the consecration of gay bishops. It affirmed last month, however, that “any ordained ministry” was open to gay men and lesbians.

Earlier this year the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rejected a measure that would have opened the door for gay ordination, but the margin was narrower than in a similar vote in 2001. The United Methodist Church voted not to change its stance barring noncelibate homosexuals from ministry last year, after an emotional debate at its general conference.

But the Evangelical Lutheran Church’s heavily Midwestern membership and the fact that it is generally seen as falling squarely in the middle of the theological milieu of mainline Protestantism imbued Friday’s vote with added significance, religion scholars said.

Wendy Cadge, a sociology professor at Brandeis University who has studied Evangelical Lutheran churches grappling with the issue, said, “It does show, to the extent that any mainline denominations are moving, I think they’re moving slowly toward a more progressive direction.”

Describing the context of Friday’s vote, several religion experts likened it to the court decision last year in Iowa legalizing same-sex marriage.

“In the same sense that the Iowa court decision might have opened people’s eyes, causing them to say, ‘Iowa? What? Where?’” said Laura Olson, a professor of political science at Clemson University who has studied mainline Protestantism. “The E.L.C.A. isn’t necessarily quite as surprising in the religious sense, but the message it’s sending is, yes, not only are more Americans from a religious perspective getting behind gay rights, but these folks are not just quote unquote coastal liberals.”

The denomination has struggled with the issue almost since its founding in the late 1980s with the merger of three other Lutheran denominations.

In 2001, the church convened a committee to study the issue. It eventually recommended guidelines for a denominational vote. In 2005, however, delegates voted not to change its policies.

On Friday, delegates juggled raw emotion, fatigue and opposing interpretations of Scripture.

Before the vote but sensing its outcome, the Rev. Timothy Housholder of Cottage Grove, Minn., introduced himself as a rostered pastor in the church, “at least for a few more hours,” implying that he would leave the denomination and eliciting a gasp from some audience members.

“Here I stand, broken and mournful, because of this assembly and her actions,” Mr. Housholder said.

The Rev. Mark Lepper of Belle Plaine, Minn., called for the inclusion of gay clergy members, saying, “Let’s stop leaving people behind and let’s be the family God is calling us to be.”

Michael Luo reported from New York, and Christina Capecchi from Minneapolis.
Sign in to Recommend Next Article in US (3 of 28)

» A version of this article appeared in print on August 22, 2009, on page A9 of the New York edition.

On Street Retreat

2009-08-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

In case you did not know I'm living on the streets of Minneapolis during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug. 17-24. You can follow my journey at: mystreetretreat.blogspot.com

The Assumption of Assumption

2009-08-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Luke 1:39-56
I love the Gospel of Luke's telling of the birth of Jesus. This tale is so beautifully feminist and subversive - but this is only because of it's use of tradition and patriarchy. Luke's Gospel gives very high value to the roles of men and then silences them and gives the prophetic words to the females in the story. First Zechariah is silenced (1:22), and Elizabeth proclaims (1:25) God(dess)'s favor.

Then Mary is called the "favored one" (1:28). In this week's selection of the text, instead of telling her betrothed about all that is to take place, she goes to Elizabeth and sings a song of praise. While this is the context for the text, the story continues to highlight the women in the story. John is born and Elizabeth decides not to name the child after Zechariah as the couple had intended (1:59-60) and once Zechariah agrees he is able to speak again (1:62-24).

In a nod to patriarchy Luke seeks to establish that Jesus is a first born son in a long line of first born son's. This is an obvious attempt to establish a priestly lineage back to King David and ultimately to Adam. And yet, the lineage does not line up with other biblical texts. For example, Jacob is not a first born (though he does get the birthright), 1 Chron says David is a descendant of Ham (not Shem as listed in 3:36) and according to Ruth 2:1 is not a part of this line, but rather a member of the wealthy family Elimelech. If you're really want to be nitpicky you can note that Cainan should be Kenan, and Araphaxad sohuld be Araphashad.

The fact that the genealogy is a bit off, makes it even more clear that Luke is going out of his way to prove that Jesus is the first born son of a long line of first born sons. And yet, all of this work is still dependant on Joseph being Jesus (bloodline) father, which is not the premise of the first two chapters of this story.

So why if Luke is working so hard to prove the patriarchal lineage of the story do all the speaking parts of the texts go to the female leads? This of course is the inspiration of this blog. For me it is not so inspiring to argue that queer people exist and grace lets us do what we want. But, examples of the queerness that exists in scripture (that we ignore or forget because we assume the text only affirms heterosexuality), stories of the queer saints and deeply held traditions that are much older than the contemporary assumption that only monogamous heterosexual relationships. And of course you can read more about this (shameless plug) in my book "Queerly Lutheran: Ministry Rooted in Tradition, Scripture and the Confessions."

But, it causes me to wonder about what the history of biblical scholarship will uncover as the next assumption that we are reading into scripture. What is the next scale we need to remove from our eyes so we can see the text more clearly?

If only Jesus' followers were the same...

2009-08-05T16:51:00.001-07:00

John 6:35-51

If you read between the lines of this week's text you'll find these words of Jesus:
anyone who comes to me I will never drive away...I should lose nothing of all that he has given me...Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.

This is of course a tenant of Lutheran faith... there is nothing we can do that will secure our own salvation and more importantly nothing we can do to screw it up. If only those who followed Jesus could utter these words to those they disagree with. What if instead of chiding each other we had to affirm each other.

Dear Fred Phelps, (insert whomever you disagree with theologically) I am so glad that regardless of the vile things you do that nothing can separate you from the love of God(dess), just as nothing I do could ever separate me from the love of God(dess).

What if we could not dismiss or disown others? This means that we cannot get rid of or abandon those who are no longer profitable, we cannot step over those who sleep on the sidewalks, we cannot abandon those in need of health care or ignore the hungry.

And this spiritual quest lasts forever. Yikes, that could change who we see as our neighbor. I'm not sure what would be scarier, if we held ourselves to this standard or our enemy!

Sermon: Jesus brings the peanut butter and jelly!

2009-08-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Push the play button (triangle) above to listen to the sermon.
Date: 08-02-2009
Description: Sermon at Bethlehem Lutheran in Oakland 8-2-09. About the history and call for giving away food that perishes in churches, urban sharing and the current economy....
Scripture :John 6:24-35

Proper 13B/Ordinary 18B/Pentecost 9

Urban Share

2009-07-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Garden made from used pallets and milk crates

John 6:1-21

Jesus feeds 5000. A pretty spectacular story that if you've heard it a million times before may lose it's power. And with all the stories of miraculous healings and bringing people back from the dead, we may have already put this story in the category of things that God(dess) could do, but we could not.

But what if we could do it too? Two Saturdays a month we feed more than 200 and we only spend $600 a year on food. How is that possible? Well, we simply let people who have more than their daily bread, know there were others who were going without. And they bring their extra bread (actually they serve restaurant quality meals that are better than I eat at home).

At the Welcome Ministry, we use a philosophy that I call Urban Share. Urban Share is founded in the belief that we have all the supplies that we need, we just have to share it and communicate our needs to others.

Using this model of Urban Share we are working on a community garden project to enable churches and other organizations to create gardens to grow food, learn about hunger and meet the need that is so much more than a need for daily bread. Working with local gardening activists we have learned that it is possible to create raised bed, sidewalk, rooftop and lot gardens virtually for free by recycling materials that are common in urban environments.

Now we are working on connecting gardeners with organizations to teach them how to use the space and things they have around them to produce food for those in need in their communities.

Join our movement! Help us create connections, to fund this program, to reach out to more organizations and churches. Let's use Jesus' ability to feed large groups of people with the resources he found around him and his commandment from Mark "You go feed them" and go and do likewise.

Call to action- Help us feed 5000: The Welcome Ministry plans to feed an additional 5000 people this year, but we need your help. We will be growing produce in community gardens. How? Send us seed! Please send us one or more packets of seed (to grow food) in the mail along with your prayers - we will use your seeds to grow food and feed 5000.

Send seeds and prayers to:
The Welcome Minsitry
1751 Sacramento St.
San Francisco CA 94109

Proper 12B/Ordinary 17B/Pentecost 8

Sermon: Sheepdog's Tale- Don't Wait for Help

2009-07-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

To play click the triangle above.
Date: 07-19-2009
Description: The text is cropped to say that we should all take a vacation, but hunger, health care and the needs of the world can't wait. Jesus' response: You feed them. Learn some ordinary and extraordinary ways you can help with hunger in your community
Pastor: Rev. Megan Rohrer
Congregation: St. Francis Lutheran Church
Scripture : Mark 6:30-34, 53-56; Psalm 23

You give them something to eat!

2009-07-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

When the lectionary cuts out an important story in the middle of the text it does a disservice to the story and to those who hear it! Jesus' command that the disciples feed those gathered is an important part of this story. This cut out story seems to be the script that many people have today about why the poor should help themselves. Yet Jesus responds, despite the cost: "You give them something to eat" (v. 37).

Don't argue about how they got here, if they should have planned better, about how much it will cost or if it will split the church. Just feed them!

In much of my work with those living in poverty or who are homeless it has often felt like the obvious thing to do is just staring everyone in the face:
People without homes -- give them homes
people without food --- give them food
people with out clothes --- give them clothes
people without health care --- give them health care

You can see where I'm going with this. And I can hear the questions now: but what if they use it for bad purposes? Or what if they just waste it (after all if they were able to use things appropriately they wouldn't be in this space now)?

Perhaps. But people living in emergency situations, don't have the privilege of time to figure out what your budget should look like, if there is a better way to use the money or the color of the carpet in the room where the service happens.

Perhaps giving people the basic needs that are required for a healthy life may lead some people to be able to make choices we wouldn't condone. But thankfully, when I'm given my paycheck each week no one asks me how healthy the groceries I will buy are or if I will get any exercise this week before they give me my check.

No, we seem to want to control other people choices, but don't want people to control our own choices. If you have money you can choose from so many different types of milk that there is an entire aisle of milk. But, those who do not have money we seek to take away what little choices they do have (for fear they'll make a poor decision).

I happen to believe that giving people the things they need to be healthy is what we ought to do. We can't know or control what people will do with the things we give them. But that doesn't mitigate our very real responsibility to share what we have, with those who have less. And I find that when we do, those in very real need - more often than not- will use what we have shared in appropriate ways.

At WELCOME this is our mission. And we have a huge increase in the number of people who are begging for food right now. Help us to meet the growing need. Jesus commanded us to feed them. If you can please support our work, or volunteer so that we don't have to turn anyone away.

Proper 11B/Ordinary 16B/Pentecost 7

More than just the worst day.

2009-07-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

Click the triangle above to play the sermon preached at St. Cyprian's Episcopal in San Francisco.

Healing from our Christian trauma.

2009-07-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:14-29: John the Baptist's Head on a Platter

This text is gave me pause. How do you find "good news" in a story about a beheading. Particularly a story that exists as a foreshadowing of more death to come.

Yet, for anyone who has felt like the they have been stalked by death, chronic illness or who have been silenced by a political system that gets rid of hope and truth, this text may feel like it speaks to our situation. And perhaps it could be seen as "good news" because it speaks to our fears and anxiety.

But, as a pastor who works with those who don't have the ability forget their trauma - and sometimes feel like trauma of the past is still happening to them today I'm more comfortable when "good news" to provide hope for a better future.

The condition of being stuck in trauma is called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's something I'm getting intensive training to help people heal from. And the results have been stunning. I'd even say that it's been miraculous. Read Pastor Jay's thoughts about this work.

I wonder sometimes if Christians need trauma care. Death on a cross is a form of biblical terror and one that we keep inflicting on others - expecting others to live on a cross. Some Christians keep reliving and reenacting the cross ~ which to me seems to fit the mold for PTSD.

So perhaps the hope and healing comes in our remembering that this trauma is John's (and Jesus') not ours. We are alive and we should celebrate that. Even more so, we should do what we can to live fully, to improve our health and to heal from our trauma. And then of course work for all of this for our neighbors as well.

Baptism is one way that Christians seek to encounter their deaths. While we continue to remember our baptisms throughout our lives, we don't continue to live in a Good Friday space. Instead we strive to live in the resurrection, in our Easter.

"Good news" if you're reading this, it's safe to say that your head is still attached to your body. You are alive. Be Whole. Live in forgiveness. And Go in Peace.

Proper 10B/Ordinary 15B/Pentecost 6

Another Street Retreat Planned

2009-07-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Learn more at: mystreetretreat.blogspont.com

Sermon: Not Worth Waiting For

2009-06-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Mark 5:21-43

Push Play (the triangle above) to Hear the audio.
Or download the sermon video.

Date: 06-28-2009
Description: Sermon that asks: What is so important to you that you would not wait, that you would reach out and grab it?...
Sermon : First Congregational, San Francisco

Philadelphia - womb of the gay rights movement

2009-06-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Pride in San Francisco and the anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion. I'll be preaching at First Congregational in San Francisco (Polk and Bush at 11am) and I'll post the sermon. But today I'll send one reminder that most people may not know:
A 1965 gay march held in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, according to some historians, marked the beginning of the modern gay rights movement. It was not Stonewall. In fact the Compton Cafeteria Riots also predate Stonewall.

In honor of the birth place of the gay rights movement I post some videos that I made while I was in Philadelphia recently. Enjoy:

In(dependence Hall):

Liberty Bell:

Love?

The lesson of fear

2009-06-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Mark 4:35-41
What a strange and marvelous passage. On the one had it's a terrible idea to tell people to ignore their bodies and their fears. As humans living in a time when all we have to rely on is our intuition and our need to protect ourselves, we must listen to those voices of fear. Of course, they are not always rational. Sometimes the voices of fear are telling us to take a closer look at ourselves, that we need care, that we are racist and that we have more to learn. Regardless of whether our fear is rooted in truth or bias, we need to listen to them in order to keep ourselves safe and to grow.

In this week's text we have a story of fishermen afraid at sea. They knew when a storm was bad. And anyone who has feared a teacher can imagine the dread and pacing that probably happened for an hour before they had the guts to wake up Jesus, until they were pushed past the point of fear to necessity. At the point that they wake him up, there was nothing else they could have done. And yet, knowing he was their only hope they are still amazing when they get the calm they were seeking.

The sea represents the unfathomable uncontrollable chaos. And for the uncontrollable to be controlled means that sometime extraordinary is happening. Yet, there are moments in our lives when things grow calm unexpectedly, when the person who always lets us down finally gets it right, when we suddenly understand the thing that made no sense for so long.

Today's text is a prayer for those who have a hard time asking for help, for those who have waited too long to transition into the healthier life that has been long waiting, for those who have lived in chaos for too long and for those who are desperately longing for peace and stillness in their lives.

Proper 7B/Ordinary 12B/Pentecost 3

Sermon: Seven - the little thing that makes a big difference

2009-06-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Mark 4:26-34

Press play (or the triangle) above to listen to the sermon.

Date: 06-14-2009
Description: A sermon about the second two seed parables in the Gospel of Mark. About Welcome's identity crises. What does a homeless ministry do when it helps the homeless move indoors....
Location: University Lutheran, Philadelphia

pastors called to be boring?

2009-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 6:1-13
“Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ ¹⁰Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.”

One of the things I hear the most often when I preach in churches is: "thank you for coming to preach, I feel like someone said something alive for the first time in a long time from that pulpit." I always feel sad from the congregants that say that to me. How many churches are full of pastors who have the same call as the one in Isaiah above? Would we admit it if we did?

Today's text is for all the pastors out there. I don't think you mean to be boring. But, the thing I know is that congregations all over this country keep telling me they are ready for more, to be challanged, to hear the truth, to engage messy issues and to feel like their pastors are passionate about something.

So how to we become less boring when we preach? Don't bore yourself. If you are excited and care about what you are talking about, that is 75% of the battle of a good sermon. Yes, we want to speak to the needs of the congregation. But, if you are preaching the message they need to hear -and never the message you need to hear- then people will not feel engaged, like they are part of a conversation.

The Spirit is a gust of wind that blows through us, it moves and swirls and is passionately alive. She wants to be a part of your sermon, to wake you up and help your congregation grow. Will you let it?

REJECT THE CALL TO BE BORING!

Ascending gender

2009-05-25T10:58:00.001-07:00

The stories of Jesus' new body that is unrecognizable to his friends and family, reminds me of the journey many trans folk take after their bodies and voices change after beginning to take hormones. Others may have similar experiences after a dramatic hair cut change or by dressing in garments that are gender non-conforming.

While trans' experiences may be a bit more dramatic than the typical coming home story. I imagine that all people who journey back to their hometown after living in a different community, after years of a different job or with other families experience a bit of dysphoria.

Going back to an old school as an adult gives a taller perspective. As we change, the way we see things, even those most familiar to us changes.

Passing as the opposite sex, gives us eyes to see the thin lines of gender in a new way. To see the subtle sexism that we may not have noticed before.

As Jesus returns to his hometown in a changed existence, with eyes that know physical pain and suffering, rejection and abandonment, I wonder how he saw his loved ones and those familiar to him in a new light.

As Jesus ascends to heaven we assumed that he then takes on another form. One, that Martin Luther imagines in his Table Talks, is without gender or sex. Jesus ascends to a gender free reality.

As easy assumption for someone who lives between genders to come to from this text.

I wonder how the world looked from up there. Far above the hubble telescope, where I imagine the earth and life on it looks smaller and smaller the higher he ascends. The things that we argue about, for biblical correctness probably get smaller and smaller too (as we all do).

What are the things we need to ascend above? What do we need to see with new eyes?

Local Option: What Would Luther Do?

2009-05-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Lutherans who seek a church with a true priesthood of all believers:

Why have we let those calling for a required celibacy rule for gay and lesbian rostered leaders claim that tradition and scripture is on their side? Luther was so convinced that requiring priests to take a vow of celibacy was against the gospel (On Monastic Vows), that he left his own personal sexual rigidity and chose to get married to make a political point.

Our confessions outline how congregations should call pastors in defiance of Bishops who try to require celibacy (Smalcald Articles - followed today by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries). Our tradition tells us that voting to allow Bishops to require pastors to be celibate (even if it is only applied to some people in a few places) is against the gospel.

What would Luther do? Not only would he vote against the sexuality task force’s recommendations, if it passed he would actively disobey the rule and help pastors get married. Luther responded to the local option of his time by playing matchmaker and helping monks and nuns marry each other.

Some may argue that Luther would not do the same thing with same-sex marriages , that he did with opposite-sex ones? Again, when we look to history it is clear that Luther was just as convinced that marriage was a matter to be decided by civil authorities, not churches. Not only that, Luther argued that we should follow the most liberal marriage policies (which at the time came from Turkey) when he gave advice to people about their marriages.

When a marriage was outside of Luther’s comfort zone, he still counseled people that it was better to marry than to get divorced. From a traditional standpoint, I find it curious that our church welcomes divorced people to be fully present at both sides of the communion table, and yet has yet to do the same for gay and lesbians.

I firmly believe that if our church stopped worrying about opinion polls and church fractures, if we stopped letting majority votes decide the fate of minorities, if we truly looked into the traditions of our church the answer about what to do about gay and lesbian pastors who be clear.

---

Lutheran (True) Confessions:*

First, I confess that I am a divorced pastor, in a committed same-sex partnership who lives in a state that currently is unable to recognize same-sex marriages (as of 5/5/09). So I write this, like all other Lutherans live simultaneously as both a saint and a sinner, grateful daily for the promise of my baptism that allows me to “sin boldly and believe more boldly still.”

For those who will discount my writings by saying that I am only trying to justify my own life I say this: As a lifelong Lutheran, I know that there is nothing I can do, say or write that could ever justify my life; I am saved by grace, through my faith in Jesus. On one level, my life could have been much easier if I acted straight, or decided not to be an ordained minister. Yet on a deeper level, as Luther once proclaimed, “here I stand, I can do no other.” Thankfully, I am blessed with a God(dess) whose love is so much bigger than my sexuality and gender (Romans 8:38) and I pray that God(dess) will forgive any typos or false theology.

Second, I confess that, like the tradition of Martin Luther, my writings are politically motivated. Despite having been a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) my whole life, I am unable to cast a vote to change the policy that will decide my own fate. My refusal to make a vow of celibacy has meant that I cannot be on the official roster of the church. Ordained by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries I am allowed access only to the visitors section of churchwide assembly (the armed guards keep me from violating this restriction). Synodically, as a pastor called by ELCA congregations, I am given voice, but no vote. There too I am required to sit in the “visitors” section – a rule I happily break every year to sit with members of my calling congregations.

So dear reader, if you are someone with voice and vote in the ELCA, I implore you to speak for me and the other silenced minorities whose fate you will be taking a majority voting on.

Third confession, Luther’s writing is a bit messier than I have made it seem. Luther does write about same-sex sexual relationships and he calls them unnatural. The reason is deeply rooted in misogyny and sexism. Stated bluntly, Luther believed that men are for thinking and women are for making babies (Luther’s Works 54: Table Talk Recorded by Veit Deitrich No 55.). Thus, effeminate men, and women taking on the “role of a man” (hetero or homo) are unnatural.

A similar word in Romans that some translators translate “homosexuality” is more correctly translated by Luther as “effeminacy” (Luther’s Works 25: Lectures on Romans) – same issue. Yet, we would never go around complaining that God(dess) has abandoned all effeminate people (though Early Christians and our Lutheran tradition did). Contemporary Lutherans need to reject both Luther’s misogyny and sexism and the heterosexism that comes out of it.

And while I'm talking about confession and forgiveness, I believe we should also confess our failure as a Lutheran church to follow the gospel sooner and for the devastating affect it has had on the lives of gay and lesbian pastors, lay people and their friends and family for decades.

*a nod to the website

Hunger is not a metaphor!

2009-05-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm preaching two services on Sunday: 11am at St. Francis and 6pm at Grace Cathedral

Since I'll be at an Episcopal service in the afternoon, I thought I'd talk about the Episcopal Psalm Reading: Psalm 22:24-30

I happen to like the entire Psalm and wish that it was read together. Note the omission of verse 31 which proclaims "deliverance to a people yet unborn." Such a beautiful promise. We can't even imagine the things that God(dess) can and will do in the world.

And yet the promise that the poor shall eat and be satisfied (v.26) seems to be beyond our grasp. So often preachers turn promises of hunger being filled into metaphors about a spiritual reality. The Psalmist, like Isaiah, seems to get it that we all are equal in our need to eat food. We all have stomachs. Regardless of what we eat and if we ever get to feel full, we all require nutrients to live. In a world with so much to grumble about - there seems to be nothing more consistently biblical than people grumbling at God(dess) - God(dess) promises that we will be satisfied.

The feeling of satisfaction is not one we get very often. In a world where bigger, better and faster is just around the corner it's no wonder that popular musicians proclaim: "I can't get no, satisfaction." That could be our modern day mantra.

And yet God(dess)'s constant refrain of "peace, be still" continuously meets our perpetual "not enough" space. Stop and smell the flowers. Stop and notice the satisfaction of a meal you eat. The taste and texture are meant to be enjoyed. And in all the moments that we truly do not have "enough," or the privledge to reflect we can remember the promise of what is coming.

It is our obligation to confront those who are content to let biblical promises of satisfying hunger and God(dess)'s groining for justice become metaphors (another way of saying permission to not act).

Fruit of the Vine

2009-05-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

It just feels too easy this week. John 15: 1-8 God(dess) wants us to bear fruit. So be fruity!

Seriously, if we are a part of God(dess) and God(dess)' work there is no limit to what we can ask for, or what we can expect. This kind of freedom has scared Christians for ages! Doesn't this mean you could commit murder and get away with it. What would our life be like if people used this freedom and disobeyed all those human laws that make our world work.

Dominic, takes the bible literally. So literally that he ignores the laws of humans and only obeys the laws of God(dess). This means that he crosses the street on the red, walking against traffic and blocking buses. Of course this has come at the cost of his body. He's been hit by cars on more occasions than I could count.

Dominic believes deep down to his toes that we have the resources we need. He spends most of his time in dumpsters reclaiming things that people have thrown away so he can share them with others that need them. Most people see his gifts as trash, but some find what they need.

For Dominic, myself and many other faithful people, it's not hard to ask for what we need (as long as it is for someone else). It's hard to take care of ourselves and ask for what our bodies, minds and souls need.

Yet, God(dess) promises that our fruits will be multiplied. I'm crazy enough to believe, like Dominic that if we all shared more that we would all have enough. The message I need to hear (and perhaps you do too) is that if we accept God(dess)'s gifts for our own care, that God(dess) will use our holistically healthy lives to help others do the same.

So, enjoy a vacation and donate those hotel toiletries to the homeless (at the Welcome Ministry or somewhere close to where you live).

Have a really nice dinner that is good for your body and then donate the same amount of money to a local food pantry.

Take yourself to a spa, and then donate the same amount of money to make sure the poor have access to basic hygenie (public restrooms, showers and socks).

Trans Pastors Speak Out Against Hate Crimes

2009-04-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

I spent the past three days, with over 200 trans folk in Washington DC for Lobby Days and the Transgender Religious Summit (sponsored by CLGS and NCTE) to help lobby for congress to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Bill (which the house just passed the bill today).

A few of the 50 trans pastors, took time before lobbying to release the first major letter written by an interfaith group of transgender faith leaders. You can read the letter in English or Spanish. These trans pastors gathered in support of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and to encourage other faith leaders to do the same.

Notably the most prolific charge at the Transgender Religious Summit came from Kate Bornstein. Here are some of my favorite quotes from her keynote:

"it's time for churches to start having good sex: safe, sane and consensual."
"everyone here is getting a 'get out of he'll free card'"#trs http://twitpic.com/4266m
"when we are outsiders we get to be hidden bodhisattvahs... Because no one would expect us to do good work"
"what does it say that the downfall of humanity (in Genisis) comes from the desire for morality"
the story of Adam and eve is story of God warning us against the binary
"you never have to answer either/or questions... Either/or is the language of bullies."
"I'm a masochist, if I did unto you what I like done to me, you'd rightly put me in jail"

Out in Season Lent - Easter

2009-04-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention this resource I helped write for HRC on the Lent and Easter Cycle. Learn about baptism and the transgender experience. http://www.hrc.org/scripture/oiseason2.asp

Trouble Will Bury Me Down

2009-04-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hear "Trouble Will Bury Me Down"
Sermon Preached at the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church on April 5, 2009 (the second day of my seven day street retreat).
Scripture readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and Mark 11:1-11

Street Retreat Blogging

2009-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in following my experiences living on the streets for 7 days and 7 nights (as I have done for 7 years now), check out: http://www.mystreetretreat.blogspot.com

Palm/Passion Sunday

2009-04-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Jesus rides into the crowd on a donkey (John), no a horse (Mark and Luke), no both a horse and a donkey (Matthew)...

In a great case against literal interpretations of the bible, this is one of those stories that everyone has heard (the church going ones anyway). Yet, the details are a bit fuzzy. Like the oft overlook diversity that exists in the birth narratives.

What Jesus rode doesn't really matter, since the point is the irony of the glory that comes before the suffering pain and awefulness of the story that follows. It's that grand welcome, that end up being a trap like a good spy movie or episode of Scooby Do.

And there are still a good number of Christians continue the trap of over exaggerated welcome - followed by judgement, trial and death of individuality (and sometimes creativity and fun).

My dream is for a church that welcomes people, all people (especially those who disagree with me), and continues the welcome with the more gritty change and transformation that comes from staying in relationship. This means that we don't throw out our tradition with the bath water. I myself am a fan of reclaiming the roots of the tradition (which usually prove to be much more radical anything I could ever come up with) and rituals with an ability to also welcome and honor the new traditions and rituals that move people living today.

This week I visited First United Methodist in Vermillion (FUMV), South Dakota. The Human Rights Campaign sent me there as a part of the trainings about faith and gender identity that are happening in all the congressional districts that are needed to pass ENDA. I learned that this congregation in the midst of the "bible belt" where fundamentalism is an assumption, is a church practicing radical welcome. If it can happen here it can happen anywhere. I was also excited to learn that FUMV has a donkey at their Palm Sunday worship each year. They're still looking for one for this year, so if y9u've got a donkey to lend for a couple hours, I can't think of a better cause!

This Palm Sunday I will be preaching at the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church. It will be the second day of my annual street retreat (where I live on the streets of the tenderloin for 7 days and nights). Check out my street retreat blog to follow my journey through holy week. I will be riding neither a donkey or a horse (famous last words...).

Righteous Anger

2009-03-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

This week's text features Jesus overturning the temple tables in a rage about consumerism and trying to make a profit on the sacredness of temple ritual. What did he expect really? The temple was also a bank and the safest place to keep money. It was also a regular feature for the faithful to purchase their livestock for sacrifice. Busy as we all are, we can understand how convenient it would be to arrive at church (lets face it most San Franciscans arrive late) and have everything ready to go.

So what is with the righteous anger? Though today in our current economic state it's easy to get angry at capitalism, the sacrifice of the poor and the churches who have tightened their belts to think about numbers in the pews and their potential giving.

It's a good time to yell about workplace discrimination, bathrooms that are not accessible, the sexualization of trans people and political surgery requirements that leave lower income (and suregically disinterested) trans folk without proper id.

What is more surprising than Jesus' anger, is our lack of it today. Why aren't we demanding access to health care, fair voting rights, that the rights of minorities not be left to majority votes and for justice for those who are used as raw material to produce goods and services.

Where is our anger? Righteous or not.

Divine Sex Changes in Genesis

2009-02-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

When culture began to believe that men were superior to women, it reinterpreted the queer creation story into a story of a woman coming from a man in order to reinforce cultural assumptions. And for centuries, patriarchal assumptions continued to reinterpret and sometimes guide our scientific assumptions of sex and gender.1

Still, the earliest listeners and readers of our sacred scriptures believed that sex changes were a miracle of God(dess), beginning with the first sex reassignment surgery that was preformed by God(dess) trans-forming the intersexual Adam into a male Adam and female Eve.2

This first sex change was not the final act of creation that ended the need for any other sex changes. Ancient Israelites believed that there were more than two genders: male, female, barren women and Eunuchs.3 While rejecting the assumption that you cannot be fully a woman or man if you cannot procreate, we must continue to lift up the sacred stories of the God(dess) who not only performs sex change miracles but uses gender queer individuals as agents of God(dess)’s work in the world.

The earliest readers of the Hebrew Bible believed that barren women and circumcised men were models of the androgynous ideal (like the Divine Androgen).4 This means that God(dess)’s command that all men be circumcised could be said to be a requirement that all faithful believers undergo a physical sex change. Numerous barren women also received divine sex changes when God(dess) notices them and opens their wombs: Sarai, Rebecca, Leah, Rachael, Zulaikaha, and Hannah.5

While the type of sex change that comes from circumcision or the opening of a womb seems very different then the surgical and hormonal sex changes that some transsexuals undergo, the story of Dinah’s sex change may speak more to the contemporary transsexual experience.6 This story begins with Jacob, a character so gender queer, that even Luther notices.7 But, how could he not notice when the text seems to go out of its way to note that everything that Jacob does is feminine: female pronouns are used to describe him and it is noted that he “dwells in tents” (Gen 25:27) which were known to be the space of women. Even more queer is the fact that this effeminate male is able to amass so much masculine power, which the patriarchy of the time defined as the ability to “take” multiple wives and produce many male children.8

Jacob’s children come as the result of at least two divine sex changes (Leah’s womb is opened in 29:31 and Rachael’s is opened in 30:22) and ultimately produces twelve male offspring, who become known as the twelve tribes of Israel. Though its not recorded in the text, ancient readers believed that after eleven of the sons were born (six to Leah, two to Bilhah and two to Zilpah), that Leah prayed to God(dess) to have a girl so that her sister Rachael could bear Jacob’s final male child, Joseph.9

While some sources believed that Dinah’s sex change occurred in Leah’s womb and others believed it was happened after Dinah was born they all agree that it was God(dess) who changed Dinah’s sex from male to female. Yet most commentators fail to notice that the cost to Dinah for her divine sex change is the loss of the privileges given to men in a patriarchal society.10 As a woman Dinah endures the subjugation commonly endured by other women of her time when she is raped by Sehecham (34:2-7) and “treated like a whore” (34:31). Dinah ultimately dies giving birth to Benjamin.11

Despite Dinah’s unfortunate fate, the prayer of Leah has been used by trans individuals as model for praying to God(dess) for a sex change. Qalonymos ben Qalonymos in Even Bohan (1322) prayed:

Our Father in Heaven! You who did miracles to our fathers by fire and water; you who turned [the furnace] in Ur of the Chaldees [cold] to stop it from burning [Abraham]; you who turned Dinah in her mother's womb [into a girl]; you who turned the rod [of Moses] into a serpent in front of tens of thousands; you who turned [Moses'] pure arm into a [leper's] white arm; you who turned the Red Sea into land, and the sea floor into solid and dried-up earth; you who turned the rock into a lake, the cliff into a fountain - if only you would turn me from male to female.12

The sex changes in Genesis could be read as enforcing strict gender binaries, as God(dess)’s way to trans-form the gender queer into “normal” procreative men and women. But, we have already seen how God(dess) uses Jacob in gender queer ways, without correcting or changing the ways Jacob is queer in gender. Michael Carden, who called Jacob a “pretty-boy nancy,”13 describes Jacob’s youngest son Joseph as “twitling, minicing, in rainbow garb and with painted eyes, Joseph is a flaming young queen.”14 God(dess) continues to use gender non-conforming individuals not only in the book of Genesis, but throughout our sacred texts.

1. See Laquer, Thomas, Making Sex: Body and Gender From the Greeks to Freud, Harvard UniversityPress, 1992.

2. The Jewish midrash argues that: “Men and women were originally undivided, i.e. Adam was at first created bisexual, a hermaphrodite.” [Plaut, W. Gunther, The Torah: Genesis- A Modern Commentary, 1974, 24.] See also, Gottwald, N. K. 1985. The Hebrew Bible--a socio-literary introduction. Includes index. Fortress Press: Philadelphia

3. Carden, Michael, “Genesis/Bereshit,” The Queer Bible Commentary, Ed. Guest, Deryn, et. al., SCM Press, 2006, 27.

4. Ibid, 33, 35 and 49.

5. Ibid.

6. See Carden, Michael, “Genesis/Bereshit,” 47-51.

7. LW5: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 26-30: Genesis 29:29

8. See Carden, Michael, “Genesis/Bereshit,” 47-51 and Stone, Ken, “1 and 2 Samuel,” The Queer Bible Commentary, Ed. Guest, Deryn, et. al., SCM Press, 2006, 212.

9. See Berakhot 60a and Tanhuma 19:5.

10. Rosen, Tova, Circumcised Cinderella, 89.

11. Carden, Michael, “Genesis/Bereshit,” 51.

12. As it appears in Rosen, Tova, “ Circumcised Cinderella,” 87.

13. Carden, Michael, “Genesis/Bereshit,” 50.

14. Ibid, 53.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

2009-02-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 40:21-31

Let this be my official angry retort to those who argue that they know what is natural, to those who think there is one bodily "normal" way to look male or female. These same individuals then talk about the normal variations that happen when babies are born and talk about them being "disordered or malformed". They say surgery is the answer. Some say same sex loving folk ought to get the parts others are able to keep private corrected through surgery. While I don't want to talk the surgery will make you natural and "normal" people out of being accepting of trans folk who choose surgical options, I must quote to you these words from Isaiah (which of course are also quoted back to me just as strongly): "21Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing."

And as a reminder to myself, that when I am told these sometimes well meaning, but nonetheless misguided comments, that I should respond boldly: "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Then we can all hold hands and sing together about being raised up on eagles wings. Well, this is my dream anyway. It never seems to work that way. It usually end with someone telling me I am not a REAL Christian (or insert any other category in my life). And all I did was quote scripture. Why is it so hard for some to think that scriptures words of freedom of welcome and hope only apply to others who think the same way we do.

This of course is my reminder that the words of hope and freedom are just as much for others who disagree with me. And then I must put faith in the mystery that is God(dess), and who thankfully is big enough to be a God(dess) for both me and "them."

Epiphany 5B

Male brides of a female Christ

2009-01-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Caroline Walker Bynum, in Jesus as Mother, outlines how 12 th century cloistered male saints began to understand themselves as mothers who were the male brides of the mother/father Christ. As these saints expanded the Gospel of Matthew’s imagery of Jesus as a mother hen (23:37) and wrote about the breast feeding Christ who was a mother, they were not implying that Christ was female. Rather, they believed that the male Christ’s humanity was dependent upon the simultaneous nature of Christ’s mother/fatherhood. Unlike the binary sex roles of our contemporary culture, “Medieval authors do not seem to have drawn as sharp a line as we do between sexual responses and affective responses or between male and female.”1 This fluidity of gender went beyond the belief that men could be feminine to the idea that men could take on physical characteristics of the female body while still remaining male.

It is possible to read the works of these saints as reinforcing patriarchal assumptions by giving males not only the ability impregnate but also to birth and breastfeed. It is also possible that they were expressing gender freedom by expressing the language of divine androgyny that they read in scripture. While I reject the former as patriarchal, I lift up the latter. Bynum also argues that works of these 12 th century saints are rooted the Hebrew Bible’s naming of the male God(dess) who “speaks of himself as mother, bearing Israelites in his bosom, conceiving them in his womb (e.g. Isa. 49:1, 49:15, and 66:11-13)”2 and the Wisdom of God(dess) as the divine feminine (Ecclesiastes 24:24-26).

Anselm of Canterbury is one of the first of the 12 th Century saints to write about Jesus (and Paul) as mother/father who nurses an individual’s soul with his breasts.3 Anselm named both Jesus and Paul “fathers by protection, mother by compassion.”4 Bernard of Clairvaux uses female/mother imagery for Jesus, Moses, Peter, Paul, prelates and abbots when he writes extensively about how their wombs nurture, conceive and shelter while their breasts pour out instructions like breast milk.5

Guerric abbot of Igny, takes the mother imagery a step further when he calls the male abbots mothers who give birth to Christ, just as God(dess) the father becomes pregnant with our soul in his bowel for the sake of our salvation.6 Eventually it becomes commonplace for the cloistered male monks and abbots to speak of each other as mothers.

By calling Christ and each other mother, these saints sought to highlight the erotic nature of their union with Christ and to highlight their own humility. While the former is quite queer, the latter is deeply rooted in the patriarchy of the time. By referring to themselves women, they were highlighting their own weakness and need to be nurtured and supported. This comes directly from the assumption that women, by their very nature, were weak. While the male saints considered this a positive description at the time, it is nothing less than patriarchal.7

And when we take a closer look at the queer reading, it too is entrenched in heterosexist assumptions. While the freedom of gender they express can be liberating for queer readers, it should also be noted that the gender trans-formations came out of a desire to avoid the appearance of queer sexual orientation. Bynum notes that the desire to avoid erotic same-sex language when speaking about their sexual unions to Christ. This may be why the saints referred to their souls as “brides of Christ,” instead of “coming out” about the physically erotic relationship that was occurring between a physically male saint and the physically male Christ.8

Postmodern readers who strive to free themselves from dualistic and binary assumptions of male and female may relate to the language of Christ as mother/father. However, instead of believing that the physical and metaphoric motherhood/femaleness of Christ enhances the fatherhood/maleness of Christ, postmodern readers should strive to envision Christ as gender queer. If we were able to see Christ as truly gender queer then the femaleness of Christ would not negate her maleness of Christ, just as the maleness of Christ does not negate his femaleness. Like the 12 th century cloistered male saints Christ’s ability to be a father should be read as dependent upon his status as a mother. But, a queer reading would reject patriarchal privilege that comes from Christ’s maleness, just as Christ often rejects privilege to be with/for the poor, sex workers and tax collectors in the Gospels.

When queer readers name Christ as a gender queer mother/father it is not done out of fear of linking Christ to a queer sexual orientation. If Christ is both male and female, then it is impossible for a Christ to have an opposite-sex relationship. And if it is true as Paul writes in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ we too are no longer male or female, then it is also impossible for any Christians to have an opposite-sex relationship.

1. Bynum, Caroline Walker, Jesus as Mother: Studies in the Spirituality of the High Middle Ages, University of California Press, 1982, 162.

2. Ibid, 125.

3. Ibid, 113.

4. Ibid, 114.

5. Ibid, 115.

6. Ibid, 120-3.

7. Ibid, 138-9.

8. Ibid, 161.

Invitation to join me on the streets for a week, starting Saturday October 18

2008-10-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

Greetings friends who have followed my street retreats in the past, or who are interested in learning about my retreat for the first time.

If you don't know me, my name is Rev. Megan Rohrer and I am the director of the Welcome Ministry in San Francisco, where I have been eating with and journeying with the chronically homeless (many who have been homeless for more than 25 years).

Each year for the past six years, I have been going on street retreats - to live in the Tenderloin. This is a journey I regularly take with a group called the Faithful Fools. I have had various motivations that have led me to the streets. Certainly, these retreats inform my work with the homeless throughout the rest of the year. But, because the retreat also includes twice daily reflection, it also becomes one of the most self revelatory times of my year.

Street retreat helps me to feel in my bones what it means to say "no" to guests requests, the ache of sleeping on the sidewalk, and the severe mental toll of my mere glimpse into what others are stuck in for far too long.

While I have entered my retreat with different expectations each year, I have found one thing is often the same: my retreat is an embodied living of all my stereotypes of the homeless I am living and working with.

When I thought homeless people were smelling and go to a lot of free meal sights, I became very smelling ate at a lot of different meal sites. When I thought the homeless panhandled a lot and ate out, I panhandled a lot and ate out at every meal. When I thought that homeless people stayed in one space and had a lot of freedom, I stayed in one place and had a lot of freedom.

As I listen to the stories of the homeless, I know that there are as many ways to be homeless as there are homeless people. I also know that the knowledge that I have a warm bed to come home to at the end of my week and a job waiting for me. It is not possible for me to escape these limitations of my power and privilege. Acknowledging this, here is how I seek to retreat to the streets this year...

Acknowledge my biases and with constant reflection on how I am holding myself apart and the ways I am choosing to connect to life on the streets, I seek to embrace vulnerability in my body to learn more about my truest self, and to work mightily to walk with each step moving me a step closer to God(dess).

In my past year working with our homeless guests, I have found that there is one aspect that I need to learn more about: my transgender brothers and sisters living on the streets. This is a journey to not only learn more about our guests, but also myself.

Before I was born my name was Ryan. A heart monitor told the doctor that I was a boy. When I was born the first words exclaimed were "oops" when the doctor saw that my body was female. For three days I was baby girl Rohrer, until I was named Megan.

I love my body and the life that I have lived, but I deeply believe that my gender queerness is not an "oops." I believe that both my heart and my body got it right. Yet in the world we live in, people tend to judge people's bodies without seeing their heart.

Today, I embrace both the male and female sides of my life.

So this year on street retreat I have decided to pass as male and go by Ryan. I hope this will be a way for me to expose my heart more fully to the streets. I ask you to join me in this journey, as I learn more about what it is like for my trans kin living on the streets and for my own personal gender expressions.

Each day I will be reflecting about my experiences on this blog at: http://mystreetretreat.blogspot.com/

I hope you will pray with me, think about your own naming stories and share with me your experiences, fears and joys about my street retreat experience.

Blessings

Rev. Megan Rohrer
Director
The Welc

many are called, but few are chosen

2008-10-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew 22:1-14

What a seemingly strange text. Many are called, but few are chosen? What does this mean in light of Jesus' proclamation in Matthew that the poor and sex workers will go ahead of you to heaven. Will they only then be kicked out for not having the proper clothing?

That's a hard pill to swallow, unless it is a metaphorical understanding that we are called to be clothed in Christ. Even then, Jesus' own words that there will be others in heaven and with him that we would not expect would lead me to believe that this text is in tension with Jesus' calls for inclusion. Last weeks entry speaks more about that.

How can we believe that many are called, but few are chosen and still believe in the priesthood of all believers?

Some of these questions can be answered by nuances in the greek meaning of the word many. I had always read the many to mean the final group of people that came to the party. Yet, in the greek the word "many" is the equivalent to "all." All were invited but only a few bothered to show up or do what they ought. This is talking about the entierty of the story, not just about the last group that showed up. This new reading suggests that all are invited, and we are the ones who need to respond appropriately.

Yet, as a Lutheran pastor, I would not want you to think that I am saying that we are justified by our works.

While this passage may lend itself to the reading that if you do the right things you will have life and get to party with God(dess), I believe the deeper meaning comes from not splicing this text from the rest of Matthew. It is very fitting in Matthew's text that the poor would be the ones to overwhelmingly respond to the call. My concern with the one member of the lower class that is killed, caused me to forget that 100% of the upper class got it wrong.

Isn't that always the way that people, like me in this case, remember the slight of the poor more than the slights of the upper crust. Perhaps some people. Or, it could be that so much of my work is about making sure every person, regardless of their socioeconomic class gets fair and equal treatment, that I am just responding to my call to speak out for the poor.

No, we couldn't have expected the poor person to show up in the right outfit. Yes, it is better that he atleast made the effort to show up (probably knowing he would be killed). But, you and I both need to care equally for those in the highest offices as we do for those sleeping on the lowest sidewalks (and the otherway round).

This text teaches me my own biases. That's the point. No matter who we are rooting for. We are not only equal in our sinfulness, we are equal in our sense that our neighbor isn't getting their fair due (good or bad). We are the hands that need to be working to maintain God(dess) justice (Isaiah 56) and/or reminding God(dess) of the justice that has been promised, but is woefully overdue!

We've got work to do. It want save us, but we are all called nonetheless.

Proper 23A/Ordinary 28A/Pentecost +22

God(dess) Gathers the Outcasts

2008-09-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew 21:33-46

This is a very bloody parable indeed - well that is if you take it only as it is written here in Matthew. Surely Jesus and those who talk about this story were well aware that it is actually an illusion to a very well known story in Isaiah 5.

And surely if everyone in the conversation knew that Jesus was talking about the story in Isaiah, they would have also known that in the very next Chapter God(dess) sends a prophet to come and remind people that they are to maintain justice and care for the poor and widows. This is the same work Jesus was doing. While and strange and bloody way to say it, Jesus is using the Jewish stories that he loves to proclaim that he is a prophet who has come to bring justice for the poor.

The Good News is that we are not being called to plan, lobby or create new ways to make the world more just. Isaiah 56, calls us to: "Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed."

Did you notice the word "maintain"? God(dess) has already established justice, it is our job to maintain what God(dess) has done/declared. More bluntly, it's our job to try not to screw up G0d(dess)'s justice. This is much different than asking ourselves: What am I doing to create justice in the world? Instead we ought to ask ourselves: What we are doing to oppress others, to prevent our neighbor from having their daily bread or from being able to walk a step closer to God(dess)

I wonder how the world would change if we tried to work on our own inner oppressor. Namely, if we stopped judging others and telling them how they should be more just, and we work on being more just ourselves. This is afterall the true path to nonviolence.

Of course the story doesn't end there. Isaiah 56 says this is exactly what God(dess) is doing, by revaluating the ways God(dess) is oppressing others. In verse three it says: "Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely separate me from [God(dess)'s] people'; and do not let the eunuch say, 'I am just a dry tree.'"

This text is specifically talking about those the scriptures say are cut off from God(dess). Here God(dess) reverses course and declares they are in fact NOT separated from God(dess). This models the transformation in the book of Hosea when "Not my people" become "My people" and is also repeated in Ruth's love song to Naomi.

While used more broadly in other texts, here in Isaiah 56 it is explicetly tlaking about about the eunuchs, transgender individuals and those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer. It means that none of these groups should have to prove they are worthy of God(dess)'s love because of how they love or transform their body. Rather all other Christians ought to be reaching out to them and giving them pastoral care and sharing words of grace with them to remind them that they are not seperated from God(dess).

It seems we've gotten it all backwards these days! Isaiah is clear God(dess) is more concerned with our faithfulness and our desire to maintain jusitice.

And though it is through the lens of Isaiah that we can understand Christ, this week's Matthew text is just one more of the many times that Jesus is proudly proclaiming the "the Lord God[(dess)], who gathers the outcasts of Israel" and proclaims that G0d(dess) "will gather others to them besides those already gathered." (Isaiah 56:8)

Proper 22A/Ordinary 27A/Pentecost +21

By whose authority?

2008-09-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Matthew 21:23-32

By whose authority? I get asked this question a lot while I'm on street retreat, while I'm working at the church, by people who wonder why I'm in the men's bathroom, or who wonder how I can wear a clergy collar and have breasts. The easy flip answer is that nothing I can do can ever separate me from the love of God(dess) and I am called to sin boldly.

But underneath that flip answer is probably the much more honest, much more human: "by my own authority."

It would of course be more fun to say with solid certainty that I am acting on God(dess)'s authority. But I can't. Yes, I know it's ironic that it is my full time job it to share the word of God(dess) and to admit that I can never be sure that I know the word of God(dess).

This is not lack of faith, rather it is a constant wrestling and yearning to continually ask myself if my actions follow the will of God(dess). This acknowledges that God(dess) may call me to do something for God(dess)'s sake that seems to go against the written word of God(dess). As Dietrich Bonhoeffer discovered, when he found himself called to participate in a plot to assasinate Hitler, despite knowing that it was against God(dess)'s commandments to kill.

It may seem unusual to some that Jesus tells the faithful that the tax collectors (known for being violent and often unfair) and the prostitutes (who persuade people to covet and commit adultery) will go ahead of them in heaven. In fact, Jesus says that the sex workers will be first in heaven more than any other group. Perhaps this is because those who are the most vulnerable and stand in the widest intersections of oppression tend to have God(dess) in their gut in a way that others can never truly understand.

This is why the Exodus texts talk about the vulnerability of the wilderness. If the only stable thing you have in your life is God(dess), or you really are praying mightily each day for your daily wage, daily bread or daily water - then you get faith in a different way. It's not better, it's just more from the gut and less from the brain or book of confessions.

This may explain why Jesus never answers the question. How can someone living from their gut, answer from their head. If you know deeply in your bones that you are called by God(dess) to do something, or when working for justice seems so clear that you could do no other, why would you stop to bother to answer questions of authority.

By whose authority? How could you ask such a question when it is so clear that people deserve homes and food and water and a name and dignity and hope and life.

Proper 21A/Ordinary 26A/Pentecost +20

Whiners get Bread from Heaven? I will Go and Do Likewise!

2008-09-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Exodus 16:2-15
What is the lesson from this text? Can it really be that if you whine to God(dess) you will get what you want? Perhaps. Lutherans believe that we always get more from God(dess) than we deserve - this is grace.

While there is a part of me that cautions against the simplistic understanding that if you pray for things you will get them like a genie waiting to provide wealth and fortune, if you but believe. While I do have had powerful experiences in my own life and in those I love of times when prayer heals bones, mends broken lives, heals addiction and other diseases, I also know a number of very faithful people who have prayed mightily and have not found relief from what plagues them.

It is too easy to say just pray harder, or that prayer doesn't work if you don't believe "enough." My Lutheran charisms always remind me that I am never "enough" for the "more than enough" that I get from God(dess).

I think this text and many of the angriest Psalms give us a better idea than prayer. Our God(dess) promises to be for justice, and yet sometimes we need to yell, scream and whine at God(dess) to help God(dess) remember and honor those promises.

This means we need to be yelling, screaming, whining advocates for justice on earth, not only in our prayer lives, but in our sermons, our letters and our interactions with those in power.

The Exodus text tells us that we must whine as we advocate to end hunger (our own and our neighbors).

If you pair this reading with the Philippians (1:20-30) we have good reason to believe that this whining, screaming and yelling can also be applied to our physical needs, our health and wholeness in our bodies. Certainly, the physical distractions that make it hard for people to be able to think, pray and advocate for themselves are issues that we need to care about as Christians if we want to help are neighbor be able to live a life that is worthy of the Gospel.

Note that I arguing that we make it possible for others to live the life they believe is worthy of the Gospel. I am not saying that we need to tell our neighbor what that means for them. As a community of faithful we can hold each other accountable, but ultimately we are better off when others have freedom (free for and free from their neighbor).

Lectionary Cycle B: Proper 20A/Ordinary 25A/Pentecost +19

God(dess)'s Employmnent Non Discrimination Act

2008-09-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Learn more about the Employment Non Discrimination Act

Matthew 20:1-16

This text provides not only an argument for a minimum wage, one that is based on how much someone actually needs to live rather than hourly amount that people should earn, but it also provides a biblical argument for a maximum wage.

Remember while in today's day this tends to fall down political lines, this text seems to make it clear that Jesus does not believe in a "trickle down economy." Beyond this it seems that God(dess) is also concerned that everyone have to opportunity to obtain their daily wage.

God(dess)'s employment strategy is beyond any non-discrimination policy. Notice that there is no mention of the age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or presentation, skill level, mental health status or immigration status. Only a clear understanding that all people require a fair wage - despite their ability to work at equal levels.
People often say the homeless, mentally ill or disabled are not "entitled" to the same daily wage as others. I invite anyone who thinks that you do not have to work to be homeless, or to obtain social security benefits to sit in a social security office for an hour and observe people. Or check out my blog of my experiences from my yearly street retreat.

Try collecting enough cans from garbage cans to pay for one meal or panhandle $20. Then you will know just a portion of the work that the homeless do on a regular basis. Then imagine accomplishing any of this without a good nights sleep and a sore aching body from lying on a hard concrete bed.

Often the people who are making the smallest amounts of money in the United States are the same individuals who face discrimination each day. How is it fair that those who are doing the most labor intensive jobs, at the lowest hourly rates are also the ones who are experiencing the additional strain of discrimination? Think of what a fair rate of pay would be for the back breaking work of picking strawberries everyday or for unloading a moving van. How much extra should we also pay for the social stigma and discrimination we also make these same workers endure?

Perhaps if people had to pay those they discriminated against they would stop discriminating. But, often those who are trying to rise above poverty or opression often oppress others. This is a lot like the complaining of those who had worked the longest. Is there any wordly way out of this cycle of abuse?

It seems that nothing short of total economic reform in addition to providing daily protection for all is needed. While this may seem overwhelming, we can work one organization, one employer at a time or one city or state at a time.

We need to become people who are honest about our power, honest about our part in economically keeping others down and the ways that we stand in the way of others having their fair wage. Then we need to hire others as we are able, advocate for better daily wages for all and for equal employment opportunities.

Lectionary Cycle B: Proper 20A/Ordinary 25A/Pentecost +19

more than ammunition for a sling shot

2008-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Romans 14:1-12

This text has the obvious message that we should not judge our neighbor. But even more to the point, it urges us to be glad that our neighbor (who may be acting in all sorts of ways that we would not approve of) is in the care of God(dess). This text is more than ammunition for a sling shot for the powerless to sling at those with power and privilege. It calls us all to respect the faith of the "other."

This is why I always ask those who try to tell me about how my life sits in the eyes of God(dess) to pray for me. I can't know what they pray for when they pray for me. But still, I seek to honor their faithfulness to God(dess) and to recognize our kinship.

My work is to continue to remove the barriers that prevent all people from sharing the same communion table. Sometimes this means taking the bread (or the crumbs) from the table, outside church walls to all who are hungry. Othertimes it means restraining my tongue and my judgements, so that even those who I disagree with the most strongly can see my table manners and eat with me.

Lectionary Cycle B: Proper 19A/Ordinary 24A/Pentecost +18

By any other name...

2008-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18:21-35

Certainly, this text calls us to remember that we are all equal in our need for forgiveness. Beyond that, it also reminds us that the road for one is not the same road for all. God(dess) calls some to be pastors, some to be construction workers, some to be parents, some to be queer, some to be single.

For some people, bisexuality is a part of their journey towards identifying as gay or lesbian. For others it is their identity. For some, being in a space of gender non-conformity is a step on the path to a more gender conforming space. And for others gender non-conformity is their identity.

Sometimes we want others to feel the same relief that we felt when we were able to identify in a way that brought us understanding and fuller sense of self. Sometimes our desire to share what worked for us, provides a road block for others who are seeking that same privilege to self identify.

Whether you are someone who has felt the blessing of being named and claimed by God(dess), experienced the joy of claiming a new name or someone who has taken for granted the privilege of naming your self, please give other people the gift of naming themself, their identity and their gender pronouns.

Before I was born, my name was Ryan. In those days they determined the sex of a baby by listening to its heartbeat. And in my heart I was a boy. When I was born, the first words uttered were "opps," because when the doctor saw the skin between my legs he forgot what my heart had told him. For three days I was called, "baby girl Rohrer." Then my parents named me "Megan."

I don't believe what that doctor said. My birth was not an "opps" and either were any of my names. Now, I go by Ryan or Megan, acknowleding that my heart and the folds of my skin tell two different stories.

Our bible is full of stories about names. You can tell so much about someone by their name. There are many stories in the bible that also tell the story of how interacting with God(dess) changes people (and their names).

What is the story of your name? What are the names in the bible that speak to you?

Prayer: Psalm 103

Lectionary cycle B: Proper 19A/Ordinary 24A/Pentecost +18

Treat your enemy... to a meal?

2008-09-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18:15-20

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. ¹⁶But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

Progressive Christians that I speak to often talk about their disdain for this text. Perhaps its because it seems like the only people who are following through with their Christian obligation to hold our kin accountable for our actions are the ones who are believe that God(dess) has a more restrictive plan for the world.

I certainly have had my own share of individuals who, out of their Christian love for me, have sought to let me know the numerous reasons they feel I've diverted from the path the folk at A Blaze for Christ and Shellfish have been the most vehement.

I can tell you that it is not fun to have these admonitions, but it is helpful. It gives me a forum to share with others the study, discernment and prayer I have put into the choices I have made in my life. It also guides my words and deeds as a pastor seeking to walk with others as we seek to take each step, as one moving us closer to God(dess).

I love the end of the text, stating that if aperson doesn't listen to you, you should treat them as a Gentile or a tax collector. In Jesus' case that meant that you ate with them, you listened to them, you healed them and you were ministered to by them.

It does not say that you try to exercise their demons, legislate prohibitions, shame them in public or cause scandal for them (all things people have tried to do to me). I purposefully use the word scandal here, because in the Greek the word scandelizomai means "cause to sin."

One way this text has been useful to me in my work has been with some of our homeless guests who are Schizophrenic. When I am speaking with guests who are declared mentally ill or "disabled" solely because they hear the voice of God(dess), I often remind them of this text.

While I could never know if the voices they hear or visions they see are coming from God(dess) and can share with them the ways that their visions/voices match or differ from the ways God(dess) speaks to me, this text can be comforting for someone who has been told their whole life that the voice of God(dess) they hear is a delusion. And, it can also be gentle reminder that just as G0d(dess) speaks to them, so to God(dess) speaks to others and the church is the community of faith that holds us to a higher level of accountability.

I hope that all people will seek to discover how God(dess) is calling them to live and interact in the world. So to, I hope that all people will share God(dess)'s calling with others and seek the council of their kin. And in the times when we disagree, I hope we will choose to eat with each other, to heal each other and to be ministered to by the "other."

*******

See my previous writings on the text: "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Transition in the 76th Year

2008-08-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Matthew 16:21-28:

This past week HRC invited me out to Washington DC to help write about the church year as viewed by transgender eyes. Perhaps this is why I'm particularly reading this text with transeyes this week.

Those who want to save their life will lose it. This makes me think of the great wilderness space that many trans folk occupy for years of their lives. Sometimes it is because of fears about how others will treat us if we transition. Sometimes it is because of our own fears about losing control if we enter (or re-enter) a time of puberty. Sometimes it is because we truly need to honor other commitments in our lives or don't have access to hormones, surgeries or communities that are tolerant.

In DC, I heard the story of a transwoman who waited until the age of 76 to transition because she loved her wife and knew that she couldn't transition and maintain the relationship she vowed to honor and cherish. Not knowing what it must have felt like for this transwoman to make the decisions she made. Living in different shoes, with different eyes and different sets of privilege, I note that this weeks lectionary text can be read in a number of ways.

Is the cross, the life choices the transwomen made to delay transition? Is it finally deciding to transition and carry through with what she knew to be her destiny? What is the cross? Is it the suffering or the end of suffering?

Perhaps that depends on us, and our perspective, assumptions and biases.

Only the 76 year old transwoman could say for sure, but today I remember the joy of this woman. The courage it would take to transition without the support of the relationship that clearly meant so much to her.

What must it feel like for her, after 76 years of wilderness, to feel like she can look at a body without shame, or wishing that it was profoundly different?

Isn't this afterall what our Christian journey is as well. To transform that moment in the garden of bodily shame, to strive to be people who can be naked with each other without shame.

Nakedness is the essence of unity, of not being torn apart, of being for the other, of respect for what is given, of acknowledging the rights of the other as my limit and as a creature. Nakedness is the essence of being oblivious of the possibility of robbing others of their rights. Nakedness is the revelation; nakedness believes in grace. Nakedness does not know it is naked just as the eye does not see itself or know about itself. Nakedness is innocence. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall.

Binding on earth? Braless heaven?

2008-08-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Matthew 16:13-20:

Binding, huh? When I think of binding I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He believed that you should be careful who you were in community with (sanctorum communio), because you will be judged (in a final judgment kind of way) by God(dess) based on these connections. Bonhoeffer, of course, could not figure out all the implications of this - as it meant you could be saved individually and condemned corporately or the other way round. He stated that it is as impossible as it is necessary.

Impossible yes. But, is it really true? Is what we bind on earth really bound in heaven? In this time of same-sex weddings where couples who have been together for decades find themselves getting bound together three or four times as they receive different levels of state and church recognitions. Does this weeks text mean that God(dess) recognized these marriages the first time they were bound on earth even as courts, voters and politicians continue to argue about them?

I imagine that this would be Good News for the couples who recognized their "unofficial" ceremonies as"valid" in their hearts decades ago.

Does this verse eliminate all the silly religious arguments about the validity of same-sex marriage in God(dess)' eyes? Is this the biblical trump card? I hope couples who are married everywhere (regardless of the sex, gender and other such differences and samenesses) will proudly proclaim to nay-sayers that "what is bound on earth is bound in heaven!"

As, I am getting ready to head to Washington DC on Monday to work on Bible Study through transgender eyes I am also thinking about binding in a physical way.

I would love to say to my trans-kin that "what is bound on earth is bound in heaven." Those who are accustomed to binding parts of their bodies that bulge in undesired ways or frankly for anyone who has any kind of unwanted fat in places they try to manage with support or tight wrappings, may consider it Good News to know that what is bound on earth will be bound in heaven.

And I imagine this may have something to do with wearing the clothing of Christ. Bonhoeffer certainly would say it does (creation and fall). In Medieval times this meant that females could become males (or at least wear pants... which some were burned at the stake for). But this is a longer story, that I will talk about another time...

Wouldn't it be great if in heaven there was no binding, because all the places that needed binding on earth were supported in a way that was better than the best pair of non-running pantyhose, support top, frogbra or spandex. We could all be naked an unashamed, like in the garden. We could all have the bodies that show us in our deepest places that God(dess) sees us, loves us, supports us and names us.

A braless heaven! Meet you there, for what is bound on earth will be bound in heaven!

Extra-Ordinary Time

2008-08-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

As a pastor called to four very diverse congregations (St. Francis, HerChurch, Christ Church and Iglesia de Santa María y Martha), I do a lot of preaching in different contexts, with different names for God(dess), with different liturgy, and different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

I also find myself sharing with a diverse group of people in this motley city of Saint Francis the answer to the question "what did you preach about today?" And I'm always surprised to find how different my take on the text tends to be from what people expect from a pastor.

My mom told me that if the Bible was translated the way I tell the story that churches would be packed. Perhaps this is because I have a special ability to tell the story that is written between the lines in a flip yet reverent manner that can be poetic and disarming. Or perhaps its because its because of the unique worldview I have from speaking with, to and for so many diverse folk.

So, I've decided to place some of my thoughts about the texts and how they speak to me in this blog space. Hopefully it will speak to the flip yet reverent spaces inside of you. Perhaps it will help you see a text from a new perspective.

You should remember that as a pastor, sharing the Good News of God(dess) is my passion and life's work. So, please read my deep engagement with the text as a deep wrestling of someone who is deeply committed to faith and learning about God(dess)' inter-acting with(in) this crazy and beautiful world that is already the not yet (like me and you).

Here are some brief snippets of the texts as I have seen them so far this summer:

Matthew 15:10-28:

Jesus/Christ-Sophia literally says don't worry about what you eat it just becomes poop. Why are you focused on poop when you should be thinking about what comes out of your heart?

Then, he immediately misses his own point and calls a women a b**** (the greek is the female version of the word dog which in english translates to a swear word), who asks him to heal her daughter because she is of the wrong race (ie not a Jew). The woman, retorts to Jesus within his patriarchal language and causes Jesus to change his mind. Though, he still calls her "woman" rather than learning her name - as happens when men ask to have their children healed - he does end up doing what he ought.

While originally I thought that this text was just another example of misogyny (which it is) that either came from Jesus or those who wrote the text, I came to see how subversive it is to have this story remain in the text. This text highlights Jesus' humanity. It shows even he has a hard time following his own advice. And it shows that even those that God(dess) insults are still able to get justice when they, like the prophets of old, remind God(dess) of the promise to protect and save God(dess)' people. And it shows that (like in life) a racist and misogynist character usually has a lot to learn from the person they are putting down. [Sermon preached at Herchurch in San Francisco]

Matthew 14:22-33:

Jesus/Christ-Sophia tells the fishermen not to be afraid. Yet, fishermen are probably not afraid very often on the sea, and if they are it probably helps them have the adrenaline they need to take a situation seriously. People often preach that we should not be afraid if we have enough faith.

I believe that we should listen to our bodies. The fear we feel is important and it teaches us. It helps us stay safe when we are potentially in danger. It helps us to take care of the things we ought to, like getting earthquake readiness kits, insurance and following stop light signals. Though being cautious doesn't always mean that bad things won't happen.

Listening to our fears also teaches us when we need to learn something new or shows us where we have prejudices that we need to take a look at. But if we ignore our fears, we will never take the opportunity to notice that we are afraid of people that are not like us.

Do we have different rules in our churches for people who are of a different socioeconomic class, race, membership status, etc? Are these fears helpful?

And if it is true, as the Gospel of Matthew claims, that Jesus is in the stranger, the hungry, the homeless, then are we creating rules in our church that keeps us away from God(dess)? Do the fences around our churches and locked doors keep what is sacred in or out?

Yes, we can do unexpected amazing things, beyond our expectations. But we have to go outside our churches, our boats and our comfort zones in order to do it. [Preached at HerChurch and St. Francis]

Goodsoil Devotion

2007-06-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Packing for Churchwide
(For Chicago or from your home)

Rev. Megan Rohrer

Nakedness is the essence of unity, of not being torn apart, of being for the other, of respect for what is given, of acknowledging the rights of the other as my limit and as a creature. Nakedness is the essence of being oblivious of the possibility of robbing others of their rights. Nakedness is the revelation; nakedness believes in grace. Nakedness does not know it is naked just as the eye does not see itself or know about itself. Nakedness is innocence. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall.

Since the fall, many of us have a hard time with our nakedness. Even those of us who are comfortable with our bodies are unlikely to participate in Churchwide naked (except for the few of you who are reading this naked in your homes over the internet). It would be a blessing if we could all bear the fullness of our bodies and be fully present at Churchwide, in our Christian communities, in our churches and in all our relationships.

But whether you are participating at home or in Chicago, I imagine that you will have to decide what to wear and how to present yourself; I encourage you to pack. Unlike the more commonly used term “passing” which tends to be viewed pejoratively by non-queer folk as a way to hide the truth or trick people (i.e. passing as straight or the opposite sex), “packing” is a way to help us reveal our true selves. Packing is a literal filling in of the gaps so that others can see the truth that is felt by an individual person packing. Rather than tricking or providing an illusion, packing seeks to be fully present.

People pack for many reasons, but in this devotion I want to lift up the way that packing can people physically and authentically be present to/for each other. As a trans person I sometimes pack or pad my body so that other people can see the sex I feel. Similarly, I know a woman who packs/pads her body so that she can reveal the womanhood that was left scarred and changed after a double mastectomy to fight breast cancer. Maybe you too have some part of your body that does not feel like it looks, that prevents you from being fully present from others or prevents others from being fully present with you. God(dess) has accepts us as we are, but we sometimes have trouble doing the same for our bodies or for the bodies of our neighbor.

As a pastor, I encourage us all to pack for Churchwide. And by this I mean, using the fullness of our bodies (whether physically in Chicago or not) to reveal our authentic selves to others. I believe that if we all pack for Churchwide, that our very bodies as well as our hearts, our actions and our minds, will proclaim that ALL of us no matter our size, shape, ability, age, skin tone, and/or genitals are beautiful children of God(dess) who were named and claimed in the waters of baptism, into the priesthood of ALL believers and declared good.

However, because the mark of our baptism and the sign of our priesthood is invisible on our foreheads, we need to pack a visible symbol of God(dess)’s call to ALL of us. So here is my suggestion of what to wear to/during Churchwide:

Christ should be our clothing

Wear the armor of God(dess)

Wear a rainbow

Or, something that is meaningful to you

Pr. Megan is the Director of the Welcome Minsitry, a non-profit that works with the homeless and hungry in San Francisco, Ca. Pr. Megan is a member of the ECP Roster and was ordained extraordinarily on November 18, 2006 with a joint call from: Christ Church, Her Church (Ebenezer), St. Francis and Sts. Mary and Martha Lutheran Churches to minister to the poor of San Francisco. Megan attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD and received her master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA.