Advent First! Join the Conspiracy

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. For me, it has been a wonderful day. Eucharist and making of Advent wreaths at St. Paul's and a beautiful service of Lessons and Carols at the convent of the Sisters of St. Margaret. It was great to take some time and worship, sit in silence, and listen.

Check out the video and the Advent Conspiracy website. Take some time to try some of this stuff out. Make this Christmas truly meaningful by reclaiming Advent.

What's Happened to Christmas?

So over the Thanksgiving holiday, a couple of my relatives laughed at how I celebrate Christmas. I told them that I wait until sun down on the 24th of December to start my celebrations and conclude them on the 6th of January. I celebrate Advent: the time to prepare ourselves to welcome the new born Christ child. I know this isn't the normal thing to do, it is against everything that our culture tells us is the way to celebrate Christmas. But, last time I checked no one (and I'm referring particularly to the USA) died from celebrating Advent. On "Black Friday" two people were shot and killed in a Toys R Us in Florida. Around the corner from where I was in Long Island, a 34-year old Walmart greeter was trampled to death. It is a horrible reminder of what the majority of this society values. I challenge you this season to remember why we celebrate. I'm not saying gifts aren't good and that I won't be participating in gift giving, but how much are you willing to sacrifice for the latest and greatest toy?

Advent First!

Buy Nothing Christmas

So I found this over at SevenWholeDays. Thought I'd pass it along here.

Prayer of Confession

This week in EfM we used the confession from the UCC as part of our worship. I really enjoyed the prayer, and honestly like this confession more than our own (By our own I mean the BCP confession). It really hits home for me, and for many others. I think it might be talking about how the whole "fake it till you make it thing" isn't so good.

Forgive me, O God, for pretending
Pretending to be whole when I am broken
Pretending to be strong when I am scared
Help me to be honest with myself and with others
Help me to share my weakness and doubt.
Help me, O God, to be the beautiful, unique, and imperfect person you call me to be.
Forgive me, O God, for pretending that everything is all right when I am silent in the face of injustice.
May my words and actions tell the truth,
And may strength and courage follow my humble acts of kindness.

Remember: Faith Communities Can Save Transgender Lives

This was in my inbox this morning via Integrity's email list, and I thought I would pass it along to you.


The Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2008) is set aside to
remember those lost to anti-transgender violence in the last year. Much of
this violence is fueled by a sentiment that it is tacitly and explicitly
reinforced by narrow understandings of gender, as well as outright
transphobia and homophobia expressed in the name of a Christian God. Too
many of us have not only heard "God condemns you" -- but also "It would be
better if you were dead."
It is a profound and important step for every faith community to join in a
resounding chorus that condemns all forms of violence against people who are
differently gendered.

* By vocally condemning anti-trans bullying, harassment, and hate crimes, we
begin to chip away at the self-righteous fuel that feeds those who believe
they are doing God's will by punishing the differently gendered.
* By loudly proclaiming that people of all genders are beloved, we begin to
address the rampant rate of depression and suicide among transgender youth
and adults that so to often encouraged by religious judgment.
* By reaching out in love to the transgender community, we begin to
undermine the isolation and low self-esteem that can undergird substance
abuse and high-risk behaviors (which inform high rates of HIV and AIDS).

Beyond the hate and judgment, trans people's lives are at risk because we so
often struggle to meet our most fundamental needs such as safe employment
and basic health care. Faith communities need to be out in front of such
justice issues as well.

So, this year, let us (re)commit ourselves to the work of speaking up and
speaking out, to the work of educating ourselves and educating others, to
the work of reaching out in love.

Chris Paige
Publisher, TransFaith Online

Followup reading:

* NCTE Health Priorities: http://www.nctequality.org/HealthPriorities.pdf
* TransFaith InterSections: www.transfaithonline.org/intersections/
* TransFaith - Where do we begin?
www.transfaithonline.org/the_basics/where_do_i_begin/

Transgender Remembrance Day

Just a quick word before I run off to my next event.

Today is Transgender Remembrance Day. A day to remember all of our Trans Brothers and Sisters who have died as a result of their gender identity.

Please keep all of your Trans Brothers and Sisters in your hearts and in your prayers this day. And on behalf of us, don't take your priveldge to use a public restroom for granted.

Gay, straight, black, white marriage is a civil right

I don't know how to convey my thoughts on prop 8, but as soon as I finish my EfM homework I'll try to figure that out. But, for now here is the projo video of the protest I went to on Saturday at the Statehouse. The slideshow on the blog is of pictures from the event.

Scrabble Tourney for J2A

So I was surfing the Projo site looking for coverage of the recent Prop 8 protest at the statehouse (more on that later) and came across this video. How exciting!

Click here to see what cool things are going on at St. Paul's.

The PB on the Election

Presiding Bishop calls voting an act of stewardship in November 2 bulletin inserts
October 20, 2008

[Episcopal Life Weekly] In the Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin inserts for November 2, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori writes about voting as an act of stewardship as the United States approaches its general election on November 4. The Presiding Bishop reminds all Episcopalians to approach the election with prayer, remembering their baptismal vows.
Bulletin inserts are available here.

The full text of the Presiding Bishop's Election Day message follows.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


As Election Day approaches, I want to remind you that our democracy gives us the opportunity to speak urgently about the many issues and challenges confronting our nation and the world. I would encourage every eligible voter to prayerfully consider the choices before us and commit to using the political process to seek solutions to our society’s most intractable problems. As part of our baptismal vows we commit “to strive for justice and peace among all people” and “respect the dignity of every human being.” As you prepare to vote, I urge you to consider how the Reign of God – a just society – particularly as explicated by the Hebrew prophets and by Jesus, can be made real in our own day.

Our baptismal ministry calls us to transform our communities into something that looks more like that Reign of God. That is our part in God’s mission. We are sent and commissioned to build a society where all have adequate access to health care, where the weakest are protected and God’s creation safeguarded, and where each person has access to the blessings of life. That work requires committed engagement in the civic life of our nation if we seek to make God’s dream more effectively real and complete in this world.

As caretakers and stewards of all of God’s creation, each one of us is responsible for the flourishing of the rest of the human family. As in all elections, on 4 November we have the opportunity to continue working to reconcile and heal the world. I urge every citizen to use this opportunity to motivate our government to respond to, and participate in, building the Reign of God. We prepare the ground for the possibility of more abundant life through our part in the ministry of governance.

Voting and political participation are acts of Christian stewardship, in which citizens can engage in a common conversation about the future of our nation and the world. I urge you to exercise your right to vote, and to encourage and help others to do so as well.

Don't Forget to Vote

Hey Guys!

Today is November 4, 2008, a day which will live in infamy. Today we have the opportunity and civic responsibility to vote in this historic presidential election. Also if you are a U.S. Citizen 18 years or old and have not registered you can still vote for the Office of the President. All you have to do is go to your Town/City Hall.

If your duty as a citizen isn't enough motivation to get out and vote keep these things in mind.

If you vote, you can get free:

Coffee from Starbucks
Ice Cream from Ben & Jerry's
Doughnut from Krispy Kreme.