got pride?

Sorry for sending this blast out so late, but I've got a good excuse. From 2 to 8pm, I was camped out at the State House, surrounded by members of the Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, Mass Equality and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and waiting to testify to the Mass. legislature in favor of the Transgender Civil Rights Bill. The measure has been hung up in committees for years.

I don't know how much difference I made, but I shared my hopes, shared a letter from our bishop and read the comments from a local rabbi, who had to leaveat 6pm because it's Shavuot, a major Jewish holiday. So it was me and the Unitarian district exec. Yes, the people of faith spoke up.

It felt right to be at the State House today, so close to Pride Weekend. Marching in parades and witnessing to God's love is important, and God knows many hands have prepared for Saturday's Pride Parade (click here for the flyer and details). But we also have to take specific action against discrimination, writing letters, talking with legislators, showing up with your cross and your desire for equality.

As long as transgendered people are disproportionately beaten and murdered, as long as they are fired and kicked out of their homes, as long as so many commit suicide rather than suffer another dehumanizing day ... as long as any child of God suffers like this, someone has to speak up. So join us and show your pride on Saturday. Just be sure you show it again every other day of the week

Click here to read the whole Life @ The Crossing weekly email update.

practice what we preach

I've spent the last few days on the road and it's been truly inspiring. At this moment I'm on retreat in Connecticut with a group of Gen X clergy from across America -- lots of praying and dancing to the B-52s and Tone Loc :) But earlier, over the weekend, a team of us from The Crossing community led a workshop on radical welcome and an emerging church experience for the Episcopal Diocese of Newark (just across the river from NYC). One of the participants, Rev. Shane Phelan of Haworth, NJ, wrote the blog post below when she got home. I thought I'd share it with our community -- not so we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done, but so we can ask, "Are we practicing what so many of us preach?" May God give us the strength, love and vision to do just that:

From "God-talk", Shane Phelan's blog:
[Soon (Sunday) we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit who makes all things new.] So it was appropriate that this weekend seven of us from St. Luke’s went to a workshop on radical welcome and the emerging church. This was a challenging workshop for many, if not all, of us there. We were asked to look at our congregations and analyze the centers of power and exclusion. We were asked to name what we never name. ... We tried to talk honestly, one-on-one, about our fears of exclusion and about times we’ve been welcomed. And the next day we worshipped together, using the Cathedral space in a way it likely had never been used before.

Then we went home. Back to the way it’s always been, the way it must be. The scales did not suddenly fall from our eyes. But we got a taste of another way. We got a first peek out from under the curtain that shrouds our vision.

We all want to be inviting. We want other people to come and share what we love. But radical welcome is about loving others enough to want them to come and bring something new, even at the risk of challenging or losing what we love. Radical welcome is about loving Jesus more than we love our ways of doing church. It’s about being willing to bear the burden of insecurity for the sake of community. It’s about seeking the kindom of God rather than the comfort of familiarity.

Jesus prays that we all may be one. It sounds good. But it’s hard. How much do you want it? Do you want to be one if it means you have to change? I do want it, but it scares me too. I don’t know what I’m not willing to give up until I’m actually at the point of loss. Then I have two choices: I can kick you in the shins, or I can pray. Help me, Jesus. Help me to love past the fear. I want to love that much, Jesus. Help. Send your Spirit to enlighten, encourage, and in-spire us. Amen.

May the Holy Spirit come and breathe upon and in us all, just like that.

this week @ the crossing

THURSDAYS @ 6pm // Worship
Adwoa Lewis Wilson opens the way to Pentecost, which comes this Sunday. The spiritual practice is led by Natalie Finstad, who will get us back into our bodies and closer to God.

• BEFORE WORSHIP: Come at 4:45pm to help with worship set-up or 5:30pm to join the prayer circle
• AFTER WORSHIP: Join us for cheap food and fun at Fajitas n Ritas.
• BY SUBWAY: 138 Tremont St -- across from Park St T stop (Red or Green Line); near Downtown Crossing T (Orange)
• PARKING: Boston Common Garage, Charles Street between Boston Common and Public Garden
• FOR MORE INFO: Head to our website -- www.thecrossingboston.org

PRAYERS FOR THE COMMUNITY // All the time :)

We gather to pray at worship, but the prayers for our community and our world need to keep running throughout the week, throughout every moment. Feel free to write prayers for yourself or others and place them in the bowl on any Thursday (put a star if you'd like to share it). Here are some prayers I'm carrying -- I hope you'll make time for them, as well:

• Please pray for our leadership as we launch a search for a new Minister for Community Life, to begin in mid-August. And tell somebody if you think they're amazing and should apply!
• Please give thanks for all the folks who are graduating or just graduated, and for all who are moving soon (we send you with blessing!).
• Pray for Kieran Conroy, who will be received into the Anglican Communion this Saturday at a 10am service at The Cathedral.
• Pray for Tyler Bridge, who is in Discernment for Holy Orders at The Crossing; and for his entire awesome Discernment Committee; and for everyone discerning big life decisions at this time of transitions.
• Please give thanks for Julia Wilkinson's extraordinary ministry with us this year as a Field Education Intern, and for the arrival of our summer intern, Jack Jenkins.

FALL INTERNS @ THE CROSSING // Contact Rev. Steph NOW

If you or someone you know needs a field education or social service internship for the 2010-2011 academic year, please CONTACT Rev. Steph at revsteph@thecrossingboston.org or 617.482.4826, x318. We love hosting interns and are building this fall's team now!

justice & service @ the crossing

HOPE IN ACTION ADVOCACY ON BEACON HILL // NOW

As a part of the city-wide Hope in Action campaign -- shepherded by our partners in the Life Together young adult intern program in the Diocese of Massachusetts -- many of us have made a

1% commitment to action that makes a difference. CONTACT our Hope in Action Strategy Leader Natalie Finstad at hope@thecrossingboston.org for lots more info. Here's the most recent news:

• The State Legislature has another month to consider the stalled bill that would add sexual expression to the state's non-discrimination clause, at last granting transgender people protection from discrimination in housing, jobs, public accommodations and so much more. Please consider writing a letter, calling a legislator and/or praying. Go to www.masstpc.org for info.

community life @ the crossing

SPEAKING OF FAITH SMALL GROUPS @ THE CROSSING // Saturdays @ 4-6pm at 40 Prescott St. in Brookline, until end of May

Speaking of Faith is one of the most popular programs on public radio, and one of the most engaging religious conversations going on today. Partnering with the Episcopal Church, they’ve created a new curriculum for small groups that combines audio clips, small group formation and fascinating questions on life and faith today. The Crossing will serve as one of only a few pilot sites nationwide, and all are welcome to join.

• TOPIC: 5 sessions on “Einstein’s God: Science and Faith.”
• CONTACT Jason at community-life@thecrossingboston.org or 617.519.1538.
• LOCATION: 40 Prescott St. home of the BU chaplaincy and the Life Together intern program (easily accessible via Green Line: C to St. Mary's or B to BU Central, then walk 5 min.)
• OPEN GROUP -- come any Saturday!

A host of summer offerings are being planned by a crew headed by our current Minister for Community Life, Jason Long, at community-life@thecrossingboston.org. If you've got ideas, contact him soon.

general crossing community info

InBetweenCrossings: groups.google.com/group/inbetweencrossings. Log on and view or share all kinds of random community notices: furniture, apartment sublets, concerts, lost and found, play dates. If you want to share it with our community, start here.

Giving @ The Crossing: follow the link to learn about sharing your money or your prayers with The Crossing -- it's a spiritual practice that we're grateful to invite people into. We raise a huge chunk of the money for this ministry among our own members (the rest comes from grants we apply for and from generous support from our Cathedral and Bishops). To make an ongoing pledge, fill out a card at worship or CONTACT Chris at giving@thecrossingboston.org.

Justice and Service @ The Crossing: Follow the link for info on particular volunteer opportunities and organizations that are close to our community's heart.

Meet Our Crew: The Crossing is led by a team of amazing, creative and faithful young adults. Follow the link to meet them and see who you might contact to more deeply engage our community.

Praise God!

Life @ The Crossing: Glory, glory ... lay your burdens down in May

May is already full at The Crossing, and it's just the 8th. We took it down low last Thursday -- as in, worshiping in the basement, acoustic-style (Mary Oliver was upstairs doing a poetry reading to benefit anti-violence programs for youth - yes!). It was beautiful, warm, and we did a quick clean-up that flowed into our first "Go Deep" session. What's Go Deep? This time, it was 14 of us crammed into our NEW DIGS on the 3rd floor of the Cathedral to eat and talk and learn about the emerging church and what it's got to do with us and community and the gospel. Next one: two months. Topic: TBA.

THEN it was May 6, with five of us volunteering at the Walk for Hunger (okay, Ken Farmer was the only one to walk, but the rest of us handed out t-shirts, took forms and congratulated the insanely fabulous people willing to walk 20 miles to make a dent in hunger in Massachusetts).

Now May rolls on. Here's the word on what's unfolding at The Crossing this month ...
** Gospel Reflections in May: For the rest of the Easter season, the reflections will open the door to glorify God: how we do it in our lives, how Jesus did it in his, how the miracle of healing and compassion testifies to God's glory. Reflection leaders are Chris, Ben and Jason L. (you go, boys!). Scriptures down below ...

** The Practice for May: We'll explore the practice of journaling, a beautiful way to listen for God's voice and even do some talking back. I'll be leading, but if you love this practice like I do, I'd welcome a partner to co-lead. Write me at thecrossing@diomass.org!

** Celebrate Pentecost! On May 24, we'll have a pre-Pentecost celebration of ministry and graduations, including a big "hoorah!" for our awesome leaders who've spent the year interning with the Micah Project.

** Mondays @ The Crossing:
-- Every Monday: Volunteer to serve and love at the Monday Lunch Program here at St. Paul's. Show up at 11:30 am, done by 1 pm. Guaranteed the best 90 minutes of your day (and maybe even your week).
-- 2nd and 4th Mondays (5/14 and 5/28), 6:30 pm: Scripture Chat at Pizzeria Uno, Harvard Square
-- 3rd Monday (5/21): NO FAITH-SHARING GROUP. It's led by Kendra and Jason, who both graduate from Boston College that day. Groove on!

** And now, for the rest of the month's scriptures …
May 10: John 5:1-9
After Jesus healed the son of the official in Capernaum, there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids -- blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

May 17: John 17:20-26
Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
"Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

May 24: John 14:15-17, 25-27
Jesus said to Philip, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."
"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

May 31: John 16:12-15
Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."