Wednesday, September 14, 2011

go public with your love

This fall has turned into a season to witness to God’s love.

This past weekend, people all over Boston and all over the world prayed and marked 10 years since the terror and heart-rending sadness of 9/11, and we wondered aloud how to bring reconciliation and peace to this hurting world.

This coming weekend, thousands will gather in New York City to occupy Wall Street and demand an end to the unchecked rule of greed and might. A local group of Protest Chaplains -- many of them from The Crossing -- will head to the city bearing prayer, hope and the dream of God’s justice among the protesters.

On Thursday, September 29, we’ll step out to Boston Common to celebrate The Crossing’s 5th anniversary with a Birthday Worship Party. It will be less a celebration of ourselves, and more a chance to step out, give thanks and bless the city with music, prayer, communion and real live food (I can’t wait to pass out brownies and lemonade on the corner of Boylston and Tremont Streets). We’re dreaming of a tent revival like The Common hasn’t ever seen. Come celebrate God’s love out in the open.

Progressive Christians don’t often go public with our witness. By the end of September, we’ll have enough practice to put the lie to that old story. Let’s be a different kind of Christian, world-changing Christians, starting now.



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Tuesday, July 05, 2011

baby, you're a firework

It was so much more than a fireworks display, and I think most

Boston Fireworks
Boston's Fireworks

people knew it.


There we were, 500,000 of us staring up into the heavens, in complete awe at the miracle unfolding far above us. A collective "oooo" - rather like an "amen" -- erupted spontaneously from the crowds. Our necks hurt from craning to see the spectacle. Our faces hurt from the goofy grins plastered there for 20 solid minutes, the length of Boston's massive fireworks show.


It's hard not to think of God and church at a time like that, and that's true for me (the priest) as well as for the mostly non-religious, not-even-especially-spiritual people with whom I spent the 4th of July. As we walked back, Sam talked about the "beatific" smiles on everyone's faces (beatific, as in saintly, filled with light). Steph talked about how cool it was to feel so small next to something so huge, and how rarely we experience that, especially in the city. I chimed in, "Kinda like when you're in one of those huge, Gothic cathedrals." And they all said, "Yeah, like that!"


Why invite someone to church? Because part of living well as a human being is getting perspective on where we are in the grand scheme. We need moments when we feel utterly connected to each other and to the great transcendent reality just beyond our reach. We need moments to say "ooo" together, and moments to say "amen." We need to feel the sizzle that reminds us we're alive, and to look around and see bright, joy-filled faces around us, in spite of the crumbling world around us. We're children of God, each filled with the Spirit as bright as any firework. I don't know about you, but I need all the reminders I can get.


Click here to read all of this week's Life @ The Crossing e-news blast.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

now that's evangelism

I could tell you the stories and count the names of people who

helped to make our witness at this year's Pride Parade so full, beautiful and holy.

Pride 2011_fabulous floatMinister for Justice & Action Vicki Morte organized us to truly represent, and for weeks our crews gathered on the lawn of the Life Together house in Brookline to build a float that unequivocally announces "God loves you and so do we!"

Gratitude is too small a word to say how much

we owe everyone who made signs, built rainbow altar rails, brainstormed slogans, painted stained glass windows, marched in the rain, gave out candy and cards, danced on a moving flatbed, chanted, prayed. A whole lot of people know that God's name is Love today, and they know because we weren't afraid to say it.

Check out the rest of this week's Life @ The Crossing blast here.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

you belong here

What does it mean to belong to The Crossing? What does it mean to be a member? On Thursday, June 2, we'll have a Ritual of Commitment for people who want to join. But what does joining even mean?


That's a question we've mulled intensely for the last three years. The leaders of our Community Circle met over fried chicken and waffles Monday night, and Michael Zahniser, who is establishing our new Crossing house in Jamaica Plain, broke the whole idea of belonging wide open for me. He said, "We're a community that tries to hold people loosely, but membership is about wanting the community to hold me tighter."


Right. We focus so much on how transient our community is, but the fact is that everybody needs to be held, to have people love you enough to expect more of you. We worry about making heavy demands on busy people and asking too much; but maybe I want someone to ask me to stick, want to be held more tightly. You can only roam and skim the surface but so long.


Our Rule for Real Life is the primary way that we hold one another as we seek to live the Jesus Way more intentionally in our everyday, messy, mucky lives, and now we've surrounded it with more relational structures so it's got some power. Details are below, but just plan to come out next Wednesday, May 25, to learn about membership and commitment at The Crossing. Then, on June 2, you're invited to take on the Rule and to take up practices that bind us to one another and to God.


Moving away soon? Member of another Sunday church? You still need to know there is a community sending you with blessing and continuing to pray for and hold you. It's what we all need to thrive ... not just as Christians but as human beings.


Never doubt it: You belong here.


Read this week's entire e-news blast here.

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Wednesday, May 04, 2011

how radical is YOUR welcome?

Radical welcome is easy to talk about. It's easy to write about in your Rule of Life. Last Thursday, we got to the hard part: the practice of radical welcome.


A man - we'll call him Pete - took a seat in the pews, and I invited him to join us around the altar foradical welcome_handsr worship. He seemed engaged enough, until I finished offering the reflection, a meditation on the first commitment in our Rule of Life, the commitment to practice Radical Welcome (embracing the gifts and voices and wisdom of The Other, such that we and our communities are changed).


When we opened for comments, Pete spoke up, said he didn't understand how we could call ourselves Christians if the women were sitting with their heads uncovered. Then he questioned how faithful we could be to the Bible, considering we have a woman minister.


It could have degenerated into a shouting match. People could have ignored him, frozen him out or shut him down. Instead, throughout the rest of the evening - including during Open Space and later at Fajitas n Ritas - I saw person after person engage truthfully, lovingly and energetically with Pete. Folks offered their stories and their love of the Bible and of God, and welcomed him to share his passion for God and reverence for God's word, and how all that had led him to our door. It became a teaching moment, and yes, Pete did quite a lot of the teaching.


Will he be back this week? I hope so. Not because I want to slam his logic and convince him that "we" are right, not because I expect he'll convince me that women shouldn't be priests, but because walking together is bound to expand all of our hearts. And because - sigh - the only way we're gonna get to the kingdom is together.


Click here to read the full Life @ The Crossing email blast for May 4. It's got even more articles, news and updates.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

a good word from north carolina

I write to you from the Episcopal House of Bishops meeting in North Carolina, where I'm serving my first term as ChaplaThe Futurein to the House. (Jason Long and Arrington Chambliss presented Saturday and set it off right!). It's insanely intimidating to be one of two priests providing pastoral support, organizing liturgies and preaching multiple sermons to the gathered body of nearly 200 bishops. But last Thursday night, before I left for North Carolina, The Crossing community did a laying on of hands for me. Folks stretched out to touch my head and shoulders, or the shoulder of the person closest to them, and Kevin Vetiac prayed an amazing Holy Spirit-filled prayer over me. I took that power, and stories from our community and images of your faces, with me to the House.

It's been a beautiful and heartening experience walking with the bishops and praying with them as they cast a vision for what's next in the life of the Episcopal Church. If I've preached well, listened well, loved well in my time here, it's because you are with me and I'm representing the hope we find in Jesus Christ at The Crossing. So big thanks to God and thanks to you. And now, back to the bishops ...


Read the whole Life @ The Crossing blast for this week: click here.

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Tuesday, March 01, 2011

welcome to the village -- as in, the episcopal village gathering

I'm sitting in the kitchen with my friend Ian Mobsby, priest to the Moot community, our sister church in London, and the big speaker for this

Moot community
our friends @ moot

weekend's big ol' Episcopal Village conference at the Cathedral. Ian and I are co-editors for the slammin' book Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Traditions. But we've just finished shopping at Trader Joe's (he's amazed at these American stores), and now we're eating soup and talking the future of church on our respective continents. I can't

wait to welcome everybody else into the conversation this weekend. It's gonna be good!

The Background: The Crossing is helping to throw a Spring Learning Event/Episcopal VillageMission Event on Saturday, March 5, from 9am to 4:30pm. Presenters are coming from all over the country (inc. Karen Ward, exec. director of Episcopal Village; Tom Brackett, staff officer for Church Planting and Fresh Expressions for the Episcopal Church) and around the corner (including Jack Jenkins on Social Media; Isaac Everett on Emergent Psalms; Rev. Steph Spellers on birthing a fresh expression in a conventional church; Jason Long and Arrington Chambliss on intentional Christian community; Nicholas Hayes and Marisa Egerstrom on organizing for the earth). Think of it as one big village gathering of practitioners and dreamers and activists and lovers of God's dream.


Many of you are volunteering, providing homes for out-of-town guests, presenting on your own work and visions, and I'm so grateful for this outpouring! Even if you're just tuning in now, get registered and come. Cuz it takes a village to embody the dream of God.

  • You can register for Saturday here.
  • You can check out and print or share the flyer here.
  • You can attend the Saturday event plus a pre-conference talk with Ian Mobsby in a cozier setting on Friday at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge (same registration site).
  • You can experience worship Moot-style at EDS' Thursday 12:15pm Eucharist (no registration necessary).
That's one piece of the news, but click here for the whole weekly news blast.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

mission possible

It's easy to think of church as an institution, but it's also a movement: a body of people pursuing the radical, world-changing, compassionate

Episcopal Village
check it out: www.episcopalvillage.org

mission of God. And next Saturday, right here at the Cathedral, you'll see the movement in full bloom.

The Crossing is helping to throw a Spring Learning Event/Episcopal Village Mission Event on Saturday, March 5, from 9am (ouch!) to 4:30pm (ah, that's more like it). Presenters are coming from around the corner and all over the country, with a keynote speaker -- our friend Ian Mobsby, author and priest to our sister church in London, the Moot community -- coming from the UK. The whole point is to explore the many, many, many ways communities around us are sharing the gospel and forming sustainable Christian communities in a changing world.

How can you engage this amazing gathering?

  • You can register for Saturday here.
  • You can check out and print or share the flyer here.
  • You can volunteer + attend free by writing to me here: revsteph@thecrossingboston.org.
  • You can attend the Saturday event plus a pre-conference talk with Ian Mobsby in a cozier setting on Friday at Episcopal Divinity School (same registration site).
  • You can experience worship Moot-style at EDS' Thursday 12:15pm Eucharist (no registration necessary).
And as long as you're following links, read the week's entire email blast here!

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Wednesday, February 02, 2011

small groups, big deal

It's deceptive to call them "small groups." These small gatherings make such an incredible difference in so many people's lives and to our whole community. Now that I've been part of one (bonafide member of the Faith Transitions group in the fall), I can tell you that I don't know a better way to become true companions; share practices, hearts, hopes & resources; and really commit to each other's transformation into Jesus-people.

Cuz here's the thing: We can talk about it. Uh huh. We can begin to make the connection in worship. Yes. We can spread it in action. Of course. But these committed cells are where new life-faith life-real life all shift into hyper drive.

So wherever you are as part of The Crossing community, please look at the offerings below. Listen for God. Contact a leader for more details. Mark your calendar. And step out on faith. You're gonna find some beautiful, transformative relationships -- and more of God and more of yourself -- along the way. It's the whole secret of following Jesus :)


Follow this link for the word on Small Groups and the rest this week's Life @ The Crossing email-blast ...

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

the annual report

Every year, I write a report to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, letting our wider Cathedral family know what we've been up to in the past year at The Crossing. It's by no means exhaustive -- I've got one page to sum up a whole year! But as I sent it to the Cathedral administrator, I thought, "Hmm ..., maybe folks in our own community would appreciate this update, too?"

So here it is: The Annual Report! One page that begins a conversation about the ways we've been stretching, praying, committing and partnering over the last year (hence the artwork to the right: Joseph Holston's "Sun Warms Free Men", which says all those things to me). Please read and then feel free to reply and share what YOUR highlights have been over the last 6 or 12 months and what you hope we'll take up in the year to come ...

Link here to the full Life @ The Crossing e-blast, including the Annual Report ...

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

and we're back!

It's not that I stopped sending out regular postings to our community. I've just been doing it using Constant Contact. Alas, there's not the easy post-to-blogger as you post-to-gmail function with this new service. So I've been woefully out of touch with anyone keeping tabs on our community via this blog.

So here's my promise: From now on, I'll provide 1) the opening thoughts from the community e-blast and 2) a link to the webpage where the new "newsletter" is kept.

Sound good? Here goes! First, to get back into the flow, here are some recent links:
December 30, 2010: Children of the Light
January 4, 2011: What Can I Give?

And here's the opening and link for today's posting:

January 12: Tweet Tweet

I hope most of you enjoyed a much deserved Snow Day today. Some of us -- especially telecommuters like me -- worked the same as always. So unfair! But the grace is that I hit send on the edits

Tweet cover
One good book! Tweet If You [Heart] Jesus

for a new book that kicks church booty: Elizabeth Drescher's Tweet If You [Heart] Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation.


Will being the editor for this book finally force me to carve more time for Facebook, get a Twitter account and write a more meaty blog? I'm guessing no (but hey, miracles happen!). It has certainly stirred my thinking about the extraordinary community that meets, gathers, shares, prays and nurtures each other in social digital space. And it makes me wonder what the physical church can learn from all of you who are making authentic community happen online, or enriching your face-to-face community with a commitment to listen, attend and connect digitally.


I could tell you more. Instead, you can click here and go to Elizabeth's homepage.


The book comes out later this spring. The revolution has already begun. Can we keep up?



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Thursday, November 11, 2010

what a difference a week makes!

With Transgender Awareness Week starting this weekend AND Homeless Youth Awareness Month going throughout November, it made sense to invite our Minister for Justice and Action, Vicki Morte, to give us all some background and inspiration. Take it away, sister ...

As a community, we’ve chosen some specific ways to pray and act around injustices that threaten the lives of our friends and neighbors. We stand in solidarity as allies and members of the GLBTQ community. We're also developing partnerships to support young, homeless people in the city of Boston. This week is a huge week for action around both of these issues.


Over the last decade, the number of deaths due to transgender-based hate or prejudice has risen monthly. The numbers are likely to keep rising, as even a progressive state like Massachusetts still offers no explicit legal protection for the Transgender Community. One bright light is Transgender Awareness Week, which begins this weekend. It started with one day -- following the 1998 murder of transsexual woman Rita Hester here in Boston, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance was established to memorialize all those who lost their lives due to hatred and ignorance.


The day has expanded into an empowering week of outreach and education. From November 13–20, the city of Boston and others across the nation will have the chance to be a part of Transgender Awareness Week. The Crossing will provide welcoming and loving space as the host site for the Day of Remembrance service here in Boston, and for other events throughout the week.


At the same time, the number of homeless youth in the United States stands somewhere around 1.5 million, and it has been estimated that up to 40% of these homeless young people identify as LGBTQ. Recent reports approximate that every day 13 youth die on the streets. To address this growing epidemic, Congress declared November National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. We're taking action by partnering with Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Join the Impact, two local groups that provide support and advocacy for homeless teens and young adults. We want to step forward as loving supporters of these young people, even as we move to end youth homelessness in this country.


As these two important times intersect, we’re joining the movement in Boston to act up and out against injustice, returning hate with love to end discrimination and violence. Please support what's unfolding this November with your presence, your prayers, and your hope.


this week @ the crossing
  • TODAY: Cambridge/Somerville Neighborhood Group @ 7-9pm at Beth Graham's house
  • THU: Crossing Paths @ noon in front of Cathedral
  • THU: Worship @ 6-7:15pm
  • THU: Everyone Does Theology after worship -- topic: Jesus
  • SAT: Join the Impact action on Boston Common with homeless LGBT youth
  • SUN: Faith Transitions Group @ 6-7:30pm at Cathedral
  • SUN: Sexuality & Faith Group @ 6-7:30pm at Cathedral
  • AS NEEDED: Communion Delivery

worship: where we fall in love with God
Worship / Thursdays @ 6pm
This Thursday Kevin Vetiac offers a reflection on Luke 21:5-19, while Ben Whaley and Vicki Morte tag-team on the spiritual practice: encountering The Other as Christ.

If you joined us last week, you witnessed a moving profession of vows by Adwoa Lewis-Wilson, who became an oblate in the
Order of St. Julian of Norwich. The order is based in Wisconsin, but we're privileged to serve as the local community that supports her in this deep commitment to the Jesus Way. Click the link above to learn more about the Order.
    • WAY BEFORE WORSHIP: Come anytime between noon and 1pm for Crossing Paths. Crossing folks reach out and share art and spiritual practices with the city. (details under "action")
    • BEFORE WORSHIP: Creative juices flow! Help set-up for worship at 4:45pm. CONTACT Cara at millsc@diomassintern.org to volunteer regularly!
    • AFTER WORSHIP: Community Potluck Dinner -- bring a dish inspired by your ancestors (details under "community")
    • 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 ($5 with validation @ church -- ask a Greeter)
    • FOR MORE INFO: Head to our website -- www.thecrossingboston.org

Communion Delivery / New offering!
Got a Thursday night class or work, and it's keeping you away from The Crossing worship? Going through a rough work stretch and can't make a couple of weeks? The Worship Circle is helping to knit all of us together as a body by organizing communion delivery to your house, class ... wherever you need some Jesus! To request communion, help with delivery or just get info, CONTACT Ben at ben@thecrossingboston.org.

Thanksgiving Worship and Dinner / Thu., Nov. 25 @ 6pm at Rev. Steph's house in Cambridge
Yes, we'll have our annual Thanksgiving feast for The Crossing community. Plenty of turkey (maybe some tofurkey, too). If you'd like to help cook, set-up, welcome, etc., CONTACT Rev. Steph at revsteph@thecrossingboston.org. RSVP by Monday, Nov. 22.


community: where we grow in love for each other and ourselves

AFTER WORSHIP
THIS Thursday,
Nov. 11 / Everyone Does Theology -- Topic: JESUS
Second Thursdays, we settle in to learn and kick around deep thoughts on the big religious questions Christians have wrestled with for millennia. The series that will guide our exploration:
Embracing an Adult Faith, featuring progressive theologian Marcus Borg and a host of regular folks talking about all things faithful. CONTACT Keith at keith@thecrossingboston.org.

Thursday, Nov. 18 / Open Mic Night with Transcriptions
For the second year in a row, during
Transgender Awareness Week we open our doors to co-host a night of creativity, music, poetry and general fierceness. Our partner is Transcriptions, an open mic night in Jamaica Plan that's especially geared to welcome the voices of transgender and other queer folks. Sign up to share a poem, a song, a reading. And plan to stay for this AMAZING night! CONTACT Penny at penny@thecrossingboston.org.

Thursday, Nov. 25 / Thanksgiving Dinner
Ordinarily, 4th Thursdays equal Education for Action, a gathering hosted by the Justice and Action Team. But on Thanksgiving, everybody's welcome to Rev. Steph's house to celebrate the holiday. See details under"worship."

Thursday, Dec. 2 / Community Potluck Dinner
Every first Thursday, we share a good, old-fashioned church potluck! Bring a dish, drink or dessert AND bring a friend. Done by 9pm @ the latest. Got questions or want to help with set-up/clean-up? CONTACT our resident chef, Stephen Gire at
stephengire@mac.com.

SMALL GROUPS
Neighborhood Groups: share prayer, food, community and service with neighbors
Cambridge/Somerville Neighborhood Group
Date + Time: THIS WEDNESDAY @ 7-9pm (every other week)
Location: Beth Graham's house in Porter Square: 38 Berkeley St, Apt. 5, Somerville
Commitment: Open to newcomers, but all who join should commit to attend regularly
Contact: Beth at ElizabethLGraham@gmail.com or 617.767.1969 -- to RSVP

Brookline/Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Group
Date + Time: CONTACT ALEX & LEIGH TO TALK DATES
Location: Alex Froom's house -- 118 Winchester St., Brookline
Commitment: Open to newcomers,
Contact: Alex alexfroom@gmail.com or Leigh at lsfoster83@gmail.com.

Journey Groups: share around common hopes and struggles on the faith journey
Faith Transitions
Focus: Dealing with big shifts in the way we understand God, Jesus, church, theology and more
Date + Time: Sundays @ 6-7:30pm
Commitment: Open, but consistency appreciated to deepen experience for all participants
Location: Cathedral, Lawrence Room (1st floor, off reception area)
Contact: Rudy at rpreyes2@gmail.com

Faith and Sexuality
Focus: Explore the intersection of gender, sexuality, our bodies and our faith
Date + Time: Sundays @ 6-7:30pm
Commitment: Closed group
Location: Cathedral office building (5th floor conference room)

Praying Our Lives
Focus: Prayer, practice and integrating Christian commitment into the whole of our
Date + Time: Every other Tuesday @ 6-7:30pm (Nov. 16, 30; Dec. 14 -- break for Christmas, restart in January)
Commitment: Covenant group, so closed after first few gatherings
Location: Cathedral office building, 5th floor conference room
Contact
: Adwoa at adwoalw1@gmail.com or Bill at billcomerjr@gmail.com


action: where we share God's love with our community and the world
bridge over troubled waters
is an amazing organization literally around the corner from the Cathedral. They work with homeless youth and young adults, offering tutoring, shelter, meals, counseling, fun, safe space and more. Here's how we're partnering with them this Thanksgiving ...

Make Thanksgiving decorations /
Saturday @ 4:30-6:30pm in Brookline
Thanksgiving celebrations are usually pretty minimal at Bridge, but we’re helping to spruce it up.
Join us in making festive decorations. Supplies will be provided.
Bring a snack and/or a friend! LOCATION:
Vicki Morte's house in
Brookline (40 Prescott Street, near St. Mary's stop on C line or BU Central on B line).
CONTACT Fiona at fionabcampbell@mac.com.

Help with decorating and serving at Bridge / Wednesday, Nov. 24
The Bridge Thanksgiving meal takes place the day before the official Turkey Day. CONTACT Fiona to help with decorating and service that day.

crossing paths
THIS WEEK: Ignatian Jenga / Thursdays at 12-1pm
Drop-in with Crossing folks as we share art and spirit with the city. This week,
NOTE: Can't make Crossing Paths? The same practice will also be featured during Open Space on Thursday nights.

transgender awareness week
Lots happening all week -- check out the full calendar at www.masstpc.org. Here's what we're co-sponsoring:

SATURDAY @ noon-4pm: Join The Impact on the Common (look for the tent)
We're supporting JTI as they launch a campaign to educate and advocate for Homeless LGBTQ Youth. JTI has complied a comprehensive fact sheet with current numbers, statistics and information, along with all upcoming events related to youth homelessness and the queer community. The event will feature speakers addressing current legislation and shelter services and offering ways to be more deeply involved. CONTACT Vicki at vicki@thecrossingboston.org or Dani at morellda14@gmail.com.

THURSDAY after worship: Transcriptions/The Crossing Open Mic Night
Transcriptions is a queer-friendly Open Mic Night that usually happens in Jamaica Plain. For the 2nd year, during Trans Awareness Week, we'll welcome members of the Transcriptions community to worship and then co-host an open mic night after worship. Open Mic runs from 7:30-10:30pm in Sproat Hall (Cathedral lower level). Admission: $5-10 sliding scale -- all proceeds will benefit Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Everyone is welcome to perform! Each performance will run 3-5 minutes.

How to help? Step 1: CONTACT Penny at penny@thecrossingboston.org. Then ...
-- Come ready to perform: share a poem, sing or play a song, tell a story, paint a picture in real time -- all offerings welcomed!
-- Come early to help with set-up
-- Bring items to share at the Transcriptions Bake Sale.

SATURDAY @ 6pm: Transgender Day of Remembrance Service and Vigil
Every year on November 20, the transgender community turns its attention to its family, friends and loved ones lost to violence. A tradition inspired by the Allston vigil for slain transsexual Rita Hester in 1998, this day has become the worldwide rallying point for a community long under siege. We are proud to host this year's vigil here at The Crossing. It promises to be an inspir
ing program of speakers, community speakout, and a candlelight vigil on Boston Common, plus words from our own Bishop Tom Shaw. The program begins at 6 and the candlelight march and vigil follows immediately after. CONTACT Penny at penny@thecrossingboston.org or Vicki at vicki@thecrossingboston.org.

ALSO: During Trans Awareness Week ...
TUESDAY, Nov. 16 @ 6-8pm / In Their Own Words: A Forum on Youth Homelessness
Youth on Fire -- a Cambridge drop-in center that serves homeless youth -- hosts this moving gathering that features personal stories of homeless young people, expert commentary and info on getting involved. CONTACT Vicki atvicki@thecrossingboston.org.



behind the scenes
giving @ the crossing
We gather in a big, rich-feeling Cathedral, and we're located at the seat of the Diocese of Massachusetts. But when it comes to finances, we're actually a tiny operation doing God's work on the cheap: about $100K funds EVERYTHING we do (salaries, programs, admin, music team, outreach). Simple fact is, giving from our community makes The Crossing possible. It's also a spiritual practice that can change your life. To learn about regular giving, CONTACT Lura at lura@thecrossingboston.org.

NOTE: We need to raise $4,500 to close the funding gap in the next two months. If you haven't contributed, please prayerfully do so NOW.

Big blessings in all your prayers, your struggles and your dreaming ..

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