Inspired by Genesis 9:8-17, Mark 1:9-15 and Micah 6:8 God our creator, thank you for those moments when the natural world surprises, delights, and stops us in wonder. The brilliant blue flash of a kingfisher. Rose-gold sunlight on bare-limbed trees. A rainbow, radiant against dark grey clouds. May we notice and appreciate these shining gifts. […]
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I made you myself, carefully and lovingly. I gathered your molecules together, Scooping them out of the dust, warming them into clay. I formed you, deftly With the skill and vision of an artist Into a unique creation. A tiny masterpiece. Your contours bear the imprint of my fingers. Your imperfections and irregularities are a […]
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One: Humans of God’s creation, we are diverse. All: We are beautiful. We are unique. One: We judge each other’s differences, yet our diversity is an illustration of the infinite mystery of God. All: The God in me sees the God in you. One: Humans of God’s creation, we are political. All: We hold onto […]
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A song of welcome and promise tune: Colours of Day (light up the fire) Come, fill our hearts with your love again Please lift up our spirits come now to reign Come, rule in our lives and let out lives show How your love lives in us, and how our love grows Chorus Revive us […]
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‘Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos’ – Matthew Fox ‘Love-giver’ — Kate McIlhagga, UK By what name shall the unknowable be called? More names for the Holy One Image: ColourWeaving, created by David Yeo Poulton, UK
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Mis-hear How can they choose to treat faith As an excuse to live lives filled with hate? How can they still promote war As though that’s what your peace fights on for? How can they dare define love As a word meant for them to shun us? How can they collect their wealth And keep […]
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Inspired by verses in Genesis 1 Reader 1: May God’s truth continue to be revealed. The ancient story becomes our story. With a word of love, God creates beauty, nature and goodness. God: ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ […]
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Safe! Home safe! A welcome mat of rainbows Hands outstretched to clasp the stranger. Love, you are the power lifting our open arms The thought enabling our inclusion The spirit warming our hearts to the ‘other’, Reminding us that we are ‘other’ to them. Emmanuel, yours is the face they wear, Yours is the clan […]
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Non-Binary Awareness Week is ‘dedicated to those who do not fit within the traditional gender binary or, put simply, those who do not exclusively identify as a man or a woman, or who may identify as both a man and a woman or may fall outside of these categories altogether.’ From Open Table Liverpool: ‘One […]
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I don’t want to go to your flawed heaven The one that’s still full of draconian rules The one where the bread is still unleavened That dismisses those like me as fools I don’t want to go to your paradise The one that is clinically cynically clean Where you still hand me your biased advice Where I’d […]
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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on 20 November honouring the memory of those whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Newest ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’ posts . . . (images link to posts) ‘The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a […]
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A reading for a Pride Day Service Written to be read responsively or by two voices. One: Today, Pride Day, we affirm with joy that we are proud. Many: We are proud to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and questioning. One: We are proud to have survived and thrived despite challenges to our dignity, […]
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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on 20 November honouring the memory of those whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Find more TDOR resources here. Set up: Place numerous ‘gems’ (plastic or glass) on the central table, more than enough for each person to take two. The […]
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When I was just a Queer Palestinian child, I didn’t know any better; God was multicolour. Feeling Their facets and hugging their multitudes of love, All was just being, nothing made of. Palestinian and Queer was a Tibetan Bowl’s ring, That I heard sung in the womb of Rumi’s wing. See it, right there on […]
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International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) takes place on 31 March each year to celebrate trans and non-binary people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. ‘The day was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of days celebrating transgender people, citing the […]
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A responsive reading originally written for a gathering of welcoming LGBTQ+ Christians. Psalm 139 arises in the Common Revised Lectionary on Epiphany 2B; Pentecost 7A, 2B and 13C. Ready-to-download Word document and rainbow PowerPoint to project in worship: Psalm 139 – Responsive Acclamation, Ana Gobledale Psalm 139 Responsive Acclamations PPT – Ana Gobledale I praise […]
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Amanda Udis-Kessler’s website, Queer Sacred Music, includes numerous songs (lyrics, scores and recordings) and worship items. Several new songs and worship resources express a relevancy to a pandemic reality. To access the songs on Amanda’s website, I prefer starting at the page entitled ‘Recordings’ where one can find the lyrics in addition to the recording […]
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This song, entitled ‘For everyone born,’ is copyrighted, but the words soar with truth and beauty so I’m sharing them via links. For the complete lyrics and sheet music click here. Hear a rendition on Youtube by the First-Plymouth Church choir in Lincoln, Nebraska USA. For everyone born, a place at the table… For gay and […]
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Click here to access Sylvia’s extensive ‘Queer Hymn’ database. The following description is taken directly from Sylvia’s website QueerHymns.org . What is a queer hymn? Sylvia explains: Queer hymns are congregational songs by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc. (queer/LGBTQ+) people, or about queer/LGBTQ+ issues (broadly defined). The database on this site contains information on both […]
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These Café Church worship services weave together scripture, drama, reflection, conversation & communion. They have been designed for worship around tables, but are easily adaptable to a more traditional setting. Each service includes everything you need — an Order of Service to handout, leader script sheets, reader printouts, song suggestions, a list of supplies, a […]
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