Worship & Arts

New Resource

The Institute for Welcoming Resources
A Place in God's Heart...
A Place at Christ's Table

Worship Resources for the
Welcoming Church Movement

Click here for index and resources

 print Ayers Tess Paul Brown The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings Los Angeles Alyson Publications 1999 304 pp. 1555834841 This is indeed the complete guide for same-sex grooms and brides, including a fascinating historical look at gay and lesbian unions and practical advice like breaking the news to your family and the straight world. It takes you from planning the glorious event (with helpful tidbits like how to address invitations and how to find two-groom or two-bride cake toppers) to negotiating vendor contracts to the aftermath. Witty anecdotes, proper etiquette, and unexpected trivia make this an indispensable and truly entertaining resource for same-sex couples who want to plan an unforgettable and perfectly orchestrated wedding. Sprinkled with true stories of men and women who have tied the knot, The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings is a must for anyone just thinking about it or ready to jump into matrimony. http://store.yahoo.com/alysonbooks/esguidtolesa.html _blank print Butler Becky Ceremonies of the Heart: Celebrating Lesbian Unions Seattle Seal Press 1997 328 pp. 1878067877 Whether you are planning a ceremony of your own or simply want to look into the lives of lesbians who have taken this affirming step, Ceremonies of the Heart is the perfect book to read and savor. Filled with ideas on creating unique rituals, the book describes the transformative experiences of twenty-seven couples who celebrated their relationships in wide-ranging ways - from a gala wedding with gowns and cake to a high-spirited Buddhist event under desert skies. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1878067877/qid=1134072383/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2047862-5702422?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Cherry Kittredge Sherwood Zalmon editors Equal Rites: Lesbian and Gay Worship, Ceremonies, and Celebrations Louisville Westminster John Knox Press 1995 188 pp. 0664255353 Equal Rites is a much-needed collection of worship services, ceremonies, and celebrations that is attuned to the unique needs of sexual minorities. The selections, written primarily by lesbians and gay men, include rites of spiritual beginnings, healing, blessings, holy communion, and pride and empowerment. Also included are funeral memorial services, seasonal and holiday rites for couples. More that a collection, Equal Rites can also serve as a reference book for creating unique and meaningful worship services that address significant aspects of lesbian and gay spirituality. https://www.ppcbooks.com/Details.asp?BookID=0664255353 _blank print Duncan Geoffrey Courage to Love: Liturgies for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community courage2love.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2002 384 pp. 082981468X An exceptional collection of worship and liturgical resources inclusive of and sensitive to the needs of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons for use by clergy and lay leaders. Includes liturgies for the Eucharist and celebrations such as marriage vows. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=61&hallway_uid1=62&search_id=&catalog_uid1=29&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=0D54856DE598CAA545BF6E12 _blank print Gebhardt Daniel I Am This One Walking Beside Me: Reflections and Prayers on Being a Gay HIV Positive Man iamthisone.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2005 96 pp. 0829816321 I Am This One Walking Beside Me is a moving collection of prayers written by Daniel Gebhardt, who has been living with HIV/AIDS for the past 20 years. What makes this book unique is that he writes from both a Christian and a gay perspective. Gebhardt provides readers with insight into such topics as everyday living, medical issues, relationships, self-exploration, and death. He also includes prayers that relate to compassion and a global understanding of the disease - a disease that continues to spread after it was discovered over 20 years ago. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829816321/qid=1133568230/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Lea Jeffrey For Another Flock: Daily Advent and Christmas Meditations for Gay and Lesbian Christians Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2005 108 pp. 0829816127 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807079375/qid=1139439816/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9871044-1994548?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Lewin Ellen Recognizing Ourselves: Ceremonies of Lesbian & Gay Commitment New York Columbia University Press 1998 288 pp. 0231103921 Lewin, who has consecrated her own lesbian relationship with a commitment ceremony, decided to explore the myriad ways in which lesbians and gay men create meaningful ceremonies for themselves. She offers the first comprehensive account of lesbian and gay weddings in modern America. A series of richly detailed profiles-the result of extensive interviews and participation in the planning and realization of many of these commitment rituals-is woven together to show how new traditions, and ultimately new families, are emerging within contemporary America. Just as the book is a moving portrait of same-sex couples today, it is also a significant political document on a new arena in the struggle for lesbian and gay rights. In a larger sense, Lewin's work is about the politics surrounding same-sex marriages and the ramifications for central dimensions of American culture such as kinship, community, morality, and love. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/023110/0231103921.HTM _blank print Oliveto Karen P., Traci W. West Kelly Turney Talking About Homosexuality: A Congregational Resource talkinghomosexuality.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2005 160 pp. 0829816135 Part of the Holy Conversations series. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=38&search_id=&catalog_uid1=847&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=8BCF461BCA3AC97B4356CB6C _blank print O'Neill Dennis Passionate Holiness: Marginalized Christian Devotions for Distinctive People passionateholiness.jpg Victoria, BC Trafford Publishing 2005 136 pp. 1412039401 Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town once said with regard to South Africa's Apartheid policy, "One of the ways of helping to destroy a people is to tell them that they don't have a history, that they have no roots." He recently described homophobic discrimination "as totally unacceptable and unjust as Apartheid ever was." Unfortunately, it has been particularly difficult for some gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Christians to remain connected with and identified with their own faith traditions because some of these traditions not only treat them as people of secondary status but teach Christian history as though no people of same-gender attraction or opposite-gender identity had any noteworthy place in it and had made no significant contributions at all to Christian tradition. Passionate Holiness tries to remedy this situation by explaining why acquaintance with the stories of Sts. Polyeuct and Nearchus, Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, Christ/Holy Wisdom, Sts. Matrona, Perpetua and Felicity, Brigid and Darlughdach, and many others with whom gender minorities can identify can help them to connect with their own history and spiritual legacy and empower them to face a brighter future with a sense of optimism and inclusion. The story of the removal of the feast of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus from the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church in 1969 - ironically, the very year New York's Stonewall Riots launched the gay liberation movement - is a particularly revealing example of how far some religious authorities will go to keep gender minorities distanced from their own history. This is all explored in Passionate Holiness. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1412039401/sr=8-1/qid=1140068466/ref=sr_1_1/102-9871044-1994548?%5Fencoding=UTF8 _blank print Turney Kelly Shaping Sanctuary: Proclaiming God's Grace in an Inclusive Church shaping.gif Chicago Welcoming Church Movement 2000 424 pp. 0970156804 A collection of justice-oriented worship resources including essays, sermons, liturgies and hymns gathered from ten denominations. A diversity of voices and a study guide make this an effective tool for those exploring a theology that affirms the diversity of human sexuality and the worship implications of God's incarnation in the world. http://www.ucccoalition.org/resources/ona.html _blank print United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns ONA Preach Out! Cleveland United Church of Christ Board for Homeland Ministries 2001 50 pp. A collection of nine Open and Affirming Sermons of the United Church of Christ for congregational dialogue and pastoral inspiration. Published in cooperation with The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns. http://www.ucccoalition.org/resources/ona.html _blank online editors Out In Scripture - An Honest Enounter Between Our Lives and the Bible Whether you're a minister who has felt called to preach sermons faithful to the Bible and the authentic lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, or you’re looking for a devotional resource that will deepen your spiritual practice and honor GLBT lives, you'll want to get this resource. Guided by the Revised Common Lectionary, a listing of Bible passages for the church year, Out In Scripture features thoughtful commentaries written and reviewed by some of the most respected scholars from around the country and across the variety of Christian denominations. http://www.hrc.org/scripture _blank online editors A Litany of Coming Out liturgies2.htm#comingout _self online editors A Liturgy of God's Welcome liturgies2.htm#godswelcome _self online editors More Light Meditations Prayers and poems by Chris Glaser and LaDonna Sanders http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=meditations _blank online editors Shower of Stoles Litany sosplitany.htm _self live Jason editors Jason & DeMarco jasonanddemarco.jpg With the international release of their latest album, "Till the End of Time", Jason & deMarco became familiar names to music fans around the world. Their first single "Trying to Get to You" climbed the Billboard Charts and their second single, "This is Love" won "Music Video of the Year 2006" on MTV's LOGO. A remix of "This is Love" produced by DJ Scotty K was also added to Abercrombie & Fitch's playlist in April of 2007 and can be heard nationally in stores. Currently, a full-length feature documentary film entitled "We're All Angels" is circulating the independant film circuit where it premiered at NewFest 2007: The 19th Annual New York LGBT Film Festival as well as OUTFEST 2007: The 25th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. http://www.jasonanddemarco.com _blank live Stevens-Pino editors Marsha Stevens-Pino marshastevens.jpg Marsha Stevens became the first major singer in the contemporary Christian music subculture to identify herself publicly as a lesbian... Christian Century Magazine has said that Stevens became "conservative Christianity's worst nightmare - a Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, God-fearing lesbian Christian." The talented performer wrote what would become Children of the Day's classic hit, "For Those Tears I Died (Come to the Water)" when she was just sixteen. One of the most popular songs of the Jesus movement, "For Those Tears I Died" is a moving testimony to God's saving grace, replete with images of baptism and liberation... No one in 1969 could have predicted it would have such influence in the decade ahead - much less that, for two decades beyond, Christian congregations would be ripping the song out of their hymnals, systematically binding up the pages and mailing them off to Stevens as a symbol of the hostility they felt toward one who continued to love Jesus and sing His praises when they thought she was no longer entitled to do so... http://www.balmministries.net/index.cfm _blank live Drake editors Susan Drake and Julie Jennings susanjuliehill.jpg Susan and Julie bring crisp social critique, bold honesty, emotional integrity, and passion for life to their songs and their singing. Partners in life, Susan and Julie have been making music together since 1999. Susan and Julie are both ordained ministers in the United Church of Christ. Susan works as a hospice chaplain, and Julie is a chaplain to youth in detention. http://www.originalwomen.com _blank live editors T.J. Williams T.J. Williams is an openly gay contemporary Christian singer who feels called to be a missionary to Black churches. T.J. has three desires: the first is to become ordained and preach the liberating power of Jesus. And then Secondly, to put together contemporary Christian music with HIV/AIDS education and prevention and third, to concentrate on encouraging committed relations ships within the gay/lesbian community. mailto:tj.willaims@gmail.com _blank live editors S. Bear Bergman sbearbergman.jpg S. Bear Bergman is a writer, a theater artist, an instigator, a gender-jammer, and a good example of what happens when you overeducate a contrarian. Ze is also the author of Butch Is a Noun (Suspect Thoughts Press, 2006) and three award-winning solo performances, as well as a frequent contributor to anthologies on all manner of topics. http://sbearbergman.com/ _blank live editors A Pebble In My Shoe: The Life & Times of John Shelby Spong pebble.jpg "A Pebble In My Shoe", written and directed by noted playwright, Colin Cox, will introduce you to an amazing man of the cloth who believes in the true spirit of humanity. With insight into his private life and personal struggles, the show chronicles Bishop Spong's dedication to making religion and God accessible to all people. "A Pebble In My Shoe" is a full length play with one actor playing Bishop Spong along with two actors playing the myriad of characters who have been instrumental in his story. http://www.willandcompany.com/pebble/ _blank live editors Remember Who Made You: A one-man play exploring the myths, fears, and joys of being Gay AND Christian rememberwhomadeyou.jpg Using both humor and drama to give the perspectives of its characters, Remember Who Made You, written by Jeffrey Barnes, explores the myths, fears and joys of being gay AND Christian through six characters, each with a unique insight that allows the audience to find something to which they can relate. The one-act play, which runs approximately 50 minutes, is combined with a discussion session. http://www.RememberWhoMadeYou.com _blank live editors Three-Twelve: Healing Music for Wounded Souls 312triofull.gif THREE TWELVE is a 3-person vocal ensemble whose stated mission is to provide “healing music for wounded souls.” Its members - Jason Whetstone, Deb McClain, and David M. Glasgow - bring to the ensemble a diversity of religious and spiritual experiences, both positive and negative. Accordingly, the group’s repertory includes not only contemporary Christian music (as recorded by such artists as Avalon, Natalie Grant, and Andrew Peterson), but also music drawn from more mainstream sources (e.g., Sheryl Crow, Jonathan Larson). Each member of the trio can speak first-hand of persecution and condemnation at the hands of the church—all three identify publicly as homosexual. We choose to reach out to others—to be vessels of hope, and try to keep other people from being hurt as we have been, whether they’re in the church or not. http://threetwelve.net/ _blank multimedia Rohrerand Amalia Vagts Rev. Megan Out of the Extraordinary outoftheextraordinary.jpg San Francisco St. Francis Lutheran Church Foundation 2008 56 min.

A compilation album project to raise visibility of the issue of ordination of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer (GLBTQ) pastors and raise funds for scholarships and debt relief for the GLBTQ pastors that have chosen to be or have been forced outside of the ELCA roster of pastors.

Out of the Extraordinary features 14 songs that were genrously donated by artists and groups to support the vital work of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. This diverse collection, features many famous Lutheran and GLBTQ artists, two renowned choral groups, a former LLGM Board member, a member of the ELM clergy roster, an ELM staff member, and a child of a former LLGM board member.

Playlist:

  • 1. Dakota Road - Arise
  • 2. Namoli Brennet - Modern Day Jesus
  • 3. Judy Fjell - It's Not Just in the Bible
  • 4. Indigo Girls - It's Alright
  • 5. Jonathan Rundman - Narthex
  • 6. Bread for the Journey - Dazzling Bouquet
  • 7. Rev. Megan Rohrer - Ordination Song
  • 8. Agape - All Are Welcome
  • 9. Carrie Newcomer - Be True
  • 10. David Maxon - Get Married
  • 11. Sara Thomsen - By Breath
  • 12. Amalia Vagts - In the Pew
  • 13. Richard Bruxvoort- Colligan and the Rivers Voice - Whole and Holy, Called in Christ
  • 14. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and The Transcendence Gospel Choir - Oh Happy Day
 CD http://www.elm.org/oe/ _blank