Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 12:25:01 EST From: "James D. Anderson" MORE LIGHT UPDATE January 1995 Volume 15, Number 6 Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary P.O. 38 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 908/249-1016, 908/932-7501 (Rutgers University) FAX 908/932-6916 (Rutgers University) Internet: janderson@zodiac.rutgers.edu Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. SEE END OF PSALTER FOR: Changes, Events, Nominations, and Obituary! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A More Light Psalter An Anatomy of Our Souls Edited and Introduced by Chris Glaser [BOX] Chris Glaser is the author of Coming Out to God and The Word is Out -- The Bible Reclaimed for Lesbians and Gay Men. He travels the country as speaker, preacher, workshop and retreat leader. This is the eighth annual prayer book that he has written or edited for PLGC. He may be reached at his home/office: 991 Berne Street SE, Atlanta GA 30316; Phone/FAX: 404/622-4222. Introduction Dwelling in Beulah Land "DO NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING," the Beulah Heights Tabernacle sign reminded me as I ran down our street toward Grant Park on my thrice-weekly run. The quote's from Galatians 6:9, which reads, "And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (KJV). But many of us do have the vapors when it comes to well-doing. It's exhausting and discouraging, especially for those of us in the More Light movement, reforming the church on matters of sexuality and inclusivity. My lover and I have moved to a new home just down the street from Beulah Heights Tabernacle in Atlanta's Ormewood Park neighborhood, a multi-racial, gay-and lesbian-friendly community. We met more of our neighbors *before* we moved in than we'd met in the neighborhood we had been living in for more than a year. And *since* we've moved in, neighbors have dropped in just to say "hey." Those across the street brought over cookies, then brownies. Another dropped by a doormat that reads, "Friends are always welcome." We've lunched with the local Presbyterian pastor, and I've lunched with the local MCC pastor. Yet another neighbor loaned us tools and showed us how to install mini-blinds. Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church is inclusive, and we've enjoyed worshiping there many times. Its session voted unanimously in favor of our request to hold our ceremony of commitment in the church's sanctuary last October 30, Reformation Sunday, led by pastor Peter Denlea and Presbyterian ACT UP founder Howard Warren, who was in town for the AIDS Skills-Building Conference. Many of you reading this attended the ceremony, sent cards, even gifts, and prayed for us (THANK YOU!). Peter also led us in a creative house blessing. All of this helped in the stress of getting the house finished and in the worse stress of Mark leaving his position as executive director of an AIDS agency. Mark had cleaned up the agency's act, enhanced its image in the community, brought it fiscal responsibility, improved its programs, enlarged the staff and raised their salaries to livable wages. But there was pressure on him to be stirring up more trouble, battling rather than befriending other AIDS service agencies and care providers. Mark, himself HIV-positive, has never played a good victim, politically or privately. He has worked long hours without regard to his health, but he has tried to have fun while doing it. He's never gotten into the smug, self-righteous anger some AIDS activists display. He believes more can be accomplished by meetings than mouthing off. It's easy to grow weary in such well-doing when the well-doing goes unnoticed, unappreciated, and even under-appreciated! This experience is known to anyone who has worked either professionally or as a volunteer in the church, in the lesbian and gay community, or in AIDS. While I've been working on this psalter, and, just after Mark left his job, the church sign down the street changed to reveal that its previous charge from Galatians is not easily commanded. Now it reads: "WELCOME TO THE PAIN IN MINISTRY SEMINAR." Perhaps the banner added over the doorway to the church says it better: "WELCOME TO THE PAIN **OF** MINISTRY." That's why I'm glad we're dwelling in Beulah Land. *I'm living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky, (Praise God!) I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry; Oh yes! I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.* The proximity of Beulah Heights Tabernacle has prompted my unconsciously humming or singing this chorus from "Dwelling in Beulah Land" as the theme song for our move to this neighborhood. Its sentiment makes me smile and ironically reminds me that it's good to be a Christian, that well-doing does have its benefits. Beulah land is a reference to Isaiah 62:4, addressed to Jerusalem as a symbol of the faithful, and so addressed to all of us who remain faithful: You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married (*Hebrew: Beulah*); for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. (NRSV) So Mark and I are living in Married Land, married to the land through a mortgage, married to each other through love, and married to God through grace. I grew up in a house in Los Angeles, but I never thought I'd live in one as an adult until I saw the housing market in Atlanta, where even our income made it affordable. We're in a "transitional" community in real estate language, which means it's going from black to white -- though our hope is that it remains both black *and* white. We were tired of the virtual white ghettoization of our previous neighborhood. But we haven't displaced anyone. We live in a small, brand-new house built on property once owned by the Beulah Heights Bible College, also down the street from us and next door to the Tabernacle. Faye, a neighbor who lives around the corner on Siloam (which means "Sent" according to John 9:7, and was the pool to which Jesus sent the man born blind to rinse his eyes), came by as we planted monkey grass brought to us by friends from Knoxville. Having lived in the neighborhood since 1938, she told us that, as a young woman, she had attended seasonal church camp meetings on our property that were held in a tent tabernacle. Needless to say, I was fascinated to discover that the ground on which we tabernacle had been so hallowed! Perhaps the Spirit that inspired old time religious revivals might revive us too! *Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation, Hearing now [God's] blessed voice, I see the way [God] planned: Dwelling in the Spirit, here I learn of full salvation, Gladly will I tarry in Beulah Land.* We've also learned that a great Civil War battle was fought within a mile of our home, near Interstate 20, from which, during its construction, earth was brought and dumped in the ravine behind our house. As I write this, I look across our back yard toward the kudzu-covered ravine out of which grow huge and presumably old trees. And I wonder what spirits might have been transported within the Georgia red clay from that battlefield. In the midst of our battles over acceptance in the church, it gives me hope to believe that by now those once warring spirits have made peace with each other, no matter how passionately they fought for their opposing causes, no matter how resentfully their present descendants still regard the "War Between the States." Because they're dwelling in Beulah Land. *Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating, Sons of men in battle long the enemy withstand: Safe am I within the castle of God's word retreating, Nothing then can reach me -- 'tis Beulah Land.* I couldn't remember all the words of this hymn by C. Austin Miles, so I phoned my mom to ask her to find it in one of our old Baptist hymnals. She could only locate "Beulah Land" (Edgar Page and Jno. R. Sweney), which begins -- appropriately enough for the South -- "I've reached the land of corn and wine . . ." and then describes "my home forevermore" as "heaven's borderland." I finally found the hymn I was looking for in the library of the above-mentioned Bible college. And, as you have read, it has captured the soul of our new home for me. John Calvin called the psalms, the most ancient hymns of our faith, "an anatomy of all the parts of the soul." No wonder they capture our feelings so strongly! They reveal and unleash the inner longings and emotions of both author and reader/singer. They do more than relieve "the coldness of the heart of the faithful in their public prayers," as Reformed scholar John Leith paraphrases the Geneva Articles of 1537. They were, in Reformed liturgy, the people's hearty response to the Word of God in prayer. It may amuse those who think of Calvin as terminally staid to know his Genevan Psalter was referred to as "the siren of Calvinism." While restricting the use of music in worship, abolishing the medieval choir, Calvin emphasized congregational singing. The psalms became such a vital part of Reformed piety that French Protestants were variously jailed, had their tongues slit, or burned at the stake for singing them! Though contemplation of the psalms had become more common after the rise of monastic life, their use in Christian worship dates back to the earliest liturgies, and it was part of the worship that was always open to all, believer and non-believer, according to Dom Gregory Dix's *The Shape of the Liturgy*. And the psalms were not only open to all people, they were open to all human experience, as our friend Howard Rice writes in his book *Reformed Spirituality*: "They help us acknowledge our true feelings, especially when these feelings are not acceptable to us" (p. 90). How appropriate, then, that we have a *More Light Psalter* for congregations that wish to be inclusive, both of us and our feelings! I was a little disappointed that I didn't gather more psalms for this purpose until I learned that Calvin's first psalter contained only 19 psalms. And, like his, our little psalter includes one hymn. Hopefully, our psalms, which include a spectrum of feelings, will also help relieve the coldness of Presbyterian hearts when it comes to our full inclusion in the church. And, as did the ancient psalms and our reformed ancestors in using them, these psalms express our confidence in Providence. While we are "drinking at the fountain" and "feasting on the manna" of this small collection of psalms, may we, as Augustine affirmed of the psalms, exclaim to God: "Oh, . . . how was I by them kindled toward Thee!" *Let the stormy breezes blow, their cry cannot alarm me; I am safely sheltered here, protected by God's hand: Here the sun is always shining, here there's naught can harm me, I am safe forever in Beulah Land.* Dedication Reverend Bob Davidson initiated the More Light movement within the church in the late seventies when he led the Session of West Park Presbyterian Church in New York City to affirm the full membership of lesbian and gay parishioners, despite a denominational ban on the ordination of lesbians and gay men as elders and deacons. He had served on the Presbyterian Task Force to Study Homosexuality, started a gay support group in his home congregation (Circle of Light), came out publicly as a parent of a lesbian daughter, and worked for our full participation when he served as Moderator of General Assembly in 1981. Bob and his wife, Evelyn, to whom the *1990 More Light Prayer Book* was dedicated, were among the best friends of Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns. Within one year of her death, he followed her into the most inclusive sanctuary of all, the eternal portion of the commonwealth of God, in 1993. He was a man of unyielding optimism, undying compassion, and holy feistiness. Though his congregation's resistance to a local church merger hurt him deeply, it was but another instance of his strong belief that we all belong together. In memory of Bob and his ministry, two of these psalms have already been dedicated. In thanksgiving to God for Bob's faithfulness to God and to us, I dedicate this *More Light Psalter*, offering this 21-psalm salute to his tenacity and God's steadfast love. -- Chris Glaser _____________________________________________________________ Introduction Copyright (c) 1995 by Chris R. Glaser. Non- profit use hereby permitted. Other use requires permission. **Use of these psalms:** Permission is hereby granted for non-profit duplication and/or use in worship, but copyright is protected from use for profit without permission of the individual authors. Credit the individual author as well as the *More Light Psalter*, published by Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns. Please consider sending PLGC a copy of the service or newsletter in which one of these psalms is used for our information and for the affirmation of authors. **The psalms included here have been marked by alternate light and bold type to indicate suggested turns in reading them responsively (leader/congregation) or antiphonally (choir/congregation or divided congregation). Segments of the psalms may be used if the full length is deemed too long.** **On Language:** A few of these psalms may have a few too many "Lords" for some folk's comfort, so feel free to change them to "God" or "Yahweh" as you see fit. A few of these references have been changed when their repetition seemed overdone. Others remain because "Lord" is so frequently used in the biblical psalms and, to many people, doesn't have the "lord and lady" connotation which makes others cringe. **On Identification of Authors:** Contributors are active participants in Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns unless otherwise identified. All sexual orientations and all ecclesiastical ordinations (or lack thereof) are represented. -- CRG _____________________________________________________________ Psalm 1 Thanksgiving for the Fruit of the Spirit in memory of Robert and Evelyn Davidson based on Galatians 5:22-23 O Holy Spirit, we thank you! When you bring together the family of faith, We thank you for love. When you call us to ministry in the church and the world, We thank you for joy. When you pray with us in the struggle for justice, We thank you for peace. When you remind us that the realm of God will come in God's time, We thank you for patience. When you comfort us in our weariness as we care for one another, We thank you for kindness. When you surprise us with the power to give far more than we could ever imagine, We thank you for generosity. When you give us the strength to follow Jesus, We thank you for faithfulness. When you enable us to prevail with grace over all manner of hatred and abuse, We thank you for gentleness. And when all these fruits are beyond our reach, When we are tempted to return evil for evil, or simply to give up, We thank you for self-control. O Holy Spirit, you are the mighty wind of righteousness, You are the very breath of our life, O Holy Spirit, we thank you. Mary Spears New York City Psalm 2 In Praise of Love How good it is to proclaim the love of God, love which touches every corner of our lives: our strengths and weaknesses, our courage and our fears, our joys and our sorrows, our joys and our sorrows, our laughter and our tears, our successes and our failures, our hope and our despair, our coming out and our staying in, our intimacies and our separations, our love and our failure to love. How good it is to proclaim the love of God, love which liberates every aspect of our lives: our work and our play, our thoughts and our feelings, our seeing, hearing, speaking, tasting, touching, our loving. How good it is to proclaim the love of God, love which heals all the brokenness of our lives: our hatreds and our divisions, our prejudice and our discrimination, our violence and our exclusion, our unloving. Loving God, help us to love as you love: freely, graciously, fully, unconditionally, bringing together young and old, rich and poor, north and south, east and west, male and female, gay and straight, bisexual and transgendered, every color, size, shape and condition, all your children. How good it is to proclaim the love of God -- and to love! Mike Smith and Sylvia Thorson-Smith Grinnell, Iowa Psalm 3 A House Divided Oh, God, we live in a house divided. We spend our days wandering; Our hearts are dulled to numbness and our tongues are bitter and dry. Our words bite when we speak and we've grown weary of their taste. Even our bones are weary as we wander in exile in the halls of your house. The sneers of God's people wash over us constantly, filled with raging contempt and plans to undo us. The halls tremble in Babel. But, gracious one, you hold us and listen, and here, even here in these echoing halls you hear weeping in our bitterest words; The Lord hears supplication. You remember our words, and in silence you heal them, In silence you heal us. This house is not our shelter; Our home is God's heart Where we are what we are and in stillness we rest; where God gives us our lives. Praise be to the Lord. Dick Hasbany Eugene, Oregon Psalm 4 Ever-Present Grace I called upon the Lord in my hour of despair and God heard me. Even though I did not fully sense the wonder of your grace . . . When I uttered my first baby cry I was known before the throne of God. When I was baptized with water and a word the Holy Spirit grabbed my heart. When I sang my nursery songs the Lord heard my voice. When I spoke the words of confirmation God stood beside me. When I first knew the desire to touch another man God's love touched my soul. When I prayed to deliver me from this desire I felt was sin, the Lord answered me, And my eyes were opened by the Grace of God. I heard your words of acceptance, not change, "My grace is sufficient for you." Because of your changeless love, oh God, Your Spirit will not let me go. If I hide in the darkest closet of self-denial, You are there -- calling. If I travel to the mountain of acceptance and openness, You are there -- smiling. If I pass through the desert of painful rejection and words of scorn, You are there -- healing. If I sing your praise to others like myself, You are there -- rejoicing. If I weep from the loss of brothers and sisters with lives cut short, You are there -- consoling. If I find the earthly love that binds my heart with another, You are there -- embracing. Or if I go to the farthest reaches of the earth, You are there -- guiding. There is no place I can go That you have not already been, oh Lord. For the steadfast love of God Is broader and deeper Than the places of our mind. Robert W. Gibeling, Jr. Program Executive, Lutherans Concerned / North America Atlanta, Georgia Psalm 5 Thanksgiving We sing our song to you, Holy One, Wellspring of Love. >From rivers deep within, our resolute, faithful hearts sing out, undaunted by those who will not sing. We sing our song, giving thanks for the heavens, the earth and the sustenance of life. For the intricacies and rhythms of our bodies -- awesome, incarnate chalices of your love. For our sexualities, beneficent creations of your good pleasure. We sing our song, giving thanks for mysteries and meanings in relationships. For best friends and lovers, parents, siblings, and other loved ones, tried and grown. For people only slightly known. For communities that stretch us, calling forth the best within, who keep us honest, faithful, and bold. For individuals who embrace us. For sojourners who love and forgive when we cannot love and forgive ourselves. Thanks be to you, Graceful Forgiver, Faithful Lover. Thanks for hope that rises with the new day. Thanks for the weariness of both struggle and play. Thanks for peaceful, rejuvenating rest. Lifegiver, you call us to be your unconditional love. With easy breath and laborious sighs, we sing thanks for the freedom that is ours in your shameless embrace. Bill Johnson Founder, United Church Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns Cleveland, Ohio Psalm 6 Paraphrasing Psalm 51 In your mercy, Yahweh, be present to me; with gentleness, wipe away my shame. Heal me from brokenness; free me from my prison of fear and pain. My insecurities are often before me; my lifelessness haunts my mind. I am immobilized by self-denigration, believing I am unworthy in your eyes. I come to you expecting judgment, only to discover your tender embrace. Sometimes I feel crushed down, burdened by a sense of worthlessness. Yet you love my fidelity as you teach me the depths of your wisdom. When I feel unclean, bathe me with hyssop; may your tender mercies wash away my shame. Instill in me your seeds of joy and gladness that will strengthen me for a dance of joy. Do not stare at my brokenness; be gentle with my vulnerability. Strengthen a purity of heart in me, Yahweh; renew within me a nurturing spirit. Keep me ever in your presence, and surround me with your loving spirit. Once more be my sustainer; revive my joy. Strengthen and feed my longing for you, and I will teach others of your ways; then they will also come into your healing presence. Release me from death-infused thoughts, O Yahweh, and I will proclaim your wonders. Give me my voice so I may speak of your glory. I can but offer you my wounded spirit, my secret longing for your embrace. You will not turn my need for you; the fruit of our union will bring great joy. Diana Vezmar-Bailey Spirit of the Rivers United Church of Christ Columbus, Ohio Psalm 7 Reflecting on the 1994 General Assembly O God, we cry to you in our disappointment, We cry out in our bewilderment. An uneasy peace has come to our fellowship. Darkness has not yielded to light in our assemblies. Our presbyters sang hymns of grace and thanksgiving, For they had gently rebuked dreamers for transgressing boundaries. They had spoken tenderly about coloring outside the lines. They were pleased with their overflowing goodness. They took delight in their own lovingkindness. Were you brokenhearted, O God, when they also rebuked those who love as you made them to love? Did you hide your face when they forbade blessing some who seek to live in faithful union? You answer us, O God, in your nurturing righteousness. You speak to us through the Christ, who said: You seek the excluded for your banquet. You want your house to be filled. Our hope is in you, O God, in you alone. Therefore, we are not dismayed. Your gracious welcome is for all people. We thank you for foretastes of your heavenly feast. You have established inclusive congregations, that your house may be filled. We bless you, we praise your name, the name that is love, in the dark before the dawn. David Prince Ewing, New Jersey Psalm 8 A Cry God of compassion and mercy, I cry out to you. How long must I suffer, O God, as my enemies and bill collectors gather around me like wolves, stripping every last bit of flesh from my bones? I despair of ever hearing your voice, of finding my corner of the sky, and yet, I persevere, I wait, and I hope for your lovingkindness and justice to be expressed. Is it right, God, for my enemies to be rewarded with rich food and clothes, with jobs and loved ones, while I am left out in the cold? No, it cannot be! This travesty of justice, fairness, and love cannot continue. Surely you would not have it so. Please use me, O God. Take me up again and allow me to sing your praises with joy in my heart. Use my people, loving God, for we are a loving and gracious lot. Let us be once again high in your regard. Bring back the days of plenty, so that we may feast again with you as beloved guests. Send us the Holy One to comfort and sustain us, and reward your servants. Michael Purintun Louisville, Kentucky Psalm 9 Revisiting Psalm 22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? To all the lesbians, gay men, and other sexual minorities who wore the pink triangle and the black triangle and marched to the Nazi death camps: With you and for you we come out! Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? To the drag queens in the Stonewall bar who endured police brutality for so long and finally said, "No more!": With you and for you we come out! O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. To all who have known too much of the fear and hatred of homophobia and heterosexism: With you and for you we come out! But I am one scorned by all, despised by the people. To all who have been beaten, murdered and ridiculed on the streets of your own cities because you looked too gay and dared to hold hands with the one you love: With you and for you we come out! All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me. To all of you who were young -- so young -- and took your own lives because you were gay and afraid and had no one to tell you how beautiful you are: With you and for you we come out! They wag their heads and say of me, "She committed her cause to God; let God deliver her." To all the parents of gay, lesbian and bisexual people bursting with pride for your children; To all the heterosexual women and men standing strong for justice for all people, With you and for you we come out! You are my God, be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. To all those oppressed by our own church who have been made to feel ashamed, forced to keep secrets and denied either their calling or their identity, With you and for you we come out! Many monsters encircle me, strong fears surround me. To all those who have had to live by the terrible sacrifices of the closet: With you and for you we come out! I have been poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast. To all who have died of AIDS and all who suffered the indignities of the very virulent prejudice against people with AIDS: With you and for you we come out! My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue cleaves to my jaws. To all those who cared and care for people with AIDS, who have held their hands, cooked meals and put cool towels on a hot forehead: With you and for you we come out! They pierced my hands and feet; I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me. To all our martyrs and all those who have died before knowing the day when all of us will be free from the bonds of homophobia and heterosexism: With you and for you, we come out! O God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Be not far off, you who are my help. Hasten to me. Lisa Larges San Francisco, California Psalm 10 Based on Psalm 86 Bow down your ear and hear me, O Holy One, as my soul is ragged and needy. In this time preserve and protect my soul and the souls of the Lavender People, for we cry unto you daily and we are holy. In good and bad times we call upon you, for you are good, ready to forgive and overflowing with mercy. Especially in the times of our trouble we will call upon you, for there is no one like you and your works reflect you. Someday all will come to you and glorify your name, for you are God: Creator, Prophet, Spirit, Shepherd whose mercy raised my soul from lowest hell; Now the proud, self-righteous ones have risen up against us. The solemn assemblies are now assemblies of violence. There is a mean spirit of arrogance in what has always been your inclusive home. They wish to push us out, to make us strangers at your gate because we are open about the fact that we are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, created by you. O wildly inclusive God full of grace and mercy, sustain my soul. Give us a token of good to show them that hate our inclusion so that they will be ashamed. All so that we may live in your house forever. Howard Warren, Jr. Indianapolis, Indiana (Howard celebrated his 60th birthday on September 7 and will celebrate his 35th ordination anniversary February 15. As part of the observance, he's trying to raise $1,000 for each year of his life to fund the Damien Center's Pastoral Care Program, 1350 N. Pennsylvania, Indianapolis, IN 46202. The Damien Center offers services to people living with HIV/AIDS.) Psalm 11 A Psalm of Praise Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord, creator of the universe and all that is within it, the heavens and the sun, moon and stars, the galaxies and planets, known and unknown. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord, creator of the earth, the land and seas that cover it, the creatures of the land, the sea and air, the clouds, the wind, rain, snow and sleet. Praise the Lord, all you peoples. Praise the Lord, for God is good; Creator of the rainbow of the heavens, rainbow of many colors in the sky; Creator of the rainbow of the earth, rainbow of many peoples created in God's image, woman and man, red, black, yellow, and white, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered, rich, poor, homeless, refugee from repression and war, powerful and powerless. Praise the Lord, all you peoples, praise the Lord: For great is God's love toward all of creation, and the faithfulness of God endures forever. Jim Ebbenga and Kurt Wieser North Wales, Pennsylvania Psalm 12 "A Psalm of Merrill" When I consider your holiness, O God, The mark of perfection to which we are called: Who am I that I should stand in your presence? How can I be worthy to minister in your sanctuary? Though you have called me as priest to your altar, One forgiven by God to proclaim God's forgiveness, Those who deem themselves righteous stand at the gate; With jeers and blows they turn me away. "There, only there with the Gentiles, shall you serve, For you are as a eunuch in the sight of God, One blemished by the will of God or of man. But the Lord desires only perfect vessels To be used in the rites of God's tabernacle." Justify me, O God! You alone may reckon Who is acceptable in your sight. Remember Rahab, from whose womb defiled You picked a holy fruit. And David: From his double sin Did not you fashion a Messiah? Have you not accepted me as you accepted them? Have you not power to bring forth strength from my weakness? The Gentiles do I love, O my God, And content would I be to serve in their court all my days. Yet, did not my heart bleed for my own people in your sanctuary, Who once were rich and have been brought low, Yet in their pride refuse to bow their knees and ask your mercy, Proclaiming themselves sinless while they sin? "Teach them," you say, "what I have taught you -- Salvation is for those who know they are sinners." Merrill Proudfoot Kansas City, Missouri Psalm 13 Revisiting Psalm 83 Rest not, O God; O God, be neither silent nor still, for thy enemies are making a tumult, and those that hate thee carry their heads high. Speak to them, O God, and speak to us as gay, lesbian, and bisexual folk; Tell us, tell them, that there is room in your bosom for all of us, and that we can and must talk to and hear one another, that we are all one people who talk to the same God. Prepare our hearts for openness and for understanding; Guide us in our thinking; Challenge us to do thy will. Rest not, O God; Be neither silent nor still! Jim Earhart Atlanta, Georgia Psalm 14 A Psalm for Houses For Kathleen Buckley and Susan Kramer All praise for houses; All praise for coffee perking in the morning, for the time between sleeping and waking. All praise for the house in afternoon, in the early summer rain, and the wind that brings it in through the open windows. All praise for houses and the conversations in evening, the good, gentle talk about life, the day, the earlier rain. All praise for houses and how we make a home with each other, and welcome one another. All praise to you, sheltering God! Lisa Larges San Francisco, California Psalm 15 A Psalm of Serendipity O God most high, How do you speak to us? And how can we understand your language? You spoke to Noah with your rainbow smile, And to Sarah in her fertile womb. You made a fearful demand of Abraham, But spoke your final word in a ram. You addressed Moses through a burning bush, And to Pharaoh with fearful plagues. You spoke in thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai, And to Balaam by the mouth of a donkey. You led the children of Israel by fire and cloud And the prophets by dreams and visions. You addressed Elijah not by fire, wind or quake, But in a still, small voice. You spoke to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego By your presence in their hell. You spoke to the psalmist with seas, mounts and valleys, Both of geography and emotion. You addressed Deborah through the Law And Mary in your Grace. You called to Lazarus "Come out!" And comforted Mary Magdalene at your tomb. You communed with the Emmaus travelers in the breaking of bread, And through your wounds touched the doubtful Thomas. You spoke through the Resurrection to the disciples And by the languages of strangers at Pentecost. Unexpectedly and in unusual ways You spoke to those who came before us. Can we study your language? Can we begin to know your ways? We pray your voice will find a way to us, O God, And we will not miss its unusual expressions. God, bless us with serendipity Even at the expense of our serenity. Chris Glaser Atlanta, Georgia Psalm 16 >From A Person With AIDS In the name of a God that is love, They hate. In the name of a God that is love, They discriminate. In the name of a God that is love, They exclude us from worship. In the name of a God that is love, They suddenly expel us from families. In the name of a God that is love, They insist our commitments mean nothing. In the name of a God that is love, They prevent us from legally marrying. In the name of a God that is love, They deny the multitude of gifts of creativity we have freely given the world in so many areas. In the name of a God that is love, They attempt to legislate discrimination against us. In the name of a God that is love, They decide we are unfit to defend our country, and, even after we have proven them wrong, they expel us, with our medals and decorations. In the name of a God that is love, They steal our children and say we are unfit parents. In the name of a God that is love, They reject us in every way, while many of us experience depression and substance abuse. In the name of a God that is love, They do not appraise us individually, but condemn us all. In the name of a God that is love, Many believe we should be condemned to death. In the name of a God that is love, They accuse us of being psychotic and perverted. In the name of a God that is love, They laugh as the suicide rate among our youth soars. In the name of a God that is love, They keep us from reaching out to our youth to protect them. In the name of a God that is love, They attack us, physically wounding, maiming and killing us. In the name of a God that is love, They lose all sense of compassion and love and turn into vicious beasts. In the name of a God that is love, They judge, "It's God's punishment!" as the horror of AIDS devastates us. In the name of a God that is love, They say, "Let AIDS kill all the faggots." And I become introspective, And I think on these things, And I wonder, WHERE IS THE LOVE? Richard K. Smith San Diego, California Psalm 17 A Psalm of Self-Determination Adapted from Jeremiah 1 Now the word of God comes to you saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. And before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Ah, Sovereign God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth. Ah, Sovereign God! Behold, I do not know what to say, for I do not know English; for I am a woman; for I am lesbian or gay or bisexual; for I am transgendered; for I am poor; for I am poorly educated; for I am in prison; for I am a person with AIDS; for I am a refugee, an "alien"; for I am a person of color; for I have a disability -- Do not say, "I am only . . ." for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you. Behold, God has put words in our mouths, giving us power with nations and kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. Do not say, "I am only . . ." For Moses thought his people would not believe him, and yet he told Pharaoh: Let my people go, that they may serve me! Do not say, "I am only . . ." For Esther risked relationship, privilege, and life to tell King Ahasuerus: How can I endure to see the calamity coming to my people? Do not say, "I am only . . ." Chris Glaser Written for worship during the 1989 Biennial of Presbyterian, Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) Psalm 18 A Psalm of Nature Thanks be to thee, O Lord, who gives us joy, Our source of strength from day to day. With every morning, each a gift: Shifting shadows, brilliant colors, Wasatch dawn, Till purple tinges western Oquirrh peaks, The Salty Sea lies dark, and dusk has come. Thanks be for light, from day to day. Thanks be for light and dark, for shades of color, Distant green that hints at life, Where cracks in granite anchor roots Though sheer and steep the sterile slopes. I lift my eyes unto hills and see the light, Then trust the dark, for you are here. You are my hope. Thanks be to thee, O Lord, who gives us life, An awesome gift from day to day. The desert cools. In the softness of the night, Your tiny creatures venture forth or take to wing. They, too, caressed by cleansing breeze, Now safe from hazard and the heat, May find their food, scurrying feet in serious play, While sheltered by your loving hand. They pulse with life, blessed by order more than plan. Thanks be, O Lord, for gifts of joy, and needs fulfilled, With food for all from day to day. When knees are weak, and fearful heart feels it may fail, Or I would hide and forfeit pride, I stand, instead. Thanks be, O Lord, for strength, from day to day. It is the trees on rugged slopes in splintered rock That hold the rain that feeds the brooks that green the plains, That cool the climate, freshen air, so all may breathe. You put them there; you put me here -- and let me know. You did not offer ease, but tenuous holds on rocky slopes Of human scorn, their love a word but not the way; Made me different, made me gay, not what I asked -- But touched my heart, gave me a partner, gave me tasks. Thanks be to thee, O Lord, who gives us light, With strength and joy and work, for every day. L. Dean Hay Salt Lake City, Utah Psalm 19 Our Loving God Let all people throughout the world Sing with joy and gladness To our God of mercy and unconditional love. Let us experience and enjoy release as God brings healing and more light That opens our eyes, our ears and hearts, And destroys all fears, all shame and guilt. Let everyone know the joy of freedom and health: Our true being is in Christ, Who liberates the oppressed, the sick, the hated, >From all bondage, illness, and fear That appears to imprison us in darkness and death. For we know that in your love, O God, Our Parent, Friend and Guide, We are one body in Christ, and Christ in us Reconciling the world and its members and parts To bring healing, maturity, joy and fulfillment, As God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Doug Elliott Monterey Park, California Psalm 20 Interpreting Psalms 23, 42-3, 69 I say, "The Lord is my shepherd" -- BUT, O Lord, I DO WANT . . . I want fairness, I want justice for those concerned about international saber-rattling and survival of humankind; liberals struggling to know how faith becomes deeds of love, women weary of being subjected to a theology that views them as second class creatures in God's realm, people of color, Cubans, Haitians, Rwandans, Puerto Ricans in New York, Mexicans in Texas, Asians and Pacific Islanders in California, the divorced who are judged "failures" and never whole, youth experimenting with drugs and struggling to make sense of a reality imposed by a sick society, the alcoholic trapped in a downward spiral of chemical dependence, prisoners "warehoused" to relieve our fear, the homeless ignored to relieve our responsibility, the gay or lesbian person: gifted, alone, terrified. The Lord is my shepherd, BUT, O Lord, I DO FEAR EVIL: The evil of my enemies. Jesus, protect me from your followers! (Jesus stopped for blind Bartimaeus even though the church "should stay out of those concerns.") The Lord is my shepherd, BUT, O Lord, I DON'T FEEL ANOINTED AND MY CUP SEEMS EMPTY! Help me feel your "goodness and mercy"! That I may come to trust your love, feel your compassion, and dwell in your house forever. I thirst for the living God, yet find no food but tears. Why does the enemy harass me? My enemies exult in my anguish. Defend my cause against a people treacherous and unjust. Save me, O God . . . The waters are up to my neck; I sink in deep mire, I find no secure foothold, My throat is parched from SPEAKING OUT; I am afflicted and in pain. How large a cup of tears must I drink? O God, do you forget your servant? Have you forgotten my name? Will neglect and disease do me in? How long must I remain in this pit? Rachel's cry for her children is my cry! I will not be comforted. How long must I wait in this place of grief? How long must I wait in the darkness without a candle to light my way? Come, Holy One, lift to my lips a cup of cool water That I may find my voice and sing your praise. Come, O God, into my deep darkness. Lead me from this exile, Deliver me from the evil that surrounds me That I may praise your name and dwell at last in your holy place. Kay L. McFarland Chaplain, Miami Children's Hospital, a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who "feels forgotten by many within her denomination," state coordinator of GLAD Alliance (Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples) Hollywood, Florida Psalm 21 A Psalm of Remembrance for Good Shepherds In thanksgiving for Robert M. Davidson Based on Psalm 23; written for his memorial service. Let us pray, thanking God for all who have ministered to us: The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want; God welcomes us into green pastures. Thank you, Holy Shepherd, for your shepherds who invite us into the pleasance of your presence. God leads us beside still waters and restores our souls. Thank you, Living Water, for those who quench our thirst and wash our weary feet with waters of grace. God leads us in right paths for God's own sake. Thank you, Burning Bush, for those who seek justice and liberation for the oppressed. Though we walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil, for you are with us. Thank you, Divine Glory, for illuminating our fears by those who bring more light. Your rod and your staff -- they comfort me. Thank you, Sacred Comforter, for those who lead us, consoling us with your guidance. You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for moderators of our diversity in committee, in communion, in community. You anoint our head with oil, our cups overflow. Thank you, Blessed One, for those who bless us and our own gifts of ministry. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. Thank you, Merciful God, for the mercy and goodness that is the legacy of shepherds who lived and live your love. We shall dwell in the house of the Lord our whole lives long. Thank you, God-With-Us, for the Spirit of those through whom you tabernacle with us forever. AMEN. Chris Glaser [Hymn -- sent as hard copy] [attribution for hymn:] Text combined with tune by Merrill Proudfoot Kansas City, Missouri * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CHANGES Michael Purintun, PLGC board member and coordinator of PLGC Postings has moved. His new address and phone are: 522 Belgravia Ct. Apt. 2, Louisville, KY 40208, 502/637-4734. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Paul Wright Dies A Long-Time Friend and Supporter of PLGC "My friends, if we draft rules heavy with finalities we shall freeze the will of God as interpreted by us here and for all of us everywhere, which of course we have not done. But if we think that's what we have done, we have slammed the door shut on the winds of the Spirit. It isn't comfortable to live in a draft, and it is much more cozy to shut the door with firm and clear mandates established than to shiver in the gusts and winds of the Spirit that blow where God wills. We want comfort and peace in certainties. God wants us to wrestle and think and suffer and through it all to mature in grace. We all hope that the resolutions at which we have arrived are such as to leave open the door to that future." -- Dr. Paul S. Wright to the 190th General Assembly following adoption of "Definitive Guidance." The Rev. Dr. Paul Stuart Wright died on October 24, 1994 shortly after his 99th birthday. He was born September 18, 1895 to missionary parents in Iran. He graduated from Wooster College in Ohio in 1917 and from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1922. He was ordained on October 10, 1922 in North Dakota. He served churches in North Dakota, Minneapolis and Oklahoma City, before being called as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Portland Oregon in 1941, where he served until retirement in 1973. Often called "Mr. Presbyterian", Wright was moderator of the 1955 General Assembly. He was commissioner to General Assembly in 1927 and 1969. A long-time supporter of lesbian and gay people in the church, he was the featured speaker at the PLGC breakfast at the 190th General Assembly in San Diego, where "definitive guidance" was adopted, advising against the ordination of lesbian and gay Christians. Contrary to Wright's advice (quoted above), the church has since then converted that "guidance" into binding, unbending law. [The following paragraph was not included in the printed version -- no room!] In recent years, Write spoke out against measures 9 and 13 in Oregon, legislation designed to prohibit state and local governments from protecting lesbian and gay people against discrimination. "He felt that the civil and human rights should never be abridged for any of God's children. After he retired, he continued to use every platform and forum to speak out against malice, prejudice and hatred" said Rodney I. Page of Ecumenical Ministries in Portland, Oregon, quoted in *The Oregonian*, October 31, 1994. PLGC thanks God for the life and ministry of Paul Wright. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EVENTS Building Bridges for an Inclusive Church: A workshop for persons of all sexual orientations, Saturday, February 25, 1995, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17567 Hubbell, Detroit, MI 48235. Sponsored by American Friends Service Committee; Detroit Presbytery Metropolitan Mission, Social Justice & Peacemaking Task Force -- Homosexuality & the Church; and PLGC/Detroit Chapter. Keynote discussions led by Chuck Collins on how sexism, heterosexism, & homophobia affect us all; and on the cost of the closet for persons, families, & the church. Workshops on how to minister with gay and lesbian people; how do we interpret the Bible regarding homosexuality; family issues & life experiences; education and nonviolent dialogue about sexual orientation. Cost, including lunch, $10 (or whatever you can afford). Register by Feb. 17 with Ken Collinson, P.O. Box 36245, Grosse Pointe, MI 48236. For info., call Ken at 313/886-6486 or Martin Donaldson, 810/585-8718. An informal gathering will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24 with Chuck Collins at the home of a PLGC member, the cost of pizza, etc., to be split among those attending. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NOMINATIONS The General Assembly Nominating Committee is now meeting to consider candidates for the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission. Each Synod has a representative on the PJC and the terms of the representatives from the following synods expire in 1995: Sun, Trinity, Pacific, Mid-America, Southern California, and Living Waters. Nomination forms may be obtained from: General Assembly Nominating Committee, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon St., #4423, Louisville, KY 40202-1396, telephone 502/569-5406. **If you have a nominee to propose, you should obtain the form, fill it out and return it IMMEDIATELY! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *