Category: Blog

 

by Asher O’Callaghan
ELM Program Director

This past weekend, about 600 adult youth ministry workers descended upon the city of Louisville, Kentucky for the 2017 Extravaganza. If you’re unfamiliar with the Extravaganza, it is an annual 4-day event for adults who work with youth in congregations of the ELCA. According to the ELCA Youth Ministry Network which does a fabulous job of putting on this event:

It is for the professional and the volunteer. It is for the old and the young. It is for the urban, the suburban and the rural. It is for pastors, it is for laypeople. It is for all who share in the adventure we call youth and family ministry.

The event features a whole bunch of workshops, speakers, worship, music, renewal, and networking. See why it’s called an extravaganza???

According to Miriam-Webster, there are two definitions of the word “extravaganza”. The most frequent way that I’ve heard this word used is to indicate “a lavish or spectacular show or event.” The other definition (of which I was previously unaware until I consulted the dictionary) is: “a literary or musical work marked by extreme freedom of style or structure and usually by elements of burlesque or parody.”

As far as I’m aware, there was no burlesque at this event, but there was an extreme freedom of style and structure that it was refreshing to experience at a church related function. It was organized and structured but unconventional. Within one worship service, you might find: a contemporary Christian praise song, a Lutheran camp song complete with all the motions, a reading from Scripture, a quote from Beyonce, a ritual, and a game. It was truly amazing… Kind of like youth ministry.

So of course there were several Proclaimers involved in it! Proclaimers Brenda Bos and Paul Clark both served on the planning team. Becca Seely and I served as speakers and worship leaders. And Proclaimers Sara Cogsil, Laura Kuntz, Matt James, and Jeff Ogonowski were all in attendance. Since there were a number of Proclaimers in the same place at the same time, Steven Renner hosted a Regional Proclaim Meet-Up at the Troll Pub Under the Bridge. And Lutheran rapper and LGBTQ ally, Dave Scherer, aka AGAPE*, even joined us to break bread.

We’re all taking something different away from it. Becca is walking away with “a lot of hope for the church and the world – not because of our youth, whom I trust are full of passion and giftedness, but because of the adults, many of them volunteers, who are so committed to sharing the gospel of God’s unconditional love with youth and empowering them to live authentically and change this world for the better.” As a seminarian, Jeff is taking away three credits in youth and family ministry, along with, “a deeper understanding of fundraising, protection policies, self-care, and the value of continuing education for all youth leaders”. Laura commented, “I feel like I was soaking in creativity and energy from all the wonderful leaders at the Extravaganza. This helped spark my own creativity and gave me ideas and energy for daily ministry.”  My take away is passion – when we do our work with passion, we bring out the passion in others.

 

Asher O’Callaghan (pictured with Becca Seely) is grateful for those who are working in youth ministry and are reminding us all that church can actually be FUN!

 

 

 

Amalia likes to expand her view by getting out there! 

 

I’m headed for the wilderness! (and the city and the sea).

During the month of February, I will be taking a month of study and renewal leave in Mexico. Not only is the practice of sabbath part of our religious tradition, it is also a concept that is supported by many in the field of social justice work. Doing hard work in life-giving ways is a central value for ELM. Two years ago, we were introduced to the concept of the 4-day work week at Rockwood Leadership Institute and after six months of conversation and exploration, we made this our practice. Eventually, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries hopes to offer a full-fledged sabbatical for long term staff.

But for the time being, we all agreed that a month made sense for ELM and me right now. And after ten years in the role, I’m looking forward to the chance to think in new ways for a spell. I’ll be spending the month in Mexico, primarily on the Yucatán Peninsula, traveling with my partner, David. I am looking forward to opening up my daily routine, spending time in another culture, and stretching myself figuratively and physically. I will be taking two weeks of language and culture classes and combining it with two weeks of vacation. In addition, I’m planning to focus my reading and reflection on two main subjects: love and prayer (and a little dash of dancing).

Two quotes to guide me:

[S]o our customary practice of prayer was brought to mind: how through our ignorance and inexperience in the ways of love we spend so much time on petition. I saw that it is indeed more worthy of God and more truly pleasing to [God] that through [God’s] goodness we should pray with full confidence, and by [God’s] grace cling to [God] with real understanding and unshakeable love, than that we should go on making as many petitions as our souls are capable of.

—Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

 

I thank God every day/that I woke up feeling this way.

—Meghan Trainor, “Me Too”

Asher, Christephor, and the ELM Board will be keeping things going strong while I’m away. Being part of a collective effort has been one of the greatest joys of my work with ELM. And it’s always good to be reminded from time to time that things go on just fine without us when we take time away. I’m incredibly grateful to the Board, Asher, and Christephor, and all of you for your support during this time.

 

Amalia Vagts is Executive Director of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and has served with the organization since October 2006.  Amalia’s last day in the office is Thursday, January 26. She will return to work on Wednesday, March 3.

 

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of another extraordinary year!  The donations are still flowing in, but I am excited to say that we have achieved our 2016 goal!  It is equally exciting to look back over the past year’s achievements we have made as a community on which to build an even more incredible future in 2017.

2016 kicked off with newness all around.  After an amazing year-end of 2015 (which saw a 25% increase in Proclaim memberships and a solid financial foundation for the work of the year) we published the first LGBTQ 60-page candidacy guide, Mystery of the Ages:  A Handy Guide for LGBTQ People Exploring or Preparing for Rostered Ministry in the ELCA.  This electronic document is one of several that ELM offers up to congregations, rostered leaders, and those considering the ministry.

Later in that second month we gave great thanks for the work and ministry of our outgoing part-time administrator Marie O’Brien (of Grace Lutheran, Evanston, IL) as we welcomed our new Operations Coordinator, LSTC MDiv student Christephor Gilbert.

April brought the 2016 Proclaim National Gathering – Kindling the Flame – in Northern California.  The 3-day event was kicked off with a gathering of our ELM/Proclaim instigators:  the seven faithful and fabulous ones who were instrumental in the origins of ELM. Stories were shared and energy renewed for the ongoing journey.

In preparation for a greater presence at Synod assemblies this year, we produced (as part of our Ministry Engagement arm) two compelling communication pieces. First, a beautiful, full-color, 11×17 poster, that boldly proclaims who and what ELM is all about, and second, a sleek six-minute video that encourages congregations in ways to get ready for an LGBTQ leader.  Our new communications materials made the job of telling ELM’s story at Synod assemblies across the country even easier!

In May, ELM and ReconcilingWorks were invited by the Southwestern Washington Synod to participate in an education event, presenting companion sessions on the theme “Welcoming LGBTQ+ People to the Pews and the Pulpit.”

The summer began with the announcement that Rev. Jen Rude, intrepid Program Manager since 2013, extraordinarily called pastor, and fierce LGBTQ advocate, was called to serve Pacific Lutheran University in Washington. We sent her off with a grand celebration and deep gratitude for her service with ELM.

Summer 2016 also brought an event that will forever be etched in our LGBTQ collective minds: the impossibly tragic mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.  Rev. Ángel D. Marrero, proclaim member and pastor to Santuario Luterano in Waltham, MA, gave a most poignant reflection as a gay Latino pastor.

Our 2016 Joel R. Workin Scholar was named.  The honor fell this year to ELM’s own Christephor Gilbert, who shared a new way to think about grace.

ELM jumped at the chance to talk to ELM friend and Lutheran playwright, Tom Jacobson, right before the premiere of his new work Captain of the Bible Quiz Team in Los Angeles to rave reviews.

Early August brought the 2016 Churchwide assembly, a place where the clergy shortage was a hot topic, and the invisibly-visible presence of LGBTQ rostered leaders (on the lips and in the minds of our Churchwide leaders) gave ample opportunity for reflection and transformation.

The end of a busy summer brought new joy and new energy as we welcomed our new Program Manager, Rev. Asher O’Callaghan, to the team, and promoted Christephor from Operations coordinator to Communications and Development Coordinator.

Always looking for the Spirit on the cutting edge, ELM was present at the first #decolonizelutheranism conference, held in Chicago at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.  Proclaim was in full force at this event, with pastors like Tita Valeriano, Lura Groen, and Andrew Nelson as organizers and keynote speakers.

Speaking of keynote speakers, ELM’s very own Asher O’Callaghan was tapped to present at the 2016 Why Christian? Conference, also in Chicago, where he represented with the up-and-coming of religious leaders like Nadia Bolz Weber, Onleilove Alston, and Rozella White.

Our seminary teams fostered community and sharing all around fabulousness at our seven Lutheran seminaries and affiliated theological schools.

The brain-trust of ELM, our delightful and dedicated board members, gathered together in Chicago at the Nicholas Center for an in person board meeting, where we laughed, prayed, and dreamed about the future of ELM and our strategic vision.

And as the year came to a close, we realized that the work was just beginning, work that must now unfold within a new political climate in the united states, one that has already proven to be a tenuous and tension-filled area where it is even more important to proclaim the inclusive message of the Gospel, a message that ensures everyone – regardless of one’s multiplicity of identity- has a privileged place at God’s table of grace.

While the months ahead may seem daunting, we know that it is all possible with you, ELM’s ardent supporter at our back!  ELM donor and playwright Tom Jacobson recently said, “This is not business as usual. We’re living in extraordinary times and we need extraordinary leaders.”

Thank you for your extraordinary support which provides us the resources to carry on this much needed work.

Here’s to our partnership in 2017!

Thank you for being part of an extraordinary year. We look forward to catching up with you soon about all we accomplished and all that is to come in 2017!

“And so I reached out . . . and to paraphrase the Beatles:  I got by with a little help from my friends.”

Guest blog by Analyse Triolo
Proclaim Member and Vicar, Trinity Lutheran Church, New York City

Christmas hurts. It has for almost as long as I can remember. I guess that happens when you lose numerous loved ones around the holiday season. As a teen, the disconnect from the joy and cheer of Christmas felt isolating at times; it felt like I was the only one not enjoying the seemingly endless Christmas music, earning me the nickname Grinch on numerous occasions.

This year is going to be the hardest Christmas yet. I lost my Mom on September 4th of this year, just days before starting my internship at Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan, on New York City’s Upper West Side. When my supervisor, Rev. Heidi Neumark, offered me the opportunity to lead a Longest Night Service, sometimes called a Blue Christmas Service, I jumped at the chance without thinking, then immediately wondered if I had the emotional capacity to write the whole service from scratch. And so, I reached out. I reached out to ELCA clergy and my classmates on internship, and to paraphrase the Beatles; I got by with a little help from my friends.

Fellow proclaim members Rev. Brenda Bos, pastor of Christ Lutheran in San Clemente, CA and Rev. Bill Beyer of Grace Lutheran Church in Thiensville, WI shared some of their experiences leading Blue Christmas services with me.  “We started the Blue Christmas tradition in 2015,” said Rev. Beyer.

We had a large number of people in our congregation who had been affected by loss of one kind or another.  Some had experienced death, some rejection, and some were experiencing loss of another kind.  So many people had come up to me and said words to the effect of, “People just don’t know how hard the holidays are.” While many are rejoicing and singing carols there are a significant number of people in our lives who are in pain.  They keep that pain silent because at this time of year it is about love, family, peace, and happiness.  But that is not the reality for many . . . Blue Christmas honors that pain.

They went on to talk about what congregants found meaningful in the service.  Rev. Bos wrote:

We light four candles, with one pastor reading a prayer as we light the candles, remembering those we’ve lost, recalling pain, naming our loss of direction in our lives, claiming hope. The Christ Candle is in the center, lit last, to remind us Christ is the center of our lives. A slightly different take on the Advent wreath. My parishioners tell me that was the most meaningful part.

Rev. Beyer added that in his first Blue Christmas service worshipers were invited to place blue carnations in a vase in memory of loved ones lost, which remained up during other Christmas services, a very memorable and meaningful experience for those who were grieving.

Their reflections reminded me just how important ritual is, perhaps even more so when more complex and difficult emotions and experiences need to be named. As I finished writing the liturgy for my first Longest Night Service to be held on December 21st, the longest night of the year, what I was expecting to be a really painful process became therapeutic, bringing some peace to what will be a difficult time for me. It is my hope that this service will bring some of that same peace to others as well.

 

Analyse Triolo, sometimes known as The Vicar of Manhattan,  is trying to learn to navigate the worlds of internship and approval simultaneously while still trying to figure out why everyone is telling her she’s an adult now. She holds a Masters in Divinity from the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, a Masters of Arts in Ministry from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and is told she’s a Master Crafter too! If you know of a job opening be sure to let her know!

 

Join us. Give in support of faithful & fabulous LGBTQ+ people whose public witness as pastors, deacons, and seminarians is enriching and transforming our church. 

 

Betty Workin:  January 5, 1940 – November 22, 2016

by Amalia Vagts
Executive Director

Betty Workin, longtime supporter of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the Lutheran church passed away on November 22, 2016, following a two and ½ year battle with cancer. We extended our deep sympathy and prayer to Betty’s spouse, Ray, and to their two living sons, Leon and Lowell, and their families. We also extend sympathy and prayers to the many “adopted” sons that Betty and Ray brought into their lives when rejected by their own families for their sexual orientation and AIDS diagnoses.

Of the many incredible conversations I’ve had over the years with friends of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, one of the most wonderful evenings I’ve spent was with Betty and Ray when the Rev. Jen Rude, Jim Kowalski (former ELM Board Member) and I visited last summer. We spent the afternoon hearing stories about her son Joel (who passed away in 1995), and Betty showed us some of the many scrapbooks she’d made over the years with clippings from Joel’s life, including many front page stories when he came out during seminary.

In one of those articles in “The Forum,” on March 20, 1988, the reporter described one of Joel’s reasons for publicly identifying as gay: “‘If he couldn’t’ speak honestly with his parents,’ Joel said, ‘they might spend the rest of their lives in conversations no more meaningful than commenting on the weather.’”

Many of us in the Lutheran LGBTQ+ and allies community count Joel Workin among our saints, and it is a testament to Betty and Ray’s love for their family and commitment to the gospel that pushed them to seek understanding and a change of heart, leading to a lifetime of authentic relationship with their own family and many others.  Uncompromising support from his mother and family was central to Joel’s ability to challenge the existing polity of the ECLA as one of the first openly gay Lutheran seminary students and candidates for ministry.

After his death from complications from AIDS, Joel’s family and friends opened a scholarship fund in his name and created a living memorial by gathering Joel’s many essays and sermons into the book, Dear God, I am Gay – Thank You!  Many who have followed in Joel’s footsteps have found this book to be a profound text for study and personal prayer.  Joel’s legacy lives on in people like Proclaim members, the Rev. Joe Larson, who presided at Betty’s funeral and the Rev. Terry Hagensen, who was part of the historic Extraordinary Roster and delivered the homily at her service.

One of Betty and Ray’s sons, Leon, wrote:

Thank you to all that have donated to the Joel R. Workin Scholarship Fund both in tribute of Betty and in ongoing support. It is a mission that was, and continues to be, important to Betty and all of us and we are grateful for the incredible support. All the prayers and warm wishes have been encouraging in this time of grieving and loss and remind us of the wonderful life that Betty led and her walk with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In a sermon delivered in April of 1986, on Mark 9:10-17, titled, “Those People,” Joel preached powerfully about Jesus’ association with those people, focusing most specifically on people with AIDS. Joel proclaimed, “Others may say you are one of those people, but God says, ‘You are one of my people.’”

Betty Workin wasn’t afraid of those people.  She will be remembered by the compassion, strength and love she showered on her son Joel and others who were cast aside for being gay and having AIDS.  She claimed them when others would not – God’s all-encompassing love reflected through her actions.

Amalia Vagts is looking forward to many rounds of “Workin Poker” over Christmas with friends and family, having taught it to many after learning it from Betty and Ray during her visit to their home in 2015.

Join us. Give in support of faithful & fabulous LGBTQ+ people whose public witness as pastors, deacons, and seminarians is enriching and transforming our church. 

 

 

 

 

Join us. Give in support of faithful & fabulous LGBTQ+ people whose public witness as pastors, deacons, and seminarians is enriching and transforming our church. 

 

 

 

“This is a story about a God who shows up to stand with them, with us.  This is a God who not only understands the depth of our joys and the immensity of our heartaches, but who also turns them into opportunities for us to touch one another, to be touched by God.  This is a God who is very queer indeed.” – Elizabeth Edman, Queer Virtue

 

by Christephor Gilbert
Communications and Development Coordinator

Do you wonder why you are seeing the word “queer” more these days? Do you wonder why it matters that we have pastors and deacons who are LGBTQ+?

My own, embodied identity tells me that there are beautiful gifts that LGBTQ+ persons bring to the theological table, gifts that make them perfect to serve God and church because of their LGBTQ+ identity, not in spite of that identity.  How do we talk about what we have to offer the church, those skills and ways of being that have been shaped in and through the reality of queer joy, pain, and transformation? 

It was with this question in the front of my mind that I discovered Elizabeth M. Edman’s 2016 book Queer Virtue:  What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How it Can Revitalize Christianity.

Queer  ↔  Christian

Queer – 1.  An umbrella term for the LGBTQ+ community; 2. transgressive action through reclamation of a historically negative term for the LGBTQ+ community; 3. the process by which binary boundaries are erased, the work of the academic discipline known as queer theory.

—Rev. Patrick Cheng, PhD, Radical Love

Virtue – 1. Conformity to a standard of right:  morality; 2. a particular moral excellence; 3. a commendable quality.

—The Miriam Webster Dictionary

Recounting her own queer narrative as a lesbian, Episcopal, priest, Edman weaves together personal reflection, ecclesial experience, and queer theological reflection to make two ethical moves.  First, to “lift up the moral witness of queer life,” in order to show, once and for all, the queer people are justified in their place at the Christian table; and second, that progressive Christianity “will look to queerness as a lens for vivifying our expressions of faith, both personal and corporate, theological and liturgical” (p. 11). 

There are real lessons queers learn, in coming out, building community, and living authentic lives, that are moral lessons for all of the Christian community.

Dividing her text into two parts, Edman begins by considering just what it is that makes queer folk made for this work of the church, giving an overview of many of the authors and ideas in the history of both queer theory and queer theology.  The queer journey unfolds as a path on which we have some important stops to make:  identity, risk, touch, scandal, and adoption. 

We are built for this

Because we wrestle with our own identities, daring to be true to ourselves and move into that liminal space between human bodies in intimacy; because we face daily obstacles to our humanness that put us on the knife’s-edge between pride and shame; and because we ultimately live our lives in created communities that call us “not to respectability but to authenticity” (p. 100)—these are just some of the reasons why we are built for this work of God.  These are the underpinnings of our lives as Christians as well!

In part two, Edman turns the model upside down and shows how those things that queer folk get really good at—pride, coming out, authenticity, hospitality—are ways of being through which all Christians can live earnestly a life where we can “demand integrity within ourselves, require justice in our dealings with one another, and look to the margins to address individual/communal/global degradation and suffering” (p. 165). 

Ultimately, she does what she sets out to do with the work:  point to a faith tradition that is “inherently liminal, inherently queer;” show the congruence and “tremendous resonance between the paths of Queer and Christian virtue;” and lift up why it is that that “queer people are deeply motivated to do this work” (p. 28).

Queer Virtue is an accessible, yet comprehensive, look at queer theology in ethical practice, the theoretical laid at the foot of life itself!  There is a natural connection between queer experience and Christian living, a synergy of solidarity, transformation, and hope.

Go here for more information about Elizabeth Edman, the book, and to view five “micro sermons” on themes from the text.

Read these books for more information on queer theology.

Christephor Gilbert was made for this the moment he put on blue satin overalls!  Currently, he  is wondering if Moses’ face was shining or had horns when he came down from Mt. Sinai the second time, counting the days until the end of the fall semester at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where he is an MDiv middler and a recently Endorsed candidate for Word and Sacrament Ministry in the ELCA.

Join us. Give in support of faithful & fabulous LGBTQ people whose public witness as pastors, deacons, and seminarians is enriching and transforming our church. 

It’s our first #GivingTuesday!

On this day, individuals are giving across the globe to causes and organizations they love. We welcome your gift in support of the public witness of LGBTQ pastors, deacons, and seminary students. These leaders enrich and transform our congregations and communities.

Their witness is a path to those who will follow. Here are some powerful words from the Rev. Katherine Fick at St. Olaf College about this:

“We counsel students regularly who are LGBTQ and been hurt by the church or their family, some of whom have even self-harmed or attempted suicide because of these conflicts between who they are and what they have been told and experienced in faith communities. To be able to share with them ELM resources, particularly Treasure in Clay Jars, helps them see that there are faithful people out there like them, and communities beyond our college that would not only welcome them but empower them to be leaders. I have experienced firsthand that ELM resources help save lives, because they help people with their understanding of God, the nature of the Christian faith and community, and themselves.”

–Rev. Katherine E. Fick, Associate College Pastor at St. Olaf College

Your gift to Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries provides community through Proclaim (a community of 240 LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leaders and seminarians); support through Candidacy Accompaniment; and connection to LGBTQ-led ministries through Ministry Engagement. You make it possible to create and share resources (like Treasure in Clay Jars mentioned by Katherine) and advocacy for LGBTQ people in ministry.

Thank you for making sure we can do all we can to affirm and support the public witness of publicly-identified LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leaders.  Thank you for all you do.

Make your gift. 

“On this day, and on every day, we give thanks for you – those of you who believe in the extraordinary ministry of LGBTQ rostered leaders.”

 

by Amalia Vagts
Executive Director

In the poem, “Three Things,” singer-songwriter and poet Carrie Newcomer writes about her practice of saying out loud three things she is grateful for from her day – “. . . Fine rain, A good friend, Fresh basil . . . ”

It’s a practice my pastor preached a sermon about a couple months ago, and something my partner and I have attempted to keep going regularly in our own lives.

Newcomer’s poem begins this way:

Three Gratitudes

Every night before I go to sleep
I say out loud
Three things that I’m grateful for,
All the significant, insignificant
Extraordinary, ordinary stuff of my life.
It’s a small practice and humble,
And yet, I find I sleep better
Holding what lightens and softens my life
Ever so briefly at the end of the day.

On a day when we often take time to say out loud the things for which we are grateful, it’s good to remember there’s no reason to keep this practice to one day.

I thought about this again this past week as we received donations that included little notes of thanks with the gift. These notes are so meaningful. I even have a file folder labeled “Sweet Correspondence” where I keep them. I wanted to share this one with you today:

It’s about time I signed up for monthly giving to an organization that supports me as a gay seminarian and candidate for ordination in the ELCA. Thanks for all you do for me and all Proclaimers.

And this one too:

Great to meet Asher at #decolonize16. As a result of our conversations in Chicago with Asher and ELM members, I became aware of this wonderful ministry in the Lutheran church. I am sharing your resources via FB and with anyone looking for an accompaniment ministry of this kind. Thank you for your good work. In these difficult times we need to support one another more fully as the body of Christ.

On this day, and on every day, we give thanks for you – those of you who believe in the extraordinary ministry of LGBTQ rostered leaders. Thank you for your wonderful support throughout the year and for many years. Thank you for the way you share our work with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for encouragement you give directly to LGBTQ people pursuing or considering rostered ministry.

May today and your coming days be full and sweet.

Amalia Vagts has been sleeping much better since the last words she speaks at the end of the day are ones of gratitude rather than the last outrageous thing she read online.