 | What a time it has been! There are few times in the world when a sense of collective anxiety has captivated so many of us in the way it has in 2020. We are in the midst of a new awakening - a transformation of who we are, both individually and collectively in this nation and in the world. Transformation is never simple or easy. Tt is never as decent or in order as our comfort level may want. It feels as though we are all being molded into a new way of being. While there are times when I find myself longing for a time when we are past this turmoil, I wonder what it may look like if instead we see this season of change as an opportunity to change us into a fuller vision of who we were created to be. As the numbing ether of individualism melts away, may we allow ourselves to be transformed by the reliance we have on one another. I recently came across adrienne maree brown’s “radical gratitude spell” and offer it below: radical gratitude spell
a spell to cast upon meeting a stranger, comrade or friend working for social and/or environmental justice and liberation: you are a miracle walking
i greet you with wonder
in a world which seeks to own
your joy and your imagination
you have chosen to be free,
every day, as a practice.
i can never know
the struggles you went through to get here,
but i know you have swum upstream
and at times it has been lonely i want you to know
i honor the choices you made in solitude
and i honor the work you have done to belong
i honor your commitment to that which is larger than yourself
and your journey
to love the particular container of life
that is you you are enough
your work is enough
you are needed
your work is sacred
you are here
and i am grateful As we move through this time, may you know that you are an essential part of the Body of Christ, that you are enough; and, even more, that you are not alone. |
|  | We are delighted to share that we are continuing to provide Virtual Pulpit Supply on the last Sunday of every month. This month our preacher will be the Rev. Ashley DeTar Birt. In addition to serving as Co-Moderator for More Light's Board of Directors, Ashley is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary where she obtained her M.Div. She also holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. For the last 6 years Ashley has served as the Pastoral Fellow for Youth and Families at Rutgers Presbyterian Church in New York, NY with some of the most fun kids she’s ever met. She is currently discerning a new call. Her interests include the intersections of racial justice, children and youth, interfaith communication, LGBTQIA+ issues (particularly the B), and Christianity. When she isn’t at church or doing social justice work, she enjoys writing, sound editing and theatre tech. Sermon text: Philippians 2:1-13 Sermon title: Good (Trouble) Christians Themes the sermon explores: We've all heard the term "Good Christian", but what does that actually mean? Does it mean following arbitrary rules and doing as the status quo tells us, or does following Christ ultimately mean opening ourselves up to a little trouble. Let's explore that through this week's Philippians text. Though the ongoing pandemic has kept More Light’s work virtual, we are so thankful for the increased opportunities virtual events offer to gather with the extended More Light family across the country. We hope to see you at an event soon, and we hope these program offerings can support your ongoing ministries for God’s abundant love and justice in the world! |
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|  | We have had a full summer of programming at More Light, and this fall is proving to be just as full. In the next few months, we will offer a range of opportunities for education, worship, and community building as we move through this ongoing season of transformation. We’ve highlighted a few of the events where you can join us below; you can see the full schedule on the events page of our website. October 4-5: Alex will be leading a series of events hosted by Third Presbyterian Church, and partnering congregations, and Colgate’s Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Thanks to the wonders of Zoom, all of the events are open to the public! Sunday, October 4, Alex will lead “there is Yet More Light to Shine” - a Sunday Seminar on how we can all continue to shine More Light where we are. Immediately following, he will preach in a service that will be streamed on YouTube. You can find more information on Third Presbyterian’s website. On Monday, October 5, Alex will lecture on “Ministry Beyond the Binary” through the Christian Faith and LGBT Experience series at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Go here for more information and to register! October 7, 7pm ET: Alex and Jess will be facilitating “Embracing Queerness In the Church” a special event for UKirk and Campus Ministries, hosted by UKirk SMU. The event is free and is geared towards college-aged students and campus ministries. Register here. October 14 -15: Jess will be partnering with Rev. Shanea Leonard from the Office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries to lead “Called by Name: Ministry with Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Independent People” with the Great Lakes Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators. Stay tuned for more information and to register! October 13, 15, 20: We are excited to be teaming up with Just Texas to offer “Faithful Compassion for Trans Thriving” a 3-part series on deepening an understanding of Trans inclusion in faith communities. Come to one or all of these workshops to meet other people discerning how to live into their values of trans inclusion in faith communities. Registration is free and open to all. Learn more and register here. In peace and abundant hope, |
|  | Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill
he/him/his
Executive Director
More Light Presbyterians P.S. Looking for an easy way to stay in touch with More Light? Or receive regular messages of support and affirmation? Or make donations in a snap? You can now stay in touch with More Light via text messaging! To sign up, simply text 72572 and enter the code 1MLP to connect with the speed and ease of a text message. |
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