This time of year, traditionally we welcome family and friends, gather around meals, and share with one another for Thanksgiving. Gratitude is an important spiritual practice. Yet for many, particularly Indigenous peoples, this is also a day of grieving the legacy of settler colonialism, or brings with it feelings of loneliness and grief from navigating personal loss. How can we best honor the complexity of this day, making space both for giving thanks and for those for whom this day represents cultural loss and colonialism, or who are navigating personal loss, grief and struggle? Intern Minister Eli Poore offers an invitation to explore these complexities in community, centered in love.

Honoring the Worth, Dignity, and Holiness of Trans Lives Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) serves as a deeply meaningful event, honoring the lives of transgender, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and two-spirit individuals who have been victims of antitrans violence. Originating in 1999, TDOR was initiated by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in response to the murder of Rita Hester in 1998. Since then, the vigil has expanded to not only remember those lost but to also raise awareness of the ongoing challenges faced by the trans community, especially in light of growing legislative attacks and rising violence. Hosted by Intern Minister Eli Poore and featuring special guests including local trans activists, we create a space for healing, remembrance, and hope. By gathering in solidarity, we honor the lives lost while affirming the worth, dignity and holiness of trans lives and the collective resilience, creativity, and gifts of the trans community. 

No matter the outcome of the November election, the question remains: where do we go from here? Our faith is rooted in the tradition of “prophetic witness,” a legacy inspired by the Hebrew Prophets and others throughout history who have spoken “truth to power.” This tradition challenges us to work together to create a more just world. Theologian Walter Brueggemann introduces the idea of the “prophetic imagination,” a vision, deeply rooted in love, for what our communities and the world could become. We gather to dream, both as individuals and as a community, about what this world could be and to discern the faithful steps we can take to make that vision a reality. Join Intern Minister Eli Poore for a SOUUP shared service as we explore these questions and share our joy, hope, grief, curiosity, and all the feelings that this moment in history brings

Every action or inaction, every encounter and connection, sends ripples out into the larger community, as we explored last month. The term “Beloved Community”, coined by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., imagines a space where all are beloved and embraced, where no one is left out or left behind, especially those impacted by structural violence. Just this year, the constitutionality of a local ordinance targeting houseless people in Grants Pass went to the Supreme Court and changed the landscape of how people experiencing visible poverty across the nation are impacted in a devastating way. This week we go deeper into the ways our actions, decisions, and encounters can be grounded in mutuality, reciprocity, and loving-kindness in order to work toward creating Beloved Community, and also examine the perils we face as interconnected individuals and communities when we labor under the illusion of separateness.