Black History Month 2022

In honor of Black History Month, we remind everyone that Black History is American History. The experiences, identities, culture and presence of formerly enslaved Africans and Black immigrants in this country are an integral part of the American tapestry.

So often, when we talk about the Black experience, we begin and end with trauma. I would like to take this month to extend what we started with our Hush Harbor service in December: I want to continue to find joy.

To mark Black History Month 2022, we invited the members of West End Church to reflect on their personal experience and encounters with Black culture. We asked them to share images and quotes that made an impact on them. What book or movie that resonates with you? Maybe there is a dish or piece of music that fills you with joy?

We are all here together, and more connected than we ever realized. The work is plentiful. Let this month be a continuation of the good work — and the joy — we are creating together, because the possibilities are endless.

There is bread in our midst and we have everything that we need

As some of you know, I recently went on vacation to Aruba. I had some hesitation about traveling alone, but I was happy to have no agenda, no obligations and no one to answer to.

And while Aruba was everything I could have hoped for, it actually took me almost two days to fully relax. I had to talk myself out of making a “relaxation plan.” I deliberately turned off all my alarms, even if meant that I would miss breakfast. I decided to do nothing that I should do: no island tours, no water sports, no activities. I just sat on the beach, and slept, and tanned, and read.

We get so caught up in doing, that it’s almost impossible to turn it off. As I mentioned in my sermon yesterday, we have survived more than 16 months. It has been grueling, and yet we have stayed connected. We’ve worshipped and prayed together, held classes, enjoyed an art festival, had Pride contests and more.

We still have work to do, and the Fall promises to bring new programming, new ideas, new ways to build community. But for now, let’s continue to find ways to rest, and renew.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

“Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.”

John 8:6b

I love this story of Jesus and the Woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees believe they have Jesus trapped along with this unnamed woman. But Jesus never answers their accusations directly. He listens to the charges against the woman, and then bends down and writes on the ground. This is a story of grace and mercy, yes, but it also feels like one of support and allyship.

Merriam Webster defines allyship as: association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong. I’ve learned that true allyship cannot be claimed; it is only recognized or acknowledged by the group that you seek to walk with.

Over the years I have also learned that my support of my LGBTQIA+ siblings requires more than just showing up for the Pride Parade in rainbow colors.

Our queer, gay, trans, and non-binary siblings need our vocal support. They need us to stand in the gap for them, not because they cannot advocate for themselves, but because we are all accomplices in the work for equality.

One of my Facebook friends posted this saying last week: “An ally offers support, an accomplice offers activism. Please hold me accountable to being an accomplice. This month and every month.”

My faith demands nothing less. My LGBTQIA+ friends and family deserve that and much more.

I plan to be an accomplice. An agitator. Join me.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

A Mother’s Day like no other

Holidays can be difficult for people for a number of reasons. Sometimes they can remind us of sad occasions or anniversaries. Loved ones may have passed on or become estranged. And sometimes, you just don’t feel like celebrating or marking the occasion in the traditional manner.

I’ve always tried to acknowledge these things, but they really hit home for me this year. As if a year long pandemic wasn’t enough, I found myself traveling to and from the hospital, trying to find hope for my mother’s recovery, and faith in her resilience. My Mother’s Day this year was not like any other, and yet I find myself grateful nonetheless.

I am grateful for colleagues and friends who offered rest and took on additional responsibilities.

I am grateful to family who dropped everything to be at my side, who called and texted, and who will be helping with my mother’s rehabilitation.

But mostly I am grateful to my mother. She is determined and strong, and she ensures that every Mother’s Day, I am given another reason to be grateful.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

Now what?

The calendar that we use that lists the lectionary readings and liturgical colors usually contains a theme for each Sunday as well. Yesterday’s theme was simple: “Now What?”

We have been walking closely with Jesus these last few weeks. Now that we have mourned on Maundy Thursday, walked through the last moments of his life on Good Friday, and celebrated his resurrection and Easter Sunday… now what?

Where does all of the careful attention to scripture and action go now? We have been mindful and contemplative. What happens to the energy generated by this moment in the life of Christians?

What I know is that we cannot go back. As Pastor Will preached yesterday, we are moving forward. We must take the lessons we’ve learned during this pandemic and make a new path. We should also take the insights we’ve gleaned from journeying closely with scripture to heart as well. We are on a journey with Jesus, and the work does not end at the cross. It is only just beginning. It is a journey not for the faint at heart. We are called to love our neighbors and build the beloved kingdom. Let us put our hands to plow, and hold on, yes. But let’s also get to work.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

Finding new ways to connect

These last few months have all been connected for me. We’ve gone from Arts month, to Black History Month, and are now headed into Women’s History Month.

These are the major ways I show up in the world. I used to feel that my various identities were in competition, or had some kind of hierarchy. I’ve come to realize that all the different parts of me work together as I continue to grow closer to God.

As we move through the seasons, and continue our Lenten Mindfulness practices, I encourage us all to find new ways to connect. Maybe the poet in you could benefit from Pastor Sam’s Adult Education class about prayer. The full-time parent and full-time worker may want to unwind with yoga. If you feel like you’re moving a hundred miles an hour, our new Wednesday evening Lenten Mindfulness Meditations can give you a few moments of peace and quiet.

I plan on trying new things, and finding new ways to connect. I hope you’ll join me.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

COVID-19 Vaccine Talk

West End member Dr. Shannon O. McNamara gave an informative talk about the different COVID-19 vaccines, their safety and distribution. Watch the talk again or for the first time:

Our Arts Week Festival is here!

Hello West End,

One of the things that gave me great comfort when I was called to ministry, was the knowledge that Jesus was also an artist. He wrote in the sand, used colorful metaphors, and more importantly – he was a storyteller. There is an undeniable connection between art and religion (I’ve written about this before here).

Stories have always been with us, and are integral to our lives. This week, we get to see and hear some of the creative stories that some of the members and friends of West End have to tell.

I am so proud to introduce the first official West End Arts Week Festival. Originally designed to feature the 10-minute plays that were created in Beth Linck’s Playwrights Playground class in October, the festival now includes a virtual art studio tour, a poetry workshop, and a film short.

Running from today, January 25th, to Sunday, January 31st, you can expect an eblast everyday letting you know which piece of art is premiering, with handy links taking you right to the show.

There is no shortage of talent here at West End. As a matter of fact, I think you will be surprised to see some unexpected faces as contenders for the Academy Award this year. I hope that you enjoy the creativity you see this week. 

Please also join us for the Artist Talkback on Sunday, January 31st, right after morning worship. You’ll be able to talk directly to the artists about their process. We are all artists in our own way. 

Here’s to discovering new art, new ways of being in communion with each other, new ways of drawing closer to God, together.

Peace,
Pastor Bridget

Intentions for the New Year

Every year we decide on a set of goals that we want to accomplish. “This year I’ll try something… do something… be something new.”

There is something about a new year. It’s a gift, a chance for a reset, a do-over. A brand new once in a lifetime guarantee, an offer we can’t refuse. A chance to finally get it right.

The year that is coming feels like none before. We’ve adapted and changed over and over. We’ve held on to beloved traditions, had to let others go, and have learned plenty of new tricks.

At West End Church, one of the ways we continue to adapt is by stepping up our social media game. We hope that you might find us on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), and interact with us there to help make hope visible to a world that is looking forward to something new next year (show us that you like us, you really like us!). Like, comment and share so others are encouraged to interact as well.

On Twitter, we are especially interested in knowing what resonates with you. What message did you get from the sermon? What phrases or prayers have stayed with you? Tell us (and the world) by tweeting and tagging us, or sending your thoughts to me.

It’s four days until the New Year, and 23 days until a new administration in the White House. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that nothing can be taken for granted – not hugs, or voting, or even Zoom links. Let’s make this coming year one that we will not take for granted or ever forget. Let’s hold on a little longer, a little tighter. Let’s run on and see what the end will be.

Pastor Bridget

We need your photos for Christmas!

As we all prepare for the birth of Christ at home and socially distanced, we walk this journey together.

Send us your photos, and on Christmas Eve we will see ourselves preparing for this night as a backdrop to our music.

Send by

December 13

Send to

pastors@westendchurch.org

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Photos

Nativity
Your home manager or creche or nativity

City
Christmas in the City at night and outside — something on the street or in the park

Preparations
Cookie baking, tree trimming, table setting, show us how you’re making Christmas at home this year

Advent Wreath
Your unlit Advent Wreath

Angel
The Angel on top your Tree (or wherever you put her in your apartment)

Portraits
Your 2020 Family Christmas Portrait! We want to see YOU

Videos

Lighting a candle in a darkened room
Of you/your family, in landscape mode — seriously, no more than 10 seconds!

“How did you become a minister?”

I get this question a lot. Most of the time I just say, "It's a long story" and leave it at that. Well, here's my long story. 

Throughout my life and various careers, the very last thing I considered doing on God's green Earth, was preaching. I absolutely never thought about becoming a minister, even though I have always loved church. Ever since my grandmother took me to Vacation Bible School when I was 11, I've either sung in the choir or been an usher, or headed up a group or ministry. I had always taken notes during the sermon, and been curious about the Bible. I was an enthusiastic Bible Study participant, and often my questions made people uncomfortable or annoyed. I knew I was searching for something; I just didn’t know what it was. Never in my wildest dreams, did I  imagine that I would be called to preach.

My first clue that something disruptive was happening occurred when I found myself on the #4 bus going past Union Theological Seminary. I had an inexplicable urge to go inside and ask for an application. Well, actually, I felt as if God was saying "If you don't get off this bus and at least go inside, I will crash you into a mountain." I went in, got the application, and gave God a "There, you happy now?" I took the application home and didn't think about it for another two years. My initial resistance was rooted in my feeling that God was giving up on my career as an artist. I had worked steadily as an actor at times, and my plays were receiving attention, but I had not been a huge success - I was neither rich or famous. Being called to ministry, and all that it entailed (going back to school, stepping away from my art, the increased financial burden on an already stretched thin budget, etc.), was the last thing I wanted to do.

I felt betrayed, but more importantly, I felt embarrassed. The world is full of failed actors and sports stars who turn to ministry as a way to hold onto the limelight and a sense of importance.

And then there was the "unveiling." I was embarrassed and worried about what others would think of me. I did not want to be perceived as a religious fanatic, and this decision felt like the pathway to handing out tracks on the street, or preaching on the subway. After I applied and got accepted at Union, I didn't even tell my friends and family for weeks. Even now, people are still surprised when they hear that I'm a minister. 

My calling has been deeply personal and while I am confident in my abilities and gifts, the spiritual wrestling that I did with God over this call was/is intense. But since I am a writer, it has been cathartic to shape this struggle into an artistic piece. My play, "Slide Show: The Evolution of Radical Womanist Theology” originally began as a nostalgic look at my past, but turned into a choreo-play about my relationship with God in general, and my call to ministry specifically. "Slide Show..." has been performed in bits and pieces over the last few years, but I am hoping to have a reading of the entire show soon.

The Artistic Identity: The Intersection of Art, Spirituality and Social Justice

Who am I? Why am I here? Artists use their gifts to explore these questions and more, but the issue of identity can still be complex. I have struggled with my various identities, like someone dressing for different events: Today I’ll wear the mother outfit; tonight I’ll wear the writer’s hat; tomorrow I’ll be an actor… What about the teacher, friend, political activist? How can I fulfill all of these roles? Can I be more than one at a time?

I realize now that my art, spirituality and desire for social justice are not mutually exclusive. My interests/identities are interdependent, fluid, working together, lending and borrowing as necessary.

My responsibility as an artist is reflected in my social justice outreach efforts, which are in turn an extension of my spiritual practice. Let me explain the “artist’s responsibility” thing. Many years ago, I went to a workshop/lecture featuring Ossie Davis Jr. He talked about many things, but what stood out was this: Art, and in this case he meant acting, should be connected to social justice. His life was an example of this. His work as an actor was intimately tied to his efforts within the Civil Right Movement. He instilled in us the idea that if you’re going to call yourself an artist, then you have a responsibility to advance the cause of social justice.

Whether it’s the Occupy Movements going on across the country or voter registration drives – find an outlet that suits your gifts. It’s your responsibility as an artist. I believe it grounds you, and makes your art that much more creative and fulfilling.

I am no longer surprised at how easily the different parts of my life blend together. My interest in slave narratives finds its way into my discussions with my son on the train, and with my students in the classroom. My passion for social justice (i.e. access to basic services for everyone, providing arts education for young people, helping those who have the least), also dovetails with my spiritual practice. My church is very involved in social justice issues, so I often find myself engaged in conversations about political issues and events, and strategizing, on a Sunday. My poetry has been used as an opening prayer for various church services, so naturally one of my new plays, Leah’par, tells the story of Lucifer’s fall from grace from the perspective of a newly arrived slave on a plantation. The picture of who I am, and what I have to offer – in effect, what I am here for – would be incomplete if even one of these pieces was diminished, lost, or ignored.

The playwright Suzan Lori-Parks said writing is “holding the hand of God.” I hold onto that hand as well, and keep my eyes on the world around me. It is at that crossroads – that intersection of art, social justice and spirituality – that I am most fulfilled. Join me there and let’s change the world.