Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Authors of Bible Stories: Reimagining Between the Lines



Richard Cleaver is the author of Know My Name: A Gay Liberation Theology (Westminster John Knox, 1995), among other works. He began his life-long association with the Catholic Worker movement in 1975. Later worked for the American Friend Service Committee in Michigan for over a decade. Raised in Iowa and a graduate of Grinnell College there, he has lived all over the United States and also, on three separate occasions, in Japan. He holds the M.A. in Advanced Japanese Studies from Sheffield University in England. In 2003 he was ordained to the priesthood for the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, a welcoming and inclusive jurisdiction in the Orthodox tradition that does not restrict ordination by gender, sexual orientation, or marital status. He currently works and lives in the U.S. Territory of the Virgin Islands. .

Malcolm Himschoot is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, with experience in local church, community, and denominational settings. His writing on religion and social reform has appeared in Prism, The Progressive Christian, Belt, and in the previous Wilgefortis book "Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect." He currently helps raise a family in Cleveland, Ohio.

Thom Longino is an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ and an Associate Night Minister in San Francisco.  The Night Ministry is a ministry for San Franciscans that takes place between 10pm and 4am each night in bars, on the streets and on a crisis line.

Kathryn Muyskens is a perpetual student of life. She is originally from Denver, Colorado. Recently she has been studying in London, getting her MA in Philosophy from the University College London. Writing is her passion and you can find more of her work on Elephant Journal, an online journal dedicated to living mindfully.

Emily Olsen is a New Jersey native currently completing a Masters in Biblical Languages at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, CA. She is also a candidate for ordained ministry in the ELCA. Emily enjoys reading, writing, and pretending to be a dinosaur in her spare time. She is always up for an adventure be it Jurassic or otherwise.

Laurel Kapros Rohrer has an M.F.A. In creative writing from New York University. By day she is a legal secretary and in her spare time she writes, volunteers and does martial arts. She happily lives in San Francisco with her wonderful spouse and two furry cats.

Megan Rohrer is the first openly transgender pastor ordained in the Lutheran church, was named a 2014 honorable mention as an Unsung Hero of Compassion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, received an Honorary Doctorate from Palo Alto University and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award in transgender nonfiction.   Megan is the co-editor of Letters for My Brothers: Tranistional Wisdom in Retrospect and Holy Night: Prayers and Meditations for People of the Night and the author of Queerly Lutheran and With a Day Like Yours, Couldn’t You Use a Little Grace.

Daniel Tisdel taught high school Spanish for fourteen years and then finally decided to change careers to something he had been putting off for over twenty years, ordained ministry as a Lutheran pastor.  Other jobs he has held have been as varied as anyone; Electrician, Golf Course Construction Worker, Pizza Chef, School Bus Driver, Professional Actor, and Grocery Store Clerk, among others, but while "Writer" was something he often aspired to, it was something he never expected to attain. And there are a lot of stories (and even full books) still bouncing around in his brain, waiting to be released on an unsuspecting public...  He grew up in Colorado, lived extensively in North Carolina, Florida and California, and has now gone full circle to live in the mountains of Colorado where he pastors a small church. He loves hiking and camping, woodworking, and playing and watching sports, but most of all he loves people.

Amanda Zentz is the pastor at Central Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon.  With a passion for baptism and funerals and a love for liturgy, Pr. Amanda digs deep into the traditions of the church to teach the deeper meanings of our ritualized actions.  Growing up outside of the church, Amanda was baptized on December 14, 1997 while studying for her undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. Amanda went on to receive her MDiv from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berekeley, CA in 2004. 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Bible Stories: Reimagining Between the Lines

Edited by Megan Rohrer and Daniel Tisdel

Currently available on Kindle, the paperback of our newest release Bible Stories: Reimagining Between the Lines will arrive in about two weeks.   A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this project. 

Bible Stories is a collection of fictional stories that expound on little known biblical characters or with a contemporary spin.  Smart, historically rooted, funny, provocative, progressive and political, these stories are rooted in justice and expand on the diversity of people who can see themselves as faithful.


Richard Cleaver        Charles Featherstone
Malcolm Himschoot        Thom Longino   Kathryn Muyskens       Emily Olsen
Laurel Kapros Rohrer       Megan Rohrer
Daniel Tisdel        Amanda Zentz-Alo  
 

All proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Welcome: A Communal Response to Poverty and support projects that seek to end hunger and poverty.

The book costs $15 + $4 for shipping

Friday, November 14, 2014

New Publication: Holy Night Prayers and Meditations for People of the Night

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the San Francisco Night Ministry, Wilgefortis published a book of prayers written by friends of the San Francisco Night Ministry.

Holy Night offers thoughtful prayers and meditations for night-owls, bar hoppers, individuals who are homeless, hungry, experiencing poverty, are lonely, anxious, working the night-shift, having a hard time sleeping, experiencing mental health issues or simply having a hard time falling asleep. Written by friends of the San Francisco Night Ministry, these prayers and meditations are deeply rooted in the nighttime needs of a diverse urban city. Some are rooted in a particular tradition, others are for people who have faith but are not religious or are unsure what they believe. 

Order a paperback copy now for $15 - $10 from each book sale will be donated to the San Francisco Night Ministry (books will arrive in about two weeks)



Download the ebook on Amazon Kindle for $5


The paperback will also become available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores in about two weeks

Authors include:  Bishops Dave Brauer-Rike and Mark Holmerud, Father Kevin Crinks, Pastors Lyle Beckman, Bea Chun and Megan Rohrer, Deacon Diana Wheeler, TSSF, Chaplain Adam Briones, Seminarians Rob Herrmann and Daniel Tisdel,and many other street poets and friends of the San Francisco Night Ministry.


Friday, August 8, 2014

Call for Submissions: Holy Night



Holy Night is 365 days’ worth of thoughtful prayers and meditations for night-owls, bar hoppers, individuals who are homeless, hungry, experiencing poverty, are lonely, anxious, working the night-shift, experiencing mental health issues or simply having a hard time falling asleep.

Written by friends of the San Francisco Night Ministry, these prayers and meditations are deeply rooted in the nighttime needs of a diverse urban city.  Some are rooted in a particular tradition, others are for people who have faith but are not religious or are unsure what they believe.

All proceeds of the book will benefit The San Francisco Night Ministry.

Submission Guidelines:
Submissions should  be no longer that 600 words and no more than twenty prayers, meditations, poems or mantras.  We hope you will be inspired by the work of the San Francisco Night ministry, a particular night of the year, geared toward issues affecting individuals living in poverty, with mental health or addiction issues or by the beauty of a San Francisco night.

Please send your submissions to pastor@gracesf.com with a one paragraph bio by October 15th.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Coming Soon: With A Day Like Yours, Couldn't You Use A Little Grace: Volume 3: September - December


With A Day Like Yours, Couldn't You Use a Little Grace (3 volume series)

Volume 2: September - December


This series, by Pastor Megan Rohrer, is for everyone who has been lied to and told that God couldn’t love them. In addition to reminding you that nothing, nothing, nothing can ever separate you God’s love, Pastor Megan Rohrer will also help you learn to accept this gift of grace and love yourself just as you are.
 
Whether you skim, only pull it out when you have a rough day or a bad breakup, or make readings part of your daily routine for a year, With a Day Like Yours, Couldn’t You Use Some Grace speaks to saints, sinners and everyone in between.   


Purchase your copy today:

You can purchase the whole set or just one book in either regular or large print below. You save $10 if you order all three books at once.  But, please remember Volume 2 will be released in August, Volume 3 in September and Volume 1 in December.  If you buy all three books they will be shipped to you as they become available.



Ready to check out?  Click the button below.


If you are interested, you can check out the table of contents below. But, please remember, during editing, some of the topics may change slightly.

September                                                                              
September 1: Feast Day of St. Giles                                        
September 2: First ATM Opens                                              
September 3: Feast Day of Prudence Crandall                  
September 4: Feast Day of Moses and Aaron                
September 5: Feast Day of Mother Theresa           
September 6: First Tank Produced                                
September 7: Desmond Tutu Becomes the First Black
Man to Lead the Anglican Church in South Africa           
September 8: Leonard Matlovich is on the Cover of Time Magazine
September 9: Elvis Presley Appears on The Ed Sullivan Show                                                                                         
September 10: First Drunk Driving Test                               
September 11: Planes Fly Into The World Trade Centers   
September 12: Feast Day of Johnny Cash                              
September 13: The IBM 305 RAMAC is Introduced               
September 14: The First Date of the Draft Lottery            
September 15: The Lehman Brothers File for Bankruptcy  
September 16: Gandhi Fasts                                                  
September 17: Vanessa Williams Becomes the First Black
Miss America                                                                           
September 18: Ted Turner Donates 1 Billion Dollars to
the United Nations                                                                 
September 19: Birthday of Paulo Freire                                
September 20: Billy Jean King Beats Bobby Riggs                 
September 21: Feast Day of St. Matthew                             
September 22: Hobbit Day                                            
September 23: Bisexuality Day                                      
September 24: Feast Day of Dr. Seuss                            
September 25: Central High School Integrated            
September 26: Feast Day of Levi Strauss                        
September 27: Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul            
September 28: Ask a Stupid Question Day                     
September 29: International Coffee Day                  
September 30: Blasphemy Day                               

October                                                                                   
October 1: Feast Day of Tom Clancy                 
October 2: Feast Day of Rock Hudson           
October 3: OJ Simpson Acquitted                   
October 4: Jim Bakker is Indicted for Fraud  
October 5: World Teachers’ Day             
October 6: First U.S. Train Robbery        
October 7: Feast Day of Sergius and Bacchus
October 8: Feast Day of Che Guevera              
October 9: Feast Day of John Henry Newman        
October 10: World Mental Health Day         
October 11:   Sound Barrier is Broken          
October 12: Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural    
October 13: Feast of Our Lady of Fátima           
October 14: Feast Day of Julius Nyerere             
October 15: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day             
October 16: The Warsaw Ghetto is Established      
October 17: The End of the Babylonian Exile            
October 18: Moby Dick is Published                          
October 19: Martin Luther Gets His Doctorate            
October 20: World Statistics Day                            
October 21: Birthday of Kim Kardashian         
October 22: The Cuban Missle Crises            
October 23: Mole Day                   
October 24: The First Barrel Ride Down Niagra Falls 
October 25: Birth of Pablo Picasso         
October 26: Birthday of Seth MacFarlane    
October 27: New York Subway Opens       
October 28: Feast Day of Simon the Zealot        
October 29: Birthday of Winona Ryder      
October 30: The War of the Worlds       
October 31: Martin Luther Posts the 95 Theses     

November                                  
November 1: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling Opens to the
Public                                                    
November 2: El Dia de los Muertos             
November 3: Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres 
November 4: Saint Joan of Arc Liberates Saint-Pierre-
le-Moûtier                                             
November 5: Feast Day of Elizabeth                               
November 6: UN Condemns Apartheid                
November 7: Magic Johnson Announces He is HIV+   
November 8: Feast Day of Johann von Staupitz      
November 9: Feast Day of Art Carney        
November 10: Sesame Street Debuts           
November 11: World War I Ends             
November 12: Ellis Island Closes            
November 13: The War on Terror Begins       
November 14: Feast Day of the Emperor Justinian    
November 15: The First Stock Ticker Debuts 
November 16: LSD is Created              
November 17: Birthday of Daisy Fuentes        
November 18: George Bernard Shaw Refuses the Money
for His Nobel Prize                                   
November 19: The Gettysburg Address         
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance     
November 21: National Adoption Day            
November 22: Feast Day of John F. Kennedy       
November 23: Feast Day of Harpo Marx     
November 24: Fire at a Dhaka, Bangladesh Clothing
Factory                                                   
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 26: FDR Creates the Thanksgiving Holiday      
November 27: The Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
November 28: Feast Day of King Kamehameha and Queen Emma
November 29: Feast Day of George Harrison        
November 30: Feast Day of Oscar Wilde        

December                                                      
December 1: World AIDS Day                        
December 2: Feast Day of Marquis de Sade        
December 3: Feast Day of Pierre-Auguste Renoir      
December 4: Led Zeppelin Breaks Up          
December 5: Planes Lost in the Bermuda Triangle        
December 6: Feast Day of St. Nicholas     
December 7: Pearl Harbor Bombed    
December 8: Feast Day of John Lennon      
December 9: Anna’s Day                       
December 10: Feast Day of Karl Barth        
December 11: Feast Day of Ravi Shankar     
December 12: Birthday of Bob Barker          
December 13: Al Gore Concedes the Presidency    
December 14: Monkey Day                      
December 15: The Leaning Tower of Pisa Reopens         
December 16: The Boston Tea Party            
December 17: First Airplane Flies             
December 18: Mayflower Docks at Plymouth Harbor      
December 19: President Clinton Impeached            
December 20: Feast Day of Katharina von Bora          
December 21: Feast Day of St. Thomas              
December 22: The Repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”     
December 23: Van Gough Chops His Ear Off            
December 24: Aðfangadagskvöld              
December 25: The Christmas Truce          
December 26: Feast Day of Jack Benny          
December 27: Feast Day of St. John               
December 28: The Arab Spring                    
December 29: Wounded Knee Massacre               
December 30: Kiss Me, Kate Opens                   
December 31: Birthday of Joey McIntyre