The Pastor's Office: Grace Lutheran, San Francisco

Here are some cool things you should check out in Pastor Megan's office:

The succulent wall garden.

The great view

The stained glass from Germany

The collection of crosses from around the world

The singing bowls and trinkets

Diverse pictures of Jesus and the saints

The pastor who always invites you to stop by for a chat.

Grace Lutheran is welcome to all. We are a small Lutheran congregation with traditional worship and progressive preaching in San Francisco.  We have plenty of room for you to join us, in person or online at our 10:30am PST Sunday worship service.

Our Pastor is In the News Again

Reposted from the Argus Leader

Jill Callison, jcallison@argusleader.com 11:18 a.m. CDT June 26, 2015

Within minutes of hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, a Lutheran pastor sent out a tweet sympathizing with those who would be dismayed by the announcement.

"#Remember, we celebrate while others weep. Justice comes in pieces. We yearn for more and our hearts are also with those who mourn," wrote the Rev. Megan Rohrer.

What makes her remarkable is that Rohrer might have been expected to do nothing but celebrate. After all, she is the first transgender pastor ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and stuck with her childhood denomination even when it was against church rules to be ordained. She was raised Lutheran in South Dakota, where she graduated from Lincoln High School and Augustana College.

In August 2009, however, the ELCA agreed to allow congregations to call pastor in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships." Rohrer was officially ordained in 2010. In 2014 her wife and she traveled to Hawaii and were married.

As a pastor, her first response to the Supreme Court ruling was excitement "because weddings are fun to do," said Rohrer, who returned to South Dakota last weekend to officiate at a cousin's wedding. "I was particularly excited for friends in South Dakota who have long been waiting to be married."

Then she thought of the November day in 2008 when the United States elected Barack Obama as its first black president. That same day, California voters banned same-sex marriage. There was cheering in the streets for Obama's victory and tears of sadness for those who lost the chance to marry.

Rohrer also thought about the funerals that are taking place in Charleston, S.C., where nine black people were killed by a single gunman who has expressed racist views.

"A large part of our community is deeply mourning racial injustice at the same time Pride (events) is happening," Rohrer said. "What is victory for one group means the other group feels it lost something."

Her attitude, Rohrer said, is shaped by growing up in South Dakota, living in a small community where your best friend might hold polar-opposite political or social justice issues.

Rohrer said she happily will return to South Dakota to perform same-sex unions, although people who don't want to wait could travel to states where it is legal, including Iowa and California. She doubts that South Dakota will be able to perform such weddings for some time.

"In San Francisco they had pre-ordered marriage licenses that say 'spouse and spouse' not 'husband and wife,' " she said. "I imagine South Dakota probably didn't pre-order them."

Rohrer also expects legislation to be proposed that will attempt to chip away at the Supreme Court ruling and other roadblocks before same-sex weddings can start in South Dakota.

"We've seen it happen in other states that already passed it," she said. "I think you'll get there. It might take longer."

***Update: South Dakota has revised its marriage-license software making the wording gender neutral. Pennington County has issued a marriage license to two women.

Sanctuary Art: The Genealogy of Jesus

Pastor Megan created some icons for the sanctuary. 

This Sunday, the children's sermon will talk about the genealogy of Jesus.  The art above illustrates the stories of the bible.  On the left is the genealogy that is attributed to Joseph and includes characters from the Hebrew Bible.  The right side depicts relatives of Mary and characters from the Greek Bible.  Click here to learn more about the many, many versions of Jesus' genealogy.

Lets take a closer look at the seven icons on the left side of the altar (click on any of the images to see a larger version).

Adam and Eve: (left) Naked in the garden, the icon shows the tree of life, the snake and Adam's scar.  An allegory about what happens to people as they go through puberty, this story is one of the first in the bible.

Isaac: (right) Depicted in front of mountains and a lamb, Issac has no hands in the assumption that his relationship with his father and family trauma altered their relationship and his life forever.

Tamar: (left) Tamar pretends to be a prostitute to continue her family line.  Keeping intimate items to prove the lineage of her offspring, Tamar was painted with a red band around her head to symbolize her sexual choices.  Hidden entirely behind her clothes, Tamar represents the trauma that comes from difficult sexual choices.

Rahab: (right) Also thought to be a prostitute, Rahab uses a red cord to signal to spies that her house is a safe place for them.  As a result her family is saved when the city is destroyed.  Rahab's hand is shown to symbolize the way she uses her trauma to find liberation.

Naomi, Ruth and Boaz: (left) Ruth was a widow who loved her mother-in-law.  While gleaning (collecting the crops left for the poor), Naomi devises a plan for Ruth to marry Boaz.  Ruth gets Boaz drunk and then makes sure that when he wakes up his "feet" is in her hand, so he'll have to marry her.  It works.  This painting has wheat in the corners to remind us of the difficult choices Ruth makes because of poverty.

Jesse: (right) Perhaps the most popular and famous king of Israel, Jesse was a shepherd and is often referenced in hymns.

David, Jonathon and Bethsheba: (left) King David proclaimed that he loved Jonathon more than anyone else in the world.  After Jonathon is killed, David finds lots and lots of wives.  One of them, Bethsheba, became his wife after he spotted her bathing naked on a roof and had her Bethsheba's first husband killed in war.  David's saint crown doesn't form a circle, to remind the viewer of his sorted love life.

Now, let's look at the five icons on the right side of the altar, which follow Mary's family line. 

Anna and Joaquin: (left) Some Christians believe that Mary was the first person born without sin - making her body the perfect place for a part God, part human Jesus to be born.  This was accomplished when her elderly barren parents were visited by the Holy Spirit (depicted as a dove) and 9 months later, along came Mary. 

Mary and Joseph: (right) Mary and Joseph, Jesus' mom and step father are depicted with the star that was said to guide the Magi to them.  In Judaism stars symbolize hope, here the star reminds us of Mary's hope that Jesus' birth would fulfill God's promise to bring justice to the world.

Elizabeth and Zachariah: (left) Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, is the mother of John the Baptist.  Elizabeth feels the baby in her womb leap when pregnant Mary comes to visit.  Zachariah becomes unable to speak during the pregnancy and misses the big moment when he's supposed to say God's name at a festival.

James: (right) James was much more popular than Jesus during his day.  This brother of Jesus is mentioned in historical texts of the day.

Jude and perhaps Thomas: (left) Another of Jesus brothers, some wonder if Jude is also the disciple called Thomas (the twin), because he was thought to look a lot like Jesus.  Known as the doubting disciple, the image of Thomas has rough sections to remind us of the time Thomas said he wouldn't believe that Jesus was resurrected unless he could touch Jesus' wounds.

April 12, 2015: lletin: Easter 2B: Worship: Grace Lutheran, San Francisco: Pastor Megan Rohrer: 10:30am Service Livestream

2nd Sunday of Easter

10:30 am Holy Communion Service

Grace Evangelical Lutheran, San Francisco

Welcome to worship at Grace!  Welcome to long-time Lutherans, Christians from every tradition, and people new to faith. Welcome to all who have no church home, want to follow Christ, have doubts, or do not believe. Welcome to new visitors and old friends. Welcome to people of every age and size, color and culture, every sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic status, marital status, ability and challenge. Welcome to believers and questioners, and to questioning believers. This is a place where you are welcome to celebrate and sorrow, rejoice and recover.  This is a place where lives are made new.

Special Welcome to Newcomers  Welcome to our small community of faith.  While we are small in numbers, we have big hearts and a desire to grow.  In order to help you follow along, we have included all the materials you need for worship in this bulletin.

Please join us for worship any Sunday at 10:30am that you are able.  If you cannot join us in person, you can also join us online via live stream or by watching the archives of our worship and Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck anytime during the week at our website (www.gracesf.com), or on our mobile phone app, Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck, is available on Google Play and ITunes. 

If you have any questions about the service or about Grace, you can fill out the form in pew to let our pastor know you’d like to chat.  Or you can contact Pastor Megan Rohrer at pastor@gracesf.com.

Prelude 

Greeting

Pastor: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Congregation: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The joy of the resurrection fills us with hope, promises us new life, and draws

us together as one. We cannot keep this good news to ourselves. Let us begin

our worship by turning to fellow worshipers and greeting them with the words,

“Christ is risen!”

Worshipers greet one another by saying, “Christ is risen!” or “Alleluia!” along with introducing themselves to others they may not have yet met.

Gathering Hymn                Verses 1, 4 and 5

Prayer of the Day

Loving God, help us become a compassionate community that gives thanks more often than we complain, assumes the best in others and shares when we can.  Amen.

Welcome                

First Reading                      Acts 4:23-37

²³After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, ²⁵it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? ²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ ²⁷For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

³²Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. ³⁵They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). ³⁷He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

 Word of hope, word of life.                Thanks be to God

Psalm 133 (read responsively)

¹How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

²It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

³It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

Second Reading            1 John 1:1-2:5

1We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ²this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ²and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Word of hope, word of life.                 Thanks be to God

Special Music         What a Wonderful World                        Grace Choir

Scripture in this service is adapted from The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation, by Priests for Equality.  2009, Sheed & Ward. Kindle Edition.

The traditional Lutheran liturgy is from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #28429.

Hymns used with permission for worship and podcast under OneLicense.net  #A-723548.  

Gospel Reading                 John 20:19-31

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

The gospel of the Lord.                                Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon                    

Silence for reflection follows the sermon.  The assembly stands to proclaim the word of God in song.

Hymn of the Day               Verses 1, 3 and 4

Prayers of Intercession

A    During this season of Easter, we pray for all who long for a new start, experience health and love beyond their expectations and for the church, the world and all people in their need.  A brief silence.

Creating God, help us repair broken relationships, to clean up our messes and debts and to ask for help when we need it. God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Parent God, bless all who are parents, the family and staff of the Grace Infant Care Center and all who have created families.  Help us to become better at loving and receiving love from others.  God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God, you are the highest authority.  Help our civic leaders to bring peace to a war torn world and to care for those who are vulnerable.  Be with our bishops Elizabeth and Mark, our pastor Megan and all the staff and leaders of our congregation.  Help us to support the work and hobbies of all who worship with us, so that we may draw closer to God in all that we do at work and at home.  God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving God, help us to have patience, compassion and listening ears for those who differ from us.  Provide healing and hope for those whose minds, bodies or spirits are in need of care.  We pray especially for those who care for the sick and support those who are aging.  Help us to live and experience as much as we can while we await the day we will be reunited with those we have lost.   God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For whom and what else do the people of Grace pray?

(Please offer - silently or aloud- petitions to God.  End spoken petitions with “God in your mercy.”)

P Our prayers rise like incense and are held by a loving God who yearns for us to be our best.  May we sleep well, worry less and live convinced that God’s is on our side.    Amen.

Offering                   

An offering is gathered for the mission of the church, including the care of those in need.  After the offering is gathered, the assembly stands.

Offering Prayer

A    Let us pray.   God, bless the all that we have to offer.  May our financial support match the generosity of our lives.  Help us to be good stewards of our financial and emotional investments.  Amen.

Communion

P  It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise . . . we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

On the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

The Lord’s Prayer

C  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

Blessing

Announcements                                                                            Tuesday Council Meeting

Sending Hymn       

Verses 1-3

In English

(Hilda may teach us the refrain in Spanish if she is here and willing)

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace and serve our God.

C: Thanks be to God.

Postlude

Please join us for coffee and refreshments downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. 

To get to the Fellowship Hall, exit to the right of the communion railing at the front of the church.

Grace Film Festival:

Friday, April 24, 2015 - 5:30-10pm

Bayberries Have Ripened (16:25) a short film from Nepal ; Dervish: a spiritual sojourn (39:01) a short film from India

- Intermission - Films resume at 6:30

Love Free or Die (1:22:00) Documentary from US - The life and work of Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly gay man who set a precedent in New Hampshire in the battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith.

- Intermission - Films resume at 8pm

The Illusion (2:04) a short animated film from Iran; The Complicated Race to the Wheel of Life (11:35) a short film from the Philippines; The Glorious Refuse (14:57) a short film film from Nigeria; Alyosha's Love (22:42) a short film from Russia; 1-0 (1) a short from Iran

- Intermission - Films resume at 9pm

Of Boys and Planes (2:40) an animated short from Mexico; Two Men and a Cradle (55:19) a documentary from France

Saturday, April 25, 2015  - 5:15-8:30pm

to be or not to be? (1:01:00) a film from Kazakhstan  (All roles of this film are performed by young people with disabilities. Every second of their lives is given to them by incredible struggle, which enforces them to put a question for themselves: “To be or not to be”?)

 - Intermission - Films resume at 6:30 pm

Brother Outsider (1:23:00) Documentary from US - Documentary on Bayard Rustin, best-remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.

 - Intermission - Films resume at 8pm

Because of Mum (12:17) an animated short from Bulgaria; Shades of Gray (6:18) an animated short from the Russian Federation; Ticonderoga (7) a short film from Canada; Coffee Talk 6 - Gay Marriage (5:06) a short from the US

Zanderology: Hope: Grace Film Festival: Official Selection

 (This film is not in the selection process for awards)

Zanderology   Buy Tickets

US

Runtime: 42:39

Category: Hope

Screening Date: January 31, 2015

This film is an illustrated documentary about Zander Keig, a trans man who was born dead, paralyzed at age six, put in a mental hospital as a teen, was in a Mexican gang, joined the military, became an undercover drug officer, obtained three graduate degrees and is now a social worker for homeless veterans. Zanderology goes beyond telling people that it gets better and humorously explains how one person changed their life in almost every way possible

Director: Megan Rohrer 

Megan Rohrer is a nationally recognized LGBTQ faith leader, historian, writer, homeless advocate and community organizer. The first openly transgender pastor ordained in the Lutheran church, Megan is the Pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Executive Director of Welcome. Megan recived an honorable mention as an Unsung Hero of Compassion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Palo Alto University, won Out History's Since Stonewall Local Histories Competition and co-edited Letters For Our Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in transgender nonfiction.  

Grace Featured on ELCA.org

Are We Really an Aging Church  

By Megan Rohrer

In the past 12 years I’ve preached at countless Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Congregational and Swedenborgian congregations nearly every Sunday. But, I could count on two hands the number of congregations who had worshipers younger than me.

During this same period, I baptized six adults and two children. Only the children were baptized in congregations. The adults, who were almost all younger than I was, asked me to baptize them in bars, restaurants and gardens. Each of these baptisms was accompanied by a story about how the individuals had become estranged from congregational worship.

With each baptism, I thought about all the people who have declared that the Lutheran church is dying and aging. Is it true, or are we pushing people away and letting people believe the lie that they are unable to be loved by God.  And if people gain church membership through their baptism, then why are so few members choosing to attend worship?

When I was called as the pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco’s Sunset District this past February...

- Read more at the ELCA's Living Lutheran.

Daily Grace: June 6

Pre-order our devotional book here.

June 6: D-Day

On this day in 1944, during World War II, allied forces landed on Normandy, France and liberated Western Europe from Nazi control.  18,000 parachutes landed and began fighting around 6:30am.  By the end of the day 155,000 allied troops would storm the beach.

Can you imagine 155,000 soldiers descending upon one shore?

Some think the battle was lost because Hilter was convinced the attack was a trick to get him to lose focus on another front.  Hitler’s delay in responding to the troops at Normandy enabled the allied forces to take over a number of key bridges.

Have you ever been convinced that someone is trying to trick you or make a fool out of you?

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to look out for ways that people might attack us, that we miss out on what is in front of us.  If you are someone who is constantly protecting yourself or assuming others are out to get you, I encourage you to use the mantra: “today, God(dess)* will win this battle.” 

The point of the mantra is to help you stop fighting or protecting yourself from future harm.  Trust, that just for today, God(dess) will be the one to protect you.

Please remember to take care of yourself and to keep yourself safe.  I’m not asking you to give up common sense.  Instead I’m offering you a break from standing guard.

Prayer of the Day:  Loving God(dess), be a mighty fortress protecting us from those who may be plotting against us.  Help us to stand down and expect the best from our neighbors, friends and loved ones.  Amen.

Biblical Text of the Day:  Psalm 5:11-12

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. ¹² For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favour as with a shield.

Add the June 6^th Birthdays and Feast Days of People You Love In the Comments Below.

This is an excerpt from Pastor Megan Rohrer's With A Day Like Yours Couldn't You Use a Little Grace you can pre-order your copy here.

* In the Bible, there are times when God(dess) is plural, male, female or switches back and forth.  In order to appeal to the widest audience, I will use the term God(dess) to refer to the sacred.  If you’re offended by the term Goddess, feel free to read it as God.  If you are offended by the term God, feel free to read it as Goddess.