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Dear St.
Markans and beloved members of our extended Cathedral community,
As we
enter this season of remembrance, compassion, and hope, we pause to
honor two sacred observances: World AIDS Day and Trans Day of Remembrance.
These moments call us to reflect on our past, to stand courageously
in the present, and to deepen our commitment to the dignity of every
human being.
During
the 1970s and 1980s years marked by fear, stigma, and profound loss
Saint Mark’s Cathedral chose a different way: the way of Christ. Our
community stood beside those living with HIV and AIDS when so many
others turned away. We offered prayer, comfort, presence, and
dignity. We mourned with families. We walked with those who had been
abandoned. We bore Christ’s light into the shadows.
This
legacy remains part of our identity an embodied expression of our
baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in every person and to
respect the dignity of every human being. The witnesses from that era
handed down to us a sacred trust: that our faith must be lived with
courage, compassion, and costly love.
As we
also mark Trans Day of Remembrance, we honor the memory of
transgender and gender-expansive people whose lives were taken by
violence, hatred, and neglect. In a world that still fails to protect
trans lives, we affirm with clarity and unwavering love:
Trans
lives are holy.
Trans
bodies are sacred.
Trans
dignity is non-negotiable.
Every
trans and nonbinary person bears the image of God.
Just as
Saint Mark’s once stood boldly beside those suffering during the AIDS
Crisis, we stand today beside our trans siblings with the same
courage and conviction. This is who we are. This is who we are called
to be.
Gathered
in Love; An Interfaith Service of Trans Solidarity
Tuesday,
December 9 • 7:00–8:00 PM
Creekside
UCC • 106 E. Diamond Lake Road
I invite
you to join me for Gathered in Love: An Interfaith Service of
Trans Solidarity, a multifaith gathering affirming the sacredness
of trans and nonbinary lives. Faith leaders and allies from across
Minnesota will come together in love, prayer, poetry, music, and
witness. This service will center the voices of trans and BIPOC
leaders and proclaim a message of belonging, courage, and hope. All
are welcome. Masks will be required and provided.
Livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/@CreeksideUCCWorship/streams
These
observances—World AIDS Day and Trans Day of Remembrance worship, are
not simply dates on a calendar. They are an invitation back to the
heart of our covenantal life:
·
to see
Christ’s face in every person,
·
to lift up
those who are weary or afraid,
·
to reject
systems of violence and exclusion,
·
to offer
love where love has been withheld,
·
and to be instruments
of healing, peace, and justice.
As we
enter Advent and light the first candle of hope, may we remember all those
we have loved and lost. May we pray for those still living with HIV.
May we stand alongside trans siblings who long for safety, belonging,
and dignity.
May
Christ’s light guide us gently and boldly into deeper love.
With
hope and gratitude,
Tim+
The
Rev. Timothy M. Kingsley
Provost,
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
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