Paul Tillich called the courage to be the courage to affirm one’s own existence in spite of everything that threatens it. This week, as we approach Transgender Day of Remembrance, we ask what that courage looks like for people whose very existence is contested, and what it teaches the rest of us about healing. We will remember those lost to violence, and we will also receive the gifts of trans ministers, theologians, and people of faith. Their work, from Virginia Ramey Mollenkott and Justin Tanis to Austen Hartke, Joy Ladin, and Rabbi Elliot Kukla, has reshaped how our traditions speak of creation, embodiment, transformation, and the sacredness of becoming who we are. Healing, in this light, is not only recovery from harm. It is the daily, communal act of making room for one another to be whole. This service is part of our November exploration of healing.  

This week, there are two important additional elements to our service. First, we will have our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.  During Change for Change, our basket-bearers will also collect non-perishable food items for our Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry Thanksgiving distribution. Second, we will honor the work of local nonprofit Love Your Labels with our November 50/50 collection during the service.