Pentecost Pilgrimage in Place "People of God, Call Down the Spirit!"

New Mexico Pilgrimage for Unity invites us to Join pilgrims from a wide variety of Christian traditions as we prepare our bodies, hearts, and spirits to celebrate Pentecost 2020 with a Pentecost Pilgrimage in Place: People of God, Call Down the Spirit! Here’s what to expect:

 1) Pentecost Pilgrims Orientation (Online): Saturday May 23 at 9AM
We’ll gather on zoom for a time of orientation, sharing, prayer and preparation (both practical and spiritual) for planning your Pentecost “Pilgrimage in Place.” Join us to meet your (virtual) companions on the journey! Zoom Meeting ID: 869 9287 4266 Password: pilgrim

2) Opening Gathering & Prayer Service (Online): Friday, May 29 at 7 pm.
We’ll gather on zoom for a time to worship, share intentions, learn a new song and pray together with our fellow pilgrims. Zoom Meeting ID: 829 9651 3217 Password: pilgrim

3) Personal Pentecost Pilgrimage: Saturday, May 30 all day,
On Saturday you will walk your self-designed pilgrimage route, recognizing that every place…including your own home and neighborhood… is a “holy place.” You are encouraged to wear red, and to carry with you a stone to represent the prayer intentions you carry as you walk. Along the way, please email Sylvia Pentecost Pilgrims Orientation (Online): Saturday May 23 at 9AM
We’ll gather on zoom for a time of orientation, sharing, prayer and preparation (both practical and spiritual) for planning your Pentecost “Pilgrimage in Place.” Join us to meet your (virtual) companions on the journey! Zoom Meeting ID: 869 9287 4266 Password: pilgrim

4) Closing Gathering & Prayer Service (Online): Saturday May 30, 7 pm
We’ll gather on zoom for a closing prayer service that will allow us to share insights, experiences, and images from our personal pilgrimages, and to consecrate the prayer intentions we’ve carried.
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 2028 2808 Password: pilgrim

Please let us know if you plan to participate!
RSVP for Pentecostal Pilgrimage by Wednesday, May 20th, so that we can send you further instructions, information, and links to join online orientation & services.
Submit Prayer Intentions/Requests for Pentecost Pilgrimage

Urban Way of the Cross: An Unexpected Easter

Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb, bringing the fragrant spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they didn’t find Jesus’ body. They didn’t know what to make of this. Luke 24:1-4

"Like the women who stepped into that tomb that first Easter morning, we, too, find ourselves encountering an unexpected and even unanticipated Easter: No Alleluias greet us this Easter morn. No church bells echoing throughout our town. No children shrieking with joy as they uncover chocolate eggs and put them in their Easter baskets. No crowds of people stuffed into the pews. Not even the sound of cars making their way to church."

Prayer

O Holy One, we come before you this Easter morning our hearts heavy with the sadness of the long Good Friday we have experienced—so much death, so much pain, so much fear have marked the days since we heard the words “You are dust and to dust shall you return”. And yet today as we stumble in the early morning darkness, hope wells up within us for we know that the empty tomb is not the end of the story. We trust in your promise of a risen life and as we search for signs of new life appearing in the world you have created and in the life you have given your people. Make us this day and every day witnesses to the Resurrection unfolding before us. Amen.

An Invitation
Today, and in the days and weeks ahead, watch for signs of resurrection and new life—a community rebuilding, a child discovering, an insight received, a kindness given by a stranger, a gift unexpected, a delight unfolding. Write an account or take a picture or craft a poem or make a piece of art. Then do a post on our Facebook page (in the Discussion section) so we all can see Easter unfolding in the community we’ve come to know as companions on the Urban Way of the Cross. And when the fog of Corona Virus lifts and we can come out of our homes, join us for a joyful Urban Way of Resurrection.

[ Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch is an Episcopal priest mostly retired but serving occasionally at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. She  has been walking the Urban Way of the Cross for the last 10 years]

Urban Way of the Cross: Our Darkness Is Not Darkness in God’s Light

"As people of Christ’s Way, we know the countless stories of God’s rescuing, saving, forgiving love throughout the history of our faith. We know the assurances Jesus gave his friends and students: that we will never be forsaken, never left as orphans; that in believing in Jesus we will never truly die; He himself will come and take us to the place prepared for us."

The author, Rebecca Hemphill, selected these two songs--La ténèbre (Our Darkness) and No Greater Love--to go along with her written reflection for Holy Saturday. Please take time to listen to, reflect on and pray with each song. Each video has a brief text right below.  At the bottom is a link to her full text.

 (English Lyrics to Our Darkness)


Poet and renowned Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann insists that Hope is birthed only from Truth that includes Lament. Lament is the necessary element to prepare the space within us and our societies for the miracle of our Creator always doing a new and saving thing. To lament, we must fully inhabit our grief and fear.



The heart’s cry of God’s people, the Lament of Good Friday and Holy Saturday is the the necessary precursor to empty ourselves so that the seeded memory of the history of God’s saving God’s people and creation, and blessing the meek, sorrowful, and mourning can grow into the newness and fullness of resurrection life promised. A life of solidarity, compassion, and covenant where all meek are blessed and there is no estrangement. (Brueggemann, “Hope from Memory” Devotions for Lent: A Way Other Than our Own)

And so today we lament. And then we sing and pray to the One who makes all things new, that “Our darkness is never darkness in your sight. The deepest night is clear as the daylight...Help us to live your greater Love, and lay down our lives for those we love” because you, Perfect Love, first love us. Amen.

Read Full Reflection 

[Rebecca Hemphill serves in the healing prayer and music ministries at Hope+in+the+Desert Episcopal Church and works professionally as a hospice chaplain].

Our Darkness Is Not Darkness in God’s Light (Full Text)

At Taizé, every Saturday is Holy Saturday —that liminal lament between the bottom-falling-out of Jesus-Messiah’s death by crucifixion on Good Friday and the inconceivable possibility of Christ’s Resurrection on that first Easter Sunday.

The brothers and sisters of the ecumenical Community of Taizé in France sing with their many thousands of guests from around the globe, “Our darkness is never darkness in Your sight. The deepest night is clear as the daylight.” “There can be no greater love, than to lay down our life for those we love.”

At Taizé, each day’s readings and songs are chosen as though each week is the week of Christ’s Passion.

At Taizé, every Saturday is Holy Saturday —that liminal lament between the bottom-falling-out of Jesus-Messiah’s death by crucifixion on Good Friday and the inconceivable possibility of Christ’s Resurrection on that first Easter Sunday.

We are all vulnerable
We are living this Holy Saturday 2020 in the most comprehensive global leveling of human experience of the past century: everyone on this earth is simultaneously confronting mortality in the face of an unconcerned and unfettered new form of corona virus. Even the “haves” —who lived in the self- and societal assurance that they or their nations’ financial and intellectual resources, and miracles of science would somehow always be available save them —now face the reality that they too are part of all vulnerable humanity and share fully in the “have-not’s” experience of helplessness, insecurity, inadequate access to the health care resources they need, and the real possibility of dying in isolation from loved ones. It is a time when it is clear that as Jesus taught, God makes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45)

As people of Christ’s Way, we know the countless stories of God’s rescuing, saving, forgiving love throughout the history of our faith. We know the assurances Jesus gave his friends and students: that we will never be forsaken, never left as orphans; that in believing in Jesus we will never truly die; He himself will come and take us to the place prepared for us. But in the suffocating fear and despair of Jesus’ crucifixion, these promises and assurances were overcome on Holy Saturday by the very individuals who had heard these promises by Jesus in the flesh only 36 hours earlier. With Jesus hoped for redeemer dead, and all the powers of religion, state, and empire collaborating in his execution, now all was fear. All was the threat of imminent death. All the hoped for securities of life, livelihood, and promises of a better future were suddenly gone, buried behind a sealed stone.

Across the world on this Holy Saturday we people of all faiths, cultures, and walks of life are suffering and dying from the same new disease. We are in deep solidarity with our predecessors of nearly 2000 years ago, as we dread that this Holy Saturday darkness will continue day after day after day and month after month. We dread death. And even in our prayers and faith, our minds cannot imagine how this dark day ever transforms into the Light of saving Grace and Divine Resurrection. We will not be permitted to celebrate our Easter Sunday together in the old way. Like the captive Jews in exile, we wonder how we can sing God’s song in this sad, strange new land we find ourselves.

Hope is Birthed from Truth in Lament
We fear that the the pandemic will harm the immigrants and homeless we have tried to serve and support in solidarity; that our hopes and work for the kingdom of heaven to come to earth and heal our planet, bring divine justice, liberation and peace, and dignity to all will be thwarted by the loss of earthly resources caused by global economic collapse as collateral damage caused by this microscopic non-living virus.

But poet and renowned Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann insists that Hope is birthed only from Truth that includes Lament. Lament is the necessary element to prepare the space within us and our societies for the miracle of our Creator always doing a new and saving thing. To lament, we must fully inhabit our grief and fear. The heart’s cry of God’s people, the Lament of Good Friday and Holy Saturday is the the necessary precursor to empty ourselves so that the seeded memory of the history of God’s saving God’s people and creation, and blessing the meek, sorrowful, and mourning can grow into the newness and fullness of resurrection life promised. A life of solidarity, compassion, and covenant where all meek are blessed and there is no estrangement. (Brueggemann, “Hope from Memory” Devotions for Lent: A Way Other Than our Own)

And so today we lament. And then we sing and pray to the One who makes all things new, that “Our darkness is never darkness in your sight. The deepest night is clear as the daylight...Help us to live your greater Love, and lay down our lives for those we love” because you, Perfect Love, first love us. Amen.

Join Us Year Round 
All are welcome to join in the extension of Taizé worship which has been offered for 18 years by the ecumenical healing prayer ministry of Hope+in+the+Desert Episcopal Church (8700 Alameda Blvd NE, Albuquerque) every third Tuesday of the month from 7:30-8:30 PM.

A History of  Taizé
The Taizé ecumenical community was founded in 1944 as a small quasi-monastic community of men living together in poverty and obedience, open to all Christians. Taizé was then a small town, unoccupied by Nazi Germany, in Burgundy, France. The Taizé faith community was born in the darkest hours of Fascism’s rise around the globe, exterminating and waging war on scapegoated “others.” As a young man, its founder Brother Roger, a Reformed Christian son of a pastor, bicycled from his home in Switzerland to Taizé in 1940 to help Jews escape across the line of demarcation away from Nazi troops. Roger and his sister bought a house where they hid the Jewish refugees, until they got word the Gestapo knew of their activities and they had to flee. He returned in 1944 to launch his unique vision of an ecumenical monastic community.

Brother Roger was murdered in 2005 during one of the community’s services of prayer and song: martyred, as he stood, speaking words of faithful love, between children that were seated around him and a deranged woman wielding a knife. The ongoing prayers, songs, and teaching of youth from around the world to live Christ’s example of selfless love, in all languages by Taizé’s community of Reform, Roman and Orthodox Christians epitomizes the triumph of new life and hope growing out of the darkness of hate and destruction.

 [Rebecca Hemphill serves in the healing prayer and music ministries at Hope+in+the+Desert Episcopal Church and works professionally as a hospice chaplain].

Urban Way of the Cross: Refugees at the Border

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17-19

Reflection: A Communal Response to the Refugee Crisis



"Since October of 2018 during the various phases of our American refugee crisis we have been driving every other week to bring El Paso shelters your donated supplies and money. We connect folks here with folks there. We are a drop in the ocean of need...

The migrants used to come to us, now we go to them, responding to the cruel 'Remain in Mexico' bottleneck in Juarez. We bring donations of antibacterial wipes and cash to 'Seguimos Adelante,' who helps families in 15 Juarez shelters who must live with danger, standing water and failing heating systems.

We agree with Fr. Richard Rohr that “we cannot carry the pain of this reality on our own, nor can we only look out for ourselves. The pain is communal and so too must be the response.” 
 
Prayer (Adapted from Catholic Charities)
read by Carla Lanting Shibuya

"God of Mercy, we pray for all who flee their homes seeking safety and life. To you we lift up their hopes, their needs and their fears. Grant them protection. Grant us the tireless courage and fortitude that inspire world leaders to honor the human dignity and rights of asylum seekers and refugees around the world.  God of love, we pray that all of our sisters and brothers seeking refuge will be welcomed and supported with generous compassionate love and action. Amen."

[Glenn Rosendale and Linda Swindle for years have worked closely to support refugees and asylees at the U.S.-Mexico border, often in cooperation with Annunciation House in El Paso. They are founders of Francis Catholic Worker House in Albuquerque

Carla Lanting Shibuya,a member of the Shrine of the Little Flower, was co-director of Albuquerque Interfaith’s Asylee Welcoming Sites in 2019] .

Urban Way of the Cross: Feeding Our Children

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10: 13-16

Reflection: 'A Partnership to Feed Our Children'



"In this moment, this room gives me hope because it makes me think of all the creative ways that we can feed our neighbors, even when we're trapped within four walls...Before our lives were changes, before anyone, or most of us, even really knew what a corona virus was, we here at First Presbyterian embarked on a new partnership with Longfellow Elementary, which is right across the street from our church. Since the beginning of the school year, every week we have been delivering 50 food bags full of healthy snacks like granola bars and apple sauce and all kinds of things for kiddos who over the weekend don't have access to free meals at school. "

Prayer from Social Justice Resource Center

God our sustainer, we ask you to pour your powerful Spirit into all who are empty this day: Fill the hearts of persons who are troubled. Fill the minds of men and women who are confused.

Fill the stomachs of your children who are hungry. Fill the souls of people who are feeling lost. Fill the lives of all who need you, but do not know you. May your Spirit fill us all to overflowing, dear Lord, and may we be inspired to share our abundance with others, so that there will be no more empty hearts and minds, stomachs and souls. We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, who fills lives with your endless grace.

[Rev. Stephanie Urban is Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque]

Urban Way of the Cross: Climate Crisis

The heavens are yours, the earth is also yours; The world and all that is in it – you have founded them. (Psalm 89:11)

Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples! . . . Praise the Lord! ( Psalm 148:7-11, 14)

Reflection: 'The Wisdom Not to Turn Away'



Standing with our feet planted in the 21st century, in the age of climate change, we gaze not upon Christ the man, but upon creation itself - Crucified by the injustice and violence of our world.. . I believe that one of the primary things Christ gives to us on the cross… Is the wisdom to know that in the deliberate act of not turning away – away from that which we wish were not true and we would rather not see - We find what is most fundamental to our individual and collective transformation.

A Prayer for Our Earth

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it,that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts of  those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,to be filled with awe and contemplation,to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.   - Pope Francis (Laudato Si)

[Clara Sims is a member of the board of directors of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light.

Joan Brown,  a Franciscan sister of the  Rochester, Minn., community, is executive director of NMIPL]

Urban Way of the Cross: The Homeless Community

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25:35-36

Reflection: 'We Have to be Person-Centered'



"Ethics at Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless is just the air we breathe, it's the basis of our mission, the work that we do, it's because we think there's a right and better way to address homelessness, to address access to health care.  We have to be very person-centered  We have to be very participatory and equitable in our practices and our processes and our decision-making."  Jenny Metzler, Director, Health Care for the Homeless

Prayer -author unknown
read by Abraham Placencio

I was hungry…
and you formed a humanities club
and you discussed my hunger.
Thank you.

I was imprisoned…
and you crept off quietly to your basement chapel and
prayed for my release.

I was naked…
and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was sick…
and you knelt and thanked God for your health.

I was homeless…
and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely…
and you left me alone to pray for me.

You seem so holy,
so close to God…
But I'm still hungry…
and lonely…
and cold…
(And Homeless)

(Video of prayer produced by Oscar Butler)

[Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless provides critical services to over 7,000 men, women and children every year.

Abraham Placencio, a servant minister of the Secular Franciscans in Albuquerque, leads the outreach team at Hopeworks]

Urban Way of the Cross: A Pilgrimage of Our Hearts

How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD of heavenly forces!
My very being longs, even yearns,
for the LORD’s courtyards.
My heart and my body
will rejoice out loud to the living God!

Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there;
the swallow has found herself a nest
where she can lay her young beside your altars, 
LORD of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
Those who live in your house are truly happy;
they praise you constantly.

Those who put their strength in you are truly happy;
pilgrimage is in their hearts. Psalm 84.:1-5  

Reflection: 'Discover the Pilgrimage of your Heart'



"Because we cannot walk together, blessed be our isolation. We offer to you a personal individual self-designed pilgrimage for the 2020 Urban Way of the Cross in Albuquerque. You will find seven brief videos, each from a community leader sharing a story from a suffering neighbor. Discover the pilgrimage in your heart as you pause with us to hear stories  from men, women and families without a home, from stewards and guardians of our plundered and polluted Earth, from children with hungry tummies and just as hungry hearts, from refugees who are literally dependent on hospitality for their very lives...

Prayer

Kind God, How we long to be near to you this Holy Week, 2020. How we imagined worshipping in our churches with our companions in faith from Palm Sunday, through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and on to Easter morning…

But, this year our worship must be singular, confined to our homes or standing 6 feet apart in little groups of 5 or maybe 10…

Still, our hearts know how to make this pilgrimage with Jesus…and we commit ourselves to walk with him through places of despair and grief and days and moments of hope. Strengthen us in love that, though physically separated, we will worship in our hearts as a community. Grant that the whole world may know the deep mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection…and bring us healing, wholeness and unity.

Bless us now as we begin this pilgrimage of the heart… in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

May your pilgrimage refresh your soul and may you be content with your heart's leanings.

[Rev. Kay Huggins is interim director for the New Mexico Conference of Churches]

Urban Way of the Cross: Our Journey

Cross: Kino Border Initiative

Greetings on this Palm Sunday!
Today we commemorate the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. For many of us, this has been a day when we have gathered outside our churches to reenact this procession. With palms in our hands, we have formed part of a multitude singing hosanahs as we move into the sanctuary. 

There are no large crowds this year. We have been asked to practice social distancing during the current outbreak of COVID-19. So We practice community the best we can by engaging online.

While we are separated physically, we are still community. That is the aim of the Urban Way of the Cross that we have prepared this way. Please join us via your computer.

Beginning tomorrow, Monday, April 6, we will present a daily reflection from a community leader sharing a story from a suffering neighbor or neighbors. You can listen and watch a new reflection each day of Holy Week. Check the Bread New Mexico Blog daily for a new reflection. Each post will begin with scripture reading and end with a prayer. And each entry will have its own hyperlink once published.

Below is our schedule.  (Please note: the images are only screen shots and not links to the actual videos).

Monday: A Pigrimage of the Heart

Psalm 84:1-5 

Rev. Kay Huggins

"Discover the pilgrimage of your heart as you pause with us to hear stories  from men, women and families without a home, from stewards and guardians of our plundered and polluted Earth, from children with hungry tummies and just as hungry hearts, from refugees who are literally dependent on hospitality for their very lives..."

Tuesday: Homeless Community

Matthew 25:35-36

Health Care for the Homeless

"Ethics at Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless is just the air we breathe, it's the basis of our mission, the work that we do, it's because we think there's a right and better way to address homelessness, to address access to health care. We have to be very person-centered We have to be very participatory and equitable in our practices and our processes and our decision-making."  -Jenny Metzler, Director, HCH

Wednesday: Climate Crisis

Psalm 89:11, Psalm 148:7-11, 14

Clara Sims

"Standing with our feet planted in the 21st century, in the age of climate change, we gaze not upon Christ the man, but upon creation itself - Crucified by the injustice and violence of our world.. .I believe that one of the primary things Christ gives to us on the cross… Is the wisdom to know that in the deliberate act of not turning away – away from that which we wish were not true and we would rather not see - We find what is most fundamental to our individual and collective transformation."

Thursday: Feeding Our Children

Mark 10:13-16

Rev. Stephanie Urban

"Before our lives were changed, before anyone, or most of us, even really knew what a corona virus was, we here at First Presbyterian embarked on a new partnership with Longfellow Elementary, which is right across the street from our church. Since the beginning of the school year, every week we have been delivering 50 food bags full of healthy snacks like granola bars and apple sauce and all kinds of things for kiddos who over the weekend don't have access to free meals at school."

Friday: Refugees at the Border
Deuteronomy 10:17-19

Glenn Rosendale and Linda Swindle

"The migrants used to come to us, now we go to them, responding to the cruel 'Remain in Mexico' bottleneck in Juarez. We bring donations of antibacterial wipes and cash to 'Seguimos Adelante,' who helps families in 15 Juarez shelters who must live with danger, standing water and failing heating systems." 

Saturday: Our Darkness Is Not Darkness in God’s Light
A Special Reflection Based on Music from Taizé Community
(La Tenebre/Our Darkness,
There Can Be No Greater Love)
Rebecca Hemphill 
Hope Episcopal Church

Sunday: An Unexpected Easter
Luke 24:1-4
Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch

"Like the women on that first Easter morn, we now go in search of the Risen One. We go assured that signs of the Risen One, signs of new life, abound. Our job is to open our eyes and look around for the resurrections that are happening in our midst."



Easter Season: Stories of Hope Posted on Facebook Event 

(Urban Way of the Cross Planning Team: Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch, Joy Dinaro, Rena Dragoo, Kathy Freeze, Phyllis Harper-Rispoli, Rev. Kay Huggins, Carlos Navarro, Luke Rembold)

Urban Way of the Cross: Physically Separated, Still a Community

Let’s stay spiritually connected while social distancing. Let’s remain grounded in faith, guided by the Spirit, and directed towards hope. We will continue to rise above the challenging times... -Loyola University, New Orleans

We have been asked to engage in social distancing during the current outbreak of COVID-19. This has forced us to abandon our traditional ways of practicing community. We have walked together, we have held hands during prayers, we have hugged and kissed each other on the cheek. Social distancing precludes all these practices.

Therefore, our traditional Good Friday Urban Way of the Cross in Albuquerque will not follow its usual format. Instead of walking on the streets of downtown to offer witness about the many ways in which we failed to follow the teachings of Jesus to love our neighbor, we will offer witness through social media.

Stay tuned for a series of reflections that we will post on this site on Holy Week. 

In the meantime, we offer these reflections to help us ponder, pray and hold each other in solidarity.

As always, those who are in poverty, those suffering from illness, immigrants, and/or refugees are the most likely to be severely impacted. These are, obviously, all groups of people Jesus calls on us to protect in Matthew 25 — always a core Gospel text for us that clearly relates to this growing health threat...Each of us has a personal responsibility to each other: to be prepared and to do what we can to minimize transmission of this virus.  -Rev. Jim Wallis, Sojourners

We are in the midst of a highly teachable moment. There’s no doubt that this period will be referred to for the rest of our lifetimes. We have a chance to go deep, and to go broad. Globally, we’re in this together. Depth is being forced on us by great suffering, which as I like to say, always leads to great love. -Father Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation

In times of national uncertainty, with all the unknowns about COVID-19 spread, there are a few things about which we can be certain.

That our prayers for God’s power, protection and presence are with those on the front lines of public health leadership and those who are isolated, sick or fearful.

That our nation has an essential role to play in public policy decisions that shape the health, security and well-being of people, throughout this country and the world, and that our vigilance and advocacy are required to hold our leaders accountable.

That as the ELCA we will not stand by when people are scapegoated, attacked or targeted based on race or ethnicity, which today means solidarity and presence with Asian and Pacific Americans and their communities.

That in Lent God invites us to renewal of faith and life, and at this moment of fear and uncertainty the church is charged with witnessing to a liberating spirituality that includes repentance, resistance and hope.  -Rev. Amy Reumann, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Nuns on the Bus in New Mexico: Call to Action and a Listening Session

Whenever Sister Simone Campbell and the sisters and laity that travel with her come to your community, you expect a motivational speech urging us to stand for the poorest among us and to speak truth to power.

To be sure, Sister Simone, founder of the Nuns on the Bus campaign, rallied folks at the Roundhouse at the 10th Annual Witness for the People gathering in Santa Fe on Wednesday and to a couple of hundred people gathered at St. Therese Little Flower Parish later that evening. 

A few of the people gathered at St. Therese

'Minding the Gap'
At St. Therese, Sister Simone spoke about our nation's disparities and the unfair nature of our economy. The disparities are exacerbated by a system of taxation that is overwhelmingly favorable to the wealthiest individuals and detrimental to working families and those at the bottom of the economy.

Our call as people of faith and conscience, she said, was to become aware of the gap and act accordingly. (She alluded to a term used in the subway system in London urging us to "mind the gap)

To illustrate the scope of the problem, Sister Simone asked for seven volunteers to represent people from different income groups, from the poorest of the poor to the One percent. The exercise served to illustrate the gap between the haves and have-nots, as well as the challenges facing each group, including the middle class.

According to Sister Simone, our efforts are important to ensure that the needs of the 100 percent (all members of society) are taken into account. "We have chosen inadvertently or intentionally to support the top One Percent," Sister Simone said in describing our economic policies over the past several decades.

Three Virtues
In discerning our response to the challenge around us, Sister Simone recommended three virtues we must follow: holy curiousity (listen to the stories of people around you), sacred gossip (where you tell about the stories that you've heard and let folks know that there are situations that are unacceptable) and joy (we have to find joy in this in engagement)

Here is a 10-minute video of a small portion of Sister Simone's presentation at St. Therese.

Roundtable discussion at Second Presbyterian Church

Exercising Holy Curiousity
While a visit from Nuns on the bus is often associated with efforts to rally the community and hold politicians accountable, Sister Simone and others involved with NETWORK also come to listen and learn more about the issues affecting the people who live in a given state.

This year, NETWORK has launched a campaign to connect with people in states with high rural populations, and New Mexico was chosen as the first stop.

At a roundtable discussion at Second Presbyterian Church with representatives of several groups with connections to the community. Sister Simone listened and questions. This discussion was held on the Tuesday evening before the rally in Santa Fe.

Many topics were discussed in Albuquerque, including our very inequitable system of taxation and the resulting disparity in income, the legacy of colonialism and exploitation, the existence of food deserts, the challengers for working families in rural and urban areas, environmental racism against Native peoples and poor communities, the legacy of nuclear testing in our state, and much more.

Sister Simone and NETWORK plan to repeat the process in Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri through March, and possibly in Pennsylvania and Indiana in subsequent months.

"Here in New Mexico we have such a diverse heritage that it's really a rich opportunity to witness to the rest of the nation the capacity to have a conversation and engagement among indigenous communities, (people of) Spanish heritage as well as white Anglo folks...that have come from the East mostly as well as the Mexican and Central American family...You all have the opportunity  That is probably one of the biggest needs of our society to know that we are all one..that  we are interdependent."

Special Event in #ABQ to Feature Enneagram Master Russ Hudson

The Enneagram is one of the most powerful and insightful tools for understanding ourselves and others. At its core, the Enneagram helps us to see ourselves at a deeper, more objective level and can be of invaluable assistance on our path to self-knowledge. — Adapted from The Enneagram Institute

Trinity House Catholic Worker presents 

An Evening with

Enneagram Master Teacher

Russ Hudson

Thursday, May 10, 2018, 

7:00–9:00 p.m.

Trinity House Catholic Worker is delighted to host a basic Enneagram mini course with globally recognized Enneagram Master Teacher Russ Hudson, in the chapel of the Abbey of Santa Maria de la Vid, Norbertine Community,5825 Coors Blvd SW (map). The cost to attend this special two-hour event, a fundraiser for Trinity House, is $50/person. (Seating is limited!)

Russ Hudson, co-founder of the Enneagram Institute, is one of the principal scholars and innovative thinkers in the Enneagram world today. He is also the executive director of Enneagram Personality Types, Inc. He has been co-teaching the Enneagram Professional Training Programs since 1991, and is a founding director and former vice president of the International Enneagram Association. He is the co-author of The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Personality Types, Understanding the Enneagram, and Discovering Your Personality Type.

To register and to pay the $50 event fee, visit the Trinity House website, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Donate” button.

(Please do not contact Trinity House Catholic Worker or the Norbertine Community).

New Poor People Campaign to Launch on May 14

The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation's distorted morality.

National organizers are planning to launch The New People's Campaign on Monday, May 14. Some of the communities where rallies were held are planning special launch events on that date and on the days leading to launch date. And rallies will almost certainly occur after the launch date.

In New Mexico, organizers are planning events for six consecutive Mondays, beggining on April 14. An earlier launch event was already held in Albuquerque on Jan. 14, following a successful rally on mass revival in August 2017.

Raising Funds for New Mexico Efforts
Local organizers are raising funds to ensure that efforts in New Mexico remain sustainable.

"It takes money to support a Poor People's Campaign,  We need your support now! Our Goal is to raise $6,000 (for six direct actions, one each  Monday from May 14 to June 18)," said Rev. Holly Beaumont, one of the local leaders."

Rally and Mass Revival at Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, August 2017

The funds are needed to cover the cost of travel and housing for representatives from communities across New Mexico to participate in the Non-Violent Moral Fusion Direct Actions.

Stipends will be provided for persons who have completed the Non-Violent Moral Fusion Direct Action Training and signed the Non-Violent Covenant.

Donate via this GoFundMe Page or make your check payable to: NM Poor People's Campaign c/o IWJ-NM PO Box 23468 Santa Fe NM 87502

In the meantime, here is a video that national organizers put together in conjunction with the national launch, as well as a set of principles in a document entitled: A Moral Agenda Based on Fundamental Rights. 

Flamenco Dancers, New Mexican Food and a Turquoise Chalice Award

The New Mexico Conference of Churches invites the public to its annual fundraiser, Circo for the Community, on Saturday, April 14, Sandia Presbyterian Church, 10704 Paseo del Norte NE (map) Albuquerque, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Enjoy entertainment (Flamenco dancing) and delicious Mexican/New Mexican food (prepared by Mujeres en Acción).

Turqouise Chalice Award

In most years, the event has honored an individual with the Turquoise Chalice award for his/her contribution to promoting the well-being of the community and ecumenical dialogue across the different denominations. This year, the honoree is the Right Reverend Michael L. Vono, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rio Grande. Past recipients include Rev. Carole McGowan (St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church & Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande), Ruth Hoffman (Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico), Norbertine Father (now Abbot) Joel Garner, Rev. Ernest Falardeau (Archdiocese of Santa Fe), Bishop Ricardo Ramirez (Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces), and Marian Wright Edelman (Children's Defense Fund), among others.

Three  Community Beneficiaries
The event also serves as a fundraiser for three local organizations that have worked to meet the needs of the community and promoted the spirit of collaboration and ecumenical engagement. Last year, the Interfaith Hunger Coalition was one of the three beneficiaries of the event. Because of the funds we received, we were able to print brochures and cards, purchase a banner and hire someone to create our own website.

This year, the beneficiaries are

• Detention Ministries at the Office of Pastoral Outreach, Archdiocese of Santa Fe, 
• Refugee & Asylee Program at the Albuquerque office of Lutheran Family Services-Rocky Mountain Region, 
• New Mexico Pilgrimage for Unity. 

Help support these important ministries as well as the New Mexico Conference of Churches. Tickets are $35 for individuals and $250 for a table of eight.  Buy tickets online or register (scroll down) to pay at the door with check or credit card.

World Day of Prayer Renews Commitment to Earth Globally & in #ABQ

World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. The service is celebrated globally on the first Friday of March. Individual communities in more than 170 countries participate in the prayer service.

In Albuquerque, Church Women United will be hosting the event on Friday, March 2, 9:30 a.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 10000 Candelaria NE (map) 

Each year, women from a selected country are invited to prepare the prayers that will be used in all of the celebrations around the world. The prayers for 2018 were prepared by women from the small country of Suriname in northeast South America.

Photo: World Day of Prayer site

Through the worship service, we listen to the multicultural and multi-ethnic people of Suriname. They take us to their communities and through their concerns. History is before our eyes! The flora and fauna are remarkable! The everyday life is weaved into the prayers.

The prayers, based on Genesis 1:1-31, invite us to remember that we are caretakers of God’s creation! We are asked to recognize the urgent need to care for the Earth, keeping in mind the commitment of more than 180 countries to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. A pledge to keep the earth cooler depends on public policies implemented by governments, but also on our personal lifestyle.

Photo: World Day of Prayer site

How good is God’s creation? That is the question to meditate and respond to with a personal commitment to care for creation. But it can also be an opportunity for the WDP motto.“Informed prayer and prayerful action” to be affirmed in the community. What is it that we, as the WDP movement, can do to keep God’s creation good?

Ecumenical Events During Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Ecumenical & Interreligious Commission of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is hosting an Ecumenical Prayer Service, featuring with ValLimar Jansen at St John XXIII Catholic Community 4831 Tramway Ridge NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 (map)  on Thursday, January 25, 2018 7:00pm  A reception with light refreshments to follow the service.

The service, which is one of several events during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, The theme for the week is Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power (Exodus.15:1-20)

Blessed with an extraordinary voice, ValLimar Jansen is a highly regarded singer, cantor and recording artist. She is also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer and a workshop presenter at conferences across the United States. Known especially for her work with gospel, contemporary Christian and gospel-jazz styles, she sings a wide range of music, including spirituals and traditional, organ-based choral music.

In 2005 she released her first solo collection, You Gotta Move. Other recent projects include her stirring, gospel-style rendition of Jaime Cortez’s classic “Rain Down” on the Live It! two-CD compilation; and lead and background vocals on Clothed in Love, Tom Kendzia’s collection of spirituals and gospel-style music for the liturgy. ValLimar composes all her music with the help of her husband, Frank. They live in California and have three children.

Schedule for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Friday, Jan 19 at 5:30 pm 
Prayer Service and Dinner at Santa Maria de La Paz Catholic Community, 11 College Ave., Santa Fe (map), 505.473.4200

Friday, Jan 19 at 6:30 pm 
Dialogue on the family at Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 2532 Vermont St. NE, Albuquerque (map), 505.298.7553

Sunday, Jan 21 at Noon 
Potluck meal, followed by presentation on Christian Unity at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Arroyo Seco, N.M. (map) 575.776.8450

Sunday, Jan 21 at 3 pm 
Prayer Service at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 100 Church St., Santa Cruz, N.M, (map) 505.753.3345

Tuesday, Jan 23 at 7 pm 
 Prayer Service at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, 5415 Fortuna Rd. NW (map), Albuquerque 505.831.5011

Wednesday, Jan 24 at 6 pm 
Taize Service at Santuario de Chimayo, Chimayo, N.M. (map) 505.351.4360

Thursday, Jan 25 at 7 pm 
Prayer Service and Presentation featuring ValLimar Jansen at St. John XXIII  Catholic Community, 4831 Tramway Ridge NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 (map) Albuquerque, 505.293.0088

Thursday, Jan 25 at 6:30 pm 
Panel discussion featuring the pastors from Cathedral Basilica, First Presbyterian Church and Episcopal Church of the Holy Faithon current topics respective to their church. Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith, 311 E. Palace, Santa Fe (map), 505.982.5619

For more information on all the events, contact Rose Garcia 505.831.8243 • rogarcia@archdiosf.org

Poor People's Campaign to Launch 2018 Efforts in New Mexico

The rally and mass revival for the Poor People's Campaign made a big impact in Albuquerque last August. Central United Methodist was packed to capacity, and the energy and sense of commitment was very palpable that evening. In 2017 over 1200 New Mexican's marched and gathered to support this campaign. The reasonable question is "what comes next?"

Here is the answer.  Organizers of the Poor People's Campaign in New Mexico are planning a big event to launch activities for 2018 in Albuquerque and elsewhere in New Mexico on Sunday, January 14, at Congregation Nahalat Shalom, 3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW (map), 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The date coincides with the celebration of  Dr. Martin Luther King's 91st birthday as well as the 50th year of his death. 

The Albuquerque event, which is part of a series of similar rallies around the country, will feature speakers, local music and more. A Facebook event has been created for the occasion. "Bring your friends and your family. Everyone is invited to attend as the issues being addressed affect us all," say the organizers of the campaign. Let's do this together!"

"Rev. Dr. King lived and died championing the cause of justice for all and striving to bring good news of a brighter day for the poor and vulnerable people of the world," said the organizers, "We are holding this national revival gathering to call on the nation to enlist in the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. We call on all people of moral conscience to join us in 40 days of direct action in over half the states to challenge extremism in state and national politics."

Walking the Labyrinth on Behalf of the Most Vulnerable

The Taizé song O Lord Hear My Prayer is based on the words of Psalm 102. Participants at the social justice vigil at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Albuquerque on Tuesday chanted this song as they walked the labyrinth garden in prayerful meditation.

The vigil was part of the  For Such a Time as This, a campaign that urges people of faith to pray, fast and advocate on the 21st day of every month.

O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
When I call, answer me

O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
Come and listen to me

Photo: Bread for the World

Solidarity in Prayer
The vigil is held in different communities around the country on the 21st of the month to declare that prayer (including fasting) and advocacy are seamless, that we draw on the grace of our Creator to speak out for the most vulnerable in our society. The policies of our government on the budget, environmental protection, tax policy, health care, foreign assistance and other issues often ignore the needs of those who have the least.

The vigil at St. Paul was the first in Albuquerque since the campaign was launched in May 2017, but Karla Ice and other organizers plan to continue to sponsor the gathering of prayer and reflection locally on the 21st of the month through December 21, 2018. "We fast on the 21st of each month because the last week of the month is the hungry week in America — by the 21st, people will have used 90 percent of SNAP (formerly food stamp) benefits," said Sojourners, one of the sponsors of the campaign, along with Bread for the World, the Episcopal Church, the ELCA and many others.

Strengthening our Commitment
At the St. Paul Vigil, the labyrinth mediation was preceded with a reflection taken from the bulletin insert used by many churches in our country for Bread for the World Sunday.

Today, we join people of faith across the country in praying f or those who struggle with hunger — and in rededicating ourselves to efforts that help end hunger. Our prayerful work to end hunger is a response to the Gospel’s invitation to take part in the banquet of God’s mercy and abundance that is ours through Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:1-14). 

Our prayers and our actions are especially urgent at this time. South Sudan is suffering from a devastating famine, and famine threatens Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. In the United States, the president and Congress are making budget decisions that could make life even harder for the one in eight Americans who struggle to get enough to eat. In response to these urgent needs, we join the many other churches involved in Bread for the World. Working together, we are helping persuade our nation’s leaders to get our country and the world on track toward the goal of ending hunger by 2030. Our faith is in Christ, who makes all things new, and we place our hope in God’s vision of a world without hunger.   Amen!

'Being, Doing Church' Rescheduled for November 4

The workshop on Being, Doing Church, originally scheduled for September 9, has a new date: Saturday, November 4, and a new location: First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, 215 Locust NE (Martin Luther King Blvd and I-25).

As was the case for the original date,Wallace Ford and Jennifer Murphy- Dye teach this topic as part of a core class in the Master of Theological Studies program.

Interactive presentations will engage :

• the New Testament’s essential elements of “being church”
•  the DNA within local congregations, parishes and house churches
•  ecumenical experiences and their lessons
•  and the call for reconciliation among churches – including the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church and affirmed by the World Methodist Council and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. 

$20, lunch included…register now: khuggins@eimnm.net (Register before Nov. 1st, if you want to eat…otherwise show up, pay $20, and bring your lunch!)

This ecumenical event will follow the New Mexico Conference of Churches Commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on Sunday, October 29.