August 18, 2007

Our thanks for the Churchwide Assembly scarves

From Jerry Vagts, LC/NA Grassroots Coordinator:

Words can not express our thanks and appreciation to all who participated in the Rainbow Scarves Project. It began as a simple idea and grew into a wonderful joining of hands, hearts and stories to share a message of love and support to LGBT Lutherans and their Church. Thank you for making it happen.

We had hoped for 500 and then knitters and crocheters all over the country went to work and we had close to 2000 scarves to share. They were worn by the volunteers of goodsoil. It allowed people to know they had a story to share. As the week progressed, more and more people asked to wear them. People on the street would stop and ask what they were for and almost always were wonderfully supportive.

People wearing them kept coming up to me to share a story of the scarf they had randomly chosen and a connection with the person or congregation who made it. A pastor had recently buried a congregational member… one who had been especially supportive of her and her partner. After wearing a scarf for a day, her partner noticed a tag on the scarf… it had been made by the departed parishioner's mother's conservative, rural, home congregation. We will never know the distance or impact the scarves have reached. All of you made that happen.

We brought 18 home with us; all that were left. Everyone needed just one more to share with a loved one, a pastor, a gay child, a parent, a friend. Who knows how long the stories will continue. And you made it happen. You, the members in the pew, willing to devote time and attention for the creation of beauty to represent the love we know the Lutheran Church has for all people.

The Holy Spirit was with you as you worked one stitch at a time and it was there with us in Chicago laying lightly on our shoulders as we witnessed to others Jesus love for all.