RIC Sunday
Scheduled for January 31, 2010
Annually, the last Sunday in January is designated by the ecumenical welcoming community as Welcoming Sunday. On this day, worshippers are encouraged to join other welcoming congregations from various denominations in celebrating the witness to God's love for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
This year, Rev David Eck, pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Fairview, North Carolina, has compiled resources for your use. Resources include suggested readings, liturgy, prayers, and hymns. MP3 music files are provided to aid in your planning. If your congregation has already scheduled other themes for that day, you may use these resources on a Sunday of your choosing.
There is a bulletin insert which is intended to print as a single, 8½" x 11" double-sided document, folded in half. The insert contains an announcement about RIC Sunday and an update on the RIC Program. It also includes a story by Ron Rendleman on behalf of himself and his partner, Dwight Alberhasky. The couple lives in St Charles, Missouri. The story describes the difference it has made them to be members of a welcoming congregation.
RIC Sunday is a time to remind your congregation what it means to live a theology of reconciliation. Many RIC pastors are doing wonderful things to further the welcome in their congregations; many acknowledge there is much more to do. Voting to become an RIC congregation is just the beginning. Some suggestions for RIC Sunday activities include:
- Reconciling Lutheran drive: Invite all members of your congregation to sign the Reconciling Lutheran covenant included in the bulletin insert. See how many members of your congregation are willing to publically state their support for full participation in the life of the Lutheran Church. Send completed forms to the LC/NA office.
- Take a special offering to support and enhance the ministry of Lutherans Concerned/North America and the Reconciling in Christ program. Congregational support is crucial to this ministry.
- Invite the wider community to your congregation for RIC Sunday. Many have heard about the politics of the Lutheran Church, and you can help do the work of reconciliation by showing them a congregation that supports full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
- Education Opportunities: Talk about elections for the 2011 Churchwide Assembly, what "welcoming" means, or bi- or trans- education. Visit InfoX for videos and other RIC resources.
RIC Sunday resources
The following RIC Sunday resources for 2010 are available for download:
Two Microsoft Word documents in a single ZIP archive file. Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) on this link to download the ZIP file.
- Resource materials, including prayers and readings
- Bulletin insert
Two Adobe PDF documents (requires Adobe Reader software). Use the links below to view or download each file.
- PDF resource materials, including prayers and readings
- PDF bulletin insert
Suggested hymns. Use the links below to view or download each file. PDF files (require Adobe Reader software). MP3 files require appropriate sound hardware and software.
- All That I Am
PDF MP3
- God Is Breaking Ev'ry Barrier Down
PDF MP3
- Jesus Is Our Center
PDF MP3
Pride Sunday
Just as we celebrate God's all-encompassing love on the last Sunday in January with an RIC Sunday celebration, the annual Pride season is another chance for your congregation to celebrate and renew its commitment to welcoming all. Pride celebrations take place regionally all over the country, usually during the month of June. (You can check with your local LGBT publication, PFLAG chapter, or similar organization for local dates.)
Pride is an excellent chance for congregations to renew, remember, and rejoice in their welcome and celebrate their LGBT friends, family, members, and ministers. So, we encourage you to suggest our new Pride Sunday resources to your worship committee, pastor, or congregational leaders. Paul Gibson, a member of St Paul's in Clearwater, Florida, and retired opera singer and ex-Benedictine monk among other things, authored these materials. The materials include liturgy and prayers as well as suggested readings for the day. They can be used any time in the church year, but we especially recommend you use them during your local Pride celebration as a way to bring focus to the joy of being a part of the LGBT and allied community and to your congregation's continued commitment to radical welcome. |
