What Comes Around Goes Around ( a tribute to Budd Friend Jones)

I made my way to warmer climes-- Minneapolis. Yes, somehow it is slightly warmer in Minneapols than it is in Denver. (However, I don't think I will totally escape the snow as here in MN we are expecting 1-3 inches today.) I have always wanted to visit the Twin cities, but never in January.

So what am I doing here? Good question. I am here on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign's Faith in Action program. They have chosen 4 cities this year to support local progressive faith projects and here in Minneapolis they are supporting the One Voice: Mixed Chorus' concert series entitled Reclaiming Faith: In the Spirit of Justice. About eighty singers of different orientations (predominately white, though) from the Twin cities area come together to sing songs of spirit, acceptance and inspiration. Their mission is to bring about social change through music. My excitement in working with them proved worthy.

Last night they sang at a church (for a crowd of 250 or so) a diverse collection of music which blended different faith traditions, musical styles and reverence with irreverence. They offered moving and creative "kavanot" intentions before much of the music. I was the key note speaker, which was the deal that HRC made with them--so I was not sure how much I was really wanted. I was the "cost" of doing business. HRC tasked me with speaking about Faith tools for Advocacy.

I forget how much I stress over speeches like this. Part of it is an unknown audience, but in this case, I was not certain how much people wanted to hear a "sermon" when they came to listen to music. I wrote and rewrote, much like I do before High Holy Days. I called up Brian in Hawaii and read it to him, demanding critical feedback. What could I do to bring it to the next level. I was told that with both concerts, I would speaking to close to 1300 people. You can read the article about the creation of the concert at http://www.startribune.com/614/story/947286.html and you can check out the One Voice website at http://www.ovmc.org/.

I was really taken with much of the music. The choral director Jane Ramseyer Miller (with a bold streak of purple in her hair) not only has brought her musical gifts in her directing and composing of pieces, she brings her spiritual life and journey to her music. Most notably blended in her piece that combines the Mennonite choral tradition where she learned her love of music with Langston Hughes poetry of "A Dream Deferred". It is an arresting piece that mimics her journey of loving her community, loss and rejection to claiming a more powerful place in her spiritual life than she could have ever imagined.

It was amazing how well my speech highlighted, supported and challenged the music and the words of that evening. Essentially, I spoke about need to create our own playing field and stop living life on the fundamentalist theological territory. It had echoes of my Rosh Hashanah speech, but it drew upon much different sources and was specifically geared to the LGBT community and our allies.

Always knowing I can do better, I rely on the kinds of connections people seek to make with me afterwards to gauge whether I was effective. Last night blew me away. people sought me out to share their thoughts, personal stories , projects, joys and pain. One woman in her late sixties kept declaring I should go into politics. I told her I didn't have the stomach for it. She laughed and said, "Honey, well you sure got the balls for it." Three Jewish women came over to tell me about the LGBT community in their reform synagogue was working on a collaborative project demanding rights for all families. A college freshman thanked me for being clear, energetic and powerful. He said I was the kind of "minister" (sic) that his friends could relate to. It was wonderful to have touched a community of strangers in this way. But a major surprise happened.

I was told I would be speaking at a Methodist Church so I did not put two and two together when I realized that I was in a UCC church. A woman came over to me and said, you sound like a man I know in Atlanta. He is a pastor, in factor he used to be the pastor here. Do you know Budd Friend Jones? I couldn't believe that I was speaking at Mayflower UCC where Budd so proudly led the community for many years. For those of you who do not know, Budd used to be the pastor at the UCC church where our synagogue Bet Haverim meets. Buddhas been a tremendous ally in so many ways. I miss him. I left that evening floored. What an incredible honor to speak at the church he so lovingly talk about. How deliciously ironic.

On my way out, the music director grabbed me and told me that I did a great job, BUT, I was too long. She asked if I could cut my speech down to 15 minutes. I didn't tell her that HRC told me to speak for 20. I honestly don't know how long I talked for, but today I will try to cut it down a bit. Perfection is so elusive. Oh well, I guess I live up to the long winded stereotype.

What are you going to do?

Today is at Temple Israel--then tonight I fly to Philadelphia to lead a workshop to rabbinical students at RRC on creating inclusive communities.