Subject: Community Resources for Interfaith Vigils to Honor Matthew Shepard
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 18:04:08 EDT

A Resource Kit Prepared
by the Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community Churches

Resources for A Community-Wide
Anti-Violence Prayer Vigil
Honoring the Life of Matthew Shephard.
Working for Justice for All People.

NOTE: You are authorized to reproduce and redistribute these materials, and to
use them in whole or in part, at no cost.

Call to Worship/Gathering

One:   There are some who hurl taunts, threats and words of hate against us.
Many: But we will not be silenced.
One:   They use fists, weapons and acts of violence to try to keep us down.
Many: But we will not go away.
One:   They exclude us from civil rights protections and fail to enact laws to
keep us safe.
Many: If we were silent, the very rocks and stones would cry out for justice.
One:   We say, "No life should ever be sacrificed to intolerance.
"Many: We say no life should ever be silenced by injustice.
One:   Each human life is precious.
Many: Each human path is sacred.
One:   Creator of Us All, be with us now. Nurture within us an abiding respect
for one another. Dwell within us in deep peace. Remove from our hearts all
that leans towards violence and hatred and replace it with a passion for
justice and peace. Where we are afraid, O God, strengthen us. Where we are
hurt, heal us. May your voice cry out from the rocks and stones, from our
hearts and minds, calling for justice, for peace and for unity. Amen.

Welcome

We are gathered here to honor the life and memory of Matthew Shepard and all
those who who have died in hate-motivated acts of violence.  We still live in
a world in which differences are feared and where lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered people are all too regularly attacked and murdered for the
simple fact of who we are.  

We have gathered today to acknowledge our loss, our grief and our
frustrations, and to gather strength, hope and courage from one another. May
Matthew's life be an inspiration for us; may his death be a catalyst for
change in our world.

Music

Invite a local GLBT chorus or the choir of a GLBT-friendly house of worship to
provide an appropriate musical selection.

Readings

Ask readers of various faiths to bring a reading from their tradition that
speaks to them on this occasion. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Quetzalcoatl

Offer only lovely things on my altars--
the bread of life, and jewels, and feathers, and flowers.
Let the streams of life flow in peace.
Turn from violence.
Learn to think for a long time how to change this world,
how to make it better to live in.
All the people in the world ought to talk about it
and speak well of it always.
Then it will last forever,
and the flowers will bloom forever,
and I will come to you again.

The Buddha

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character.
      so watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born of concern for all beings.

Jesus

And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question, to test him. "Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the law?"  And Jesus answered, "You shall
love the Sovereign your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second
is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two
commandment depend all the law and the prophets."  (Matthew 22:35-40)

Hebrew Scriptures

Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an everflowing stream.  (Amos 5:24)

Speakers

Invite members of the community, leaders in the church or of a local anti-
violence project, and/or a member of PFLAG, to speak. You may wish to have
several speakers, with music or readings between each speaker. It would be
very appropriate to have a speaker eulogize Matthew, helping us to focus on
his life, as well as the circumstances of his death.

Speakers may wish to focus on the status of hate-crimes legislation in your
area, what community members can do, and how to be mobilized, not paralyzed,
by the events of this past week.

Music: 

"Something Inside So Strong" or use an alternative selection.

A Moment of Silence

Let us remember those who preach hatred and who fail to see that the violence
of their words leads to violence in actions. We acknowledge that they, too,
are wounded by their own fears and prejudices.  For their sake, and for ours,
we call upon them to cease their outpouring of rhetoric and instead to preach
justice and love for all of God's children.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember those in the legislatures and executive offices in our nation
and our states who have allowed bills to languish or who have blocked the
passage of laws designed to protect those who are victims of hate crimes.  We
acknowledge that they, too, are left vulnerable without these protections.
For their sake, and for ours, we call upon them to act to protect the lives
and civil rights of each citizen in their jurisdictions.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember our own inactions, for times when we have not advocated on our
own behalf for laws that would protect us and others and for times when we
have not acted to stop injustice against another.  We acknowledge that until
all are safe, none of us are safe; until all are free, none of us are free.
For their sake, and for ours, we call upon each other to renew our commitment
to work for justice in our land and in our lives.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember those who live with deep fear in their hearts, who live with
hatred and who believe that violence is the answer to their problems.  We
acknowledge that when they act in hatred, their lives, too, are destroyed and
their futures erased.  For their sake, and for ours, we call upon them to be
transformed, to let love rule where violence once flourished.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember the families of those who commit hate crimes, who must live
with the knowledge of violent acts committed by someone they love.  We
acknowledge that their lives, too, are devastated and their hopes dashed.  For
their sake, and for ours, we remember that pain goes in many directions from
each act of violence.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember all who have been harmed by violence, who have known the
terror at the other end of a hate-filled word or an upraised fist.  We
acknowledge the strength of those who survived and the long road to healing.
For their sake, and for ours, we commit ourselves to building each other up
and to healing, together.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember all who have lost their lives to hate-motivated violence, who
have spent their final moments in fear and pain.  We acknowledge the beauty
and preciousness of their lives, and our loss that they are no longer among
us.  For their sake, and for ours, we commit ourselves to working to create a
world in which differences are valued and lives are held sacred.

Pause for a moment of silence  [you may want to read the names of those lost
locally to hate-motivated violence and light candles for them at this time]

Let us remember the lovers and families and loved ones of those who have died
in hate-related crimes.  We especially remember the family of Matt Shepard. We
acknowledge their pain and their deep grief.  For their sake, and for ours,
let us always remember that they, too, are part of our community and they,
too, need our healing and our love.

Pause for a moment of silence

Let us remember Matthew Shepard and those he left behind.  May all who were
touched by him remember his life, as well as his death.  May the beauty of his
spirit and his love and care for his family live on in us.  May his death
spark us to fight for the living, to ensure that never again is a life like
Matthew's cut short by hatred.  

Pause for a moment of silence and light a candle in the center of the
room/area

We light this candle in Matthew's memory, as a symbol of the light that he
brought to this world.  We share this light to signify that we hold his memory
in our hearts and that we pledge ourselves to ending the violence that led to
his death.

Music

During the music, you can have people light their candles from the central
candle(s) that you just lit. Passing the light among the people is a powerful
symbol.

Offering/Collection

The proceeds from the offering could be donated to the Matthew Shepard
Memorial Fund or to a local organization working to prevent hate-crimes.

If you elect to receive an offering, you should clearly state the organization
to which the funds will be donated and state that 100% of all donated funds
will go directly to the designated organization.

In addition to collecting money, you may wish to collect petitions or
postcards urging the passage of hate crimes legislation.

Music

Music played while the offering is being collected

Dedication of the Offering

Holy One, bless these gifts of your people to [name of organization or Matthew
Shepard Memorial Fund]. We pray that through our prayers and our gifts that we
will further the cause of peace.  Work powerfully in our community, in our
city and in our world, that the path of violence may fall into disrepair as
the path of peace is traveled more and more.  May we be builders of that road,
with your help.  We pray in your many names, Amen.

Memorial Prayer for Matthew

O God, our strength and our hope,
with faith in your great love, 
we entrust Matthew to your eternal care.
May your light eternal shine upon him.
We thank you for all that Matthew was to those who loved him
and for all the joy of his earthly life.
We praise you that he is now in a place 
where pain, sorrow and hatred are no more.
We ask for your help
that we may create such a place here on earth.
Be with us, O Source of Comfort,
to heal all hearts made heavy with sorrow and fear.
May Matthew's family, friends and loved ones
know your presence around them, 
and may our prayers and the prayers of people throughout the world
give them comfort and strength.
One day we will all gather together
as one family in that place where you reign forevermore.
Thanks be to you, O God.

Dedication of the People

Leader:  
We will not be silenced by hatred and fear.  We will not go away because of
intolerance and injustice.  Rather, we stand today, united, strong,
courageous, to commit ourselves to creating a world that is filled not with
violence, but with peace; not with hatred, but with love.

People:
I will speak out for justice and for freedom, for my life and for the lives of
others.
I will call upon my government to equally protect each of its citizens.
I will act when I see injustice around me.
I will seek peace in my life and in all my actions.
I will value my own journey and my uniqueness.
I will value the journey and lives of those who are different from me.
I will remember Matthew and all whom we have lost to violence.  
I will live my life with courage, with love and with hope, as a tribute to
their lives. 

Leader:
Go into the world with courage, rememberinng that we stand strong, united, and
together on this day.  Seek peace in all you do, for in so doing, you will
transform the world.  Blessings to you.  Amen.

Closing Music

"We Shall Overcome"

~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES:

Authorization is granted to reproduce and distribute these materials without
cost.

Before and/or after the service, you may want to have petitions or post cards
calling for the passage of hate crimes legislation in your state or
SS1529/HR3081 (the federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act, currently languishing
in the US Congress).  You may also wish to have people sign cards of
condolence for Matthew Shepard's family.

Local anti-violence groups or community organizations might want to pass out
literature about preventing anti-gay violence.  Some organizations are
distributing whistles to help people signal that they are under attack.  

Some communities may elect to conclude with a candlight march through their
city or town.

A post-event option is to host a community-wide forum to discuss stratagies
for supporting national and local hate-crimes bills and to raise issues
related to hate-crimes.

People will need some time to gather following the vigil or service.  Plan for
a reception, coffee hour or some other gathering event.

SPECIAL TO THANKS TO: The Rev. Justin Tanis, UFMCC Director of Clergy
Development, for composing this liturgy for "Community-Wide Anti-Violence
Prayer Vigils" to honor the life of 22-year old Matthew Shepard, whose life
was ended by anti-gay hate-crimes in Laramie, Wyoming.

(END)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
UFMCC Communications Department
8704 Santa Monica Blvd.,  2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069

Tel. (310) 360-8640
Fax: (310) 360-8680

E-mail: [email-masked]

website: http://www.ufmcc.com