On Sunday morning I got up early to get ready for Sunday worship. Often it is my practice to check the news for a moment, to be aware of anything current happening before coming to the Fellowship building, rather than being surprised by the news after I’m there. Checking the NPR news app on my phone, there was a big one: 9 People Dead in a Mass Shooting in California, the headline read. Shooting occurred at a Lunar New Year festival, was the subtitle. This is a breaking story. I knew that this was Chinese New Year, more accurately called Lunar New Year. The horror of another mass shooting struck me—and the near-certainty in my mind that it was targeted: targeted against Asian Americans the way that nightclub shootings have been targeted against LGBTQ people. I imagined a white male shooter committing a hate crime.* On my phone and I scrolled down a little farther. There was another story about the Lunar New Year, but this one was a video—a rap song, as the caption explained, created by elders in the Asian community in San Francisco. I clicked on it and watched the one-minute video. The joy and spunk of these women in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, doing a rap that celebrates Chinese culture, and the Chinese-American experience in a real and light-hearted way, moved me to tears. Overwhelmed with emotion, I didn’t know if I was laughing or crying, and realized that it was both at the same time. My sadness and fear and anger, thinking of the families of victims of yet another shooting, brought tears of rage and despair. My joy, in seeing the hilarious video of elders celebrating a minority culture with pride and dignity and humor, brought tears of exhilaration and hope. Both types of tears were mixed and simultaneous. And what was clear to me in that moment was this: the joy is a necessary answer to the violence. Joy and song and dancing and laughter give us resilience in a world of violence and hate crimes and mass shootings. It was then I knew that sharing the video during morning worship, as part of the children’s time in a worship service devoted to Elderhood, was the right thing to do. Joy is the message and joy is the way forward. A link to the video is here. *As I learned (and we all learned) later, the shooter was a 72 year-old Asian American with personal ties to the dance hall where the shooting happened. Therefore the event is probably not characterized as a hate crime. The ultimate death toll was 11 dead and 9 wounded, and the gunman also killed himself when confronted by police. PRAYER: May God bless the families of those who died in the Los Angeles Lunar New Year shooting. May God smile warmth and radiance and healing on those wounded in the attack. God, you are Chinese; you are Asian; you are American; you are a dragon and you are a rabbit. God, I hear you in the voices of the Grant Avenue Follies and their sacred, joyful, funny rap song. God, you are alive in their dancing and in the traditions they celebrate. May the Year of the Rabbit bring good luck and peace to all of God’s creatures, with no exceptions. Blessed be. Rev. Andrew (Drew) Frantz |
As I seek to get in touch with the core of who I am—my center, my purpose, my essence—I find the words of Christopher L. Heuertz helpful. Each of the three things he names—about how NOT to define who we are—is a trap I have fallen into.
The first one (I am what I have) is defining myself by my possessions. It is an easy trap to think that my house, my car, my clothes, my books, my guitar represent who I am. If I lost everything that I have, would that change who I think I am? In our society we are programmed to identify ourselves with our possessions, and we must un-learn that idea. The second one (I am what I do) is the strongest and most obvious one for me: I have defined myself as a teacher, and now as a minister; I have defined myself as a parent and as a husband. The deeper question is: who am I when all of that is taken away? What is the “me” that is left? Another way to think of this is: who am I when I am not doing anything? Many people use meditation to get in touch with their inner core: sitting and not doing anything allows our deeper self to emerge. The last one (I am what other people say or think about me) is the hardest one. Do I define myself by what others say about me? If I don’t, then the truth of me must come from within. Or possibly from the voice of God, which is not “other people” after all. No, I am not what other people say or think about me. I am instead what the Force of Life says about me. The mysterious power that created me (Life/Evolution/God/Mother Nature) says: you are good and beautiful, holy and perfect just as you are. This is the inner truth that I want to remember, separate from material things, the roles I play in life, and the opinions of others. PRAYER: May each of us find our center, our inner core, our ground of being. May we know the sense of serenity and belonging and purpose that come from deep within. May each of us know that we are loved and worthy, whole and perfect, just as we are. Blessed be. Rev. Andrew Frantz In celebration of old friends and singing
On New Year’s Eve I was able to reconnect with my friend Bo, whose home represents community gathered around music. On the day we met, at a softball game almost twenty years ago, we quickly found out that we both enjoyed playing music. Over the next fifteen years our friendship included parenting, working together, and many music sessions. At the time, among our group of friends, there were regular music parties. Usually there were several people with guitars, a few with other instruments, and many singers. Some people crafted song sheets to facilitate the music. Bo took this to a new level by printing a book of songs. And his place was the best for music parties because he was the best song leader, switching from guitar to mandolin to piano. Years of COVID and my move from Ohio to Michigan meant that I hadn’t seen Bo for more than a year and hadn’t been to a music party for years. New Year’s Eve last week gave me that chance. Bo’s wife Linda welcomed me with home-made soup and hot cider; other friends from my years living in this community welcomed me back. And then we went to the living room to sing. Bo’s songbook has been revised and is bigger than ever. We sang Paul Simon, the Beatles, Nanci Griffith and Jackson Browne. The harmonies were as satisfying as ever, and the feeling of being among friends was priceless. Holidays are a time for being with loved ones, connecting to past joys, and creating new experiences. My New Year’s Eve allowed me to celebrate the joys of long-time friends and of singing. I return from a week of vacation refreshed and ready for the new year. I hope that everyone reading this was able to find peace and joy in the holidays of December. May 2023 bring good health and community connections to everyone. PRAYER: Spirit of Music, divine muse of harmony and creativity and living beauty, be here now. May beauty bless every human being. May we all sense that we are part of a greater music—the music of life itself, with all creatures singing in one great chorus. Amen. Rev. Andrew Frantz |
Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Summer Hours
Rev. Drew takes six weeks of time off during the summer months, and is also away for a full week at General Assembly. Although regular office hours are suspended for the summer, you may still contact Drew with any urgent Fellowship business if needed, or with significant pastoral care needs. Texting 440-935-0129 is the best way to reach Rev. Drew. [email protected] Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or [email protected]. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
June 2024
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