Commemoration & Candlelight Vigil Script

Transgendered Day of Remembrance Commemoration

And Candlelight Vigil Participants

Piano Player: arrives at 5:30pm for sound check and rehearsal; begins playing mellow, background, improvisational jazz piano music at 6:30 while people gather and stops at 6:58pm; plays hymn music during candle lighting and then during hymn

Audio: arrives at 4pm; is responsible for all microphones and sound management; cues music from CD on sound system for Love's Divine

Visual: arrives at 5:30pm; dims lights at end of sacred dance; projects photos during Litany of Names; projects hymn words on screen during hymn

Ushers:(4); arrive at 5:30pm to fill baskets with candles and holders, arm bands and folded bulletins; straighten up chairs to be in easy to maneuver rows; provide space for 4 wheel chairs making certain to provide line of sight for each position; rope off enough chairs in the far right front rows for the choir when they move down from the stage; light the four candles in the candelabra on the left side of the sanctuary at 6:30pm, and then go to each door entrance into sanctuary with a basket of candles and holders, arms bands and bulletins so that when people arrive, they can give each person: a black arm band, a candle and holder, and a bulletin; they light their candles from the candelabra, they light aisle candles

Pastoral Care Counselors: (4); arrive at 5:30pm; they are to be available for those who might need to talk before, during or after the service; they wear purple arm bands

Worship Convener: arrives at 4pm; Convenes service, welcomes people to service

Choir Director: arrives at 4pm; directs choir for Love's Divine and congregation in hymn

Choir: arrive at 4pm to rehearse and for sound check; all choir members must be in their seats on the stage by 6:45pm; they sing Love's Divine

Sacred Dancers: (2) (a transman and a transwoman); arrive at 5pm to rehearse with choir; dance to Love's Divine

Namer: arrives at 6:15pm; reads names of each transperson martyred this year

Preacher: arrives at 6:30pm; exhorts congregation to take care of one another and self and reminds them of God's love

All positions or roles above and in the following script are capitalized to give honor to the role or position.

Transgendered Day of Remembrance Commemoration

And Candlelight Vigil Script

TIME: In order to honor transgender polychronic time, we will advertise the service to begin at 6:30 and plan to begin at 7-7:15pm. The gathering in time is valuable, so that people have time to connect, greet each other, commiserate together, and then settle in.

SET-UP OF SPACE: The chairs are set up in a half moon shape facing the stage. The speakers Podium is set off to the right side of the room (as one faces the stage from the back of the room), but not on the stage. Enough chairs are roped off for the Choir members and Choir Director on the right side of the room. Designated seating for worship participants are in the right section in the front row: Worship Convener; Preacher; Namer; and Choir Director.

WORSHIP CONVENER:The worship service convener will:

1At 7-7:15pm, [rise from seat, stay standing in the front row-don't move to podium yet],

2Chime the Tibetan Singing Bowl three times, at 7-7:15pm to settle the crowd and help us focus into the service.[holding the bowl on the flat, open palm of hir's hand strike it three times, allowing bell to resound between strikes]

3[Move to the podium] and welcome everyone to the Vigil of Remembrance, saying these things: a) draw everyone's attention to the bulletin as a way to follow the service, the arm band (invite people to tie the arm band on each other), the candle and candle holder b) point out the location of the Responsive Lament in the bulletin: let them know that they read the part that is designated as ALL, hir says the One line c) introduce Pastoral Counselors, by name, and their availability and purpose [Pastoral Care Counselors be prepared to rise as name is said]they rise, as their names are called, so people can see them--they will wear purple arm bands)

4Introduce the Transcendence Gospel Choir and Choir Director (by name), and the two Sacred Dancers (by names), then return to hir's seat

CHOIR DIRECTOR:[Hir gets up and starts moving toward the Choir on the right hand side of the stage while the Worship Convener is naming the Sacred Dancers], (people's eyes will be diverted to the Dancers). The moment that the Convener begins moving away from the podium to return to hir's chair, the Choir Director moves tocenter stage. Hir will motion for the Choir to rise to sing.

AUDIO:When the Worship Convener sits down, [press the play button on the player for the CD to begin playing the instrumental part of Seal'sLove's Divine.]As the dance begins to come to a close, when the house lights dim, slowly begin to [fade the music out]. When lights are fully on, the music should be completely silent.

CHOIR:Following the direction of the Choir Director, [rise to sing]. The music has already begun to play; the choir begins to sway in time with the music and at the appropriate moment begins singing under the direction of the Choir Director.

SACRED DANCERS:At the beginning of the music, before the singing begins, the male-spectrum and the female-spectrum dancers [move to their respective places ("M" to the left side of space--"F" to the right)]. As the singing begins, the dancers [move into the center of the room and begin their separate dances], at the end of the dance, as they move to become joined, their separate dance will become one.The house lights godim, the [dancers part], and [go back to changing area, change into street clothes and join congregation, from the back of the sanctuary].

VISUAL:When the Sacred Dancers move into the dance, [move into position to dim the lights]. At the last moment of the dance, when the two become one, [dim all the house lights].

The Music is still playing.As the music fades, [brighten the lights].

NAMER:Asthe lights are dimmed the Namer [moves to the podium] to be ready to begin reading the names of this year's deceased.

CHOIR:When the choir is done singing, they [move down to sit in the reserved chairs]on the right side of the sanctuary. Just the music of Love's Divine plays during this transition time.

NAMER:The Namer says, This year there were ____ transpersons martyred because of fear, hatred, and prejudice. We will show the photograph of the transperson on the screen, as their name is read, if we have one and if not, then a sunrise to illustrate a very hard life lived authentically. I will read their names in the order in which they died, beginning in January 2008 with the name of ______, a transwoman who was a sex worker in the Tenderloin, and was found murdered in her tenement hotel room on January 7th, 2008.

[after every name is read, PAUSE, listen for the ring of the Tibetan Bowl, then read the next name and script for that name, until all the names have been read]

VISUAL:As each name is read, if we have a picture of them, that [picture is put up on the screen; if there is no picture, then a picture of a sunrise is put up in its place].

WORSHIP CONVENER:[As each name is read, the Worship Convener, still sitting, chimes the Tibetan bowl once].

After the last chime of the last name, the [Worship Convener rises from hir's place and invites the congregation to do so], as well, saying:

Please join me in the responsive Lament found in your bulletin on the right hand side of the page. I will say the "One"part; you say the "All" part. A period of silence will follow this Lament, for individual prayer and meditation.

The responsive Lament is read through and the congregation is invited to sit, as well. Silence is observed. The [Worship Convener sits following the reading of the Lament and times the Silence for approximately 2 minutes, or ends it as the Spirit leads. The Worship Convener rings the Tibetan Bowl once to end the silence].

PREACHER:When the Worship Convener rings the Bowl once,[the preacher rises to stand in the front of the gathering, not behind the podium]. The preacher's task is to exhort the gathering to honor those who have died and honor themselves and their friends even more by staying alive, by practicing healthy life affirming habits, such as safe calls, going everywhere in pairs, (when possible), getting health checkups, etc. Nothing condemning is said--only life affirming with love for self, neighbor and God. The preacher is to deliver a homily about God's love for each person created--that God created people there in love--and to know and honor the name that God created them to carry!

At the end, the Preacher instructs all how to participate in the Candlelighting Vigil.

People on the aisle will light their candle from one of the ushers bringing a lit candle down the center aisle. You will light your candles from the person next to you. Please move the unlit candle to the lit candle, so that wax does not drip on the carpeting. After all candles are lit, we will sing the hymn that is projected on the screen.

PIANO PLAYER:[Piano player moves into place before ushers move to light their candles].

USHERS:As Piano Player moves to piano,[Ushers move forward to light their individual candles from the Candles in the Candelabra on the left side of the Sanctuary].

While the candles are being lit, the music for the Hymn is played so that people have the melody in their heads when it comes time to start singing.

CHOIR DIRECTOR:The [Choir Director risesafter all candles are lit and moves to the front of the sanctuary and directs the congregation to rise and begin singing].

WORSHIP CONVENER:After the hymn is finished the [Worship Convener rises] to thank everyone for coming and being a part of the Vigil, [invites us to extinguish our candles] and suggests taking our candle with us so we can light them throughout the year to remember. The Worship Convener then sends us out in Prayer for our safety, and to remember those who have gone before us as a "great cloud of witnesses" looking over us in protection and love. Then says,

And the congregation all said, "Amen"