Faith in Solidarity with Survivors
Never trust a biblical literalist who still has both their eyes.
Jesus told men to pluck out lecherous eyes, to chop off offending hands, and following that logic to dismember other parts of their anatomy that transgress.
He wouldn’t ask what she was wearing, but why he isn’t wearing an eyepatch.
Our faith has been twisted into a tool to control and dominate others. It is used to justify oppression and abuse while silencing victims.
We reject this abusive faith.
We demand a liberating faith, a living faith.
A living faith demands accountability, especially from the mighty.
A living faith demands solidarity with those targeted by violence.
A living faith demands we amplify the voices of survivors.
A living faith demands compassion and mercy for the abused.
A living faith demands bringing the abusers to justice.
A living faith flips the status quo, topples the powerful, and empowers the marginalized.
Woo-Woo is another name for God. To Woo-Out is Divine
There are those that think Chapel of the Open Hearth and Heathen Christianity are woo-woo. And when my toddler asks Who is Woo-Woo and how to find them. Our best answer is that woo-woo is another name for God. For we must all embrace our inner woo, to woo-out is divine.
Prayer to Burn Down the Patriarchy and End Violence Against Women
Brigid,
Firekeeper.
Bless the flames to burn down patriarchy.
Bless the flames that forge our steel so we may protect and defend one another.
Bless the flames of our speech so survivors' voices will blast the foundations.
Fan the flames.
Let our outrage burn bright and glorious and hot.
And out of the ashes,
help a new society be born.
One that embraces consent and finally
truly honors women.
Let our flames burn perpetually.
Amen.
May the Spirit Flow in You Like a Gentle Stream
A blessing from Chapel of the Open Hearth and the path of Heathen Christianity
Campfire Canon: A prayer for those seeking faith after church hurt.
Abba,
Beloved God,
We do not always hear your call,
We have heard the hypocrisy of your ministers
And seen the crimes done in your name.
We have rejected your churches.
How have you let this happen?
Show us that faith can be affirming,
That justice is alive,
And that transformation is possible.
Let your voice whisper in every breeze,
Until it is a thunderous roar crashing down on,
Their institutions, their power, their ability to harm.
Let your voice whisper on the breeze.
Calling us into the Heavenly Revolution.
Amen.
- - -
A companion prayer to the Campfire Story: Tending the Vineyard, Confronting a Pulpit.
Under the Canopy
A blessing from the path of Heathen Christianity:
May you find gentle shade beneath the canopy.
May you know that the arms and branches of the sacred are over you, shielding you, nurturing you, and holding you in their care.
The Undammable flow of God’s Love
Abba,
You breathed life into us.
Every pulse within us is sacred.
Your blessing reverberates through us.
When we are cowed into silence,
When shame makes us small,
Help us embrace our sacred nature.
Help us open our mouths
And boldly proclaim our innate blessing.
The flow of your blessing and love cannot be damm
Amen.
This prayer is a companion piece to “The Undammable Flow of God’s Love: Baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch,” a Campfire Canon retelling of Acts 8 exploring sacred identity, religious exclusion, and a divine welcome that refuses to be contained.
Experience the full story:
Campfire Canon is a collection of contemporary scriptural retellings from Chapel of the Open Hearth, created to bring the mythic, liberating, and imaginative dimensions of these sacred stories to life.
For Spiritual Outcasts
A blessing from the path of Heathen Christianity.
For fellow Spiritual Outcasts who’ve been forced into or who have fled to the wilds, you are not alone. Your heart contains the compass, your dreams etch a map, and the Wild Ones will travel with you.
Blessings from Overdose Day of Awareness.
I just returned from an Overdose Day of Awareness Vigil and wanted to send love and affection to all those who may need it, and to hold the ones we've lost in love and care. Let us remember their vibrance, not just their parting.
For Refuge Amidst Torment
A brief blessing from the path of Heathen Christianity
By Rev. Zeb
In times of torment and struggle,
During the hardships of life,
You are never alone.
Deep within you is an island,
a refuge:
the indwelling of the Beloved One,
the Wild One within you.
Return whenever you need shelter.
It wells deep in your heart,
waiting for you to come home.
Lift Your Gaze to the Beloved Wild Ones
Lift Your Eyes To The Hills,
Let the Music of the Woods Cascade Over You.
Let the Beloved Wild Ones Be Your Help
-A Christian-Heathen Blessing.
Why We Distribute Narcan
Pastor Zeb reflects on the reasons we distribute Narcan as a vital part of our ministry. Our commitment is grounded in the lived experience of our ministry. We have lost too many loved ones, answered the call of the loss of life too many times, and missed out on being there for people because of the stigma and isolation surrounding drug use.
We can’t bring our loved ones back, but we can fight the stigma and equip people to help others live. With life, who knows what is possible.
If you know someone who could use this medication around Brevard, NC - please do not hesitate to reach out. We give freely without question. Our support is confidential. And we will not proselytize.
You are not alone
Beloveds, blessings to you on this windy day. We all toil, and we struggle, and we feel hardships. Know that you are never alone. The light of creation is with us. Our liberator stirs, constantly moving and shifting. We are accompanied always. Peace and Justice and Mercy will prevail always. You are loved and held.