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Reposted by Matt Nightingale

FreeLinkophant sHELLey B Woke - Living Saint of Purity🏳️‍⚧️🖤💜🤍 💛 @shelleybwoke.bsky.social · 3d

You should not worship where you're not wanted

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 3d

You don't have to worship where you're not wanted.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 1d

🙏🏼❤️🫂

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 3d

You don't have to worship where you're not wanted.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 3d

I guess I'm watching Annie Hall for the first time tonight.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

And if you are LGBTQIA+ yourself, we meet as a queer-ONLY community on the opposite Mondays. Our next gathering is October 13 from 6:30-8pm PT. You can register here:

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · Nov 18

Every two weeks, on Monday nights from 6:30-8pm PT, I host an LGBTQ+ contemplative spirituality group on Zoom. It's become one of my very favorite things, a deeply-loved community to many of us. We'd love to have you join us. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Our LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations group is a safe and sacred place to explore our spiritual journeys in light of our sexual and gender identities. Participants learn contemplative listening practices...

us02web.zoom.us

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

If you'd like to join us, we're here every two weeks on Monday nights... Our next gathering will be October 20 from 6:30-8pm PT. You can register here:

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · Nov 18

And since many cis/het folks expressed interest in joining us, we added an "All Skate" (aka allies are welcome) version on the other Mondays. Please feel free to join us! It's been happening for over 2 years now, and it's wonderful too! Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Contemplative Spirituality Group. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

The Journey Center and The Quest are partnering to offer a safe and sacred space to explore spiritual journeys together. Participants learn contemplative listening practices and share spiritual journe...

us02web.zoom.us

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

Thank you to @audnebula.bsky.social for choosing the song and text, and for reading so beautifully for us. 🙏🏼❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

And then for our lectio divina practice, we read Mary's Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55 (NRSVUE), with the reminder that when the writers of the Bible talk about "Israel," they're not talking about the modern nation-state of Israel.

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who revere him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

After opening prayers, listening agreements, and check ins, we listened together to Olivia Rodrigo's "hope ur ok."

Olivia Rodrigo - hope ur ok (Lyric Video)

YouTube video by OliviaRodrigoVEVO

www.youtube.com

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

Last night's Contemplative Spirituality Group for LGBTQIA+ folks and our allies was really lovely. We had more people than usual, and the conversation was fascinating. We are always invited to bring our whole selves - just as we are, experience God, and see what happens.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 10d

You don’t have to worship where you’re not wanted.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 11d

Enjoy!

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

Thank you for joining us!

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Reposted by Matt Nightingale

Karen Elspeth @terranen.bsky.social · 15d

This poem!!!
I'll be sitting with this one for a good while. So much to ponder.
Thank you for these words @razorfemme.bsky.social

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

And then for our lectio divina practice, we read @razorfemme.bsky.social's "trauma is not sacred." Thank you to @jennadewitt.bsky.social for choosing the song and the text, creating the graphic, and for reading so beautifully for us tonight. 🙏🏼❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

violence is not special
pain is not holy
suffering does not make angels
abuse defines no one
you are more than the things that hurt you
you are more than the people you have hurt
do not make an altar to your woundedness
do not make a fetish out of mine
a body belongs to no one
a memory is not made to be eaten
does it titillate you to hear about assault
if i told you my story,
would you swallow it whole
if i confessed my sins
would you feed me to the beasts
to purge your own
i will show you mine if you show me yours
we have all seen the darkness
now give us the dawn
tell me about the joy you keep
in the hollow spaces between your bones
tell me again how you laughed
when you realized that you were not wholly unlovable
i'll tell you again how i cried
when my best friend told me that I was not a bad person
remember how we used to count the lines on our palms
when we were little
how we used to try to read the future for its gifts
how we used to make lists of the things we would dream of
when finally we were free
i will make you a list of the things i'm grateful for
i will sing you a litany of reasons to be alive
i want to know the songs you wake up for in the morning
i want to marvel at the unbelievable graciousness of your being
i know that i am capable of pouring love like lavender oil
into your cupped palms
there is forgiveness like honey pooled in the chambers of our hearts
you are the thing i am most grateful for
all bodies know how to heal themselves given enough time
all demons carry a map of heaven
and their scars beneath the skin of every history of trauma
there is a love poem waiting deep below

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Reposted by Matt Nightingale

Jenna DeWitt (she/her) @jennadewitt.bsky.social · 15d

I LOVE this song so much and combined with the poem, I had a lot of big feelings picking these. Neither being consumed/consuming as traumaporn nor brightsiding spiritual bypassing is the way. We must go through the paradox, the grief and the joy, the gratitude and the rage, loneliness and belonging.

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

After opening prayers, listening agreements and check ins, we listened together to Julien Baker's "Rejoice."

Rejoice - Julien Baker

YouTube video by Steven Kurtz

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Matt Nightingale

Jenna DeWitt (she/her) @jennadewitt.bsky.social · 15d

SO many thoughts about this poem. I'm grateful for @razorfemme.bsky.social putting concise words to concepts I ramble on and on about. :D

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

And then for our lectio divina practice, we read @razorfemme.bsky.social's "trauma is not sacred." Thank you to @jennadewitt.bsky.social for choosing the song and the text, creating the graphic, and for reading so beautifully for us tonight. 🙏🏼❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

And if you're a non-queer ally, good news! We have basically the same group that meets on the opposite Mondays and is OPEN TO ALLIES! Our next gathering is next Monday, October 6, 6:30-8pm PT. Register here:

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · Nov 18

And since many cis/het folks expressed interest in joining us, we added an "All Skate" (aka allies are welcome) version on the other Mondays. Please feel free to join us! It's been happening for over 2 years now, and it's wonderful too! Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Contemplative Spirituality Group. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

The Journey Center and The Quest are partnering to offer a safe and sacred space to explore spiritual journeys together. Participants learn contemplative listening practices and share spiritual journe...

us02web.zoom.us

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

LGBTQIA+ friends, we'd love to have you join us anytime! We'll be back together two weeks from tonight, October 13, from 6:30-8pm PT. You can register here:

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · Nov 18

Every two weeks, on Monday nights from 6:30-8pm PT, I host an LGBTQ+ contemplative spirituality group on Zoom. It's become one of my very favorite things, a deeply-loved community to many of us. We'd love to have you join us. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Our LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations group is a safe and sacred place to explore our spiritual journeys in light of our sexual and gender identities. Participants learn contemplative listening practices...

us02web.zoom.us

1 4

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

And then for our lectio divina practice, we read @razorfemme.bsky.social's "trauma is not sacred." Thank you to @jennadewitt.bsky.social for choosing the song and the text, creating the graphic, and for reading so beautifully for us tonight. 🙏🏼❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

1 6

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

After opening prayers, listening agreements and check ins, we listened together to Julien Baker's "Rejoice."

Rejoice - Julien Baker

YouTube video by Steven Kurtz

www.youtube.com

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

Tonight we welcomed friends from all over the US and Canada, including two newcomers who said they had been meaning to join us for a long time. I'm so glad they both decided to show up!

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

I love my Monday night LGBTQIA+ contemplative spirituality group. I've had a pretty stressful, anxious day, but this community always welcomes me as I am and the Spirit meets me there. I'm always grateful for our shared experience of the Divine.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 15d

Join us! 🙏🏼❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · Nov 18

Every two weeks, on Monday nights from 6:30-8pm PT, I host an LGBTQ+ contemplative spirituality group on Zoom. It's become one of my very favorite things, a deeply-loved community to many of us. We'd love to have you join us. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Our LGBTQ+ Spiritual Conversations group is a safe and sacred place to explore our spiritual journeys in light of our sexual and gender identities. Participants learn contemplative listening practices...

us02web.zoom.us

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 17d

You don’t have to worship where you’re not wanted.

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Matt Nightingale @mattnightingale.bsky.social · 18d

Yes! He's part of the John Mayer Band's crew, teching for percussionist Lenny Castro!

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