1. Passover and Holy Week Readings
Prayer for Holy Week
We give thanks to our Creator God, God of Freedom, God of Justice, God of
Love. In this Holy season of new life and fulfillment of promise, we rejoice
in the breaking of bonds that rolled away a mighty stone. In the power of
resurrection we celebrate all that is good, all that brings light and hope to
the world, and all that enables people to rise to their greatest potential.
May we be inspired and empowered to roll away the stones that stand in
the way of what is fair and just, fosters equality, and nurtures us in
naturally loving – and being loved by – whomever that may be. For it is in
love, that we find our renewal, our liberty, ourselves and our God. Amen.
Written by Rev. Dan Koeshall
Reclaiming our Faith during Holy Week
I promise to love you …
Making a promise is more than saying the words I love you. When you
make a promise you seek to fulfill that promise with your actions. God
made a promise to Noah in the form of a covenant. Genesis 9:13-15 “I
have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant
between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the
rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me
and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters
become a flood to destroy all life.”
I don’t think there are any mistakes that the Rainbow is a symbol and a
sign for those in LGBTQIA community! The rainbow is used as a sign to
identify safe places or a flag to wave at pride. For me as a person of faith
the rainbow has double meaning of the promise of love. As people of faith
I hope that we identify with the promises of God. o
People who are of the Christian faith recall the promise made and kept by
Jesus especially during this Holy Time we call Easter. We focus on the
www.cafaithforequality.org | 855.255.3248 | 11271 Ventura Blvd. #379, Studio City, CA 91604

2. footsteps of Jesus using the Stations of the Cross, Palm branches, an
empty tomb, Crosses and other symbols.
The symbols we hold dear need not be negative ones! We must take back
the signs and symbols of our faith. I believe we are being called to be a
witness of the new symbol and the sign of marriage. IF we believe in the
promise, we must strive for the rights not afforded to us currently as we
pledge and make the promise to marry. For same gender loving people we
make a Holy Covenant with God and one another, to cherish and love
faithfully. We make these Holy promises because we love someone first
and foremost. But the unjust part is that we are not granted full equality.
In some places we are able to marry the one we have promised our love to
and in other states it is unlawful. But even in the lawful states same gender
marriages are not equal.
We must use our symbols of faith now more than ever to share the pledge
of love and justice for all. We can’t continue to be a people in a land where
deep divisions encumber and entrench us! It is up to all of us to ensure the
promise of I love you to reflect who we are as God created us to be.
Rev. Terri Miller
Passover Seder Reading
Tonight we read, “in every generation each individual is obligated to see
him/herself as though s/he went forth from Egypt.” While we are gathered
around our seder table we experience the bitterness of slavery, the maror
(bitter herb) and the sadness of injustice even as we delight in the coming
spring, the karpas(fresh greens). While we recall our experiences of old we
are aware of the injustices of our own time. Our hearts and thoughts turn
to those who do not yet experience freedom because of discrimination.
Tonight we think of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender mothers
and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and
colleagues whose freedom is undermined. We pray that when we gather
around the seder table next Passover, the freedom to marry will return to
California and the Defense of Marriage Act will no longer be law in our
land.
2
www.cafaithforequality.org | 855.255.3248 | 11271 Ventura Blvd. #379, Studio City, CA 91604

3. May the One who delivered our people from Egypt enable the justices of
the Supreme Court to hear the turning tide and embrace the freedom to
marry and the end of DOMA so that all of those who are oppressed may be
free!
Rabbi Eleanor Steinman
3
www.cafaithforequality.org | 855.255.3248 | 11271 Ventura Blvd. #379, Studio City, CA 91604