Next Transmission on April 18th
April 11, 2007
Save the date! We aren’t sure where we’ll be meeting yet, but we’re in conversations with a few places and should have a location nailed down by the end of the week. One thing that didn’t come across on Easter is that Transmission is a community; we meet regularly, hang out together, work on projects together, babysit each others kids, etc. It’s something worth being a part of.
For those of you who are coming to us through the Easter at Avalon project, you should be aware that our usual services are small and intimate - usually a dozen people or so. We love throwing large and high energy events, but Easter at Avalon isn’t really indicative of what normal Transmission services are like. The smaller gatherings go, however, have the same playfulness, open-mindedness, and relevance that were evident on Easter.
So if you’d like to join us, keep yourself free for Wed, April 18th, at 6pm, and check back here for more details.
grab a Metro NY by the end of the day
April 9, 2007
Hey, I want to second Bowie’s thank you to everyone who came out last night. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should pick up a copy of Metro NY today (Monday) - there’s a big article on us on page 4! You can also read it online here . The online version, however, doesn’t have the pictures or this juicy quote:
“I grew up in the church and this is very different. It’s at another extreme. A lot of people aren’t comfortable going to church. This is more of a safe space to be yourself. It’s making it more real.” (Audience member Lena Lasarzewaki).
Also, thanks to uncoolkids.com who ran a listing of the event along with the scariest Easter bunny ever:
#10 Offertory (last call to chip in for Easter)
April 9, 2007
Last night was FABULOUS - and touching. So many people got the spirit. What a wonderful gathering of folks. What a fine way to be together as church on Easter Evening…
If you weren’t able to come, left early, or came with an empty wallet, don’t fret!
There’s still time to make an “offertory” for last night’s service (step #10 in the Communion by #s we did at the end of the evening, see post below). And we’d still be happy to accept up to $1200 in additional donations to break even.
* Thank you to all the folks who made anonymous offerings last night! We were blessed with almost $500 from you all.
* Thank you again, to all the folks and faith communities who made donations before the event (you can check out that list here).
* A big thank you also to Tracy Quan, who sold and signed copies of her two novels and gave us the proceeds!
* Finally, one more thank you to all the amazing volunteer talent that helped make last night all that it was.
Time OUT - we’re on page 10
April 4, 2007
This week’s Time Out New York (TONY) features Easter at Avalon in a page 10 box called “Sacrilegious Affairs” - along with the KinkyJews Chocolate Passover Seder!
We’re also Sunday’s “Don’t Miss!” Around Town. Thanks, TONY!
PS For the record, although we hope the service will be “nervy” and “sexy” - we’re not aiming for “pervy” or “sacrilegious.” That’s just TONY talking.
Fundraising Update
March 31, 2007
So, friends, we’re about a week away from Easter and our fundraising efforts continue. We’ve received some very generous help, but this event is still pretty far away from breaking even, so please consider helping us out! Remember that we’re still a small-time independent church that meets in our member’s apartments; every little bit helps.
So first, a big thank you to the following people (please forgive my silly titles):
Pillars of the Church:
Deborah Black
Paul Everett
Faith House and Citylights
St. Thomas Church, Medina, WA
Patrons:
Mel Ahlborn
The Episcopal Church at Cornell
Matthew Pritchard
The Sanctuary Community
Mary Stuart
Friends:
Church of the Apostles, Seattle, WA
Kathy Cheney
Phillipa Currier & Gareth Powell (from Moot, UK)
Anne Ditzler
Abigail Estes
Chloe Silverman
Kelley Smith
Rick Snodgrass
Laura Unsworth
(also thanks to Tracy Quan who will be selling some of her books, proceeds to go to the event)
Our budget, meanwhile, looks likes this:
space rental: $2800
musicians: $400
eucharistic wine: $200
graphic design: $100
printing costs: $300
supplies: $200
—————————–
total: $4000
and this point we’ve raised $2,350 (updated 4.7.07) which means we’re a little more than half-way there. Please consider supporting this event!
Holy Week Schedule
March 31, 2007
Hey, guys, some of you have asked about what Transmission is doing for Holy Week. Obviously, with Easter around the corner we won’t be able to throw a service every day of the week, but it would be cool if we could spend some time together. Here’s our tentative schedule for any Transmissioners (and/or transcurious) folks who are looking for stuff to do:
Palm Sunday. Sanctuary, 6pm, 74th and York Ave. T.j.Snodgrass, the one and only, will be delivering his first homily. If you know Snodgrass, you know he’s not a man to be trifled with, so this should be worth checking out. I’ll be doing the music (including a tribute to Depeche Mode). One specific reason to come: almost every church does the crucifixion on Palm Sunday, but Sanctuary is actually focusing on the entry into Jerusalem and leaving Good Friday for Good Friday.
Wednesday. We’ll be having our last planning meeting at Avalon, 20th St and 6th Ave. This won’t be a service, but it will be our only chance to lay out the space, check sounds and lights, etc. The more hands, the better.
Maundy Thursday. Transmission will be gathering at Katherine Lee’s place up in Washington Heights. Good food, evocative ritual, and everything you’ve come to love about Transmission… (see post below for more info)
Good Friday. We’ll be back at Sanctuary, this time for an environmental stations of the cross which will be set up from from 6-9pm. No, it’s not a three hour service; that means that you can show up whenever you want and leave whenever you want. Bowie and I are both doing installations, and I’m also making an audio loop of poetry and music. It’ll be a neat experience of traditional church doing a radically decentralized worship.
Holy Saturday. Down to Time Square for St Mary the Virgin’s Easter Vigil. Affectionately known as “Smokey Mary’s,” this place does high-liturgy like no one else. It’ll be a very different experience from Transmission, but we also recognize “high liturgy” as being both solidly multi-sensory and very traditional. It’s a long service, so eat before you get there.
Easter Sunday. EASTER AT AVALON! What else do you need?
Maundy Thursday
March 29, 2007
Hey, Transmissioners! First of all, a quick reminder that next week we’ll be having our tech/dress rehearsal for the event down at Avalon from 7-9pm. It’ll be hot. Ok, actually, it’ll probably be a little bit boring, but you should come anyway.
But, since that meeting is supplanting our weekly dose of community and ritual, we’ve decided to celebrate Maundy Thursday as a community. Katherine Lee has volunteered to host (apparently she has a massive apartment up in Washington Heights). Since the other Katie also lives up in that hood, they’ll be doing the food and I’ll be planning some sort of service. If you want to come, just shoot me an email and I will reveal Katherine’s address.
Hope to see you there!
isaac
Bethesda Transmission
March 27, 2007
Hey guys! This is your reminder that we’ll be having Transmission tomorrow night, Wednesday the 28th. This week Paul Grenier, our very own Tiresias, will be leading us in a meditation based on the pool of Bethesda. Paul’s treatment of healing stories is always exceptional - this is not one to be missed.
Unfortunately our usual gracious hostess, Bowie, will be out of town this week so we’ll be having services at Union instead (where Paul and I both live). It’s only a few blocks away from Bowie’s so it shouldn’t kill anyone to get here. Union is located at 121st and Broadway - closest stops would be 116th on the 1 train or 125th on the A/B/C/D. If you want to hopstop it, the address is 3041 Broadway, NY, NY, 10027.
There’s some big news you guys should be aware of. First of all, if you haven’t checked out the article about us on the Sojourners website (Jim Wallis’s magazine), go look at www.sojo.net Secondly, Time Out New York will be running a piece on us next week, which is fabulous.
We also have our postcards made up, so if you want some make sure to let me know! I’ve got scads.
hope to see you all tomorrow!
Becky Garrison: Easter for the Outcasts
March 26, 2007
Our friend, Becky Garrison, has just posted about Easter @ Avalon on “God’s Politics” - a blog by Jim Wallis & Friends, presented by Beliefnet and Sojourners. Yay!
Go by and see what she has to say in “Easter for the Outcasts” and cast a comment!
Support Easter At Avalon
March 24, 2007
Dear friends, kind Christians, and allies,
Yup, right now all our expenses for Easter @ Avalon are being paid out of our own pockets. We are estimating a $4,000 total budget, $2800 of which is for space rental. We have already received more than $500 in donations, in addition to countless hours of volunteer time (see list of contributing artists and groups in the post below)!
This experimental Easter service (which incorporates ancient elements of Christian worship, in addition to lots of totally 21st-century stuff) is being planned to welcome people who wouldn’t otherwise attend church on Easter, for those who might not feel welcomed if they
did show up, and for those who want to experience an additional resurrection celebration!
Please help support this historic and exciting event! Be a friend and kick in $5. Help pay for our sundry supplies by giving $50. Cover the cost of our musicians by donating $200. Or be a “pillar of the church” and help defray the cost of our space rental with a $500 gift. All amounts welcome. Every little bit helps.
p.s. We will not be charging admission for the event (so your gift will help someone else celebrate Easter), but we will be taking donations (so come! and share your pennies and twenties then if you’d don’t want to give online).
p.p.s. These donations are tax-deductible. Please contact us (click on link in top right corner of this site) if you need a letterhead receipt for tax purposes. We will be declaring these donations to the tax powers that be and will give away any proceeds we make above expenses to non-profit organizations that assist modern day sex workers.
p.p.p.s. Listen to your heart. You know you want to give! Cause giving feels good.