The Shower of Stoles Project is an extraordinary collection of over a thousand liturgical stoles and other sacred items representing the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith. These religious leaders have served in twenty-seven denominations and faith traditions, and come from six countries on three continents. This collection celebrates the gifts of GLBT persons who serve God in countless ways, while also lifting up those who have been excluded from service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Project bears witness to the huge loss of leadership that the church has brought upon itself because of its own unjust policies. The collection tours constantly around the country, being exhibited in local congregations, universities and seminaries, and regional and national denominational gatherings.

The stoles, and accompanying stories of LGBT persons and their allies, will be on exhibit in Union Avenue's Gretchen Brigham Gallery through the middle of February 2012.

"Amahl and the Night Visitors" is a heart-warming story of struggle, forgiveness, generosity and miracles sure to delight audiences of all ages. The story portrays a poor, physically-disabled boy who lives with his mother.  One night, they are visited by three travelers who are following a star in search of a newly-born king who some say will be the savior of the world.

Leading this year’s cast is mezzo-soprano Debra Hillabrand as Amahl’s mother. In August Ms. Hillabrand received accolades for her portrayal of Mrs. Joseph de Rocher in the UAO critically acclaimed production of “Dead Man Walking."

As part of the outreach program of UAO, local school children will have the opportunity to attend a pre-performance presentation and experience a fully staged performance of the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors on December 8.

In particular, we are sponsoring the Polish film "Tomorrow Will Be Better" which will be screened for free on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 6pm at the Brown School on the Washington University campus. A little about the film:

Tomorrow Will Be Better (Jutro bedzie lepiej)

Dorota Kedzierzawska, Poland, 2010, 118 min., Polish

Polish director Dorota Kedzierzawska (“I Am,” “Crows”), who specializes in films about troubled youth, follows the unusual journey of three boys who become mini-heroes in our strange times. A trio of Russian youngsters living at the train station set off into the world, crossing borders both real and arbi- trary. Simultaneously naive and roguish, they look for a magic place where dreams come true, searching for a different life and a better world. Leslie Felperin writes in Variety: “The youthful cast members deliver extraordinary, spontaneous perfs, here in service of a heartrending, drawn-from-headlines story, which highlights the awful, daily deprivations faced by kids in Eastern Europe.” The film won a pair of major prizes, including the Peace Film Award, at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. Watch a short trailer for the film here.

This special service will also include a short meditation by senior Pastor Suzanne Webb, prayer, and communion.