HOME: The Parable of Beatrice and Neal

words and music by Timothy C. McGinley (1957-2019)
digital transcription by Andrew Collins

About the Musical

To celebrate its 10th anniversary in 1994, the Reconciling Congregation Program (now RMN) commissioned Tim McGinley to compose an original musical drama. Tim composed a mass setting expounding upon the theme of the church being home for everyone, which was overlaid with a parable based upon the Peter and Cornelius story in Acts 10-11.

HOME: The Parable of Beatrice and Neal had a troupe of six performers with a support team that toured to ten Midwestern cities over two weeks that summer. These performances had a profound impact upon the lives of audience members and congregations. McGinley made some revisions to the score and arranged additional performances over the next couple years, including at the 1995 convocation.

Reconciling Ministries Network—in collaboration with Mark Bowman–is reviving these HOME songs for the opening worship of its 2025 convocation. This new score has been produced for use by choirs and in congregations. These HOME songs provide a liturgical setting for worship that can continue to inform, inspire and invigorate our congregations, our ministries and our faith lives today.

Synopsis

Beatrice, Neal, and Barbara were seminary classmates. Neal, openly gay, left seminary and active church membership after one semester. Beatrice married a conservative classmate and tries to believe her calling is to be a pastor’s wife. Barbara, Beatrice’s longtime friend, whose church is a Reconciling Congregation, comes to town and arranges a dinner with Neal and several of his friends, then invites Beatrice as well. Over dinner the gay and lesbian friends share their experiences of rejection by the church. Beatrice invites them to come to her church early the next morning, and celebrates communion. The play is structured around the traditional elements of the communion ritual.

The musical was published by Reconciling Congregation Program (RMN’s predecessor), Chicago, in 1994.

Download the Score for “HOME”

Lent is a season often likened to the wilderness. But what happens when the wilderness feels all too real? In a world marked by struggle and injustice, this season invites us to wrestle with the deeper commitments of faith – the ambitions of the spirit we signed up for on this walk with Jesus.

Through this devotional, you will explore what it means to be a people of justice, mercy, and love in the face of discomfort and uncertainty. In the wilderness, transformation is possible, both in us and in the world we are called to help shape.

Get RMN’s 2025 Lenten Devotional Here

What is it?

The reflection guide was designed to help communities and congregations better understand and respond to the decisions of the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church.

What’s inside?

The Next Faithful Steps includes guides for four holistic, discussion-based sessions. Each lesson guide includes insightful summaries of General Conference work and results, as well as meaningful discussion prompts, prayer, scripture, reflection, discussion questions, and suggestions for continued engagement.

How do I get it?

For your whole small group or church, The Nexts Faithful Steps is $20 and you can get it here. Your purchase helps Reconciling Ministries Network to keep equipping our denomination, from individuals to institutions, to keep moving forward toward justice and affirmation for all of God’s children.

If your community is interested in this product but cost is a barrier, please reach out to us at admin (at) rmnetwork.org.

Thank you!

Purchase & Download Here

This is intended to be inserted into an existing order of worship. Please note that this is not a Baptism service; it is important to make sure that the presider does not treat it as a Baptism in practice.

Liturgy Arranged by Daniel Elliott Levine

Download Service of Renaming (as part of a service)

This is intended to be a stand-alone service. From the Scripture readings through the Greeting could be utilized in a regular worship service in the same way as Baptism/Confirmation/Affirmation of Baptism liturgies*

Please note that this is not a Baptism service; it is important to make sure that the presider does not treat it as a Baptism in practice.

Liturgy Arranged by Daniel Elliott Levine

Download Service of Renaming

Throughout 2020-2021, the Reconciling Movement creatively offered quarterly worship services to celebrate, gather, be nourished, and commune together. May these services inspire your own worship and commitment to seeking the divine in one another.