just back from yorke peninsula where I was training lay worship leaders for about 6 hours. we had 50 people from small churches, mainly older folks - one under 30....!
session one was just getting them talking about the nature of worship. I started with an ncyc 07 song and Iona call to worship, then talked about the seasonal sequence of Jesus' baptism, temptation, call of the disciples, transfiguration, lent. I began talking about Lake Galilee while I made a lake out of blue cloth, and talked about the fishermen in their boat, using a bowl as a prop. A candle and icon represented Christ on the shore. I mention this because I'm familiar with setting up a 'station' beforehand, and it seemed to work well to make the worship focus 'live'. someone read the story of the call of the fishermen in Luke 5:1-11, then I showed the Time-Life "Jesus" DVD version of this. I invited them to consider where there was a sense of 'sameness' in their church routine, and what it might mean for them to be called to "Deeper Water". Someone read a reflection from the brilliant "Seeing Christ in Others" anthology by Geoffrey Duncan.
most of session one was about them talking in small groups about
- significant experiences of worship for them
- the positives and negatives about their congregational worship
It shouldn't have been a surprise but these older folks quickly jumped into "how to bring back the young people...." sigh. It serves me right for saying "the kids are not hanging around the shops on a Friday night saying - 'If that church only had a data projector we'd be down there every week!" I was reminded of how much pain these older folks feel about the decline of their towns and their churches, and how impossible it is to give simple answers. of course, we could have done a lot of work on that, but in another session. someone said to me later that a number of them had come for ideas to help bring people back to church. as you might expect, I did say some things about relationships with people in the community being the important thing...
session two had some input from me about 'what makes worship "worship"?, 'what makes worship worthwhile?" and 'what makes worship work?' i apologise for being in alliteration mode all day..... we talked about God's Story - Our Story - My Story, Community - Communion - Communication - Compassion - Commitment, and Story - Song - Senses - Symbol - Silence - Space etc, etc... I can only say in my defence that I think this worked for this group of mainly over 50 rural people.
we then divided,into groups and I gave each group part of our Easter worship journey to work on - Music (songs to learn and teach), Drama & Bible Readings, Art (some 'live' illustrations ideas to accompany scripture readings), Space (resetting the worship space with chairs around small tables and symbols on the tables), and a Multimedia group which had one person (and I ended up being too busy to work with her!)
the worship time was an adapted version of what I had done with the deacons previously, with elements from them and some AV stuff that I added in.
bits worth mentioning I suppose...
- we started with the stunning version of "Woyaya" from the Star of the Sea College in Melbourne (thanks again cheryl. someone should get their permission should sell this! I am hoping that it will be on the CD-ROM that accompanies your forthcoming book...)
- a stunning blessing "for a new beginning" from Benedictus by the late John O'Donohue (recently arrived on my bookshelf) on jonny's recommendation
- some of the usual clips "40 " by Si Smith from Proost, "Rabbit Proof Fence"
- a drama and monologue by Verena Johnson from Aberfoyle Lutheran Church here in Adelaide. Verena has been writing and producing wonderful dramas for years.
- stones (hunger), bowls of sand (thirsting) & bowls of water (naming), candles (hoping), vine leaves and grapes (tasting), photo images (glimpsing)
- my Emmaus fire pot was a fizzer. not enough metho I think.
I was going to include some soundtrack music but forgot (see forthcoming post!)
We baked bread in the bread machine during the session and used it for communion, using parts of my Emmaus liturgy (which incorporates stuff from the usual suspects, although I forgotten which is which -roddy, cheryl, iona...) if have to confess that some of this was a bit derivative.... roddy hamilton is responsible for any mention of "heaven" on this blog...
haven't I posed this stuff before? this is from 2005.
Emmaus Eucharist invocation
Easter is not an event that has occurred
its an adventure that has begun
not a place that we have visited
but a path on which we stand
a story not complete, but unfolding
characters still breathing
stations still teeming
with the promise of new life
not just for you and me
but for all people, in all places
a cosmic crux
a turning point of time
Easter is the season
of wild hope
of dangerous intent
of potent promise
where the future flaps unfurled
in the spirit’s breeze
where hopes bubble
with uncorked effervescence
where toes tap
to free-form rhythms
where rainbow hues
splash empty canvas
Tonight
we continue the journey
we re-enter the story
to explore our questions
to uncover our doubts
to face our nagging need
We walk the path
of two who travelled a dusty road
wrapped in confusion and despair
two who shared the company of a stranger
voicing their pian
airing their fears
and in the listening
heard words of hope and promise
and in the eating
received true bread of life
Tonight we re-enter the story
with expectation that Christ
will also reveal himself to us
in sights and sounds
in words and symbols
in bread and wine
Let us pray
Risen Christ
walk with us this night
be our companion and guide
be our teacher and friend
be our host and servant
bringing your gifts of faith, peace and hope
and deep joy
as always
Amen.
Communion
At Easter time
the space between heaven and earth
grows thin
time and eternity are one
age old promises prove true
long held hopes become real
and we can finally believe
that God’s will might be done on earth
as it is in heaven
As so we gather
to celebrate and remember
in the company of the one
who names us and claims us
risen and present
not controlled by history
not confined by texts
not contained by death
One who has walked alongside us
who has heard our questions and cries
who has offered gentle wisdom
One who invites strangers to be neighbours
and enemies to be friends
around this table
Christ invites us to this table
if you know hunger or thirst
for a deeper faith
for a better life
for a fairer world
know that you are most welcome here
Narrative of Institution
On this night we recall that just as Jesus broke bread
in that upper room with twelve disciples
on the night before he died.
Sitting at a meal table -
plates and cups,
conversations and jokes
friendship and betrayal -
Christ saying, take and eat
this is my body broken for you
take and drink
this is a new covenant in my blood
so he broke bread a second time
not in a city temple but in a country pub
not with knowing friends
but with those who thought him a stranger
just as he had done before
as a host he offered welcome,
as a master he served
making strangers into friends
making a meal into a holy moment
So now we do as Jesus did
we drink and eat
simple food and drink
yet in these, Jesus himself promises to be present
Christ himself offers to make us whole.
There's more and a lot of Iona stuff in it - so go to Wild Goose Publications and buy their stuff.
anyway, they entered into it with a spirit of adventure, with varied reactions, including some positive ones. a learning experience all round. and excellent hospitality from the locals. thanks!
driving around Wallaroo and Kadina this morning I was struck by how these peninsula towns are changing and how excellent it would be to be in ministry here - to be a community host, networker, celebrant and encourager with all of the new people moving into the area. a community that is changing is open in all kinds of ways. one of the best places to be for mission. the challenge is to be a minister to the whole community - one whose focus is to help foster new community beyond the institutional church and to trust that where community is being birthed, emmanuel is there.
my prayers and encouragement go to june. gary, marty and naomi as they minister there. all wonderful, gifted people.