mountain masala

Worship Under the Stars

On Sunday night I shared with the youth worker from our local church at Frankston, Hannah Dungan in leading a contemporary service which ended up being very much an all-age experience. One aim was to connect with people from the annual Somers youth camp, so we shaped the service around a Bible story from the camp - Genesis 18 where three messengers visit Abraham and Sarah, aged 99 and 90, to tell them they will have a child.

My idea was to make it experiential. So we tried to imagine Middle Eastern tribes sitting by a tent under a night sky a few thousand years ago, sharing a meal and telling stories.  We set up a tent with fairy lights. I spent Saturday preparing Middle Eastern finger food. We sat people on rugs with cushions and made the meal a part of the worship.

Call to Worship - from my Entertaining Angels service

This the place where angels
Visit those waiting in hope

This the place where angels
Visit those longing for rest

This the place where angels
Visit those who yearn for justice

This the place where angels
Visit those needing good news

This the time where angels
Visit those with work unfinished

This the time where angels
Visit the barren and bereft

This the time where angels
Visit those listening in the shadows

This the time where angels
Visit those ready for new birth

Wait and you might meet the unexpected
Watch and you might glimpse the holy
Listen and you might hear whispers of hope
Come and worship God with us.

We used night sky photos from pexels.com

We had a special visitor/guest in each of the tree tribes who was served first.

I set up the story by talking about how stories shape us and about how unlikely messengers can change our lives, and then told some of the background of the story of Abram and Sarai.

We had a story-teller with each tribe who then told the story of Genesis 18 and 21.

I invited people to reflect on the story in silence with eyes closed, then Hannah led them in some Godly Play-type 'wondering'.

I used Ken Medema's song "Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying" with prayers for others.

Young people were involved in leading music and prayers, and as food servers.

Apart from the crazy one hour setup time, the evening seemed to go really well.

 

Particpatory Communion Liturgy

I originally wrote this in 2010 as part of a College Holy Week Chapel Service - details here.

The aim was to involve the congregation in the narrative of the liturgy, remembering together rather than being told. The presider asks the questions ans the people respond together. It has been quite rightly suggested to me that the early part could have a stronger Christological element, but I haven't changed it yet since I've only used it once.

If you're worried about who needs to say the epiclesis prayer, the presider can always pray along with the congregation. At the College chapel, there were enough ordained ministers in the room to 'sanctify' the elements many times over! Ha. (Ah yes, let's not begin that discussion. Roddy Hamilton has a great journal article about the whole of the Eucharist being an epiclesis, which I like.)

Someone decided to call this "Reverse Communion" but that wasn't my idea. I don't actually like the title.

I'm pleased that it has been used and published both in the UK and Canada as well as used locally. Feel free to adapt, but acknowledgment is appreciated.

Photo: NCYC Yurora 2017

Communion

Why have we gathered here?
We come because we have been called
to live out a story
What story shall we live?
The story of saving love
Where did this story begin?
It was whispered before time began,
it was sung in the melody of Creation.

Whose story is this?
This story is God’s alone to tell
It hums in the rivers and the trees
It whispers in the skies and the seas
It calls to the people of all places
It speaks in our hearts, in our lives
Why then should we speak of this story?
This story calls our name in Creation
This story claims our lives through the Cross
This story shapes our future through the Spirit
We are its telling in this time and this place

So tell me the story of this night, of this table
The Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed
took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it
(taking and breaking bread)
Tell me what he said and did
This is my body which is broken for you
Do this and remember me

Tell me what he said and did
 (taking and pouring cup)
In the same way, he took the cup and said
This is a new covenant in my blood
Drink it and remember me
This is our common story
our deep memory, our true destiny
So let it also be our story-telling, our testimony
Let’s celebrate the way that grace has shaped our lives
I invite you to say aloud a prayer of thanks
(pause)

Hear the storytellers of all ages whisper with us
Holy. holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed in the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest

What is our prayer on this day?
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us
So this everyday meal becomes an eternal feast
So that our eating and drinking today
unites us with Christ,
whose body and blood are given for us.
So we know that you live in us
and that we live in you
So that we live in your world
knowing it is indeed yours.
Living God, this is our prayer
Amen.

Pentecost 2018

I can't believe that I didn't blog about some of my 'bigger' worship services at Blackwood, so I'm going to make amends for that now! I think that after some of them I was too exhausted to think about writing them up.

Last year's Pentecost Service involved the congregation in making and hanging about 1200 paper birds (representing the Holy Spirit) in the sanctuary. The birds were in various shades of red, orange and yellow to symbolise flames as well.

Over several weeks we held origami sessions at morning tea between the two services. I discovered two origami whizzes in the congregation who were delighted to help teach (and each make many, many cranes). The cranes were in several different sizes, and people took home pieces of paper of their choice (the smaller ones being more difficult to make). We DID receive back some renegade colours and sizes, some of which I discreetly forgot to use. (And no matter how many times I told people how to fold the wings.... sigh.) However the participation of many people in making cranes was a vital dimension of the whole experience. It was a shared community activity.

I designed a hanging mobile of cranes. The idea was that several of these would be hung from the ceiling fans (controls gaffer-taped OFF!) so that the bird flames would be falling or rising down/up into the congregation. The remaining birds would be strung on fishing line at intervals across the room. With two data projectors at different angles there were a number of sight line issues to resolve.

God of the Stillness

God of the stillness
held between our inhaled and exhaled breath
the moments between meetings
the gap in conversations
the brooding between desire and decision
the wait between uncertainty and conviction
the solitary gaze
the contemplative calm
the pregnant pause just before new dawn
and the silence of night’s dreaming
Invite us into the lacuna –
the space between now and next
where the music of Creation finds rhythm
in the respite of our souls.
Serene Spirit,
bring your gift of slow time
whisper your holy hush
your still small utterance
that you might then
disturb our peace.
Amen.