Winter Solstice – Report (20 June)
Motivation:
Winter Solstice – Pretty simple really. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the shortest day and longest night of the year. The plan was to treat this event as an opportunity to reflect on those things which darken our steps, or lighten our path – as well as treating this as a turning point (which is what we called this service last year) from darkness to light.
Environment:
In keeping with the theme this service was purely candlelit. The whole point of the set environment was to increase the darkness through extinguishing candles until the mid-point of the service, and then light increase light as they were relit in the second half – Thus representing the journey into darkness and back to light.
Music, when used, was a mix of Taize and other ambient music.
Service:
Reading from John 1 (to open)
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
- Introduced the theme for the night
- Outlined the structure: For the first half of the service (about 20 minutes) people are encouraged to reflect on those things which have darkened their steps. Hurts, sins, troubles. As we reflect on those, we are welcome to extinguish one or more candles.
Once that time is up (marked by an assistant extinguishing any remaining candles) we will spend some time in silent prayer, followed by a short prayer.
This will then lead us into the final section where we can reflect on those things which bring us light. Hopes, dreams, friends, assurances. And as we do, we are welcome to relight candles and bring back the light.
(We also outlined the necessary precautions regarding fire risk, darkness, etc.)
God of all creation,
of bare forest and low southern skies,
of paths unknown and never to be taken,
of bramble, sparrow and damp, dark earth.
We thank you for loss, for the breaking of the dimming year,
We thank you for light, even in its seeming midwinter failing,
We thank you for life, for its hope and resistance,
Like a seed dying and living.
- Approx. 20 minutes of reflection time
- Silent time of prayer in darkness with only the Christ candle remaining lit, followed by a visual prayer care of Jonny Baker:
unwrap our darkness from jonny baker on Vimeo.
- Approx 20 minutes of reflection time whilst candles are relit and a video of a sunrise (from darkness) is shown.
From the rising of the midwinter sun to its setting,
Scatter the darkness with the light of your love, O Shining One.
Make me short on mean thoughts, long on offers words of comfort.
Make me short on being driven, long on paying attention.
Make me short on focusing only on my own, long on looking beyond.
Make me short on obsessive lists, long on spontaneous acts of kindness,
Make me short on mindless activity, long on time to reflect.
Make me short on tradition as a habit, long on rediscovery and re-owning.
Make me short on rushing a tiring, long on walking and wondering.
Make me short on false, festive jollity, long on stilling and rooted joy.
Make me short on guilt, long on being merciful to myself.
Make me short on being overwhelmed, long on peaceableness as I set forth this day.
Final reading (1 John)
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
