Motivation:

This service was an opportunity to focus on music and song in a slightly different way, by leaning on the contributions of the congregation (and wider community) in providing music that was spiritually meaningful to them.

The rationale therefore was both about creating a diverse and interesting service, but also engaging the wider congregation in doing so. This seemed to work quite well, with a large number of contributions from a number of sources,  of many different styles, and including 2 live performances on the night.

Environment:

This service required a lot of reading and was almost set up as an ‘exhibition’, so wasn’t too dark or reflective.

The service was very short so as to maximum time for people to engage with the audio exhibition which formed the bulk of the event.

Service:

Opening music – Consequences and Loss (Antonio Pinto)

• Call to worship (read over opening music)

Lord, we come here tonight because we can. Because You have created this amazing world and with it the music and song that fills it. You have given us days and nights to live by, and days and nights of emotions to experience. You have given us minds to make decisions and understand with, and minds to interpret and analyse the sounds that we hear. You have given us hearts to feel with, and because we are lucky enough to have the freedom to use these gifts. (based on a Uniting Church of Australia call to worship)

Associated reading:

These are the words that were provided to us with this song: This song speaks to me, deeply and calmly, about God’s insatiable search for us. That he calls out for us across the wilderness, scanning the horizon as he yearns for us to be with him. That he never rests in his search but is constantly out there, every day, patiently, gently, persistently, never-endingly looking for us. That he never tires, never angers, never gives in to frustration or despair, never thinks it’s not worth it or move on with life – but his love for us keeps him out there, wandering in the wilderness looking until every single one of us, young and old, rich and poor, past and present and future are found and know what it is to know the God who has always seen us as his own.

• Introduction/welcome to service

• Responsive reading

This is the time to worship God:

He brings us life.

This is the time to sing his praise:

He brings us joy.

This is the time to pray to him:

He brings us forgiveness and renewal.

This is the time to hear his word:

He brings us guidance and hope.

This is the time to show your love for him:

He brings us love beyond our deserving

This is the place and this is the time;

Here and now, God waits to break into our experience;

To change our minds, to change our lives, to change our ways

To make us see the world and the whole of life in a new light;

To fill us with hope, joy and certainty for the future.

This is the place as are all places; this is the time as are all times.

Here and now let us wait on God.

• Period of quiet prayer over musical item (Piano version of theme to Forrest Gump)

• Reading

Music is one of the most inspirational forms of fine art. In its rhythm, melody, harmony and dynamics, its variety of sounds, shades and nuances, music transmits a never-ending gamut of feelings and sensations. Its power is contained in its ability to by-pass reason, penetrating straight into the soul, into the subconscious, and to manipulate a person’s feelings. Depending on its content, music can evoke the most elevated and noble feelings, such as assisting in creating empathy for prayer – or produce quite the opposite, by arousing the most sinful and base desires.

Plato (427-347 BC) considered that God had implanted human beings with a propensity to create and integrate sounds not in any haphazard fashion but under the harmonious influence of the spiritual world (Ion 534D, E, Republic). Aristotle (384-322 BC) noted the importance of music in the occupation of educating children and wrote that the influence of music is so great, that its various forms and genre can be classified correspondingly to the influence on a person’s character.

“Music is a curiously subtle art with innumerable varying emotional connotations. It is made up of many ingredients, and according to the proportions of these components, it can be soothing or invigorating, ennobling, vulgarizing, or philosophical. It has powers for evil as well as for good.” Music is not only a form of amusement but to a certain degree a “sermon.” It is an immutable expression of the composer’s outlook on life and can be a strong weapon for good or evil.

• Song: Live performance of “We are standing on Holy Ground”

• Introduction to exhibition.

The Audio Exhibition

Worship Grooves – An Audio Exhibition

This exhibition brings together a collection of different items of music which have been considered spiritually meaningfully by a wide range of people.

We encourage you to explore the church and take the time to experience some of these items, and read the words expressed by those who have contributed.

Around the church are a number of CD players and printed notices. These contain each of the pieces of music. Just press play on each CD player and listen to it through the headphones.

1.

The Good in me is Dead

Martyn Joseph

The first time I heard this song, I wept. It touches me in a way that none of the news reports or images of the war in Kosovo ever did. There is something powerful in the way music and lyrics convey meaning. I think it is true in the case of this song. I can identify with this young boy’s story, the impact of the war on his family and his state of mind. I can understand his anger, his loss of feeling, and his dread that the ‘good in me is dead’. And it makes me angry too. What are we humans doing to each other, that would reduce a boy to feelings of nothingness? A child to be stripped of childhood, and to no longer feel that all the good has been removed from his life? I know that God identifies with this boy’s story. Throughout scripture we are encouraged to see the good in all people, and to live with justice, mercy and compassion. This song for me is a not-so-subtle reminder of this ongoing journey of God’s people working towards His kingdom coming to earth as it is in heaven.

2.

The Music of the Night

Phantom of the Opera

This song talks about the beauty of night and darkness. Darkness is often shunned, associated with the negative. When talking about ‘a period of darkness’, we refer to an undesirable time of our lives, and we seek light

But darkness is as much a gift from God as light. To always seek light and escape darkness, we can only appreciate half of God’s gift. In times of darkness (literal or symbolic), many find creativity, inspiration, or peace. Even in the dark or ‘down’ time of our lives, many experience growth and understanding, leading to an enriched future. To avoid darkness, we may be missing out on experiencing some of the rich textures of life.

This song tells the story of a man who cannot live comfortably amongst society, cannot show his face in daylight without being ridiculed, hated, and shunned. He tolerated all these things for most of his life, asking why God created him the way he was, and letting him have a miserable life….. Until he reached middle age, when he found his refuge in the darkness of the underground, where he built his home. In eternal darkness, his creativity blossomed and he has finally found a place of comfort and peace.

It is touching to see that where life is miserable and all hope is lost, God opens up a new way for us. It may be a road that is unconventional, unexpected, different to the ‘norm’, but when you finally see it, and it dawns on you that it is a perfect way for you, the realisation can create overwhelming relief or joy. The words of the song are incredibly beautiful and touching about his life in the dark world.

3.

I can only imagine

Mercy me

We talk about it, we blog about Jesus, we setup and organise small groups to support the culture of Jesus. Jesus is our centre, he is the reason for Christians existing. We build enormous buildings to house the believers, we draw pictures, produce dramas and even have specialty merchandise stores.

But, turn away from all the process, the culture, the guessing and just let your mind be free. What would it be like to ‘walk with Jesus by your side’ to ’see into his face’? Not figuratively, not metaphorically, not in your minds eye, but for real. As real as you are reading this now. “I can only Imagine…”

4.

Isn’t she lovely

Stevie Wonder

Whenever this song plays, it speaks to me of family ties and the bond of a father and daughter. I grew up in a very loving family with a really great dad who is still active in my life. As I get older, I realise how few friends I have with a similar upbringing. Many have estranged, divorced or deceased fathers and I grieve for their loss of feeling like ‘daddy’s little princess’ in the best possible way. In this day and o of blended, split and divided families, this song speaks volumes to me and the way in which I want my children to be raised.

5.

Violin Concerto in D

Tchaikovsky

To me it’s a piece of music that brings hope through its melody, as we march towards God’s throne proudly because of Christ and paints the glory of God which is fully revealed towards the end of the movement. Whether that’s what Tchaikovsky meant I’m not sure, but I know he wrote it after his recovery from his depression. The violin and this concerto to me is a very personal thing – God’s gift of music for me to worship Him and to help others to enjoy God’s beauty.

6.

Psalm 63

Sons of Korah

LINK

Psalm 63 is a psalm of intense devotion to God. Written by David, king of Israel, most probably when he was a fugitive from the rebellious Absolom in the wild, inhospitable desert region between Jerusalem and the Jordan.

David was a man after God’s heart, and yet his life was on display when he made mistakes; showing his sinful human nature. This gives me hope when such a great man of God, can still get it right- amongst the sin. Thank goodness for grace and forgiveness! The person who has God in their life will have their soul filled with the richest of foods and this will be their joy no matter how desolate outward circumstances may be.

7.

Hands

Jewel

Often life is all too much, the task of making the world a better place too great.

This song reminds me that our actions make a difference. Our hands ’small I know’ are how good things happen.

We have the opportunity to show others that life is good and that God is good.

May we offer a kind hand to others as God does to us.

8.

Tis a gift to be simple

I like the song because our society continually seeks to make things more complex and layered. We distance and dislocate ourselves from the natural world which although is intricate and complex has a simplicity of interconnectedness and interdependency. It is why i enjoy sailing so much. There is a sense of being able to go in the direction that i would like to go, and yet i need to work with the wind and not against it. The song is a prayer that i often like to reflect upon. It is all part of that exercise of shedding excess baggage!

9.

We’re all in this together

Ben Lee

Sometimes, in an effort to connect with the Divine, we shoot for the stars. We focus on ethereal concepts or intangible otherworldly experiences. While many of my favourite “soul songs” offer transcendence—a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience—some of them are more grounding. We’re all in this together, by Ben Lee, is one such song.

10.

Grandpa’s Song

Vika and Linda Bull

I love the harmonies and the storytelling in this song. It speaks of racism and pressures of culture from an unusual perspective. Thankfully, we all grow up.

11.

Remember Joe Turner

George Papavgeris

LINK

I love ’story’ songs and especially the poignancy and respect contained in this song. I also enjoy the reversal of anonymity it contains.

12.

Consequences and loss

Antonio Pinto

This song speaks to me, deeply and calmly, about God’s insatiable search for us. That he calls out for us across the wilderness, scanning the horizon as he yearns for us to be with him. That he never rests in his search but is constantly out there, every day, patiently, gently, persistently, never-endingly looking for us. That he never tires, never angers, never gives in to frustration or despair, never thinks it’s not worth it or move on with life – but his love for us keeps him out there, wandering in the wilderness looking until every single one of us, young and old, rich and poor, past and present and future are found and know what it is to know the God who has always seen us as his own.

13.

Finished Symphony

Hybrid

This music shows me something of the vast eternity of God – his all pervasiveness throughout the universe. That no part of nature is without the experience of God. That god is not only everywhere but is indeed a part of all things – the very fibre of our being and substance of our souls. To listen to this is for me to feel filled with God because of knowing we are made by from and of him, and he dwells in us.

Secondly, as the music progresses and changes it takes that knowledge and provides that everywhere-ness of God with his immense energy that gives us life. That God fills our hearts and bodies and minds and is the source of our life, energy and power. And in doing so makes us empowered to do his will, whatever that might be, wherever that might lead us. Anything is possible.

14.

Nella Fantasia

Il Divo

Whenever I feel down, I just play this song and somehow, things seem bright again.

I don’t know what the words mean, and I don’t know what they’re saying, but all I know is that the music makes me feel a notch better whenever I hear the song…

Motivation:

We don’t normally do singing in these reflective services. Partially because they’re small and singing can be hard, secondly because I’ve got a preference for other forms of worship generally, and thirdly because we don’t really have good singing leaders at our disposal within those who regularly attend.

So we decided to ensure that we weren’t isolating those who appreciated the value of singing in worship and have a service which used the music of Taize to allow us both to ’sing’ and ‘reflect’.

(As a side note, we discussed later how Taize services were only a few years ago quite common and well attended locally – Now many of them have died out. Not sure why, but it is a shame, and perhaps something worth reviving if the interest is there)

Resources:

A beautiful side-effect of planning what was a relatively simple service was stumbling upon some wonderful resources: The Selah Service, which also kindly puts their material online. Many thanks to them for that useful resource.

Environment:

While a fairly normal setup, we did take advantage of this form of service to make it darker than usual (since no reading was required) and took advantage of a recent piece of art which has arrived at the church’s gallery to provide a focal point.

Service:

Song: Nada te Turbe (while people arrive)

Opening prayer

Eternal God, we come to you with hungry hearts, waiting to be filled:

Waiting to be filled with a sense of your presence; Waiting to be filled

with the touch of your spirit; Waiting to be filled with new energy for

service;

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and

we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

Gracious God, we confess what seems always with us: broken things

within us that seem never to mend, empty places within us that seem

always to ache, things like buds within us that seem never to flower.

O God of love and grace, help us to accept ourselves; lead us to do

those good and true things that are not compromised by anything

within us. As much as can be, mend us, fill us, make us bloom.

Have mercy upon us. Come to us, we pray. Be with us this day. Touch

us. Heal us. Empower us as your people, that we might worship you in

all we do, and act in the world for Jesus’ sake.

Everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this

day; grant that this day we fall into no sin, straying not from the way

of love and justice, and protect us with thy peace which has power

over all adversity.

Let us pray for those who weep, and for those who cause their

weeping

Hear our prayer, O God.

Reading/Introduction

Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly.

To open the gates of trust in God, nothing can replace the beauty of human voices united in song. This beauty can give us a glimpse of “heaven’s joy on earth,” as Eastern Christians put it. And an inner life begins to blossom within us.

These songs also sustain personal prayer. Through them, little by little, our being finds an inner unity in God. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts.

From Clouds & Glory: Prayers for the Church Year
(Morehouse Publishing)

Eternal God and Father,
we thirst for your love,
we long for your presence,
we yearn for your peace.
Come, Lord, restore us that we may live to your glory;
through him who gives us the water of life,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: O Lord Hear my Prayer

Song: Stay with Us

Song: Within our Darkest Night

Song: Wait for the Lord

Song: Stay With me

Instrumental music to allow time for private prayer.

Prayer

From Celtic Benediction: Morning & Night Prayer
(Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)

I watch this morning
for the light that the darkness has not overcome.
I watch for the fire that was in the beginning
and that burns still in the brilliance of the rising sun.
I watch for the glow of life that gleams in the growing earth
and glistens in sea and sky.
I watch for your light, O God,
in the eyes of every living creature
and in the ever-living flame of my own soul.
If the grace of seeing were mine this day
I would glimpse you in all that lives.
Grant me the grace of seeing this day.
Grant me the grace of seeing.

Song: Bless the Lord

Song: Jesus Remember me

Song: My soul is at rest

Song: In the Lord

Closing Prayer

I lie down this night with God,
And God will lie down with me;
I lie down this night with Christ,
And Christ will lie down with me;
I lie down this night with the Spirit,
And the Spirit will lie down with me;
God and Christ and the Spirit
Be lying down with me.

Amen.

Motivation:

After a few services of ‘broader’ material, we decided it would be useful to return to Scripture for a service, and the Psalms presented an excellent opportunity for a station-based service.

We were also hoping that a service promoted on the Psalms might attract some people who might be a bit hesitant to attend a more ‘freeform’ service.

I have to give credit to Sally Dakin  and Paula Pocock from St James Ruscombe and St Mary’s Twyford, for the basis to this service which they used in Lent 2004. It was terribly helpful to have the hard leg-work done by then, and then tweak.

Environment:

Usual, but not too dark.

We had a number of stations set up around the front of the church, each with a candle marking out its location. People sat randomly for the opening section, then moved around at their leisure over the next 30-45 minutes before a concluding  psalm.

Each of the stations had the passage of scripture printed on a piece of paper, and another paper with the reflection written. To make the text a bit fresher, we used the Contemporary English Version.

Service:

Welcome, and in introduction to station-based worship for those who may not have been familiar with the approach.

Opening Psalm: Psalm 77

Station 1: Psalm 51

(Station had a vase filled with water, and some dissolving sterilising tablets)

God knows about all he wrong we’ve done –
and all the good we’ve failed to do.
We have wronged God as well as others, but
he longs to figve us and set us free from
our guilt and from all that’s past.
Take a tablet and let it represent the things
that you are ready to ask God to forgive.
Drop the tablet in the wateras you ask God to
forgive, and as you watch it allow yourself to
receive God’s forgiveness.
Know that you are truly forgiven…

Station 2: Psalm 91

(Station had about 20 candles lit on a table)

God wants us to trust in him, to experience
his love and peace and let him deal with our
fears.
Allow the candle before you to represent what
you feel anxious or fearful about at this poin
in time, and consider what it would mean to
surrender that fear to God.
When ready, put that candle out, and take the
time to receive God’s peace.

Station 3: Psalm 27

(Station had some blankets, cushions, etc)

God wants us to see his face and hear his
voice, he wants us to come close to him and
spend time with him.
Take time now to spend time with God – Not
for any reason, not for any purpose, not with
any motive, but simple to sit with God.
Sit in that comfortable silence with God that
only the closest and most comfortable of
relationships can enjoy.

Station 4: Psalm 63

(Station had water, cups, and a plate of grapes)

God wants to satisfy our deepest desires. Tell
him about the empty places in your life; tell
him what you long for.
take some grapes and pour some water, and
as you eat and drink, let God satisfy your
hunger and your thirst, and let him fill you
with his Holy Spirit.

Station 5: Psalm 34

(Station had some crayons, pencils, and some cut-out paper people)

God knows all about joys and sorrows, and he
shares in the pain of those who suffer.
Take a set of people and let them represent
a a group of people or individuals you’d like
to pray for. They may be people you know
personally or others, far or near, whose
suffering you can imagine.
Write or draw your prayers for these people
on them. Let words, pictures, or colours
represent your prayers to God for them.
Take it home with you as you ask God to help
them and show you what you can do.

Closing prayer: Psalm 67

Motivation

The date gave us the motivation, with the evening/night of this service being the winter solstice itself. On researching this, it was a fascinating discovery to see that this event is made much more of in the Northern Hemisphere, especially the US, with the existence of ‘Blue Christmas’ services, which use the opportunity of the solstice to understand and appreciate that not everyone is happy at Christmas and to look back on who we might have lost (or what we might have lost) in the past year. This service took some of those elements.

Environment

Simple, dark, candlelit. The aim was that at the centre of the service only the Christ candle would remain lit, symbolising the light of Christ pervading even the darkest night. But to do so required the extinguishing of every other source of illumination. Music used tonight was purely Taize. On examining the room, one participant described it as ‘beautiful and Catholic’, and in a very positive sense!

Service
The service was broken into three parts: Darkness, Light and Life.

Background music: Adoramus te Christe

Introduction
– Intro
– Reading (Gary Heard – http://gdh.customer.netspace.net.au/Reflections/solstice.html).

Darkness

Invitation during reflective prayer time in the middle of this spoken prayer, to come forward and extinguish a candle or more to

represent those things that we may have lost, may be mourning, may be sitting in sadness or grief with.
Prayer: (From  Ted Yoder, Guerrillas of Grace)
O God of all seasons and senses, grant us the sense of your timing

to submit gracefully and rejoice quietly in the turn of the seasons.
In this season of short days and long nights, of grey and white and cold,
teach us the lessons of endings;
children growing,  friends leaving,
loved ones dying, grieving over,
grudges over, blaming over, excuses over.
O God, grant us a sense of your timing.
(Time for silent prayer) – Taize: Lord, Hear my Prayer
In this season of short days and long nights, of grey and white and cold,
teach us the lessons of beginnings;
that such waitings and endings may be the starting place,
a planting of seeds which bring to birth
what is ready to be born–
something right and just and different,
a new song, a deeper relationship, a fuller love–
in the fullness of your time.
O God, grant us the sense of your timing.

Light
Scripture reading
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was
with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him
was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has
not understood[a] it.

15″Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles
16the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”[a]

(ensure all but the Christ candle has been extinguished. Other candles were extinguished during this reading)

Taize 1: The Lord is my light.
Taize 2: Within our Darkest night.

Life.
Reading (Dom Helder Camera, Its Midnight, Lord)

The Spirit is breathing.
All those with eyes to see,
women and men with ears for hearing
detect a coming dawn;
a reason to go on.
They seem small, these signs of dawn
perhaps ridiculous.

All those with eyes to see,
Women and men with ears for hearing
uncover in the night
a certain gleam of light;
they see the reason to go on.
As the next two songs are played we are encouraged to turn our eyes forward and look at the
growing light in the days ahead of us. And in doing so consider those thing which are yet to come.
Those things that we have to look forward to, the new places will be shown and taken to. And also
those things which we need. Let us not be afraid to at this time be bold before God and in this time
ask him for those things which we need in the days to come, so that we can experience the growing
light, and share that with others.
As we do this, one of the children will bring you a small lit candle. Tonight, let this burn, symbolising the light
of Christ which burns with us even on the darkest, longest night.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
the light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
and the day is almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness
and illuminate your people. (Source: http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1764)

Taize: Stay with Us

God of all creation
of bare forest and low skies
or paths unknown and never to be taken
of fern, moss, 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.
Amen. (Iona Community)

Taize: Adoramus Te Domine

Motivation:

This service was driven by the desire to do something other than ‘talk to/at/with people’ by going to the extreme of not talking at all. Additionally, it was an opportunity to examine worship from a purely visual perspective, allowing God to speak to us through visual images via the movie, Baraka (more on that later)

Environment:

As is often the case, the space was gently candle lit with a projector displaying the movie up the front.

Coffee was available up the back along with a space to chat if people wanted that opportunity. The movie goes for about an hour and a half, so it was made clear to participants that they could come late, or leave early if they needed to. Coffee continued to be made available to sustain people throughout.

Service:

A short small handout was produced, introducing the night and indicating how nothing would be said tonight, but that instead people were encouraged to sit and watch the movie, and ask God to speak to them. Reflect. Pray about what you see. Ask questions of yourself in relation to what you see.

Baraka is a ‘movie’ with no direct plot, no speech, no storyline, but instead a collection of images which allow a story to be constructed. Many of these are drawn from the world’s religions, nature, and other scenes of humanity.

That was essentially the entire service. When the movie finished, people were free to sit and leave when ready.

Debrief:

Despite having no plot per se, Baraka turned out to be more challenging and confronting and depressing than at first intended. It has quite a harsh position in regards to humanity, and this has the potential to cause some discomfort. Not that that’s a bad thing necessarily, but is something to be aware of, and people may want to debrief afterwards. A discussion probably wouldn’t hurt if time permitted, or questions to go away with, readings, etc.

Definitely ensure you watch the movie and see how you respond to it first before showing to the congregation.

Motivation:

One week on from the crucifixion and resurrection, it’s reasonable to consider the disciples sitting down with Christ and ‘debriefing’ the whole event. Looking at what happened, what had changed, how things had turned out, and what the next steps were. Surprisingly, very little of that is found in Scripture, so with this service we played a little with the idea (using some rather cliched project management tools and concepts which I’ve recently been working with) to better understand with a new perspective how the Easter story has changed our lives forever.

Environment:

Since there was a fair bit of writing, and the service was not going to get too ‘moody’, the environment was kept fairly static. One candle, reasonable light, no background music.

Due to a convenient ‘clash’ with a gallery event however, we had the opportunity to give people coffee and something to eat on arrival. This turned out well, and is probably something that we will continue. It breaks up the anticipation, and makes it a much friendlier, more accepting environment, and puts people’s preconceptions or nerves to rest. We’ll probably continue this…

Service

Part 1 – Mission Objectives

• We start with Jesus’ ‘business case’ in a way. Where he started from.
• We’ll read some passages of scripture which talk about Jesus’ reason for coming to us. As we do so, you’re welcome to jot down words or phrases or thoughts which stand out to you as the reasons for Christ’s missions – his ‘objectives’ – on the big sheets of paper in front of us. Together that will create a collective understanding of Jesus’ objectives.
• Readings: Matthew 1:21, Mark 10:45, 1 John 4:9-10, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 5:9-11, Luke 4:17-21, John 17:3-4, Galatians 4:4-7.
• Following the readings (and writings!), people were invited to gather around, examine, and comment on what stood out to them.
• Closed in prayer as we stood around the ‘objectives’

Part 2 – Outcomes

• Turning our attention from objectives to outcomes.
• Fortunately for us, Jesus gave us a good summary of how he saw the outcomes of his mission in John’s gospel. As I read this chapter (Chapter 17), people are encouraged to close their eyes and attempt to put themselves in a place where they can consider these outcomes afresh. Rather than taking them for granted as a given, putting ourselves in the position of Christ at that time.
• After I finished reading, some quiet music was played for about 5 minutes whilst people wrote on post-it notes some thoughts on what the life and death of Christ has changed for them; what difference his mission makes to their life. How the Easter story changes how they see things after having experienced it.
• People then put these post it notes on the altar, and we gathered around, read, and then prayed together (with people being encouraged to speak their own prayers too)

Part 3 – Follow up activities

• Now to the ‘what next’, the ‘where to from here’… What does this mean for us and how are we called to respond to what we have experienced through Easter.
• As I read a few passages of scriipture from that space in between Christ’s resurrection and pentecost, people were encouraged to reflect on what 3 things (a good management rule not to create more than 3 tasks at a time!) they could do or change or act upon to take Christ’s mission objectives beyond this story and into our own lives. A sheet of paper was provided if it would help people to write them down.
• Readings: Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:44-49, John 20:19-23, 21:15-19, Acts 1:7-8, Mark 16:15-20.
• Closed in prayer.

February 2009

Motivation

This was our first service for 2009. (I’m not sure why I didn’t post the last few services from 2008. My apologies)

The week prior to this event, Victoria experienced the worst bushfires in Australia’s history. Almost 200 dead. A week later still over 100 missing. 2000 homes destroyed. Several towns (of decent size) wiped off the map entirely. All in one day. The hottest day in our history. It’s probably the worst day we’ve ever had in this state, and definitely one that none of us have ever experienced to this magnitude. It threw the entire population into disarray, and we felt it was important to take the opportunity to give people a chance to group, grieve, and sit with God in their confusion and despair.

As such, we decided to keep it very simple. Anything too fancy would be a bit of an insult to the gravity of the situation.

The event was advertised both to the church and the local community.

Environment

We didn’t go too dark or too fancy. Simple. One candle lit on the altar, and a projector of images shown on the wall from the bushfires themselves (People were given the freedom not to watch them if they so wanted – We’d been bombarded with thousands of painful images throughout the week.

Welcome

Just over a week ago, we were all in a very different place – so tonight we come together to reflect and pray. To take some time to sit and kneel before God and let our thoughts, our grief, our anger, and our despair sit and kneel before him too. We don’t come here for answers, but to lay our questions and our lack of comprehension at this tragedy before God.
Tonight is a simple service, with some readings, rituals, and a time of prayer and silence.
We will have some images running on the wall – I know that for many of us we have seen enough and to have images of this tragedy before us again would be too much – But for some of us, it might help us to be reminded of the enormity of what has happened, and use these images are prompts to prayer.
So if you feel it might disturb you, or no longer wish to see them, feel free to come and sit on this side with your backs towards the screen.
We also have a collection plate here for the Bushfire Appeal. Again, only make use of that if it is helpful for your prayer and reflection. I appreciate that many of you have given separately already with great generosity.

First reading

At a moment like this, the first engagement of the Body of Christ is to engage in the ministry of grieving—grieving for the yet-uncounted individuals and families whose lives have been crushed or crumbled by this catastrophe. We weep with those who weep.
Holy grief, the practice of lament, is not a form of self-centered pity but the willingness to crouch with those forced to their knees in the face of devastation. The billowing grief rising from this trauma is very real and will not be disposed of with the power of positive thinking.  We have no quick answers or explanations—or even plans of action.
Among other things, the ministry of grieving is important because it implies that the community of faith has not lost touch with the pulse of God’s intent in creation, an intent confirmed in the rainbow promise of Genesis 6 (following the flood), ratified in the crucified career of Jesus and dramatically broadcast in Revelation promising the new heaven and the new earth, when all tears will be dried and death itself shall be defeated
Furthermore, the ministry of grieving reminds us that we are not engineers of the coming Reign of Peace, but witnesses, pointing to where this Promise is breaking out even in our midst, even in this last week.

Story

A story was then read which had appeared in a national newspaper in the past week.

It is currently available here.

Prayer/Silence

God of our hearts,
We are heavy with sadness at the tragedy that has befallen so many people….….
Our minds struggle to come to terms with the horror of these past few days……
Our hearts are like stones in our chests,
as we mourn the dead and stand in solidarity with the survivors…..……….
Lord, where is the joy, peace, hope and safety that you promised?
Have you forgotten us, Lord?
Let us know pause in silent prayer before God.
(Silence)

Responsive reading

For those who have lost loved ones. Families, friends, colleagues, neighbours.

Lord have Mercy

For those who have lost someone they depended on, for comfort, companionship, security and livelihood

Lord have Mercy

For those who have been forced to experience or witness the loss of children

Lord have Mercy

For those who have lost property, belongings, and the objects which created meaning for them and a sense of home and place

Lord have Mercy

For those who have survived unscathed or with little injury, and the guilt they may experience in regards to their neighbours who have lost everything

Lord have Mercy

For those who now have to live with memories and experiences that no one should ever have.

Lord have Mercy

For those who have experienced loss while having to continue working through their suffering – CFA members, nurses, doctors, police, and rescue workers.

Lord have Mercy

For those who still don’t know what has become of their loved ones or their homes.

Lord have Mercy

For those who are now struggling to put pieces of their lives back together through the chaos, living in tents or sleeping on couches, waiting for normality to return, one day.

Lord have Mercy

For those who are already suffering another disadvantage – illness, infirmity, disability, poverty.

Lord have Mercy

For those who live in fear, having lost the safety and security that they experienced just over a week ago.

Lord have Mercy

For the children who have survived this experience, and for how it will play out as they develop and mature.

Lord have Mercy

For those who face exhaustion from days of vigilance as they protect and prepare their properties in nearby areas.

Lord have Mercy

For the emergency personnel who continue to fight, not letting themselves stop from grief or despair.

Lord have Mercy

For those who have responsibility for the coordination of the rescue efforts, and the massive, unexpected job that has been placed upon their shoulders.

Lord have Mercy

For the land, and the years it will take to recover.

Lord have Mercy

For those who have lost jobs, farms, and future income and purpose.

Lord have Mercy

For the towns that are no more, and will never be able to be the same.

Lord have Mercy

For all of us who despair at the loss, and our inability to do enough to help.

Lord have Mercy

Lighting of candles/ritual action

We know invite you to come and light a candle, as an act of prayer and petition. For those who have died, for those who have lost much, and for all of us who survive in a changed world.

(Music)

(Change image/slideshow)

Closing prayer

Lord of the Resurrection.
Lord of new birth
Lord of growth and regrowth.

As hard as it seems now, as we look at the pictures of destruction shown to us, we know that very soon, life will return to the bush. Green shoots will emerge from the trees, and the blending of black trunks with green leaves will remind us that life cannot be entirely destroyed.

As the forests recover, so too Lord give those who have suffered much the support, strength and nourishment to grow again, in their own time. For those who cannot or will not return, give them new places to call home. Make them part of new communities and find solace and strength in the new lives you grant to them.

Amen.

September 2008

Motivation

This was an attempt to broaden our approach to worship somewhat. To examine some different ways of hearing from and interacting with God. Appreciating that people have different strengths and weaknesses, and might be more open to one approach or other. In addition, most worship tends to focus on 2, or at most 3 senses. Tonight, we wanted to focus on all 5 (with a 6th thrown in later!)

An idea was posed to use the different senses. This is a pretty common idea as it seems, as any search on ’sensory worship’ will reveal. A few books on the theme even. Although very little freely available material online.

It was also important in the planning that this not be ‘gimmicky’. It’s easy to design a service which engages the senses, but it was important that they lead us to an exploration of understanding how God might speak to us through this sense, or opening ourselves up to an understanding of God, faith and life that we might not otherwise have had.

Environment:

Very similar to the previous worship session – 5 stations set up around the front of the church. Not too dark.  Each station had some elements to respond to and interact with, and a short written reflection. In a new move (which I hope will become a regular tradition), coffee was available freely for people to grab and take with them and have throughout the service.

Audio:

Again, we used the same, reliable soundtrack from the previous month’s worship. Nice, unobtrusive…

Structure:

There were three parts to this service:

1. An introduction, including a short scripture reading(s) and prayer.

2. The body of the service, where people interacted with the stations at leisure.

3. A bringing together of the people for some final readings, a time of silent reflection (or what we called engaging with the sixth sense – “Spirit”, and a final prayer.

The Service

1. Introduction

Introduced people to the theme, and how we were going to run tonight. Then used a few scripture readings on the vague idea of ’senses’:

O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who trusts in him (Psalm 34:8)

How sweet are your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)

Whoever keeps my words shall never taste of death (John 8:52)

Jehovah smelled a sweet savor and said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of humankind’ (Genesis 8:21)

He called the multitude and said to them, ‘Hear and understand’ (Matthew 15:10)

The people pressed upon him to hear the word of God (Luke 5:1)

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls them by name (John 10:3)

Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer (Psalm 4:1)

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8)

Behold, it is I myself; handle me and see (Luke 24:39)

Then, a short prayer to send people off on the stations…

2. Body of the Service

These were the stations that we had:

Sight

Three laptops running loops of different imagery. In this instance, we had some urban pictures (mainly architecture, signs, etc.), cloud photos, and a loop from a newspaper series including photos of natural disasters, political happenings, war, etc.

Where do you see God, present or at work in the world around us?

As you see these images, what do you see?

Do you see anything that shows you something about God?

Do you see anything that shows you an opportunity to be Christ?

What have you seen this last week that God has used, or could use, to speak to you. Change you. Grow you.

Scent

Some jars containing different ’smells’. Included some different essential oils, coffee, methylated spirits, and dirt (which didn’t smell nearly as much as hoped!)

Before you are a range of smells. Some will be familiar, some might not. Which is your favourite?

What would the overall ’scent’ of your life be? If God was to put you in a jar, your life, your passions, your interests, your hates, your loves – what would it smell like to Him. Would it be a pleasing fragrance to Him? How could you ask God to help you improve your ’scent’?

Hearing

5 CD players or MP3 players each containing a different type of music and some headphones. In our case, the tracks were:

- Be thou my Vision (old, traditional hymn)

- Taize music (chanting, reflective music)

- Hybrid’s Unfinished Symphony (techno – a personal favourite )

- Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

- Captivated, by Vicky Beeching (pop-Christian kind of stuff)

How does God speak to you?

As you listen to the different types of music, consider how God speaks to you…

What sounds are you open to? and which do you find difficult to hear through?

How might God be speaking to you in ways you might not be used to hearing?

Taste

A few different bowls of different tasting little items. In this case, it was wasabi peas, chocolate, pretzel sticks, and beef jerky.

Feel free to take from what is in front of you. As you taste each of these, focus on them carefully. Close your eyes and concentrate on nothing but the taste of these.

Consider those things that God has given us, has put in front of us. Things that we need, things that we want, things that we might be obliged to receive. How do these things add or take away to your life?

Think carefully. What do you want to receive from God?

Touch

A quiet corner with a soft blanket, and some stones on the floor.

Take a stone from the pile and rest it in on hand. With your other, grasp a corner of the blanket.

As you sit, with both experiences of hardness and softness in your hands, reflect on the things in your life that..

..are hard to you. Maybe they’re difficult. Maybe they risk hardening your heart or hardening relationships or patterns of doing things. Maybe they’re just painful…

…and those that are soft. The warmth of friendship and relationship. Those things that comfort you, bring you peace, support you softly and warmly.

…and consider how those two sit together. How does the hard and the soft in your life balance? How does one address the other? Where do you find the softness to deal with the hard things in your life?

3. Conclusion

We brought everyone back after 25 minutes or so, and had a few short readings – poached from the Swedenborgians…

In some traditions, each of the five external senses–touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight–has a correspondence with one of the internal senses. . . . The sense of touch, broadly speaking, corresponds to the love of goodness; the sense of taste to the love of knowing; the sense of smell to the love of perceiving; the sense of hearing to the love of learning, and also to obedience; and the sense of sight to the love of being intelligent and wise.

…the five senses are five ways in which love and wisdom are linked together. Touch is in all the other senses. When we taste, we touch the tongue with food and drink; when we smell, minute particles touch the membranes of the nose; we hear because sound waves impinge upon or touch the eardrum; and it can even be said that we see because light waves touch the sensitive receptors of the eye.

If touch is the universal sense, then love is universal too. Nothing can exist without love. Love is our life. Music, painting, literature–everything about them depends upon love. Science, political life, community relationships–these exist because there is a basic love behind them. Religion and the church, worldwide faiths, the understanding of God’s Word–all come from the universal love that is the very fabric of human existence. When Jesus healed, he touched. All healing depends upon the touch of love.

We then had a few minutes of silent prayer and reflection, to engage with God’s spirit, as the 6th sense – the way in which God can speak to us beyond the physical senses.

Then, a closing prayer:

Thank you, Creator God, for endowing us with the five blessings of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, by which we experience so much pleasure and beauty. Grant us, we pray, the wisdom to use our senses well, not plunging into physical pleasures for their own sake, but elevating heart, mind, and body in the service of those higher, spiritual purposes for which you created us. Amen.

July 2008

Motivation

Inspired by the influx of Catholics for World Youth Day (and a recent post by Kel), we took some motivation from the rich prayer traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. So, we’ve taken the concept of the rosary and created some prayer beads – The idea that the activity of creating the beads would be a guided reflection in itself, and then the beads themselves can act as a tool for prayer as we then go about our everyday lives.

Environment

The room wasn’t that dark, as people would need to read and thread beads. Around the space were 7 different prayer stations. In the middle was the Christ station, and the rest were scattered randomly, with a couple of chairs at each, giving enough room for some private reflection and prayer.

At each station was one of the reflective readings/writings written below, and a bowl of beads which symbolically represented that theme.

Audio

A reliable mixture of Hybrid and Biosphere. Very modern (drawing from a techno/dance tradition), but no lyrics or additional emotional themes to distract. Just simple, quiet, atmospheric but non-directive music. Anything like that would do…. Moby, classical, Enya, whatever works for you and your group.

Structure

After an introductory prayer, people had 30-40 minutes to move to each of these stations and spend some time reflecting on the ideas presented there. People were encouraged to take as much or as little time as you wish… And of course, if people wanted to just do a few stations, or none at all, they were free to do so.

As they moved around the stations, they were free to collect one or a number of beads from each station, and add them to the string provided. Through this, we will be ‘constructing our prayers’ in a very physical form, and one which we can revisit later. It didn’t just have to be one of each bead, but as few or many as they felt they needed.

When finishing visiting all of the stations, people were free to spend some time constructing the beads and their order, going back and getting more if required.

(Many of the word used in the reflections are not mine. I will be referencing them all as soon as possible, but I just don’t want to claim any credit for what is not my work)

The Service:

Introductory Prayer

Come now, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself for a while for God and rest awhile in him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him, and when you have shut the door, seek him. Now, my soul, say to God, ‘I seek your face; Lord it is your face that I seek.’ Amen.

The Station reflections:

Christ

What then must I do now?
I will go and sit before the Cross. I will attend to it. I will be
concentrated, and unhurried, and let it speak to me.
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place…
Yes, I must abide here. Here is cleansing, security, and
renewal. Here the past is dealt with, and the future secured,
and all the present – peace. Here I take strength for service,
patience in waiting, and healing for any wounds that come…
Saviour, hanging on the cross, declaring God’s love to us,
you are forgiveness. Beside you hangs a thief, beneath you
waits Mary the forgiven, and all around watch those many
people to whom you give new life and hope. To us you give
new life and hope. Forgiven sinners become your body and
your Church; may the reconciliation we share bring your
gospel to all the world.
Jesus, you know rejection and disappointment; help us if our
work seems distasteful; help us to decide what best to do,
what next to do, or what to do at all.
Give us courage and cheerfulness to go the second mile, and
all the miles ahead.
Amen.

Sin and forgiveness

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just
will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Lord, your ‘need’ is to love, mine to be loved by you. Your
‘need’ expressed itself in my creation, my being made an
object of your love. Your love expressed itself ultimately in the
life of Jesus, and now in the life of Jesus-in-me.
Lord, when I think back on my sins, my feelings range
from sadness (for what might have been)
through regret (either that I was found out by others or found
out who I really was myself)
to anger (that I could have been so destructive and stupid).
Perhaps also fear: what will almighty God do to me for what
I’ve done? So out of my darkness, sorrow and night, Jesus, I
come to you. I receive your gift of forgiveness, and ask for
your help to live in the future a life of commitment to yourself
and obedience to your word.
I am not worthy to come to you, or belong to your eternal
family, Lord. But apparently that’s not the point: your invitation
is not conditional upon my goodness, but simply upon my
acceptance of it.
I accept…..

Self

Somewhere in this bowl are the letters that make up my
name. The name given to me to identify who I am in this
world of many beings.
Creator God, you created my inmost being
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well’
When you think of yourself what do you see?
Do you like the psalmist see someone that is ‘fearfully and
wonderfully made’?
Does what you see make you want to praise or cringe?
What do you think Jesus meant when he said to love others
as we love ourselves?
Stop to feel your pulse. Life is running through you. Life is a
gift of God
Feel your fingertips. Look at the pattern on them. Each is
unique. You are unique.
You are made in God’s image. You are loved by the Creator
who is proud of you, the created.
Ask God to show you the real you, the you without image, the
you that God sees

Friends

While each of us has a personal journey to complete, there is
no need for us to travel alone. If we travel together we are
able to encourage each other.
One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One
can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are
few… We can have a surfeit of treasures -an excess of shells,
where one or two would be significant.
Lord, I need friends…
to ease my loneliness; to speak peace to me when I am
distressed; to walk with me when I am unsure of the way; to
provide a safe place where I can discover my true self.
I need friends…
who will laugh with me as well as pray with me; who will
embrace me without wanting to possess me; who will explore
their truth with me as it is continually revealed.
I need friends…
who will reflect you, Lord, as you reflect your Father; who will
recognise and call forth the Christ in me as I do the same for
them, so that in mutual giving we may become the persons
you have always seen us to be.
Amen.

Others

According to the Bible, we are to love others as ourselves, and as
God loves us.
There is an intimate connection between our love for ourselves and
our love and esteem for God and others. When we fail to love
ourselves, all of our relationships suffer. We fail to love our mates,
our children, or our neighbors properly.
Think of your own life . Remember the last time you were feeling
miserable and were angry with yourself, discouraged, or depressed?
How did you relate to your mate, children, and friends at that time?
Were you loving, sensitive, and kind? When we are uptight about
ourselves, we are usually uptight with others. We take our
frustrations out on them.
Providing a free and empty space for others, we commit ourselves to
accepting the strangeness of strangers. Each brings a gift,
themselves. In our openness, we are challenged by each guest,
changed by them unpredictably… It is thus that we entertain angels
unawares, even Christ himself. We are most aware of his presence
when the Christ in others reaches through to and engages the Christ
in us.
Jesus, friend of sinners, you call us to love our enemies, to do good
to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and pray for
those who treat us badly.
Jesus, reconciler, when someone slaps us on the cheek, you call us
to offer the other; when someone takes our coat, you bid us give our
shirt as well; when someone takes what is ours, we may not demand
it back.
Jesus, Son of God, our friend and brother, when we love our
enemies and do good we are children of God, who is kind to the
wicked and ungrateful.
Jesus, teacher without peer, you have turned the world upside down.

Facets of life

So many things make up our lives. Work. Study, Family,
Buying. Giving. Sleeping. Home. Holidays. Leisure. Boredom.
Chores. Hobbies…
Lord, in the many things that make up my life, make me an
instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred… let me sow love.
Where there is injury… pardon.
Where there is discord… unity.
Where there is doubt… faith.
Where there is error… truth.
Where there is despair… hope.
Where there is sadness… joy.
Where there is darkness… light.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek, To be
consoled… as to console. To be understood… as to
understand. To be loved… as to love.
For It is in giving, that we receive. It is in pardoning, that we
are pardoned. It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

World

Grant us a spirit of concern for the future of our environment;
Bring an end to the exploitation of the earth’s scarce resources;
Encourage us to be responsible stewards of your creation.
Lord, make us prophets of our time
Grant us a spirit of respect, recognising the value and integrity of each
person;
Encourage us to be accepting of ourselves and of others.
Lord, make us prophets of our time

Help us become advocates of peace, bringing an end to conflict and division;
Renew our commitment to challenging the causes of injustice.
Lord, make us prophets of our time

Grant us a spirit of openness to see God within and around us;
Help us rejoice in the good we have experienced as we move forward to the
future;
Help us use our senses to celebrate beauty and creativity in the world.
Lord, make us prophets of our time

Grant us a spirit of truth to recognise failings, which have hurt us, others and
the world;
Give us the humility to ask forgiveness for our part in any wrongdoing;
Lord, make us prophets of our time

Grant us a spirit of generosity to reach out in trust to those we encounter;
Help us to embody God’s love in our relationships with one another.
Lord, make us prophets of our time

Closing prayer

Lord God, you have heard our prayers, of that you have given us no doubt.
Now, symbolically, we bring together these prayers that we have shared with you, and connect them
together, end to end. Lord – you bring our lives together. You tie together the sorrows and the joys, the
sins and the blessings, the hard and the easy. Bring the loose ends of our lives together, today and
tomorrow, individually, and in community with others. Take all these things that we have brought to
you tonight, and which form these prayers that we now hold in our hands, and form them together
into a life of faith and love.
Go into the demands of the day released from inner strife and outer stress. After the quiet joy of
encounter in the stillness, may the Holy Spirit remain an inner resource in the dullest routine and the
greatest challenge.
Amen

June 2008

Motivation:

This service is as close as we’ll get to the middle of the year, so we took the opportunity to have a service which provided a ‘turning point’ – A space where one could reflect on the year that has passed, spend some time with God in a quiet, withdrawn space in the middle of the year, and then think about the rest of the future and move outwards back into the real world.

Environment: The usual. Pitch darkness with only candle light would have been ideal, but we made it as dark as possible. In the middle of the space were a few worship tools (candles, sand, water and stones, paper and pens) for use during the service.

Audio:

As explained later, it was all drawn from the Labyrinth.

The Service:

• Introduction: We introduced people to the motivation for tonight, and encouraged them to just sit, reflect, pray, and engage with the worship tools in the centre if/when they felt like it. No pressure tonight…
• For the rest of the service we used the station reflections from the Labyrinth. These were played over the audio, allowing people time to listen to the reflection, and have about 4-5 minutes at each of the 9 stations or so to think, pray, and interact if so desired. These stations help people put aside the things that might be keeping them from God, spend some time with God in prayer and reflection, and then begin to focus on the world around them as they re-engage and prepare to re-enter the world. (Normally these stations are used as part of the Labyrinth interactive prayer path, but they work well in this context as well).
• With each of the ‘inward’ stations, candles were steady blown out so that by the time the middle reflection, Holy Space, was reached there was only one main candle remaining. Following this, candles were steadily re-lit as the ‘outward’ stations were played.
• At the end, people were free to leave when ready as some ongoing reflective music was played.

Evaluation notes (for future facilitators) – in comments.