21 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in Lent
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Rather than repeat myself here, you can find all sorts of Lent online resources over at my blog here. There are blogs to watch daily, lent action to undertake and daily text messages or tweets to receive.
If you have others to share, please do comment.
20 Monday Feb 2012
Posted in Ash Wednesday, Lent, Liturgy
You will find everything you need over at Thom Schuman’s blog Lectionary Liturgies.
20 Monday Feb 2012
Posted in Shrove Tuesday
Tags
Willfully stolen from Kelvin’s blog (his most popular post) 
Ingredients:
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large heggs
200 ml milk
75 ml water
50g melted butter
Method:
Sieve
Whizz
Fry
And we shall be trying them out at Christ Church on Tuesday 21 February at 7pm. There is also a trophy for the winning person which might involve running and flipping at the same time.
15 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Ash Wednesday, Children, Easter, Lent
I’ve heard a tradition which some churches us (mostly in the USA) of burying the Alleluias during Lent. You could do it either on Ash Wednesday or on the first Sunday in Lent. The latter might be better if you have lots of children in the congregation.
As people arrive they are given a strip of white paper with the word Alleluia printed on it in different fonts. (3″ x 11″ approx) Then at some point near the beginning the children are asked to go and collect all the Alleluias and bring them to the front where they are put into a white box. (Any old box will do, covered in white paper) The box is then tied up tight with twine because those Alleluias like to escape. Explain why we don’t sing Alleluias in Lent.
Then on Easter Day the children are invited up to set the Alleluias free. When they open the box they will be surprised to find that there are many more and in all different colours too! Dump them on the chancel floor and get the kids to grab them and hand them out. Everyone gets an Alleluia and whenever they hear the word they have to wave their Alleluia in the air.
Lots of hymns will have Alleluias in it and you could get the choir or organist to do the Hallelujah Chorus too.
15 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Ash Wednesday, Lent
Tags
Ash Wednesday
the smudge of ash
on a white brow
darkness and light
repent and turn to Christ
darkness and light
ash mixed with oil
oil to anoint
oil to heal
last year’s negatives
(the darkness)
burned
and taken up as a cross
with confidence
into the light.
14 Tuesday Feb 2012
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I came across this today and am thinking of using it here at Christ Church. You start off with a number of candles lit at the beginning of Lent. Then each week you extinguish one with a meditation and prayer. (A bit like Advent but in reverse.) The number of candles depends on whether you include Ash Wednesday and Good Friday or not. So we move into darkness throughout Lent and on Easter Day they are all lit again, signifying the Light of the World which darkness cannot extinguish.
Now, where to put them…?
PS I’ve just been told where to buy the candle holders for Lent Candles. You can buy them here.
07 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in Easter
Worshipping with Children has posted a link to an Easter play for children, especially if you have a small church. It is available for all to share or adapt, with recognition of course.
30 Monday Jan 2012
Posted in Candlemas
Tags
Candlemas, Candles, John Duncan, Purification, St Bride, St Brigid
This is one of my favourite paintings in the National Gallery of Scotland. It is by John Duncan and is called St Bride.
The story is that Bride/Bridget was taken by the angels to the nativity to serve as a handmaiden to Mary.
There is another legend which says that when Jesus was born it was actually twins. The first child was a girl and God knew that a girl would never be able to do all S/He hoped so the girl was spirited away by the angels to begin the Celtic Church, where women were respected. Good, eh?
I love the colours in the painting, and the angels faces and the stories told in their robes. I adore the sky and the celticness of the waters and creatures. For a while when I was a student at Tisec we studied in the CofS building near the Botanics (can’t remember the name) and the original sketch for this painting was in the dining room at the head of the table. I’ve adored it ever since.
Now what has St Brigid got to do with Candlemas, I hear you cry? Well, quite a lot actually. For St Brigid’s feast day is 1 February. She began her life as a pagan goddess and ended up a Christian saint. Brigid was the fire and fertility goddess and in her temple at Kildare she was tended by the vestal virgins who kept the eternal fire going. On her feast day her statue was carried into the sea to be washed (purification) and then trawled around in a cart surrounded by candles.
The legends about this Brigid gradually became associated with Saint Brigid who founded the first convent in Ireland – at Kildare, of course. In the Highlands on this day women dress a corn-doll and put her in a basket (the Bride’s Bed). Then a wand, candle or other phallic object is laid across her. (I’ll leave you to decide what ‘other phallic object’ that might be.)
In time the RC church, is it was wont to do, superimposed a Christian festival on to a pagan one. 40 days after the birth of a male child (80 days if it was a girl – and what’s THAT all about?) Jewish women went through a purification ceremony. In the 6th century, 2 February (which is 39 days after Christmas) was declared the Feast of the Purification of Mary thereby forging a link between the two days.
The custom was that candles were brought to church on this day to be blessed. When they are taken home they act as talismans and protection from disaster.
Liturgically it is all about the candles. Candles everywhere. Candles in windows, candles on any ledge, candles lit all over the place, and candles for the people too. Traditionally, along with Twelfth Night, Christmas decorations would be taken down today so our crib will finally be taken down to signify the end of Christmastide.
Food-wise you might want to enjoy some pancakes. This is probably because Shrove Tuesday can fall pretty close to Candlemas. But it also good to eat grain-based foods so cakes will do! Pancakes are considered sun symbols because of their shape and golden colour. (Not when I make them, they’re not.)
If you have a real fire at home you can give the hearth a good clean out and light a new fire. Then you can meditate on your hopes for the coming year. What do you hope to accomplish? What seeds do you want to sow? Write down your thoughts in your journal and then when Lammas comes (2 August, Feast of first harvest) you can look back and see what you have achieved.
Since Candlemas is a time for new beginnings, this is a good day to celebrate all that is new. Let your creative side run riot. Make some resolutions. Use the symbols of fire, water and seeds in some way. Light a candle, wash your face, and plant some seeds, asking for a blessing while you’re at it. It might also be a good time to spring clean the house. (I said ‘might’.)
21 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted in Liturgy, Palm Sunday, Passion Narrative
A few years ago Palm Sunday fell on a day when my church would have had an All Age service. Should I cancel it? After all, not many children will sit quietly through the Passion Narrative. I looked around to see if there were any Passions written specifically for children and couldn’t find one. Enter Rosemary Hannah who said she’d have a go at writing one.
It was for three voices: Narrator, Jesus and Voice (all the others) and three young teenagers read it in church. It was incredibly moving. I’m posting it here with Rosemary’s permission and feel free to use it with a wee mention of her name please. It is for Luke’s account so best for next year, but perhaps that doesn’t matter. If you are looking for a Passion Narrative for children, then you won’t find better! Or if you know of any others, why not let us know?
LUKE’S PASSION NARRATIVE FOR CHILDREN by Rosemary Hannah (Feb 2010)
Narrator: The time for the big meal came. Jesus took his place at the table and so did his chosen Twelve. He said to them:
Jesus: I have wanted and wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. I will never ever eat this special meal again until it is made perfect in the Kingdom of God.
Narrator;: Then he took a big goblet of wine, and he thanked God for it, and he said:
Jesus: Share this out among yourselves, because I will never drink wine again until the Kingdom of God comes.’
Narrator: Then he took a loaf of bread, and he thanked God for it, and he broke it. Then he gave the bread to them and said:
Jesus This is my body.
Look, one of my friends is going to betray me. It is decided that I must go, but woe to the person who betrays me
Narrator: Then the Twelve began to ask who it was who could possibly betray him. Then they started to squabble over which one of them was the best and most important person. But Jesus said:
Jesus: Other people like to be important, and some people say ‘Aren’t you great!’ when somebody tells them what to do. You can’t behave like that. The most important one of you must behave like a new kid in school, and your leader must behave like a waiter who takes orders, and not like the diner who sits there and demands things. Look at me. I behave like your servant. But my Father gave me a Kingdom, and I will give you a Kingdom. There you can indeed sit and dine. You twelve will head the twelve tribes of Israel.
Simon, Simon – listen. The Devil demands that you are all shaken out to see what you are made of, but I have prayed that you will have faith, and once you have sorted yourself out, you will help the others.
Narrator Then Simon Peter said:
Voice Lord I am ready – I will go to prison for you or die for you!
Jesus Before daylight wakes the first bird, before the cock crows, you will deny three times that you have ever met me.
Narrator Jesus went out to a nearby park, called the Hill of Olives, and his followers went with him. When he got there he said:
Jesus: Pray that you are not put to the test!
Narrator Then he went a few metres away and he knelt and prayed:
Jesus; Father, if you are willing, take this goblet away from me. Yet, your will be done, and not mine.
Narrator: Then he got up, and he found his friends were sleeping:
Jesus Why are you sleeping Get up – Pray that you may not be put to the test!
Narrator While he was saying this, with no warning a crowd of people came up to them, led by Judas, one of his Twelve friends. Judas tried to kiss him, and Jesus said:
Jesus Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying me, the son of man?
Narrator Then one of his friends took out a sword, and cut of the ear of the slave of the High Priest. Jesus said:
Jesus Don’t do that!
Narrator And he healed the ear. Then Jesus said:
Jesus: Are you coming out at night as if I was a bandit who hid away from you I’ve been teaching every day in the Temple and you’ve been there too – I’m not hard to find! But this is your hour – It is dark night, and you act by the power of darkness!
Narrator Then they grabbed him and led him off to the High Priest’s house, and Simon Peter followed a good way behind them. It was cold, and they had a little fire in the middle of the yard to keep warm, and all the servants and hangers-on gathered round it, including Peter. A slave girl saw his face in the glow of the fire, and she said:
Voice This man was with Jesus!
Narrator But Peter denied it, saying:
Voice No girl, I don’t know him.
Narrator Later, another person caught sight of his face and said:
Voice You were one of them,
Narrator and Peter said:
Voice Man, I was not!
Narrator An hour later, another bloke said:
Voice You are another person from Galilee; surely you were with Jesus’
Narrator And Peter said:
Voice Man, I have no idea what you are talking about.
Narrator Then the cock crowed, and Peter remembered what the Lord had said: Before the cock crows you will deny me three times. He left the yard and cried bitterly.
Meanwhile, the men holding Jesus began to jeer at him. They beat him up. They put a blanket over his head, and hit him and laughed:
Voice You are supposed to be a prophet – go on, tell us the name of the man who hit you!
Narrator As day dawned, the leaders of the people and the priests met as a council, and had Jesus brought before them. They asked
Voice Are you the God’s Anointed One, the Messiah?
Narrator Jesus said
Jesus You will not believe a word I say, and if I ask you questions, you will not answer. This is what I will say From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God.
Narrator So the leaders said:
Voice Well, we have heard what we need to from his own mouth.
Narrator Then the council all got up and took Jesus before the Roman governor of Judea, who was called Pilate. They said:
Voice This man Jesus is trying to stir up a rebellion against Rome. He told us not to pay our taxes to the Roman Emperor and he says he is God’s Anointed One, that is, our king.
Narrator So Pilate asked Jesus:
Voice Are you the King of the Jews?
Narrator And Jesus said:
Jesus Those are your words
Narrator So Pilate said to the chief priests and to the crowd that had gathered:
Voice: I can’t see any basis for what you are accusing this man of. You brought this man to me because you said he was stirring up a rebellion against Rome. I have examined him while you were here, and I can’t see that he is guilty of any of the things you accuse him of. Certainly he is not guilty of anything that means he should be put to death. I’ll have him beaten and set him free.
Narrator Then all of the council and the people shouted:
Voice Put Jesus to death! Release Barabbas instead.
Narrator Barabbas was a terrorist condemned to death. Pilate really wanted to let Jesus go, and he spoke again, but the people just kept shouting
Voice Torture him to death, torture him to death.
Narrator A third time Pilate said:
Voice What bad things has he done? There is no reason to sentence him to death. I will have him beaten and let him go.
Narrator But the people kept on and on shouting for him to be crucified, tortured to death. So Pilate gave his official verdict that Jesus should be put to death, and he let the terrorist go. Two others, criminals, were being put to death that day. They crucified all three at a place called ‘The Skull’ with Jesus on the middle cross. Then Jesus said:
Jesus Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.
Narrator: The soldiers gambled for his clothes. Some stood watching, quietly, but the leaders laughed:
Voice He saved others, healed them. If he really is God’s Anointed, let him save himself.
Narrator And the Roman soldiers jeered at him, offering him vinegar, sour wine, and saying:
Voice If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.
Narrator There was an inscription above him ‘This is the King of the Jews. One of the criminals kept jeering too:
Voice Some Messiah – save yourself.
Narrator The other said:
Voice Aren’t you afraid of God? We too are dying here – the difference is that we really did do wrong, but Jesus has done nothing! Jesus – remember me when you get your Kingdom!
Narrator Jesus replied:
Jesus I tell you today you will be with me in Paradise.
Narrator Jesus was on the cross by noon and the whole area became dark. At three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out loudly
Jesus: Father, I place my spirit in your hands.
Narrator: Then he died. The soldier in charge of the execution praised God and said:
Voice: This man was innocent.
Narrator: The crowds who had gathered to watch went home showing how sorry they were. But those who knew him, including the women who had come from Galilee, stood a little way away, watching.
Now one member of the council was a good man called Joseph of Arimathea. He had thought what the council has done was very wrong. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. He took it down from the cross, and wrapped it up in linen, and laid it in a new rock tomb. The women from Galilee followed and saw how Jesus was laid to rest and where. By now the sun had gone dawn, which made it the Sabbath, and nobody could do anything which counted as work, so the women went home, intending to lay Jesus out properly on the Sunday.
21 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted in Liturgy
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Perhaps you already know of Thom M Shuman? He has a wonderful gift with words and produces weekly liturgies to go with the Revised Common Lectionary. He is also a member of the Iona Community and writes for Wild Goose too.
You can find a whole host of liturgical stuff here.
