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Story telling

I've had the DVD of Season 1 of Mad Men sitting on my shelf for a while, but finally worked out how to transfer it to itunes so I can watch on the iPad when time allows.

I am now about half way through and continue to be surprised by how un-television like the story telling is. Complete story-lines are not compressed into 45 minutes, but things happen and only become relevant much later. Don's boss flirts with his wife and Don exacts revenge later (and without explaining what he is doing to anybody else or to the camera) - he simply bribes the lift-boy to pretend the lift is broken, thereby forcing Roger (after a big and boozy lunch) to have to run up 23 flights of stairs, resulting in him vomiting on the carpet in front of important clients. At least, that is what I saw, but as no connections between these events are made during the episode itself one has to draw one's own conclusions.

It is unlikely that we will be able to use precisely the same art in the long Passion reading on Sunday, but it is always worth trying to engage with imaginations and emotions which takes more than words.

For the record I am going to break up the Continuous Form of Narrative (if you have Lent Holy Week and Easter) and insert some musical interludes:-

Prior to "Now when Jesus was at Bethany..." a short clip of Un Grand Sommeil by Varese

Prior to "And when they had sung a hymn..." an excerpt of Tallis O lord in thee is all my heart (the version by Garbarek)

Prior to "Then those who had seized Jesus..." en excerpt of Glass String Quartet number 5 - 1

Prior to "When morning came..." an excerpt of El Mar Mediterrani by Sakamoto

Prior to "As they went out..." an excerpt from Parry's Via Mortis

And to finish I think I will play the song "At the foot of the cross" by Kathryn Scott

A musical mixed bag, I know.

Mission-shaped licensing (part ii)

If you've read my earlier post you'll know that I am being licensed to an additional Church on Thursday, and the Bishop was happy to challenge me to come up with a variation on the service on the Diocesan website which reflected the Ministry I believe is most needed.

Download Licensing service Christ Church 6 May 10

The main section in which there is a change is titled God's Call and Our Response. Traditionally the new Priest would, at this point, fill the font with water, place a Bible on the lectern and then place the chalice and paten on the altar. These three actions symbolise the Priest's role in Baptism, preaching and presiding at Communion. Word and Sacrament are not unimportant - they are the (sorry, am about to use utilitarian language which may irritate some) "tools" by which the Holy Spirit seems to shape God's people, but they are not the end in themselves; that has to be the Kingdom, and the God of Mission who wants to bring this into being in the world, and not necessarily in the Church building.

I have therefore scripted something based on the Five Marks of Mission. I am well aware that this removed a significant element of movement from the service (which is a crucial part of any liturgy), but (you'll have to trust me on this) the width of the nave area at the front of the Church allows us to avoid a static talking-head style which translating this to another setting might create.

I hope it works - they're all printed now so too late to change anything (gulp).

Mission-shaped licensing

I wish I smoked. My first proper boss in Engineering would always love the opportunity to make a big space on his desk and grab some blank paper so that he could sit down and 

map something out

which he usually did whilst smoking a Hamlet cigar (or if freshly back from holiday and being in a bit of a mood - a noxious Gauloises). In lieu of this I have to settle for music and coffee...

As I contemplate my licensing at the neighbouring Parish (and having been to one recently with at least two more coming up soon) I have to confess to feeling a bit...well, if you've been to one licensing then you've been to them all...and the words and actions don't (IMHO) translate realistically to the pattern of Ministry we see before us in the 21st Century. It is too safe and inward, full of jolliness about new beginnings, but very thin on content about where that new beginning needs to be heading. For our particular context it is verging on the scandalous that the Head of the local Church School would only be expected a walk on part of say hello. Barmy.

I sent a modified outline to the Bishop, who rather knocked me sideways by saying my suggestion was still too inward-looking and Churchy. He wanted to see the Five Marks of Mission BIG and bold.

So I have a very large piece of flip chart paper before me, some sticky notes, the text of the normal service from the Diocesan website and a copy of Mission-shaped Church in front of me.

There are some legal contractual obligation bits but I don't think they are very much in all this, so if you've done this sort of thing before what you would include or exclude? 

Creative Worship: seizing an opportunity for a Holy Week Prayer Installation

I love it when you can make an act of worship that pretty much fits into a briefcase.

 

I was tipped off by our Church layout guru that when he was planning the set up for Maundy Thursday night there would be a space in the back corner of Church crying out for a bit of something. I decided that I could cobble something together based on some ideas and texts from other places, and using either bits I could knock together quickly, or items I could incorporate that were lying around the place. I, therefore, decided to build a compact prayer installation that had elements of Holy Week from Palm Sunday through to Good Friday and this is meant primarily for those who find the still and silent form of Vigil on Maundy Thursday evening not quite to their taste.

So I made four stations to fit quite closely together. The basic format of the text for each station is an extract from Scripture, followed by a little bit of text I wrote imagining I was there at the time, followed by an activity; writing, building, holding, praying. The pdf for these pages is here

Download Maundy Thursday station 29 Mar 10

The first station is Palm Sunday and involves thinking of our hopes and dreams and building a small cairn.

 

The second is set at the point of Peter denying (with a bit of a echo of Judas betraying as well) Jesus and the station is a very simple act of confession "I, too, betray Him".

 

and there is a header stuck onto the blank flip chart page that people sign their names on

Download Betray him
 
The third station is a simple re-use of the Palm Crosses (and associated prayer) as we watch Jesus carry his cross on the road and Simon of Cyrene is hauled from the crowd to help him

 

The final station is at the foot of the cross. The blue drape we are using to symbolise the road acts to hide this last station from those earlier on the journey

I added some props at the back that I found in store

     

and then some text from the Franciscans along the front of the pew, and the overall station is like this

 

Didn't take long, and I feel refreshed by even a quick dabble in creativity. I've written this out a bit long hand hoping that if you've never done anything like this then you'll be brave enough to have a go for yourself.

Voting with our feet

We ended up in a right pickle at the Altar Rail this morning. Several have not been around for a few weeks and so had missed the announcements about Swine Flu (and the hand out I spent all that time putting together!) and our revised instructions - purely optional chalice to one side, not at the rail.

Well we were all over the place because almost everybody took wine - one or two dippers amongst us, but the vast majority took their lives in their hands and risked a bit of dodgy saliva.

Obviously the chalice to one side is meant as a precaution to one of the worst things that can happen in an Anglican Church - somebody being embarrassed.

So we revised our plan on the hoof and decided that next time we will have the chalice at the rail, but nobody need feel any pressure to have it and nobody need feel that they need to justify why they did or didn't have any.

Loved the comment at the door. "Don't know what the fuss is about - we'll all go down together".

Where would we be without music?

I love music. I can't imagine life without music. I can recall the epiphany of discovering The Beatles (thank Andy) in the early 70s as I moved out of the shadow of my Dad's musical preferences (one such album here - you have to listen to Delilah - the boys think it is hysterical). On top of this was being bought a guitar for my 14th or 15th birthday, and then playing every day for years. I have made an executive decision and set up my Les Paul, several pedals and my Fender Amp in the study - I apologise to the Administrator and Wedding Couples as they trip over cables and struggle to find space to put a chair down, but you have to have some priorities!

I was chuffed that Neil Tennant has spoken out about Simon Cowell and X Factor - churned out woh-woh-wooaaah-woh-woh power ballads - "what have we done to deserve this?", as Neil might sing. Perhaps one common theme across my diverse musical collection as I spin the wheel of fortune on my iPod is a sense of albums made with a strong thread of desire to make a sound, either from song-writers able to express emotions and describe life to those who make music that changes my soul as I listen to it. There are some artists who mine a similar vein of music across decades of music making (Jeff Beck, for example) but who are far from limited, and those who from one album to another, or even across a single CD, can change styles and yet still achieve an identity (somebody like Elvis Costello, for example). Some of the albums I come back to most often seem to have an atmosphere about them that makes the break between songs a thin membrane - Amnesiac by Radiohead springs to mind - I don't claim to understand them, but they are something to behold to listen to.

I wish I could do that - but I can't - no matter how much money I dream of frittering on guitar pedals or software for my iMac.

The power balled has also intruded into the worship arena too. I was reading how variations on the song "Shout to the Lord" were used by American Idol which presumably indicates that, just like Cohen's Hallelujah, it fitted into the mould of commercially acceptable bland-but-allowing-the-performer-to-express-their-deepest-emotions style. I'm not sure I agree with everything the man said yesterday in his analysis of the large worship venue being counter-cultural. I actually would say the opposite. He said that the big top at Soul Survivor type event was not something which relates directly to a non-Christian's experience because of the amount of singing, but when I go to a gig I would actually feel LESS self-conscious about singing along, moving with the beat and having hands in the air than I would at New Wine or similar. Probably this is because in a worship environment I am also trying to be aware of things outside the music, whereas at the Red Hot Chilis there isn't the same dynamic - the music in that moment is it all.

In a worship environment sometimes the weakest moments are when the band take on a style which doesn't sit comfortably, and often resort to simply copying a well known performer (trying to recall the album its on where there's a dead rip off of The Edge's echo style) "just to show we can rock with the best of them". I wish I was a better guitarist and could do this myself, though...

Worship Resources

I normally struggle with pre-prepared orders of services from books and magazines. But this Sunday I felt really uninspired so turned (I have to say initially almost at random) to...

"Uncommon Worship - 25 Innovative Services" (Nick Fawcett)

(don't know why there's no picture on Amazon so here's a link somewhere else who has it)

We did something about music in worship and I found not just the material pretty helpful, but also using somebody else's ideas as a template to remind myself of a different way of doing a particular type of service.

Candle-lit Carol Service

I've had a request, strange but true, to post the outline of our Carol Service this year.

I find the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols structure on the one hand a bit of a bind (wordy and too static for a congregation to truly participate in) but on the other it is a structure none the less (although don't count the number of lessons at one of my other Churches this Christmas, tee hee).

We are fortunate to have one Church where we can subtly dim the lighting and bring it in again, which makes the lighting transitions hinted at here quite manageable.

My Nine Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas

Subdued lighting as congregation arrive but ample for reading etc - no candles lit

Notices (including warning about the Church in darkness) by a Churchwarden from lectern

Carol: Once in Royal David's City (v1 choir only)

Choir move into Church during carol and then move to seats at end

Bidding Prayer up to and including Lord's Prayer HJ from lectern

1st Lesson Genesis 1 vv 1-5 And God said: Let there be light

at the end of this reading the Paschal candle it lit

Carol: Of the Father’s love begotten

(Lights are dimmed gradually during the reading of next lesson if possible)

2nd Lesson Genesis 3 vv 8-15 The Fall of Man

Choir Adam lay y-bounden, music by Boris Ord

3rd Lesson Genesis 22 vv 15-18 The Promise to Abraham

Choir leads congregation in singing the Taize chant “The Lord is my light”

The Lord is my light

my strength and salvation

in him I trust

in him I trust

during which tapers are lit from the Paschal candle. First the altar candles are lit, and then candles around the Church until sufficient light to sing (background electric lighting faded in if required)

Carol: In the bleak midwinter

4th Lesson Isaiah 9 vv 2, 6 & 7 The Prophecy of the Messiah's birth

Carol: O little town of Bethlehem

5th Lesson Isaiah 60 vv 1-5 Arise, shine for your light has come

Carol: Silent night

6th Lesson Luke 2 vv 1-7 The Birth of Jesus

The Calypso Carol, sung by Winsley School

7th Reading The Innkeeper’s Lament

Carol: Angels from the realms of glory

8th Lesson Luke 2 vv 8-16 The Shepherds go the manger

Choir The Shepherds' Farewell, music by Berlioz

All stand

(Any electric lights out one spot on reader as tight as possible)

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, chapter 1, beginning at verse 1

Glory to you, O Lord

9th Lesson John 1 vv 1-14 The Word of God is made flesh

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you, O Christ

Spot dimmed and lighting readjusted as necessary

Thought for the day - Revd Martyn Skinner

Carol: It came upon the midnight clear

(a collection will be taken during this carol)

Collect

Blessing

Carol: O come all ye faithful (vv 1-3)

The Innkeeper's Lament

I know that there wasn't an Inn and so there can't have been an Innkeeper, and even if there had been he might not have been married and he may not have given a stuff about a baby in a stable, but I have been trying to write something for use over Christmas. Not sure whether it will work, or even if its suitable. But in the spirit of Christmas and blogging I offer this for you to use in worship if you can.

Him: I wish I’d done it differently,

I really do

I thought I’d done the best I could in the circumstances

we were packed out, you see

booked up months before.

So I thought offering the stable was all I could really do

it’s not much to look at, but it was something.

If I’d known I would be spoken about every year

a reminder of how the baby wasn’t much welcome,

even as he arrived in the world,

I would have asked some of my important guests to downgrade

or to share a room with their travelling companions.

But I didn’t, and that’s for me to live with.

I wish I’d done it differently,

I really do

Her: Don’t listen to him. What does he care?

Offering them the stable as if he deserves a medal

and when we heard about the baby having grown up

and everybody talking about him,

this selfish clot wanted everybody to know how generous he’d been,

how warm and cosy the place was.

If I’d answered the door it would have been a different story

I can tell you.

You should have seen the state of her!

Her waters must have broken miles away.

Giving birth to her first child,

and she little more than a child herself.

You heartless brute! (she slaps him on the shoulder and he cowers)

I wish you’d done it differently,

I really do

Him: That’s not fair! I’m a father too

I know what its like to hold your son when he’s only seconds old

and to want the best for him from that very instant.

The father must have been heartbroken

not to be able to take better care of his first born son.

Years later we heard how he had been laid to rest

in a tomb offered by a friend of a friend.

In birth and death it seems he had to rely on the generosity of others.

If this wasn’t so sad I’d find the symmetry rather ironic.

I wish I’d done it differently,

I really do

The Bride of Christ

Its far too infrequent for me to be involved in anything of an Alternative Worship flavour (by which I mean something with lots of space and opportunity to be reflective, creative and responsive), and it is even less frequent for me to be in this environment when somebody else has done the heavy lifting, as it were.

Was knocked out by this evening prepared by F. Really lovely, well done.

We started with some singing and a reading from Revelation 19, and I spoke a little on the imagery from Isaiah, Hosea and Revelation, but as short as I could make it just to set the scene...

Download the_bride_of_christ.pdf

...then we were left to our own devices to work round some stations (pdfs above).

We finished with a Prayer Guard of Honour, walking between rows of people praying for us, then joining on the end so everybody prayed and was prayed for.