Worship to make you weep

This evening I took part in a wonderfully dark tennebrae service at St Giles. We used a very similar order of service to the one we wrote in 2003 the last time we were able to hold one in Tattenhoe.

As the fifteen candles were slowly extinguished the building became steadily more dark - aided by the electric dimmer lights that weren't available five years ago. As the building plunged into darkness we heard a solid (single) bang representing the closing of the tomb...

The atmosphere at the end was suitably sombre and everyone left quietly...

You don't need to be jolly to be meaningful - sometimes you have to go right down into darkness - and stay there for a while...

I have to say I'm not keen on worship that is simply sombre for the sake of it - all these people walking round with serious faces - but sometimes you have to do misery properly - and that's what tennebrae is all about....

The flip side, of course, is that having dwelt on death, depression and failure you must also take resurrection seriously as well - you need both Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Sunday

Today I did services at All Saints (8:00am) St Giles (9:30am) and St Mary's (11:00am). It was good to see people again.
The reading was from Matthew's Gospel and was the account of Jesus announcing that his plan was to go to Jerusalem where he would face the cross. Peter responded by suggesting that this was probably less than wise - to which Jesus then uttered the immortal lines, "Get behind me Satan".
From this I drew out a number of points which I emphasised in different locations:
a) Priest-focussed religion is an attempt to keep God/chaos under control - keeping God in a box and allowing ordinary people to get on with their lives. Peter stands in this tradition and (for the best of reasons) is trying to get Jesus to temper his dangerous ideas. But Jesus is now incarnate so we need to let God be God and allow him into the centre of our lives.
b) In this story the cross represents the truths that need to be proclaimed/confronted/acted upon and Jerusalem represents the heart of human society. The church is called to deal with issues of truth where people are - not in safe corners where there are no risks. If Jesus had listened to Peter would he also have begun to temper his message to avoid antagonising the crowds/Pharisees/etc...?
c) Since this is the end of August and the beginning of a new school year this is a time for thinking about new beginnings. This story tells us about how Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem and (with courage and determination) set out on a new road. God promises to be with us and help us as we carry our own crosses and journey toward our own Jerusalems.

Wedding: Debra and Michael

I took a wedding at St Giles this afternoon for a lovely couple called Debra and Michael. Debra turned up in a huge pink limousine which probably had more seating capacity than the church! I wish them well.

White Easter

Dawn on Easter Day: There I stood with guitar in hand singing Abba Father as the snow fell... These are memories I will not forget in a long time...
What a day! Seven Paschal Candles lit, communion celebrated three times, Easter celebrated... Lamb eaten - and chocolate...
A White Easter enjoyed by all...

Sunday after Christmas

Today was a significant day in the life of the Watling Valley Partnership. Richard Davis took his final services before starting his period of sick leave, leading to retirement. This morning, he was with Holy Cross and St Mary's where he has been minister with oversight for 8 and 6 years respectively.
Richard's departure begins a second URC vacancy in the partnership - and we could be waiting 18 months plus before a new minister is appointed. In the meantime, Mike and I will be working with three churches each, and "emergency plan B" will come into effect... This involves each congregation having two sundays per month with "their" minister, one with a member of the team and one locally led...
One of the side effects of "plan B" is that Mike and I will inevitably be spending less time with particular congregations, so today was a day of mini goodbyes as well...

9:30am at St Giles

I took the service at St Giles, which is one of the congregations I expect to see less often in the next few months. There were a number of people away, but some old friends in the congregation so it was a good occassion.

11:00am at Servant King

Servant King is another congregation I expect to see less of and I felt particularly sorry to say goodbye to them this morning. I've quite enjoyed my monthly visit to Furzton. Here they are wishing a Happy New Year to you... A New Year will soon begin and it's going to be an interesting one...

Happy Christmas

Christmas proper began with midnight mass at St Giles. This was Liz's first midnight sermon, and I'm afraid I missed most of it. A lady fainted soon after Liz started. We took her outside and I returned as the sermon was ending. Apparently it was very good... Well done Liz!