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Selfish Genes and Generous Spirits

Attached is a liturgy we used recently as we began to explore our family backgrounds.

A couple of years ago at Vaux we did a series of meetings around 'My Urban Practice', which were simply an opportunity for individuals in the group to have an evening to talk about their day to day work. It was amazing how much we more we discovered about people.

So we decided to do something similar and give people a chance to explore/share something about their family background. I just went through all of my patriarchs, back to my 4 great grandfathers. It was great just to explore some of that history anyway, and nice to open some of that up to people, hopefully to allow them to understand me better.

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Selfish Genes and Generous Spirits

Opening Prayer

Oh God, who is jealous enough to punish the children for the sins of their great-grandfathers,
and loving enough to show mercy to a thousand generations beyond,
be kind to us today as we gather.
We cannot enter our mothers’ wombs again,
yet you promise us rebirth
into the holy and mysterious family that is each other, and you.

Bryson

Welcome. And congratulations. I am delighted that you could make it. Getting here wasn't easy, I know. In fact, I  suspect it was a little tougher than you realize. To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to assemble in an intricate and intriguingly obliging manner to create you.

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Lent Prayers

Lent is the traditional time when we remember Christ’s temptations in the desert.

It’s a time when Christ considered what form his ministry was going to take.
It can also be a time for us to consider what form our Christian witness might take too.

The first temptation was to turn stones into bread.
The people were hungry – what better way to win them over than to meet their physical needs? Jesus’ rejection of this temptation is a rejection of the idea that true love can be bought. Giving people bread might make them follow him, but for what reasons?

The second temptation was to jump from the Temple.
We live in a society in love with spectacle. People can be won over with tricks and fantastica. Jesus’ rejection of this temptation is a rejection of the idea of celebrity. Doing tricks might amaze people, but was that love?

The third temptation was to give up.
We live in a world where persistence and tenacity are rare qualities, especially in the face of peer opposition. Marcuse outlines how pressures from our peers, from our own insecurities, and from the dominant power structures draw us towards ‘one dimensionality’: truth by big brother vote. Jesus’ refusal to bow down and just ‘take the money’ is a rejection of the easy way out. It might make for an easy life, but was that what life was about?

These Lenten prayers could be used as a daily rhythm over these 40 or so days.

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Grace Liturgy Archive

A full archive of Grace's liturgies can be found [here]

All pieces are protected under a Creative Commons License.

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Valentine's Day Shared Meal | 'The Parliament of Foules'

Valentine's Day falls on one of our meetings days this year. We thought about canceling to allow people to sneak off and be romantic, but everyone agreed they'd rather meet and enjoy a shared 'love feast'!

This is the piece of liturgy we're going to share tomorrow night.

Saint Valentine is a bit of a myth. The day came about because the 14th of Feb - Saint Valentine's day - was also the traditional day in Spring when birds chose their mates. As Chaucer put it in his piece 'The Parliament of Foules':

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

So the liturgy is not directly about love, but takes a quick journey through avine metaphors in the Bible... The spirit hovering over the water, the dove sent out by noah, the 'wild goose' of the Spirit, the dove settling on Christ, the assurance of the Father's love even for the birds... All ending with us eating

'these breadcrumbs, this bird-food, as a sign of our love,
this wine, your blood, as a memory of yours.'

As ever, feel free to share, and use with imagination.

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Crucified Earth | An Environmental Mass

An environmental communion first used at Vaux.

The earth is one, though it is made of many parts;
And though its parts are many, they form one earth.
So it is with Christ.

We were all born to one earth, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and were all given the one earth to use.

Now the earth is not made up of one part, but many.
If the valleys should say, "Because I am not a mountain, I do not belong to the earth." it would not for that reason cease to be part of the earth.

And if the soil should say, "Because I am not stone, I do not belong to the earth." it would not for that reason cease to be part of the earth.

If the whole earth were stone, how would plants grow? And if the whole earth were soil, where would solidity be?

But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the earth just as they were meant to be. If they were all one part, where would the earth be? As it is, there are many parts, but one earth.

Humanity cannot say to the forests, "I don't need you." And the city cannot say to the ocean, "I don't need you."

On the contrary, those parts of the earth that are dirt, are indispensable, and those that are alien, we should respect.

God has summed the parts to make a greater whole,
so that there should be no selfish abuse,
no extinction,
no polluting,
no exhaustion of resources
no genetic modification
no contamination
no food mountain
no battery meat
no vivisection
no enforced relocation
no germ warfare
no Agent Orange

The earth is one,
though it is made up of many parts;

So it is with Christ.
As we are part of the earth, we are part of the body of Christ.

If we crucify the earth, We re-crucify Christ.

We share the body of Christ
Committing to turn outside ourselves for strength.
Acknowledging our interdependence with the earth.

We share the blood of Christ
Committing to share in Christ's sacrificial nature.
Acknowledging our hand in destroying our environment.

Originally archived at http://www.vaux.net

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Introduction to a Eucharist: Soliton 2007

This is the introductory reflection I wrote for the Celtic Soliton Sessions in Northern Ireland in February 2007.

It is based around some thoughts I had on an alternative reading of the Judas narrative. What if Judas had actually thought he was doing Jesus a favour? What if he, just like the other disciples, had got it all wrong, and though Jesus needed a helping hand to catalyse his military coup? This would obviously explain the kiss a little better...

At communion we are offered a piece of bread. Just as Judas was. Often we are about to go out 'into the night', just as he was. So what are we going to do with these gifts of bread and wine? Be like Judas and try to co-opt Jesus into our own revolutions, or be like Christ and walk the way of sacrifice?

The longer text towards the end of the piece is taken from the final chapter in my book Signs of Emergence, or The Complex Christ in the UK.

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Prayer For a Meal on Tired Evening After a Week of Struggles in the City

The congregation gather around a table.

Lord, it is night,
It is night after a long day.
Websites have been tended, Copy written, Ministers ministered to, Festivals organized, lessons given. [The work details of the congregation are entered]

Lord it is night,
It is night after a week in the city.
Gardens have been dug, films seen, music listened to, people engaged with…
People bumped into, sleep disturbed, sirens heard, violations suffered.

Lord we are hungry,
Junk has been eaten, producers forgotten, chemicals swallowed, meals rushed, thanks not given.

Lord we are not as hungry as some,
Forgive us.

Lord we are hungry,
Make this table yours. Make this table just. Make this table gracious.
Make this table thankful.

Lord we are not whole,
We remember those who are not with us.

Lord, we are not whole,
We break this bread and share this wine to re-member your body.
Broken so we may be whole.
Poured out so we may be filled.

Lord it is night,
May this body and blood be strength and refreshment for us.
May it give us energy to forgive, to persevere, to love.
Dear Christ, re-invigorate us, re-plenish us, eat with us tonight.
Amen.

Bread and wine is shared, and a meal is eaten.

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Learning to Wait

May we learn how to wait
And not run away

May we discover in the darkness
The uncontrollable truth at the heart of all things

May we let go of our ideas of God
And our ideas about ourselves

May we let go of our precious wounds
And be open to unexpected healing

May we let go of our desire to matter
And stay with ourselves

May we let go of our compulsion to describe God
And stay with the mysterious presence of Christ

May we not be afraid
When nothing is happening

May we not be ground to zero
By the empty ache

May we not be too proud
To receive love when it comes

Like a child's tears falling
On the lonely dryness of a prayer that seems to be going nowhere

(this was initially written for advent, with a couple of phrases stolen from Rowan Williams)

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Liturgy for the Celebration of a Birthday

The People are furnished with full glasses.

Infinite God, ageless and timeless,

God who was born and counted time with us,
God who knows each hair on N’s head (an alternate liturgy shall be said for the bald)
Thank you for N’s years that have passed.

The first toast is drunk, remembering joys and sorrows.

Infinite God, ageless and timeless,

God who rose eternal and sees far ahead
God who traces out each step N might tread
Thank you for N’s years still to come.

The second toast is drunk, a prayer of  hope for the future.

A cake may be presented, and a traditional song sung.
A third toast is drunk, a celebration of the present.

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Liturgy for the Dedication of a Child

We used this for the dedication of our son, Elias.

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