Open Book

Liturgy: Desiring the Kingdom

/ nlbenson / Leave a comment

A number of people have requested a copy of the liturgy we used throughout our first cycle on James Smith’s “Desiring the Kingdom”.  We did tweak it each week so this is just the basic structure. Sources can be found at the end. Nik x

(Theme: Desire/loves and body/habits)

Lighting of the Candles:

We light a candle in the name of the Maker,

Who lit the world and breathed the breath of life for us…

We light a candle in the name of the Son     

Who saved the world and stretched out his hand to us…

We light a candle in the name of the Spirit,

Who encompasses the world and blesses our souls with yearning…

We light three lights for the trinity of love:

God above us, God beside us, God beneath us:

The beginning, the end, the everlasting one.

Meditative Singing (Taize: “Wait on the Lord”):

Wait on the Lord, whose day is near.

Wait for the Lord: keep watch, take heart!

Silence/Confession (3 mins)

Responsive reading:

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you

As the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee:

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Walk with us, Lord: the journey is long

Psalm 84: 1-2, 4-7, 10-12

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

I long, yes I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.

With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

Walk with us, Lord: the journey is long.

What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises!

What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,

Who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.

The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

They will continue to grow stronger,

and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

Walk with us, Lord: the journey is long.

One day spent in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else;

I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God

Than live in the homes of the wicked.

The Lord is our protector and glorious king,

blessing us with kindness and honour,

He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right. 

Walk with us, Lord: the journey is long.

Prayer

* group members feel their pulse

Lord of Creation,

Create in us a new rhythm of life

Composed of hours that sustain rather than stress,

Of days that deliver rather than destroy,

Of time that tickles rather than tackles.

Lord of Liberation,

By the rhythm of your truth, set us free

From the bondage and baggage that break us,

From the Pharaohs and fellows who fail us,

From the plans and pursuits that prey upon us.

Lord of Resurrection,

May we be raised into the rhythm of your new life,

Dead to deceitful calendars,

Dead to fleeting friend requests,

Dead to the empty peace of our accomplishments.

 

To our packed-full planners, we bid, “Peace!”

To our over-caffeinated consciences, we say “Cease!”

To our suffocating selves, Lord, grant release.

Drowning in a sea of deadlines and  death chimes,

We rest in you , our lifeline.

By your ever-restful grace,

Allow us to enter your Sabbath rest

As your Sabbath rest enters into us.

 

In the name of our Creator,

Our Liberator,

Our Resurrection and Life,

We pray.

Amen

Dialogue

1. Questions: What didn’t make sense?

2. Challenges: what did you think was wrong?

3. Implications: if this is true, what does it mean for how the church follows Christ today?

4. Art Stimuli:

“Supper at Emmaus” by Caravaggio (wk 1);

“Objects and Ornothology Series” by Deb Mostert (wk 2)

“Christ Pantocrator” (early Christian Icon); “Prince of Peace” by Akiane Kramarik; and “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” movie trailer (wk 3)

“Forgiven” by Thomas Blackshear; “Sacrifice” by Rayner Hoff (wk 4)

“Baptism” by Nolan Lee; “Feasting Table”; “The Plodder” by Michael Leunig (wk 5)

The “West” Window of Coventry Cathedral glass etchings by John Hutton (wk 6)

5. Applications: what does it look like for you to live out of this vision? How can I change my everyday habits to desire the kingdom of God?

Everyday Practices to engage the senses:

– Just as the Jewish people leave spice on the tips of their tongues on the conclusion of the Sabbath to allow the ‘aroma’ to linger, anointing oil can be used at the conclusion of time spent with God, both alone or corporately (wk 1)

– Drawing on the inspirational life of Saint Francis of Assisi, the group discussed the importance of simplicity of consumption in being a follower of Christ. We cut out squares of hesian for our wallets to remind us of our responsibilty in caring for the cosmos and our fellow human beings. (wk 2)

– The act of baking bread at home, can be helpful in cultivating gratitude for our food and reflecting on our role in joining God in ‘arranging’ the natural world (wk 2)

– Reflecting on Bonhoffer’s use of the sign of the cross throughout his time in prison, we are reminded of a very old practice which can be useful in sustaining us and reminding to whom we belong. Though there are several variations, we used the thumb to mark a small cross on the forehead, between the eyes, lips, heart and shoulders accompanied by.. “Lord, be glorified in what I think, in what I see, in what I say, in what I desire, in what I do, and in where I go” (wk 3)

– Gratitude Journal: Studies show increased happiness, sleep, decreased depression and anxiety and improved blood pressure are associated with performing this task regularly (1 Thess 5:18, Ps 92:1-2). Record 5 things you are thankful for before bed each day for one month. Prompts to get you started: Opportunities, nature, food and drink, places, our bodies, dreams and hopes, memories, art, animals, people, happy and challenging experiences (wk 4)

– The placing of a stone in water to symbolise our commitment to Christ through baptism as we commit each day to live for Him (wk 5)

– Communion (wk 6)

Sing doxology:

    Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

    Praise Him, all creatures here below.

    Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts.

    Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

                                                Amen.

 

Benediction (read by the leader):

    May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;

    May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

    May he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

     May he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.

 

References:

“Common Prayer: A liturgy for Ordinary Radicals” by Shane Claiborne et al pp. 271, 554

“Iona Abbey Worship Book” by The Iona Community pg. 111

Let’s forget communion?

/ Dave Benson / 2 Comments

Thought you might find this blog post interesting. It’s by Caleb Trimble, called “Let’s Forget About Communion“.

As Caleb writes in his blog:

We don’t gather to make church cool.
We don’t gather to make the unchurched feel welcomed.
We don’t gather for an awesome worship experience.
We don’t gather for a sermon that makes us think.
We don’t gather to spend time with our friends.

We gather for communion. Because in communion, everything begins to make sense. In communion, friends and enemies come together. In communion, Christ’s Kingdom is experienced. In communion, the church finds its hope. In communion, Christ is present and exalted.

It is time to bring into focus this sacrament.

Open TableA great read, passed through to me by Noel Payne–thanks mate. Fits in really well as stimulus for our next Open Book discussion on Thursday June 18 at our place, called “Hospitality & Home-Bake”. Check out the Ana Maria Pineda 12 page chapter on Hospitality here. The big question: “What does hospitality look like in my life, and how can I extend God’s table grace to others?” This week will give a taste of “Open Table” which we hope to start later in the year.

So, bring some food to share, and a story to tell at the heart of your experience of giving and receiving hospitality. And let’s enjoy together God’s eucharist, courtesy of Christ.

Blessings, Nik and Dave

Are Practices Passé

/ Dave Benson / 5 Comments

desiringkingdomFrom the get go, we’ve built Christ’s Pieces around a conviction: Christian practices matter.

As we’ve explored in Open Book, working through James Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom, it’s not enough to be informed and have all your beliefs in order. Plenty of people believe right in the cognitive sense, but their lives are functionally unredeemed. Instead, we need to train, to discipline, to form our bodies. Only then will we be transformed. Paul’s teaching in Colossians 3 about “putting off” the old and “putting on” the resurrected life may come to mind.

What, then, are Christian practices?

Toying with dozens of definitions, here’s how we’ve characterised it for Christ’s Pieces.

Christian practices are

… rich and repetitive actions we do,
over time and often together,
which engage our senses and imagination,
reminding us of God’s presence
and aiming us at His Kingdom

heshenThus far we’ve experimented with scented oil, signing the cross to symbolise Christ’s full ownership of our lives. And, last week, we cut out hessian squares, representing the rough garb of St. Francis who traded down to find transformation. My hessian square sits in my wallet, on top of my visa card. Each time I open my wallet to spend, it reminds me to pray. “God, this money is yours. Help me live simply. What would you have me leverage this money for?” (Thus far it’s saved me a tidy sum, going for the standard latte over the coffee drinking bowl with scones on the side!)

But, let’s be honest. Practices are somewhat passé today. They’re inconvenient. They threaten my autonomy, training me by submitting to some higher rhythm. (Put your hand up if you put something aside this lent?) For Protestants, they raise flags of legalism, works righteousness, and that kind of hocus pocus reliance on ritual that went out with the Reformation.

At root, though, I suspect our reluctance to experiment with practices boils down to a chronological snobbery. They seem so old fashioned. Haven’t we moved past the dark ages of disciplining desire? Why not just be “free” and follow my feelings? Why constrain my worship to particular ways of being?

With all of this in mind, I was interested to see Q Ideas post this week’s conversation.

(Q Ideas is an American outfit of evangelicals, led by Gabe Lyons–author of both “UnChristian” and “The Next Christians: Seven Ways You Can Live the Gospel and Restore the World”. But, before you dismiss it, they’re asking the right questions, and are explicitly oriented to engaging culture rather than fleeing or taking it over for Christ. Their driving desire is to work from today’s most pressing questions to find common ground and ideas that truly serve the common good. So, perhaps worth a look.)

Here’s their conversation starter for Easter 2015:

historic practicesLooks like they’re exploring some similar themes. How timely.

Rather than steal their thunder, it may suffice to note that at each turn, they’re convinced that practices like gratitude, simplicity, Sabbath and rest, even solitude, silence and stillness, are *crucial* in a crazy world like ours. We have all the freedoms in the world, and yet we lack the forms which channel our energy toward liberation and wholeness.

We’re like modern artists more concerned with expressing ourselves than patiently sitting at the feet of a master and learning the artist’s way, imitating one brush stroke after another. Lacking any “rules” or bounds within which to paint a kingdom vision, we splash our immature selves onto the canvas, calling it “witness” and yet confusing an onlooking world.

Could it be that we need:

Less anarchy, more life?Indigenous art, available at link

Less information, more transformation?

Less me, more we?

Less independence, more interdependence.?

And, perhaps, in our low commitment, novelty-addicted and somewhat narcissistic culture, we need

less flexibility, more love.

Perhaps practices are not so passé after all?

What “rituals” and “liturgies” do you lean on in your everyday? How do these bodily practices form habits that aim your heart toward God’s Kingdom?

Post away! I’m keen to hear about your experiments, so we might truly be a community of practice.