St Nicolas' Day: Thursday 6th December 2018

Nicolas was the Christian bishop of Myra (in Asia Minor, now Turkey) in the 4^th century. Many miracles were attributed to him, and he had a reputation for caring for needy people and as a secret gift-giver; for example, he is said to have anonymously thrown three bags of gold through the window of a poor family's house, whose three daughters were unable to marry as they had no dowries. The story tells that the gifts landed in the girls' shoes or socks, placed by the fire to keep warm – hence our Christmas stockings! The historic figure of Saint Nicolas, Santa Klaas, is the origin of Santa Claus, with an emphasis on compassion and charity, rather than good or bad behaviour and writing lists of our wants.

If you wish to celebrate St. Nicolas' Day, you might like to use this responsive prayer. There may be one leader, or take it in turns, and everyone joins in the words in bold type:

Blessed be this feast day of Nicolas,

who shared his wealth among those he served who needed it most:

       May his example inspire us

       to be generous and creative with our gifts and our giving.

For the gift of each person here:

       we give thanks!

For the capacity to care for, and to share with, those in need:

       we give thanks!

For this holiday season of joy, hope, and peace:

       we give thanks!

May we be always mindful of the needs of others:

       and may we always rejoice

       in the abundance of goodness that surrounds us.

Advent: Sunday 2nd December 2018

Advent is a season observed by many Christian churches as a time of expectation and preparation for the celebration of Jesus' birth at Christmas – the Christ Mass. The word 'Advent' derives from the Latin translation of the Greek word parousia, which means 'presence', 'arrival' or 'visit' and referred initially to the anticipated Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. 

There are various symbols and traditions associated with Advent, such as the Advent wreath with its four candles, Advent calendars, and Jesse Trees. Some traditions hold an Advent Fast, traditionally abstaining from meat, fish, poultry, oil, and wine, until the first star is seen in the sky on the Eve of the Nativity (24 December) – or at least until sunset on that day.

The short ceremony, below, is offered as a small counter-balance to the commercial pressures of the season, and to provide a time for reflection. It is appropriate for use by any group of people or by individuals. If possible, sit in a circle or round a table. You will need four candles, and matches to light them. Please exercise common sense when lighting candles, and do not allow there to be any risk of fire. Everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, or you can take it in turns, round the circle.

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them.

We call to mind the prophets of old, who demanded to be heard,

and who spoke of one who would liberate the people:

       We give thanks for the prophets among us today,

       who bring surprising new visions of hope for the future,

       and challenge us to think in new ways.

We light this first candle as a symbol of those who renew our faith

in our selves and in each other, and who remind us of what may yet be:

       This is the candle of our hope for transformation

       and of our commitment to do all we can to bring about

       the well-being of all creation, starting in our own back yard.

The first candle is lit

We call to mind the shepherds in the story of Jesus' birth,

steadfast watchmen, far from the warmth of home,

guarding and guiding their flocks:

       We give thanks for the shepherds among us,

       the labourers working behind the scenes,

       ordinary people we rarely see or think of,

       yet on whom we and our society depend.

We light this candle as a symbol of those whose example spurs us on,

not allowing us to give up, even in the face of hardship and danger.

       This is the candle of the struggle for true justice,

       and of our commitment to do all we can

       to create homes and societies where every one is valued.

The second candle is lit

We call to mind Mary, mother of Jesus, innocent and powerful,

questioning and accepting and wondering:

       We give thanks for the Marys among us,

       people who break the mould, scattering our complacency,

       unintentional pioneers stepping out in faith,

       people whose ordinary lives enable the extraordinary.

We light this third candle as a symbol of those who have nurtured

and cared for those they love at their own expense.

       This is the candle of the love which overcomes fear,

       and of our commitment to step beyond our own expectations,

       to see the revolutionary in the every day,

       and every moment as a moment for change.

The third candle is lit

We call to mind Joseph, a conventional man, yet willing to change

and take on responsibilities greater than he could have dreamed of,

a man who with his family became a refugee from a violent regime,

and whose continuing story has been forgotten:

       We give thanks for the Josephs among us,

       those migrating far from home in devotion to their families,

       those diligently seeking room at the inns,

       even when doors are shut in their faces.

We light this candle as a symbol of those

who never cease knocking on doors:

       This is the candle of vulnerability and of trust,

       and of our commitment to offer refuge and haven

       to those who need our help, and not to forget their stories.

The fourth candle is lit

On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day morning it would be nice to re-light the four candles you have used today with the addition of a fifth candle in the centre

signifying the birth of Jesus and the belief that God, Divine Love and Light, 

is with us always.

St. Andrew's Day: Friday 30th November 2018

Andrew was an inhabitant of Bethsaida in Galilee, a fisherman, a disciple of John the Baptist and then of Jesus, along with his brother Simon, called to be 'fishers of men'. Simon, nicknamed by Jesus as 'Peter the rock', subsequently overshadowed Andrew in the gospels, along with James and John – the inner circle. However, within the Byzantine Church Andrew is honoured as 'Protokletos' – the first called.

The gospels mention Andrew only three more times: at the feeding of the five thousand, it is Andrew who points out the boy with five barley loaves and two fish; along with the inner circle, he is said to have questioned Jesus about when the Temple of Jerusalem would be thrown down; and after Jesus' final entry into Jerusalem, Andrew and Philip inform Jesus that there are some Greek people in the city for the Passover who wish to see him. 

According to tradition, Andrew subsequently preached around the Black Sea and to the Greeks, and is said to have been martyred at Patras, his remains being taken variously to Constantinople, Amalfi, Rome, and Scotland, whose patron saint he became.

The name Andrew/Andreas is, of course, Greek, not Hebrew, which led the former Pope, Benedict, to suggest that this was indicative of a certain cultural openness in Andrew and Simon's family, and the presence of Greek language and culture in Galilee.

The short reflection, below, is appropriate for use by individuals or groups. If using it in a group, then everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, you can take it in turns, or simply share the reading as is best for your group.

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them.

Today we honour Andrew, disciple of John and Jesus:

        A disciple learns from and actively follows some one or some thing.

To be a disciple is to recognise and to respond to a teacher:

       To be a follower is to admire, support, 

       and travel behind some one or some thing.

To lead, to be a leader, is to guide some one else forwards:

       to be a means of access, a route in a particular direction.

Some leaders rely on an authority they have taken or been given,

assuming the right to tell others what to do:

       Some leaders take on the role of parent or patron,

       offering complete concern,

       but expecting loyalty and restricting freedom.

Some leaders share decision making, promoting equality

at the expense of guidance, and safety at the expense of innovation:

       Some leaders allow self-rule, which is not leadership,

       while others operate through reward and punishment,

       resulting in competitiveness and fear.

But to be a true leader is to serve, not to dictate:

       True leaders lead not to prove themselves

       better than their disciples

       but only in order to empower them;

       to be empowered by another

       is to have encountered a true teacher.

Lao Tzu said: 

All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are.

Humility gives it its power.

If you want to govern the people, you must speak to them humbly.

If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.

Therefore, although the Sage is above the people, no one feels oppressed.

When he is ahead of the people, no one feels hurt.

The whole world never exhausts praises for him.

Because he competes with no one, no one can compete with him.

After reading this reflection, you may like to take some time to consider and discuss your own experiences of leadership and discipleship,

especially with regard to the importance of a questioning attitude.

The Feast of Christ the King: Sunday 25th November 2018

The Feast of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, in response to the perceived growth of secularism. It has an eschatalogical dimension, pointing to a belief that, at the end of time, God's kingdom will be established in its fullness throughout the earth. The Pope's encyclical emphasised that Christ must reign in human minds, wills, hearts, and bodies, all being “instruments of justice unto God”.

The short liturgy, below, which may be used by any group of people, or by individuals, takes a broader base than the specifically Christian, namely, the commonality of being human. If using it in a group, then everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, you can take it in turns, or just share it as best suits you.

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them.

Once upon a time,

there were creatures who had the capacity to adapt to a changing world:

       They evolved into the humans we are today.

Over a long time, characteristics developed that help define our species:

       Walking upright, harnessing fire, making tools and weapons,

       using symbols to communicate, cultivating plants,

       and domesticating animals.

Brain size increased and became more complex, diets changed,

bodies altered and grew larger for survival in heat and cold in migrations through what are now Africa, Europe, the Northern lands, and Asia:

       Language and social systems developed, so that together

       they could meet the daily challenges of their environment.

We, who are reading this, speaking this, sharing this, are all human:

       We are all human - not better than any other creature:

       we have simply developed differently.

And no individual human is intrinsically better than any other human:

       We are simply different.

We are all human, but do we, can we, live as humans should?

       Instead of living according to our common needs and interests,

       we identify our differences;

       our lives are encompassed by conflicts based on secondary issues.

We do not choose to wait for kingdom come.

Today is the time for a new way of life, a way of harmony

with other humans and with all created things, animal and plant and rock:

       Without this, we risk all of the life of our planet.

Today is the time to declare our unity as human beings beyond all our differences, to act together as humans in support of our shared priorities

from survival to fulfillment:

       Today is the time to affirm the simple fact of our human-ness

       as the bedrock reality of our lives.

Human unity is the basis for the world's healing:

       Human unity is the only way to re-create balance

       and to serve the needs of all people, all creatures,

       and the natural environment.

There is enough of every thing for every one – as long as we share:

       Nothing belongs to you or to me:

       it is ours, it is for all of us.

Only through radical sharing can justice and peace be known:

       Because to share is justice, to share is peace.

Not in some future, far off time, when the end of the world is even nearer, but here and now, we commit our selves to meeting one another

without judgement, but with aspirations to achieve better for everyone:

       Here and now,

       we commit our selves to respect our differences

       and to find not shared opinions, but common values;

       here and now we commit our selves to bring people together,

       so that, together, we can make a difference.

       Togetherness is the difference.

       May it be so.

Remembrance: Sunday 11th November 2018

Remembrance Day has developed from being the commemoration of the 1918 Armistice into becoming a memorial day, marked by state ceremonial, for all those who have lost their lives in war, and a tribute to those both serving and caught up in armed hostilities today.

The following short liturgy, appropriate for use by individuals and groups, reflects on the underlying causes of conflicts and wars, and aims to help us make our own contribution to change and the establishing of peace. If using it in a group, then everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, you can take it in turns, or share the reading as best suits your group.

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, usually in my own words, but sometimes weaving them together with adaptations of the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them. 

Our societies and our nations are infested by crises and conflicts

brought about by fear:

       Fear created and manipulated by individuals, 
       groups, and governments,

       in order to subjugate others, created desired behaviours, 

       or explain things away.

Fear is a natural response to the perception of danger,

emitting alarms which can create a contagion of fear.

       We are all vulnerable to fear:

       fear for our own safety, for that of our loved ones,

       and for those in harm's way.

Every day we see and read of the horrors of war and terrorism,

filling us with fear and sorrow and despair:

       Every day we experience the divisive 

       and absolutist consequences of fear, 

       as ordinary people are stereo-typed and denigrated,

       instead of being valued and cherished.

Peace, true peace, seems a long way off:

       Peace – not the absence of war,

       but the absence of extremism and of fear,

       and the presence of justice and of delight in diversity.

God of our ancestors, be with us now.

Still the turmoil in our hearts,

disarm us of the bitterness and resentment with which we wound each other.

       Help us to lower the defences which isolate us from others.

       Help us to learn to love.

We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those who lives

have been given and taken away in wars and conflicts, past and present,

those whose memories are cherished,

and those whose names will never be known.

       We pray for those who are bereaved,

       and for all who continue to suffer the consequences of armed conflict.

In penitence, we call to mind the anger, hatreds, and fears of humanity - 

of people like us- which break and destroy the lives of other ordinary people:

       We commit our selves to try our hardest to be reconciled with others,

       so that at last we may all live in true freedom, justice, and peace.

We commit our selves to develop our hearts as well as our minds,

to be compassionate not just to our friends, but to every one.

And, whatever is going on we will not give up on peace:

       We will not give up.

       We will pursue all that unites us;

       we will offer help and healing;

       we will learn courage and compassion;

       and at last, through love,

       we will overcome the fears that separate us.