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Jul162012

Metanoia at Greenbelt

Greenbelt 2012 is fast approaching and Metanoia are going to be involved in two of the services there.  Blesséd  are once again providing alternative sacramental worship and we have been asked to collaborate with Fr Simon and the team once more.  This year we are doing the opening act of worship in the Big Top at 5pm on Friday.  What the organisers were looking for was a ‘charismatic’ service of benediction.  Needless to say it will have a distinctive @metanoiauk feel to it.

There was also a request for a live band who would be able to help Luminous stage a U2charist.  Fr Simon suggested that we would be able to help out as we played a couple of U2 numbers in the big top last year.  Not quite sure which venue the U2charist is in yet or at what time but I’ll keep you up to date!

So who is coming then?

Jul232011

An Oslo Lament

I have just got back from holiday and have quickly prepared something for the morning service about the terrible horrors that have unfolded in Norway.  I will not offer commentary on the events themselves as there are people much better qualified to do that than myself.  However, I will offer the response I am going to use with the congregation tomorrow morning.

When such a shocking event takes place it is easy for the church to bury its head and ignore what has transpired.  In this situation we have a man/men who have taken the lives of the innocent in what has been reported as the name of “Christianity”.  It seems to me that the correct response should be lament and repentance for a broken world.  I asked twitter

What would you like to tell my congregation tomorrow about #oslo in 140 characters? Will project and talk through in morning. Please

I was amazed by the number of responses I received and their thought provoking nature.  I am going to project them in the morning and talk about each one before the confession in the service.  These are the responses I have received.  A big thank you to everyone who replied.

@EdwardBGreen struggling with this. Can’t even bring myself to echo Vaux’s “God is found in the shit”

@SwindonG I didn’t know them,I haven’t visited their country & can’t speak their language – but they r my brothers & sisters, it hrts

@Melanie_Cooper Tragedy is part of life’s tapestry. Our job is to project Christ’s love into each situation as we are able – incl. prayer

@Nevillina_3 I don’t understand how anyone can hate enough to plan and inflict such suffering. I pray I never will.

@SwindonG  … reflecting on Norwegian PM’s response ‘we will fight this with more Democracy’ … I don’t know where he gets his wisdom

Half an hour later @SwindonG went on to say:

@SwindonG … re PM his statement has me close y to tears each time I read it

@S_Cat #oslo it is not about Islam vs Christian. It is faith vs fanaticism.

@sh52mjh Tragic loss of young lives; potential unfulfilled; a lesson not to jump to conclusions – fundamentalism Christian & muslim

@twurchsteward that ‘fundamentalism’ and R Wing hate arise out of our complacency. We must all challenge hate where ever we meet it.

@artsyhonker “By their fruits ye shall know them” Murderer identified himself as Christian but actions show otherwise. What  about us?

@sh52mjh Fundamentalism can affect all creeds & religions to the same tragic end. Welcome the diversity in God’s wonderful creation

@fragranceofgod God is there with everyone involved in the tragedies #oslo and has compassion for his children who mourn.

Once we’ve briefly explored the issue we are going to use the Kyrie form of confession.

For a world so marred by intolerance,
in which race is a reason for hatred
and communities are torn apart,

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

For a world that is shattered by violence,
in which innocent lives are taken
in the name of the prince of peace,

Christ have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

For a world in which parents are grieving,
for their children who didn’t come home.
For communities who’ll always remember,

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

May God our Father forgive us our sins,
and bring us to the eternal joy of his kingdom
where dust and ashes have no dominion.
Amen

Sorry it’s so late and I didn’t have time to do a bit more.  Many thanks to everyone who helped.

Jun202011

Rock Mass @ Biblefresh Wakefield

The Rock Mass just got big!!  Time for ‘Metanoia’ to ROCK Dewsbury Minster!

Wakefield Diocese are having a huge celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version of the bible called Biblefresh Wakefield.  There are all sorts of activities going on during the day.

In the evening we will be holding a Rock Mass.  It is ideal for bringing your yoof to.  It is also great for bringing your adults to.  Ancient sacramental worship with a rock band and everything you need for a rock concert.

If you are interested in coming or bringing a group, please join the facebook event and consider following @biblefreshwakey on twitter.

May162011

Fresh Expressions and The Sacraments

The May edition of e-expressions has an interesting piece from Bishop Graham Cray about the place of communion within a Fresh Expression of Church.  He highlights the defining characteristics of a church as:

One of the ways by which we can recognize whether something is church, is whether ‘the Word and the Sacraments’ are present. Scripture is studied, so that disciples can understand what Jesus wants them to know and do, and act accordingly. Communion is celebrated to rehearse what Jesus has accomplished and set our eyes, minds and hearts on his coming kingdom. If a fresh expression is really church it will develop to a stage where Holy Communion (under whatever name a tradition uses) is part of its regular pattern of worship and discipleship. This is for the most basic of reasons. Jesus told us to share bread and wine in this way in remembrance of him. It’s that simple!

This has been an area that has caused concern for any form of innovative worship within a church that is catholic in nature like the Church of England.  It seems that whenever the Anglican church tries to engage with new groups of people one of the first things that is removed from an act of corporate worship is the sacrament.  This can be seen historically in the Family Service movement throughout the last century or more recently in the alt worship scene.  It is an area that I looked into as part of my MA dissertation as I explored the way in which the Church of England is engaging with alt. worship.  At the time there was little in the way of sacrament within most Fresh Expressions of Church and the question of presidency is a sticking point for many in a variety of traditions.

Many denominations are involved in planting fresh expressions and not all of them require an ordained minister to preside, but many do.

Previously there has been no truly satisfactory solution postulated.  Bishop Graham suggests some ideas.

The leader or leaders of a fresh expression are not necessarily the ones who should preside. Leading the mission and the mission community are not the same thing as leading worship. An ordained minister can relate to a fresh expression, attend when they can without having to take responsibility and then act as a key link to the wider church when they preside. There needs to be a real connection between fresh expressions and the rest of the Church and this could strengthen it. When a fresh expression is linked in to a more traditional local church or group of churches it is possible to have a celebration of communion at one church, including, in its turn, the fresh expression and then each of the others has representatives who take the bread and wine to the other churches in the team. Churches in a more catholic tradition would be happy to use the reserved sacrament.

I suggest that we are at the beginning of the journey into fresh expressions.  This is a starting place will have to look at the theological implications of the movement as it develops.  We look towards christian unity and as we do this it is important that we foster links between the church historic and fresh expressions.  At the last supper Jesus instituted a meal that was a sign of the inclusive nature of God who invites humanity to eat with him.  It is a tragedy that many church structures turn this meal into a sign of division.  With that in mind it is good that the issue is being explored as we move forward as a mixed economy church.

Each fresh expression needs to find a way forward that is appropriate to its own cultural and denominational tradition and it is the responsibility of the leaders of each denomination to address real issues being raised by innovative mission. This is not a time for breaking the rules, but it time to ensure that new Christian communities can be fed by both Word and Sacrament!