A while back I did a day at St Bede's centre, which does quiet days and all sorts of cool Christian spirituality stuff. Anyway a while after the session Ann Pugh wrote a poem about it. No-one has ever written a poem about anything I did before, so I asked her if I could put it up here as I think its rather wonderful.
So here it is...
quiet waiting, slowly breathing,
Listening, hearing, mind unbound.
Musical notes and melodies weaving
Necklaced beads of coloured sound.
Hands enfolding, holding, feeling.
Throwing, giving and receiving,
Writing and drawing signs in lines,
Or washing and healing of painful wounds.
Rhythmic instrumental playing,
Joy in stories, learning songs,.
Colourful images reminding
To share and care in hopeful prayer
Along with others where all belong.
Touch of stones with different textures,
Sculpted rough, eroded smooth,
Rolled by rivers, seas and oceans
Could build paths or walls secure.
Candles lit on water floating,
Shimmer, rupple, relfect the light/
Creating movement, then a stillness
For wonder, thankfulness and delight.
Ann Pugh - inspired by a Sue Wallace workshop.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Creating a Bouquet along the aisle
I heard about this idea the other day when I popped into St Michael's church office and I thought that it sounded rather lovely. At a wedding, instead of the bride having a bouquet that has been made earlier, single flowers are given to people in the congregation, and as she walks up the aisle the bride picks them up until she has a whole bouquet. I like the level of interaction in the idea and the fact that (potentially) everyone has something to give to the ceremony. (Although in practice, unless the congregation were a small one, I imagine that you would have to somehow confine yourself to the people nearest the aisle, unless the congregation could spread out like a guard of honour).
Often what makes the difference between a creative worship idea that works and one which doesn't is thinking through the logistical difficulties in advance and solving the practical problems in order to help the worship run smoothly. Having a person to check ideas with will often flag up these difficulties that you haven't spotted so that you can solve them before everything goes pear-shaped.
Often what makes the difference between a creative worship idea that works and one which doesn't is thinking through the logistical difficulties in advance and solving the practical problems in order to help the worship run smoothly. Having a person to check ideas with will often flag up these difficulties that you haven't spotted so that you can solve them before everything goes pear-shaped.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Inspiration and Psalm 30
At the last service planning meeting I was delegated to go find a nice dance track to chant psalm 30 on top of. We've been playing around with chanting psalms over funky tracks lately. It seems to work really well, as long as you use a really simple chant (we're not talking Anglican chant here!) and a really nice backing track. I was very excited to realise that not only did psalm 30 work with the Paradise remix of Ian Van Dahl's Inspiration but also that the words to inspiration itself fit the theme of the service, which is Jairus' daughter (its available on itunes and you can listen to it on Spotify but over there it seems to be mislabelled as the Peter Luts remix...which it aint!)
So here is our version of psalm 30. Tune-wise, you come in when the bass line starts, and start singing on an A, then when you get to the capital words sing them on the next note up (a B), then for the 2nd line of the psalm sing that on the E (5 notes below) go up to an F sharp for the bold word on the 2nd line and then back to the E for the end of that line. Its quite hard to explain but actually just do it, if it sounds nice then who cares if its not the way I do it! The rhythm is the rhythm of the words itself.Sing it as you would say it!
Anyway here we go (as you can see we stopped for a while in the middle when the tune came in and then came back with more of the psalm later).
Psalm 30
I will lift You UP O GOD
Because you have raised ME up
And have not let ALL OF MY ENEMIES
Triumph oVER me.
You brought me BACK FROM THE DEAD
Back to life from the deep DARK pit
Sing to God You SERVANTS OF HIS
Give thanks to His hoLY name.
For his anger is GONE IN AN INSTANT
His favour lasts A lifetime
Weeping may enDURE FOR THE NIGHT
But joy comes in THE morning.
***When your dreams are lost and blown away
And you need someone to make your day
If there comes a time when hope is gone
and you need some help to carry on.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.***
When I felt seCURE I SAID
I shall never BE moved
You Lord in Your GOODNESS AND FAVOUR
Have made me strong like A mountain
Then when You hid your FACE FROM ME
I was utterly DISmayed
To You, O LORD DID I CALL
I cried out to God FOR mercy.
What profit is THERE IN MY DEATH
If I go down to THE pit.
Will the dead dust be PRAISING YOU.
Will it tell of Your faithFULness
***When your dreams are lost and gone away
And you need someone to make your day
Here there comes a time when hope is gone
And you need some help to carry on
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration. ***
Hear me God have MERCY ON ME
Oh Lord be MY helper.
You have turned my MOURNING TO DANCING
My sackcloth to clothes OF joy.
Therefore my heart will NEVER STOP SINGING
I'll give You thanks FOR ever.
Therefore my heart will NEVER STOP SINGING
I'll give You thanks FOR ever.
***When you look into my eyes
You can see there's no disguise
Don't be afraid to need someone
You don't have to be alone.
Don't be afraid to need someone
You don't have to be alone. ***
Glory to the Father AND TO THE SON
And glory to THE Spirit.
As it was in the begINNING IS NOW
And shall be for ever. AAmen.
So here is our version of psalm 30. Tune-wise, you come in when the bass line starts, and start singing on an A, then when you get to the capital words sing them on the next note up (a B), then for the 2nd line of the psalm sing that on the E (5 notes below) go up to an F sharp for the bold word on the 2nd line and then back to the E for the end of that line. Its quite hard to explain but actually just do it, if it sounds nice then who cares if its not the way I do it! The rhythm is the rhythm of the words itself.Sing it as you would say it!
Anyway here we go (as you can see we stopped for a while in the middle when the tune came in and then came back with more of the psalm later).
Psalm 30
I will lift You UP O GOD
Because you have raised ME up
And have not let ALL OF MY ENEMIES
Triumph oVER me.
You brought me BACK FROM THE DEAD
Back to life from the deep DARK pit
Sing to God You SERVANTS OF HIS
Give thanks to His hoLY name.
For his anger is GONE IN AN INSTANT
His favour lasts A lifetime
Weeping may enDURE FOR THE NIGHT
But joy comes in THE morning.
***When your dreams are lost and blown away
And you need someone to make your day
If there comes a time when hope is gone
and you need some help to carry on.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.***
When I felt seCURE I SAID
I shall never BE moved
You Lord in Your GOODNESS AND FAVOUR
Have made me strong like A mountain
Then when You hid your FACE FROM ME
I was utterly DISmayed
To You, O LORD DID I CALL
I cried out to God FOR mercy.
What profit is THERE IN MY DEATH
If I go down to THE pit.
Will the dead dust be PRAISING YOU.
Will it tell of Your faithFULness
***When your dreams are lost and gone away
And you need someone to make your day
Here there comes a time when hope is gone
And you need some help to carry on
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration.
I'll be your inspiration. ***
Hear me God have MERCY ON ME
Oh Lord be MY helper.
You have turned my MOURNING TO DANCING
My sackcloth to clothes OF joy.
Therefore my heart will NEVER STOP SINGING
I'll give You thanks FOR ever.
Therefore my heart will NEVER STOP SINGING
I'll give You thanks FOR ever.
***When you look into my eyes
You can see there's no disguise
Don't be afraid to need someone
You don't have to be alone.
Don't be afraid to need someone
You don't have to be alone. ***
Glory to the Father AND TO THE SON
And glory to THE Spirit.
As it was in the begINNING IS NOW
And shall be for ever. AAmen.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Brilliant Intercessions footage
I've just discovered "your chance to live: Earthwatch 1972" whilst having a good scout around the Prelinger video archive which contains many public domain movies. Its got some brilliant footage for intercessions etc. (tsunamis, earthquakes, forest fires etc). This particular footage needs a good edit however before it is actually used in a service! The really good stuff starts at least halfway through so be patient.
http://www.archive.org/details/YourChan1972
http://www.archive.org/details/YourChan1972
Sunday, February 01, 2009
More Jon Hopkins
I've just bought the new Jon Hopkins album, which came out (I think) at the end of last year. Its called "insides" and there are a number of blissful ambient background tracks on there. The best of the bunch is "light through the veins" which you will probably recognise because Coldplay sample it. The worst track on the album is "insides" which is one of those "death by cheesegrater" tracks. If you're downloading the album as separate tracks I'd give that one a miss! The last section of "Vessel" also ends up being rather reminiscent of the cheese grater too, which is a shame because the first half of the track is very beautiful. Anyway my advice is check it out, but listen to the tracks before you buy, as you might not want to buy all of them.
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