Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 May 2008 23:19:25
This weeked I am at a conference for the European Forum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christian Groups. So far the conference has started 'interestingly'.
Tonight we had a communion service to kick things off and it was one of the wierdest things I have ever been to. The blurb to introduce the service was The feel of Ascentiontide is a great carnival. Do enjoy yourself in this procession with streamers and hats and a general feel of carnival as we enter the chapel.
The premise was good.... let's celebrate as a group of diverse Christians from all different denominations, genders, sexualities and experiences. However, the way it worked out was really odd. For a start there were a few people dressed up a scary clowns and some of them were using flags (bleurgh... one of my big hates.)
Secondly there were too many words.... some really beautiful bits of rewritten liturgy which got lost because there was so much going on. I am really trying not to lose the bits of the event I liked... here is a bit that is taken from Jeffrey John's book “The Meaning in the Miracles”.
I loved this...
”Lord, do something about your Church,
It is so awful, it is hard not to feel ashamed of belonging to it.
Most of the time it seems to be all the things you condemned:
Hierarchical, conventional, moralising, compromising,
Clinging to its privileges and worldy securities,
And when not positively objectionable, merely absurd.
Lord we need your whip of cords.
Judge us and cleanse us,
Challenge us and change us,
Break us and remake us.
Help us to be what you called us to be.
Help us to embody you on earth.
Help us to make you real down here,
And to feed your people bread instead of stones.
And start with me.”
So, why did I get to the end of the meeting and feel as though we were playing with shadows? Instead of seeing the reality I was left with a mere reflection of the truth. Instead of being able to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus and the things he has already achieved for us and in us, why was I left feeling slightly dirty by the whole experience? The joy of celebration was replaced with a soulless dirge of 'Come Holy Spirit'. Something that was later pointed out by Peterson is a little bit odd to ask for as the Holy Spirit is something we have already been given.
God help me to remember that the diversity I see around me is all of you. That the expression of worship is fulfilled in this beautiful completeness, and not ruined by the differences.