You can also enjoy a Zoom version of this service at 11am on Sunday 19th July. If you wish to access the service the code is as follows: Meeting ID: 841 9082 8195
This is a recurring meeting so it will be the same code each week and for all future
“Answering the Call to Care”
Invocation
Let us still
ourselves in silence and invite a loving presence to here amongst us and to
awaken from deep within us.
Light
Chalice
Welcome to this community
of love.
May we be reminded here of
our highest aspirations, and be inspired to bring our gifts of love and service
to the altar of humanity.
May we know once again
that we are not isolated beings but connected, in mystery and miracle, to the
universe, to this community and to each other.
Let us begin our worship
in the spirit of Love.
Hymn 196 (Purple) “We sing the faith” words Andrew
Hill tune Woodlands 10. 10. 10. 10 by Walter Greatorex
We
sing the faith, which gives us confidence
for
human dwelling in the vast immense
and
finding there within the great unknown
that
there’s a cosmic law and order shown.
We
sing the hope, which shows us there are ways
for
living through our very darkest days
and
glimpse beyond a path which leads us on
to
find the place where new days have begun.
We
sing the love, which is creation’s law,
and
in a single whole its parts will draw;
and
since parts turn and swerve, collide and move,
forgiveness
is the final form of love.
Faith,
hope and love, we honour each and three
but
there’s one virtue which we all agree
stands
out among the others far above
and
the ‘greatest of the three is love’.
Prayer
I invite you now to join
together in a time of prayer...these word’s of prayer will be followed by the
prayer that Jesus taught, the Lord’s prayer.
Let us pray
God of love, Divine Spirit
of compassion be present here with us this day.
Help us to attune
ourselves to the great mysteries of creation, to the wonder of the moment.
Awaken our senses to life
itself, to what is both beautiful and holy.
Help us to experience your
spirit as it flows through all of life
That is present in our
hearts and souls and those of our brothers and sisters.
Help us to let down those
barriers that separate us from one another and from our true being. Help us not
to deny our weaknesses or to become enslaved by the fear of imperfection.
Bring us into harmony oh
God show us how to be all that were born to be.
Deliver us from
impatience, intolerance and most of all hate
Bring us to that place of
compassionate self giving and self liberating love.
Show us the way oh
God...show us the way
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Story
Once upon a time...long long ago...in Japan, a
woman prayed that God would show her the difference between heaven and hell.
She wanted to know whether there were fires in hell, and whether the people in
heaven sat around on clouds all day playing harps. She didn’t fancy going to either
place if that was all they had to offer.
She prayed so hard that God decided to answer her
prayer, and he sent an angel to give her a guided tour of both places...angels
are good like that...first she went to hell. It wasn’t hot at all; in fact it
looked quite pleasant. There were long tables laden with food of all kinds –
cooked meats, vegetables, fruit, delicious pies, and exotic desserts. “This
can’t be hell,” she thought. Then she looked at the people. They were sitting
some distance from the tables, and they were all miserable – emaciated, pale,
angry. Each of them had chopsticks fastened to their hands, but the chopsticks
were about three feet long and no matter how hard they tried, the people just
couldn’t get the food into their own mouths. They were groaning with hunger,
and frustration, and anger. “I’ve seen enough of this,” said the woman. “May I
see heaven now?”
The angel took the woman to heaven. They didn’t
have far to go. It was just next door. It was almost the same as hell. There
were the same kind of tables, the same kind of food, and here too, the people
were sitting a little distance away from the tables with three-foot long
chopsticks fastened to their hands. But these people seemed happy. They were
rosy cheeked, and looked well fed. They were smiling and chatting merrily to
each other. They couldn’t put the food into their mouths either, but they had
discovered how to be fed and happy: they were feeding each other.
Reading
From “Caring and Commitment: Learning to Live the Love We Promise” by
Lewis B. Smedes
I am not a hopeful
person by nature. When things get tough I am easily tempted to believe that the
jig is up. I foreclose on the future all too soon. If my team is not ahead by
at least two touchdown in the final five minutes of play, I hear defeat blowing
in the winds. In my marriage I have often had to be rescued from my own
pessimism by Doris's power to hope that there were good possibilities within
the worst of our problems. I sometimes suspected that she was denying reality.
But she was not denying: she really saw possibilities to which my despair had
blinded me.
"Out of my
private struggles with despair, I have come to see that hope is the final
secret of all commitment.
"When two
people are committed to each other, when the innerspring of their commitment is
care, each for the other, there are possibilities in the toughest situations.
Not certainties. But possibilities. Not possibilities of things being all we've
ever wanted them to be. But possibilities of things becoming better than they
are. Good enough to make the future together, as friends, as partners, as
family, better for having kept on caring for each other just a little more than
we care for ourselves.
"In sum, what
I've been saying here is that commitments live on hope. Not on duty, not on
what we are obligated to do, but on hope for what we can do. And for what
others can do for us. Hope is the alternative to the seductions of the
uncommitted life.
"Hope is
energy.
"Hope is
energy to cope when life gets tough. And, when you get down to brass tacks, it
is the energy we need for commitment keeping in a world where somebody, at any
moment, may rain on your parade."
Hymn 116 (Green)
“Praise, My Soul”
Praise, my soul,
the King of Heaven,
To his feet thy
tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed,
restored, forgiven,
Evermore his
praises sing:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise the
everlasting King.
Praise him for his
grace and favour
To our forbears in
distress;
Praise him still
the same for ever,
Slow to chide and
swift to bless:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Glorious in his
faithfulness.
Tenderly, he guides
and spares us;
Well our feeble
frame he knows;
In his hands he
gently bears us,
Rescues us from all
our foes:
Alleluia, Alleluis!
Widely yet his
mercy flows.
Angels in the
height, adore him;
Ye behold him face
to face;
Sun and moon, bow
down before him,
Dwellers all in
time and space;
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise with us the
God of grace.
Readings
Mark Ch 8 vv 1-9
8In those days when there was
again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said
to them, 2‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have
been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I
send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of
them have come from a great distance.’ 4His disciples replied,
‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ 5He
asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ 6Then
he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves,
and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to
distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7They had
also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too
should be distributed.8They ate and were filled; and they took up
the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9Now there
were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.
From “The Caregiver's Tao Te Ching: Compassionate Caring for Your Loved
Ones and Yourself” by Nancy Martin and William Martin
We Are Good
Not trying to be
good,
we are free to truly care.
When we try to be good,
our caring loses power.
We work harder
and accomplish less.
Trying to be good
is a pale imitation of caring.
It blooms like a flower for a moment,
but it fades soon after blooming.
Our caregiving is the fruit at the center of life,
not the flower.
We don't have to try to be good.
We are good.
we are free to truly care.
When we try to be good,
our caring loses power.
We work harder
and accomplish less.
Trying to be good
is a pale imitation of caring.
It blooms like a flower for a moment,
but it fades soon after blooming.
Our caregiving is the fruit at the center of life,
not the flower.
We don't have to try to be good.
We are good.
"We all have
a natural desire to express goodness. In childhood, this innate goodness became
overlaid with definitions and meanings as we experienced the approval and
disapproval of those around us. Many of us were taught that if we were not
careful we would end up being 'bad.'
"Whether we
are working as caregiving professionals or serving members of our family, it is
not unusual for us to feel the grip of this conditioning. If we are not aware
of it, our work becomes much more difficult. We try hard to please and end up
frustrated, discouraged, or rebellious when we don't get the response we
expect.
"Trusting our
inherent goodness, we act naturally out of our compassion and wisdom. There is
no need to weigh and judge what we will do or how others react. We do not need
to try to be good. Goodness came to us at our first breath."
Meditation
SILENCE
Amen.
MUSIC FOR
MEDITATION
Hymn 97 (Purple) “Love knocks
and waits for us to hear” words and music by Daniel Charles Damon Tune Angels
Camp C.M.
Love knocks and waits for
us to hear,
to open and invite;
love longs to quiet every
fear,
and seeks to set things
right.
Love offers life, in
spite of foes
who threaten and condemn;
embracing enemies, love
goes
the second mile with
them.
Love comes to heal the
broken heart,
to ease the troubled
mind;
without a word love bids
to start
to ask to seek and find.
Love knocks and enters at
the sound
of welcome from within;
love sings and dances all
around,
and feels new life begin.
Reading
From “Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of a Shamanic Life” by
Sandra Ingerman
Creating a Prayer
Tree
"Here is a
wonderful tradition you can share to bring your community together. You can
create a prayer tree for loved ones, coworkers, and community to tie prayer
ribbons on the branches to support each other's prayers. It is something that
you can create in your house, at work, and in your community. This tradition is
seen in many different countries. I first learned about it as a Siberian
tradition, where it is common to find a prayer tree. In Siberia trees are seen
as the most sacred beings because they bridge heaven and earth. They bridge
heaven through their branches and the earth through their roots. As humans we
bridge heaven and earth with our arms up to heaven and our feet planted on the
earth. We create that bridge through our hearts.
"Juniper trees
are typically used for a Siberian prayer tree. The shaman divines the
appropriate tree. After the right tree is found, there are days of ceremony
performed where traditional food and drink offerings are left by the tree. The
tree is honored for volunteering to carry prayers to the creative forces of the
universe. The shaman in the community chants and gives thanks to the helping
spirits for carrying the prayers of the people up to the universe so that their
dreams can manifest on Earth. The ribbons tied on to the tree are empowered by
individuals in the community with personal prayers for themselves, for loved
ones, for family, and the community.
"You can see
these trees throughout Siberia with brightly colored large ribbons tied on
branches. I saw a photo of a prayer tree in Siberia where there were so many
ribbons and pieces of fabric on the tree, the branches started touching the
ground. The branches had become so heavy from all the ribbons empowered with
the prayers of those who made pilgrimages to the tree. An important teaching is
to tie the ribbons loosely onto the branches so their growth is not choked off
or stunned."
Address
I’ve had a quite a busy
first week back, after a few days off on leave. Now some of that was my own
doing, as I have been trying to offer more and more on Zoom, maybe trying to do
too much. Three groups hosted this week, including “Living the Questions” for
the first time on Zoom. I have also conducted two funerals. The first was
Gordon Rees, the brother of John Rees a much loved long time member at Queens
Road and the second Richard Kirkwood, a beloved member of Dunham Road. It is
hard to minister as I would normally do during these times of physical
separation. How do we care for one another, when we have to stay physically
apart? How do we show love and compassion in new ways? It is not easy and goes
against so many of our natural love and compassion. How do we care for one
another now? How do we care for one another in the future? Some folk are saying
we will never go back to how we once showed our love and compassion, that we
will lose something of our humankindness due to our physical separateness. I
for one do not believe this. This did not happen in the past, after other
pandemics and I do not believe it will happen in the future. The future of
course begins now and the question this brings for me is how do we offer care
now?
I am particularly
concerned about our care homes. There has been a great deal of loss of life and
suffering within them these last few months. Much needs to be done to address
this. Families have been unable to be with their loved ones when they have
needed them the most, this has led to a great deal of mental, emotional and
spiritual deterioration, something that needs to be addressed in as safe a way
as possible while we still live with this deadly virus. How do we care for our
loved ones, for those who need physical interaction while not putting each
other’s lives in danger? There are no simple solutions. I know how comforting
it was for two of Richard’s children that they were able to be with him as he
took his final breaths, sadly one was not able to get there on time. So many
other families have had to remain apart though these last few months. I know
how much this has intensified grief. Hard times!
My hope is that as we move
forward that this will bring about change in how we care for one another. In many
ways people have begun to see how much our lives depend on one another. How we
act towards one another really matters. Now of course the physical separation
may lead to a fear of the other, but then again it may lead to this sense that
we need to find ways to care for one another, not just our nearest and dearest,
but the whole of humanity. As a global society we have acted together to try
and contain this deadly virus, so why can’t we do the same to solve the other
problems that we as one humanity face, poverty, climate change, prejudice and
violence of all kinds. We are one human family; surely no one can doubt this
anymore. Sadly some still do.
We need to find new ways to
care, to love one another and it needs to begin now.
Earlier we shared one of
my favourite stories, “Heaven and Hell”. In the story both appear to be exactly
the same and yet they are experienced oh so differently. In Hell all go hungry
because everyone tries to feed themselves only, they are purely self reliant.
And yet in heaven they attempt to feed one another and are therefore fed in
abundance. To me this is as much about the relationships as the food going into
one another’s mouths. I believe that we all possess an innate need to serve one
another that if we do not do this part of our natural humanity withers away and
dies off. By not serving one another we starve our souls.
An interesting aspect of
the story is how they overcome the handicap of the length of spoons and their
distance from one another and the food. Maybe in the tale there is a lesson in
how we learn to care for one another despite being physically apart. Ok we
cannot hug and hold, but we can love, feed and care for one another in other
ways. Maybe by using our imaginations and finding new ways to care and feed one
another we can begin to create that kin-dom of love, Heaven here on earth.
I was in Marks and Spencer’s
on Tuesday, buying food for the day as I worked from the vestry. There I was
masked up when in front of me was Angela and her carer both in their masks. It
was the first time Angela had been in Marks and Spencer’s since lock down and
it was a delight for all three of us to communicate and offer our love and
care, it lifted my heart. A love I shared with several people I spoke on the
phone that day. One of whom, Sue Roberts, shared some memories of Richard with
me. Just reminding me of want a genuinely loving human being he was. How he
made everyone you feel welcome as you were, exactly as you were. That he was
truly “the salt of the earth”, a person of great kindness, reliability and
honesty.” She told me of a time when she was new to the congregation and left
chapel upset one day, she was grieving the loss of her father. She told me that
May and Richard took her to one side and said “Look Sue, what you have to
remember is that you are amongst friends and they care about you and will do
anything they can to help you.” She remembered these words exactly as they were
said, even though they were uttered 40 years ago. Words of love, words of care,
words of people living out their faith. They cared and it showed through their
lives. They fed those they met and in feeding they too were fed.
There are several slightly
different accounts in the Gospels of Jesus feeding crowds of people. Some get
hung up on the facts of whether Jesus could feed the thousands of people
present with just a few fish and loaves, but is this what these stories are
about? I do not think so. To get hung up on the factual accuracy is to miss the
whole point of the teaching behind the stories. “Mythos” is not about fact; it
is about revealing deeper universal truth. The key phrase in this account from
Mark (Ch 8 vv 1-9) are the words “They ate and were filled”. In the account
Jesus cares for the crowd, he recognises their hunger and shares a meal with
them The crowd eat and are filled, because their hunger is recognised and met
in the encounter of feeding face to face, in the beautiful human encounter.
They are cared for and they are loved.
Now of course this is
perhaps not easy to do now, but we can find ways to get around it. We cannot
wish the virus away, but we can find ways to care for one another right here, right
now and find new ways to address the many needs in this our shared world. Now
is the time to get creative, to meet the needs of our shared world and our
shared humanity.
I recently discovered the
following poem “Becoming Bread” by Gunilla Norris. It is wonderful.
"Becoming Bread" by Gunilla Norris
Crumbs
"Be careful with the crumbs.
Do not overlook them.
Do not overlook them.
"Be careful with the crumbs:
the little chances to love,
the little chances to love,
"the tiny gestures, the morsels
that feed, the minims.
that feed, the minims.
"Take care of the crumbs:
a look, a laugh, a smile,
a look, a laugh, a smile,
"a teardrop, an open hand. Take care
of the crumbs. They are food also.
of the crumbs. They are food also.
"Do not let them fall.
Gather them. Cherish them.
Gather them. Cherish them.
Isn’t it just beautiful? I certainly think
so. Maybe here is a way to begin to care. I don’t just mean by picking up the
pieces when this is all over, but to begin right now. We can’t feed as
abundantly as we would like to, not even now as we are spending a little more
time together. We cannot attend to all of societies needs, but we can do
something we can be careful with the crumbs, with the tiny morsels that we are
left with. We do not have to overlook them; they are precious in themselves. Ok
we cannot go up to a person and give them a big hug, but we can offer a tiny
gesture, a morsel that can feed. We offer kindness and care in the tiny little
gestures, a look, a laugh and a smile. Both myself and Angela and her carer
were able to do so from behind our masks in Marks and Spencer’s and it meant so
much. Just as the conversation I had with Sue as she shared precious memories
of Richard and May with me and how their simple loving care was feeding her
some forty years later. Just as the tender love shared by Richard’s family on
Zoom touched me deeply, even though it was through a screen. Yes, ok it wasn’t
a full meal, not what we are used to, but the living intention behind it was
deep and meaningful. Just as the love we share in times of desolation can mean
so much, perhaps even more as it is rationed at this time.
Maybe we will see just how precious this all
is as we move forward; maybe the sparseness of physical affection will show to
us just how precious our lives and interactions are; maybe this will bring
about respair, this fresh and new hope; maybe we can begin to offer deeper care
in new and wonderful ways, I for one believe that it can. It is up to us. We
have already been doing it. I have seen it from the very beginning of this
pandemic. Whether it was in the rituals
of celebration or sorrow as we paid homage to our shared suffering; whether
that has been footballers taking the knee in support of “Black Lives Matter”,
children decorating their homes with rainbows, the clapping for healthcare
workers and how vital they are to our lives. Or in the many ways that people
have been trying to keep one another connected. In the ways that community
support groups and places of worship are finding to offer worship and other
activities. I know my ministry will never be the same again.
It has all filled me with deep hope, hope in
our human capacity to care, even in the time of crisis. I just hope that this
spurs us on to take care of the needs of all our world. For it depends on our
care for one another and for the whole of life.
It is in our hands. We must offer the care
and we must learn to find new ways to share.
So annoyingly I going to leave you with some
homework this week. I want you to go away and look around you; look for where
care is needed in your own lives, in your families, your communities, the wider
world. What needs care, what care can we offer? Instead of getting depressed
about what we cannot do at this time, instead let’s look for what we can do, what
ways we can offer care. For in so doing we will begin to feed one another, and we
will all eat and we will all be filled.
Amen.
Final
Hymn 90 (Purple) “Let us give
thanks and praise” words Peter Sampson Tune 12.12.12.12 Ralph Vaughan Williams
Let us give thanks and praise for the gists
which we share,
for the food and our friendship, for water
and air,
for the earth and the sky and the stars and
the sea,
and the trust we all have in God’s love
flowing free.
Give a shout of amazement at what life can
bring,
put your heart into raising the song all can
sing.
What a world we could build with our minds
and our hands
where the people live freely and God
understands.
Let us give of our best with the tools we
shall need,
use our eyes, hands and brains so that we may
succeed.
Inspire us to cultivate what we have sown
so that nature and nurture make a world we
may own.
We adore you great Mother, O help us to live
with a love for each other that each one can
give
let the pain of our brothers and sisters be
faced
and the healing of all souls on earth be
embraced.
Benediction
Go now in
peace.
Deeply regard each other.
Truly listen to each other.
Speak what each of you must speak.
Be ready in any moment to disarm your own heart,
and always live as if a realm of love had begun.
Deeply regard each other.
Truly listen to each other.
Speak what each of you must speak.
Be ready in any moment to disarm your own heart,
and always live as if a realm of love had begun.
And may the
blessings of God be with us in all that we feel and all that we think say and
all that we do.
Amen
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