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Showing posts from December, 2019

Poems and Ploughshares

This piece was initially prompted by my current parallel reading of Gladys Ganiel's "Considering Grace", dealing with how the Presbyterian Church handled the Troubles, Robert Harris's "The Second Sleep", which turns on the relationship between the past, future, presnt and faith, a book produced by my son Ciaran's archaeology department, and Avivah Zornberg's psychoanalytic, midrashic comentary "The Murmuring Deep" from which I posted the following quote by Osip Mandelstam on Sunday.  "poetry is the plough tearing open and turning over time so that the deep layers of it, its rich black undersoil, ends up on the surface.... Mankind ... craves, like a ploughman, for the virgin soil of time."  I took the liberty of stealing a particularly evocative line, but then I freely acknowledge that artistically and intellectually, I am little more than one of those birds that swoop in after the plough or the seed drill to snatch some

Omphalos

A poem prompted by reading Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg's midrash on Rebekah and Rachel, a family birth, fears for the future with the New Year just on the horizon and the abiding inability to deal healthily with the past in this part of the world. What binds us to what was, Or what is yet to be? Is it life-giving,  Or necrotic,  Poisoning both?  There comes a time  After the agony of emergence  That the cord must be cut.  Only then can both survive  And thrive.  A scar will remain.  A memory of the unremembered, Both nurturing and traumatic, Too often disregarded  As a focus of selfish contemplation,  Seeing oneself as the centre of the world, Yet actually a relic  Of dependence and devotion. But there is no going back  Nicodemus was right in that.  A new connection  Must be made and tended. But first, cut... Selah

Wise Men? Wise Up!

Here is a monologue from the perspective of one of the Magi who came to worship the new King of the Jews. I was originally going to perform a simplified version of this, for an all all context last week but was flattened by a chest infection. It had no reference to the Jews in Babylon or the massacre of the innocents, but did start with the line guaranteed to win over an audience with a high proportion of children "My bum hurts!" I decided to ditch that for this version, which I am publishing today given the lectionary reading, although I am not preaching today, not because of illness but just because I'm getting a Sunday off. I am aware of the contrasting theories re the origins of the Magi, and whether they arrived just after his birth as nativity plays tend to suggest, or up to 2 years later (which seems to have been a long time for Joseph and his new family to have been hanging around Bethlehem. But I'm not getting into any of that here... pull at too many lose

Christmas Day: The Christ Candle

An alternate short candle liturgy for Christmas Day based on the less familiar lectionary reading for today from  Isaiah 62:6-12 VOICE 1:  Clear the way! VOICE 2:  Remove the rubble! VOICE 1:  Raise  a flag for the world to see. VOICE 2:  The  Lord  God has made a proclamation to go out to the ends of the earth: VOICE 1:  Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Saviour comes! VOICE 2:  See, his promised reward is with him, and his blessing comes with him. VOICE 1:  They will be called his Holy People, those Redeemed by the  Lord ; VOICE 2:  The city long deserted will become a place of pilgrimage.      All 5 candles are lit finishing with the central one. Let us pray: Lord we thank you that with the birth of your Son Your promised were proved true. Our saviour has come And we rejoice. May we live our lives as his Holy People. AMEN Selah

Christmas Eve: The Christ Candle

A candle liturgy that we will be using at our community carol service in Sandy Row this afternoon and perhaps at other services tomorrow based on Isaiah 9:2-7 VOICE 1:               The people stumbling in the dark have seen a great light; VOICE 2:               on those living in the land shadows the light has dawned. VOICE 1:               You have made the nation greater than they could imagine and increased their joy; VOICE 2:               they rejoice before you   as people rejoice at a bountiful harvest, VOICE 1:               the way that warriors rejoice when the battle is over and they have won. VOICE 2:               For   you have shattered the shackles of oppression, VOICE 1:               And torn the whip out of  the tyrant’s hand. VOICE 2:               Every soldier’s boot  and every garment soiled with blood will be burned; VOICE 1:               All these symbols of sorrow will be fuel for the fire. VOICE 2:               For a chi

The Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Love

The fourth of South and Central Belfast Circuit's Advent Candle liturgies, this week a particularly short one based on Isaiah 7:10-16 (and pertinent whoever came out on top in the election in the UK last week). VOICE 1:              Hear this you who are in government!  VOICE 2:               Is it not enough to try the patience of the people? VOICE 1:               Will you wear out the patience of God as well?  VOICE 2:               The Lord himself will give you a sign:  VOICE 1:               The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son VOICE 2:               She will call him Immanuel VOICE 1:               God with us. VOICE 2:               Before he is weaned on solid food                                     we will know enough to reject wrong and choose right. The 4 outside candles are lit. Let us pray: Lord we thank you for your love for us; That unbreakable love that reaches out, To every generation Despite our foolishness

Never Marry a Shepherd

Another monologue which we used in the BCM Toy Appeal Service last Sunday. There are times when I wouldn’t believe one word that came out of that man’s mouth. My mother warned me. She said “Never marry a shepherd!” she said. “Never marry a shepherd! They spent too much time away from home. Roaming the hillsides… Sun beating down on their heads in the daytime. Drinking home-made hooch in the nightime to stay warm… Addles their minds!” She said “Addles their minds…” And on face value my man’s ramblings this morning when he came in suggested that his mind WAS addled. He couldn’t get his words out fast enough… All I heard was “bright light, angels, good news, singing, Messiah, manger…” None of it made sense… even when I got him to take a breath and slow down… He started again and told me that an angel had visited him and his mates up in the hills last night… I mean to say… an angel visiting that lot!? Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. But he insisted that they had seen an

Born of Water and Blood

An advent poem used in our BCM Toy Service on Sunday. He’s coming Joseph He’s coming… The waters break… And the agony begins. Through the water the people were saved. Through time of trial A place of promise was reached. Wait, my love… Wait, don’t push… The time is not right, But he is coming… Why must we wait? Why not now? Let’s take what is ours It’s the way of the world He’s coming, my love… Born in blood… He is born, he breathes And he cries… So many tears and so much blood The blood of battlefields And the blood of beasts Flowing free in the temple.. Born of water and blood Born to bleed and die Born to cleanse and restore Born that we might live… Born of water and blood. Selah

Looking Back: An Older Mary Reflects

I think I have posted this before, but can't find it... But here it is as performed yesterday at our BCM Toy Appeal service. There will be a few other pieces posted that were used at it as the week goes on.  He who was there when the universe was formed… took form inside my womb… He who is the source of all good gifts suckled at my breast… He who walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, I taught to walk as a toddler… He who carved the commandments on tablets of stone with his finger, learned them from me at the kitchen table… He who inspired the psalmists learned their songs on my knee… It was amazing… I saw the son of God grow into a man… I know every mother thinks that their child is perfect… Particularly their first… But my son was… Why me? I was little more than a child myself when the angel came to me… I thought it was a dream. But if it was, it was more real than anything I had ever experienced until that day. He said, it said... whatever: “Mary you have b

Third Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Joy

The third of our Advent Candle liturgies based on the lectionary readings from Isaiah, this week chapter  35 verses 1-10. VOICE 1:               The desert and dried up ground will be delirious with gladness; VOICE 2:               the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. VOICE 1:               Like the crocus in spring, it will burst into bloom; VOICE 2:                it will be filled with riotous colour and echo with songs of joy. VOICE 1:               They will reflect the Lord ‘s resplendent glory, VOICE 2:                the splendour of our God will be clear to see. VOICE 1:               Strengthen the hands that have lost their grip, VOICE 2:               steady those with shaky knees; VOICE 1:               Say to those with fearful hearts,  “Stay strong, take courage!” VOICE 2:               Your God is coming to put things right; VOICE 1:               He comes to redress all wrongs and save his people.   VOICE 2:               Then t

The Baptist’s Tale: Was I Right?

A monologue based on tomorrow's Gospel reading    Matthew 11: 2-11. It may seem out of tune with the tinsel and bright lights of this time of year, but I thought it was appropriate to post even though I will not be using it tomorrow. The fear and uncertainty that some feel in the light of a the recent political developments and the high profile suicide of a young sportsman here in Northern Ireland this week in particular prompts the post. It was  originally written when I was struggling badly with depression and that undoubtedly coloured it. If truth be told it was a number of years before I felt well enough to perform it. The voice of one calling in the wilderness – prepare the way for the Lord… Never were there more ironic words in scripture… They shaped my life… my ministry… I was ready to bring down the high and mighty to make the foundations for that highway in the wilderness… preparing the way for God’s chosen one… But honestly, I wasn’t really prepared myself…

Second Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Peace

The second of the Advent Candle liturgies we are using on the South and Central Belfast Circuit, this week based on the lectionary reading Isaiah 11:1-10. VOICE 1: A green shoot will sprout from the seemingly dead stump of Jesse; VOICE 2: from his roots will bud a fruitful branch. VOICE 1: The life-giving Spirit of the Lord will settle upon him— VOICE 2: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, VOICE 1: the Spirit of guidance and strength, VOICE 2: the Spirit that knows and fears the Lord— VOICE 1: a fear that brings joy and delight. VOICE 2: He will not judge by outward appearances, VOICE 1: Or make decisions on the basis of hearsay; VOICE 2: But will make righteous judgments on behalf of the needy, VOICE 1: He will bring with justice to bear for the sake the poor. VOICE 2: His word will cause upheaval across the earth; VOICE 1: His spirit will slay the unscrupulous. VOICE 2: His stout belt is righteousness VOICE 1: And he is cloaked with faithfulness. VO