Comments on: Food and Liturgy http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/ The manic mind of the minister -- Auntie Mame Meets Cotton Mather Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:21:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Ron Robinson http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7975 Ron Robinson Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:42:47 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7975 PB, For about six or seven years now the four Tulsa UU churches have combined for a Good Friday tennebrae service. Done at noon. Not as dark an environment, but darker than usual so it seems to work. Has a loyal following; fills up to overflowing the Jenkin Lloyd Jones chapel at All Souls where we have held it each time. Great music by soloists and small choir seem to have been a big part of its power. No stoles on the six or seven clergy who lead it. I will try to find electronic versions of the past services to send. Fairly common year to year. An introduction dealing with some of the issues faustus mentions, then interspersed readings from scripture, prayer,music, homily. the way we do it after each part of the liturgy is finished by whichever leader he or she extinquishes a candle from those placed on the chancel table. Also the UU Christian Fellowship last season started mailing out Easter/Lent packet of resources culled from our back issues and such, and I will mail one of those to you (for free) just so you have a handy reference. blessings, Ron PB, For about six or seven years now the four Tulsa UU churches have combined for a Good Friday tennebrae service. Done at noon. Not as dark an environment, but darker than usual so it seems to work. Has a loyal following; fills up to overflowing the Jenkin Lloyd Jones chapel at All Souls where we have held it each time. Great music by soloists and small choir seem to have been a big part of its power. No stoles on the six or seven clergy who lead it. I will try to find electronic versions of the past services to send. Fairly common year to year. An introduction dealing with some of the issues faustus mentions, then interspersed readings from scripture, prayer,music, homily. the way we do it after each part of the liturgy is finished by whichever leader he or she extinquishes a candle from those placed on the chancel table. Also the UU Christian Fellowship last season started mailing out Easter/Lent packet of resources culled from our back issues and such, and I will mail one of those to you (for free) just so you have a handy reference. blessings, Ron

]]> By: Mrs. Philocrites http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7974 Mrs. Philocrites Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:26:20 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7974 One thing about Tenebrae: if you do it, do be sure that the ushers have flashlights! Nothing kills the contemplative solemness of the Tenebrae liturgy, with two candles remaining, like someone falling asleep to the chanted psalms and hitting her head on a pew, everyone hearing this, trying to find the person in the dark, the ambulance arriving, all the lights turned along with the flashing lights outside and the sirens . . . This really did happen at my church a few years ago, and a flashlight or two would have made a big difference! (The woman was fine, by the way.) The Episcopal Tenebrae service can be found in the Book of Occasional Services. One thing about Tenebrae: if you do it, do be sure that the ushers have flashlights! Nothing kills the contemplative solemness of the Tenebrae liturgy, with two candles remaining, like someone falling asleep to the chanted psalms and hitting her head on a pew, everyone hearing this, trying to find the person in the dark, the ambulance arriving, all the lights turned along with the flashing lights outside and the sirens . . .

This really did happen at my church a few years ago, and a flashlight or two would have made a big difference! (The woman was fine, by the way.)

The Episcopal Tenebrae service can be found in the Book of Occasional Services.

]]> By: PeaceBang http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7890 PeaceBang Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:59:03 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7890 Are you Ann C? I have had two $100 donations for St. Greg's-- one from D.L. and one from Ann Catlett. If you feel moved to do the same, Abby, rock on!! Are you Ann C? I have had two $100 donations for St. Greg’s– one from D.L. and one from Ann Catlett. If you feel moved to do the same, Abby, rock on!!

]]> By: abbycatch http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7883 abbycatch Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:09:13 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7883 Maybe that was my $100 you write of. I'm trying something out this month. I received an amazingly huge and unexpected birthday check last month and without much thought decided to give $100 to everyone who asks within the next 30 days. Well, if a homeless person asks I may choose to donate to the shelter instead, but somehow I will LET GO of my bounty without (much) question. This is a revealing exercise already, as I see my tendencies to weigh out what organization does "better good" than another, etc.... Thanks to YOU for being moved by Miles' book. You started a little ripple here. What a joy to get caught up in someone's enthusiasm for giving! Now my plan has no real limit, except that if you spread my email around I may be in big trouble!!! Maybe that was my $100 you write of. I’m trying something out this month. I received an amazingly huge and unexpected birthday check last month and without much thought decided to give $100 to everyone who asks within the next 30 days. Well, if a homeless person asks I may choose to donate to the shelter instead, but somehow I will LET GO of my bounty without (much) question. This is a revealing exercise already, as I see my tendencies to weigh out what organization does “better good” than another, etc….

Thanks to YOU for being moved by Miles’ book. You started a little ripple here. What a joy to get caught up in someone’s enthusiasm for giving!

Now my plan has no real limit, except that if you spread my email around I may be in big trouble!!!

]]> By: fausto http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7882 fausto Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:26:16 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7882 Hope that made sense. I see I left a verb out of that last sentence. It's early and I haven't finished my first cuppa coffee and it's hard to proofread within this litle HTML-coded comment window. Hope that made sense. I see I left a verb out of that last sentence. It’s early and I haven’t finished my first cuppa coffee and it’s hard to proofread within this litle HTML-coded comment window.

]]> By: fausto http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7881 fausto Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:22:43 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2007/10/04/food-and-liturgy/#comment-7881 We've been doing Tenebrae at my church for the last few years. Talk to our pastor (you know who she is) about how she selected the readings. Ours have been very simple ceremonies consisting of readings followed by extinguishing of candles. The have been sparsely attended but moving for the participants and worshippers. For lots of UUs, it's difficult enough to make peace with the theology of Easter, and celebrating other subsidiary Holy Week events (like the Crucifixion) liturgically is venturing even deeper into <i>terra incognita</i>. I think our services should have included a little more liturgical structure and/or explanation to make the theology behind the ceremony more understandable -- not only within its original Christian context, but also in a broader UU take of "the vocabulary and structure of this worship event happen to come from Christianity, but its themes transcend the specific religious tradition and apply to the human experience everywhere". Some discussion of why an ascetic Puritan-derived tradition like ours has suddenly, at the turn of the 21st century, begun to embrace Catholic high-church ceremonies and forms that it never used to observe even when most of its members were Christian. We’ve been doing Tenebrae at my church for the last few years. Talk to our pastor (you know who she is) about how she selected the readings. Ours have been very simple ceremonies consisting of readings followed by extinguishing of candles. The have been sparsely attended but moving for the participants and worshippers.

For lots of UUs, it’s difficult enough to make peace with the theology of Easter, and celebrating other subsidiary Holy Week events (like the Crucifixion) liturgically is venturing even deeper into terra incognita. I think our services should have included a little more liturgical structure and/or explanation to make the theology behind the ceremony more understandable — not only within its original Christian context, but also in a broader UU take of “the vocabulary and structure of this worship event happen to come from Christianity, but its themes transcend the specific religious tradition and apply to the human experience everywhere”. Some discussion of why an ascetic Puritan-derived tradition like ours has suddenly, at the turn of the 21st century, begun to embrace Catholic high-church ceremonies and forms that it never used to observe even when most of its members were Christian.

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