God takes on flesh and joins life in the struggle – this is what radical solidarity feels like. Lives and souls and bodies entangled. Risks and possibilities shared. We’re in this together. The mess, the beauty, the work. Don’t be afraid to feel hopeful. God’s promises are kept. God won’t opt-out or turn away. God […]
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You have walked with me in the shadows and held for me the light I couldn’t see You have struck for me the blows and suffered the pain which striking them must bring you for the sake of my soul You have honoured me with your ruthlessness and comforted me with your tenderness You have […]
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It is enough, what I have here But only if your voice is heard Above the clamour of the world That still, small voice may fade away Unless I make a place for it Pulling aside the curtains of my mind Holding onto the voice that has a root in me A place where it […]
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Reflection from a quiet day at Dale Abbey Derbyshire You took me in When the world abandoned my hope You gave me breath And I drew on your vastness and scope You taught me peace When rest and calm seemed out of reach You rescued me When I was far off you called me without […]
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An affirmation of faith to be read by one or many voices, responsively or in unison. We believe in the Divine Creator of all that has been made; the Parent of the whole creation. We believe in the Divine Saviour of all that has fallen; the Restorer of our broken world. We believe […]
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The Revelations of Ashley All religious scriptures are the words of humans about God, not God’s words to humans. They were written by humans no holier than you or I. Just because lots of people believe a scripture is absolutely true, that doesn’t mean that it should make any more sense to you than a […]
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I am the wick You are the flame I am the silence You are the presence I am the space You are the stillness I do not know how to pray as I ought But I hold still and you pray in me. I am the seen You are the rest Visit Steve’s blog, Unfolding Light, […]
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I believe in mystery. I believe in magic. I believe in miracles. I believe in intuition. I believe Spirit seeks connection, through stars and trees and soil and flesh and beauty blooming and every movement of freedom and mobilization toward liberation. I believe divinity is moments of felt connection, resonances that spark and open into […]
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Note: before using the ‘Digital Manifesto’ in full, consider the congregation. What are local concerns and worries about digital usage? Perhaps a selection from the Manifesto might suffice. Perhaps there are other concerns to be added or inserted. May this act of faith be meaningful. Worship offers us space in which to reflect on our […]
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O Holy Spirit of Fire, life in the life of all life, holy are you, enlivening all thing. Holy are you, a healing balm to the broken. Holy are you, washing blistered wounds O Holy Breath O Fire of Life, O Sweetness in my breast infusing my heart with the fine scent of truth. O […]
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Arising from Exodus 3.14 (Year A, Season after Pentecost, Proper 17) I am. I am who I am. There are times when I know who I am. There are times when I don’t know who I am. There are times when I wish I didn’t know who I am. I have a God, who when […]
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with homage to Rumi, the Sufi poet You, the pollen on the bee’s leg That made my flower a pomegranate, You, the haze of yeast on the grapes That made the wine That inebriated Shams of Tabriz, You, who made the clay birds fly, You, who cleansed the soul of ‘I’. You, the reason that […]
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We believe in the Divine Creator of all that has been made, the Parent of the whole creation. We believe in the Divine Saviour of all that has fallen, the Restorer of our broken world. We believe in the Divine Life of all that lives, the Love that binds all things together in one divine […]
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God is Love, the cosmic creativity present everywhere and in everything, Gently urging all toward the good. To transcending Love, we raise our awestruck praise! Jesus embodied the Love that is God. He loved the poor, the sick, the outcast, He loved the unpopular, and even his own enemies. He loved so completely, he loved […]
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A Statement of Faith appropriate for Trinity Sunday, or any time. To be read responsively. God is Love. God is the cosmic creativity present everywhere and in everything. God gently urges all toward the good. To transcending Love, we raise our awestruck praise! Jesus embodied the Love that is God. Jesus loved the poor, the […]
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You could have ridden a stallion Up to the city gates Instead you chose a donkey As palm leaves strew your way You could have left the temple With its money making schemes Instead you turned the tables And denounced the den of thieves You could have just had supper And not blessed the bread […]
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By faith, Mary let go of fear, and engendered a mothering God. This faith may lead us through labyrinths of doubt, laughing hysterically, shouting in protest, lurching in denial, finally making it to our foundation, our place in the world, our home. By faith, Joseph took comfort from a dream, embracing complex, reconstituted, extended family […]
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Tune: Hereford A voice for the voiceless A promise of forgiveness A chance to be A people of blessing A call to share love that God richly gives so freely A love that encompasses A world that needs its healing A voice in the darkness To shine a light on visions That show us the […]
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A church’s mission statement can hold words of affirmation, hope and promise. Our mission statements, our statements about who we are, have an important place in our churches, not just posted on the wall or printed on the website, but proclaimed aloud in our worship. Our vision is to have a healthy church […]
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‘We stand for…’, a Litany of Love We do not stand against, We stand for: Love, inclusion, life, and dignity, Offering a hand to those in need, Or a shoulder to those who weep. We do not stand against, We stand with: The fearful, the oppressed, The rebels and truth-tellers, Those who take action. We […]
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The next time it gets light I will awake with hope And tonight as it gets dark I will not fear The next time it grows light I will welcome the dawn The next time morning comes I’ll be reborn The next time it grows dark I will not hide away The darkness does not […]
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You can make this a litany with the responses in bold italics, and substitute the indigenous, Māori language words with the English translations in square brackets—although you might appreciate the explanation of these concepts in the footnotes. By faith, Mary let go of fear, and engendered a mothering God. This faith may lead us through […]
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We believe in divine tenderness, which is no stranger to our anxieties, which is generously supportive in Jesus of Nazareth, a tireless walker to the directions that herald Life. We affirm our faith and renew our hopes in times of uncertainty, isolation, sickness and death, because we have heard the proclamation of those who have […]
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The world is full of good things As well as things which could be better We are full of good things As well as things which could be better Today , whether we feel full of good things Or full of things which could be better God’s open arms Sweep us up again in a […]
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I’m a progressive Christian who: keeps the faith and drops the dogma experiences God more than I believe in any definition of God thinks that my faith is about deeds, not creeds takes the Bible seriously because I don’t take it literally thinks spiritual questions are more important than religious answers cares more about […]
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Affirmation of faith It’s taken a long time, but I’ve come to trust that God’s Shalom is growing continually, upheld with justice and righteousness right here and right now when we let ourselves breathe into that presence within and around us. Fear and Grief triggered by the often brutal violence of our world need not […]
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Reading for: Proper 13 (usually 9th Sunday after Pentecost), Year A 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, Year C; Inspired by Psalm 145 part 2 (verses 14-21) You, our God, are gracious and compassionate, long suffering and ever faithful. You are good to all; your compassion rests upon all you have made. You keep faith and […]
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Genesis 1 is often included in readings for the Easter vigil, Trinity Sunday and Epiphany. As the stars slid down the beams of the universe in it’s beginning, they burned with love…. so much so that some became vulnerable and exploded. Eons later, in free fall toward our planet many of their parts held us […]
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One: All one All: in Christ! One: In Christ All: all one! This responsive call-out (or shout-out!) arises during services in the United Church of Zambia. It might be used as a call to worship, after celebrating a communion meal or after a prayer of reconciliation.
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You could have given up on the world, left us God-forsaken, abandoned to darkness and despair. You could have shut your ears to our groaning, your eyes to our bleeding, your heart to our tears. You could have left us to live with our choices, our death-dealing, our cries of ‘Crucify him!’ But you are […]
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Who is like you, Passionate God? You heard the groans of the slaves in the brick pits of Pharaoh, liberated them, and made them your people. You will not allow our systems of death and greed to have the last word. The slavery of sex-trafficking will not stand against you. Poverty and starvation will be […]
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Tune: Ba Ba Black Sheep Choose which verses are most relevant, omit the others. Arrange them in the sequence most suitable for your purpose. The last two lines of the first verse are the same for all other verses. George suggests: consider teaching the children only two verses and help them to memorise them by […]
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I am a child of God, God’s beloved, in whom God is pleased. I dwell in the arms of God. You are a child of God, God’s beloved, in whom God is pleased. You dwell in the arms of God. We all are children of God, God’s beloved, in whom God is pleased. We all dwell in […]
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May be read responsively by many voices or with two voices. One: Every part of this earth is sacred, Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore. Every mist in the dark woods, All: Every clearing and humming insect is holy. One: The rocky crest, the juices of the meadow, the beasts and all the people, […]
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For a Longest Night (21 December) or Blue Christmas service. God is with us in our suffering, loving us, walking with us, comforting us. I do not believe God is the cause or author of such suffering, I do not believe God “allows” bad things to happen. I can’t imagine why God would “allow” us […]
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Our faith is not a revelation of some particular individual or of any one group. Rather, it is a correlation of the most empowering truths found in religious texts and the discoveries of science. We start with the simple proposition that God, known to many by many names and traditions, is an immediate Presence not […]
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God is not a she, God is not a he, God is not an it or a maybe. God is a moving, loving, doing, knowing, growing mystery. From The Song of Three Children, libretto copyright © Brian Wren, 1986, copied from the article “Taking the Next Step in Inclusive Language” by Pamela Payne Allen which […]
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Inspired by Julian of Norwich Ready-to-use printable copies: WORD Mothering prayer, Cara Heafey PDF Mothering prayer, Cara Heafey Mothering God, you birthed the universe into being. Home-maker, your creation is habitat and sustenance to all that lives. How costly for you our freedom must be. How painful the separation From the parent who has numbered […]
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For Emalyn (a youth being mentored by Eleanor) I see God skiing in the snow-capped mountains. I see God suffering with the ragged guy begging for help. I see God sharing in the worship services at our church. I see God playing in graphic artistry. I see God enjoying diverse cultures: how they live, work, and […]
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God is Love, the cosmic creativity present everywhere and in everything, Gently urging all toward the good. To transcending Love, we raise our awestruck praise! Jesus embodied the Love that is God. He loved the poor, the sick, the outcast, He loved the unpopular, and even his own enemies. He loved so completely, he loved […]
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