jonnybaker

how to disappear completely - si smith's latest

everything si smith produces i have loved so i was very excited to get how to disappear completely through the post this week. this is a comic for lent based in leeds. it's beautifully illustrated and follows one story that seemed to me to be a contemporary take on christ's journey into the wilderness. it's kind of a mini graphic novel but i guess that's what a comic is? you definitely don't need to be based in or know leeds to appreciate it. 

in case you don't know si's work he has a load of things on proost including the lovely 40. i think proost are likely to try and add this comic as a download at some point hopefully but to be honest it is best experienced in print and is only £5. go get yourself a copy...

i ma making it worship trick 70 in series 4

the god of unwelcome

Unwelcome!

God is here
His Spirit is with us
[but not with them]

so opened last night's provocative liturgy at grace responding to the usa and uk climates of fear and shoring up borders to those from other countries. the start was a liturgy of unwelcome which included the unveiling of an icon of the god of unwelcome which was a reworking of rublev but with the faces of trump, pence and bannon - it was disturbing! we had scriptures reassuring us that god is on our side and will destroy enemies and sang a song to the god of unwelcome which included these verses...

Excluding God
Excluding God
You love me
but not my neighbour
Excluding god

Unwelcoming God
Unwelcoming God
Close the door
Ring fence the table
Unwelcoming god

we then had take two which was a liturgy of welcome and included similar things. the highlight for me was meg wroe's amazing rework of rublev's icon with the three as migrants. we discussed together when we exclude and seem to follow a tribal god rather than the god of the whole world and all peoples recognising that there is a judge or pharisee in all of us as well as someone longing to be christlike with an open home and table. here is a link to the service in the grace archive including the unwelcome icon! and here is a pdf of it for anyone interested - it draws on several prayers, songs liturgy from other grace services. i really enjoyed and was challenged by the experience both of planning and then leading grace. and i long to follow in the way of the god and christ of welcome rather than whatever unholy gods seem to be centre stage right now. i am making this liturgy a worship trick - 69 in series 4.

[massive thanks to jon birch for the icon of unwelcome and meg wroe for the icon of welcome]

seeking light - it was dark!

i have been meaning to add this since the last grace but don't know where the time has gone...

anyway it was a lovely grace advent service and i know next year is a way off but you could easily repeat this idea so tuck it away somewhere. grace was inspired by ian adams reflections for advent seeking light - which you can get from proost. we printed them off a3 size and suspended them from the balcony in the church space with nylon thread. we used about 20 in total i think. it was handy that having done an exhibition there before we still had the stuff from that. to straighten them out we just clipped a strip of card behind each sheet.

then apart from a central candle and a few candles highlighting the step at the far end the church space was completely dark - we had moved benches from the main space. a set of tunes played quietly in the dark around the theme of seeking light (see below). then the bulk of grace was 45 minutes where people were given a candle to take into the space and read the reflections by candlelight. they could sit quietly in the space or read through them all as they wished. we simply topped and tailed that with an opening and ending prayer/liturgy. these have been added to the grace archive here . it was very simple. the candlelight really made it a magical evening...

the playlist i think was:

lovebleeps - laura b
incense - andy thornton (from labyrinth)
o come o come emmanuel - sufjan stevens
blackout - heights of abraham
shine - dave gahan and soulsavers
a change is gonna come - the fugees live
anthem - leonard cohen
young death - burial
open the light - boards of canada
gathering light - detriot escalator co
searchlight - jon hopkins
the light - album leaf
a light to guide you - clem leek
near light - olafur arnolds
into forever - eat lights become lights
to believe - cinematic orchestra
jesus alone - nick cave
since i - jono mccleery
lighthouse - patrick watson

i have added this as a worship trick - no 68 in series 4

take hold of the unknown

grace last saturday played with the metaphor of an iceberg where a large proportion of it is not visible, is below the waterline. it was a simple service but really profound too. the prayers and liturgy have been added to the grace website here. we explored ideas of what is hidden and visible in relation to the grace community, faith and god.

steve collins wrote a final prayer riffing on one by mark berry. i am making this whole exploration a worship trick - no 67 in series 4

welcome

to what you cannot see
to what you cannot control
to what you cannot put numbers to
to what you cannot ignore
to what you cannot hide from

it welcomes you

welcome

the surface is open
the sea has room
the food is plentiful
the water is cool
the company is warm
the rest is undisturbed
the shelter is total

they welcome you

welcome

the welcome is universal
the entrance is free
the invitation is open
the hand is extended
there is no time limit
the time is now

they welcome you

welcome

to hidden generosity
to gentle undercurrents
to subtle nourishment
to unspoken prayer
to inarticulate longing

we welcome you

welcome

to actions beyond words
to help without asking
to provision without measure
to hospitality without price
to risk without fear

they welcome you

welcome

take hold of the unknown
accept the unconditional
let go of limitation
give up the guidebook
trust what you cannot question

god welcomes you

welcome

whether you deserve it or not
whether you think you deserve it or not
all are welcome
you are welcome
they welcome you to their mystery
their depth from which all creation springs
come and swim with them

they welcome you

the father that only the son has seen
the word that no-one recognised
the spirit that intercedes without words

they welcome you
world without end
amen

a little child will lead them

leading the communion service at greenbelt for several thousand people is a challenge - the scale of it but also doing something that is both creative and appeals to a wide range of people - i know as i have led it a couple of times! this year was one of the best all built around the simple idea of children leading it. this included the sermon slot where the archbishop of canterbury was aksed questions by children on his role and on the passages. the favourite question seemed to be who would win in a fight between him and the pope! anyway greenbelt and andrew graystone (who put it together) have made the liturgy and resources available here - a little child will lead them - thank you greenbelt! i am making this a worship  trick. 

do have a look at one day - a piece of liturgy that managed to be profound and hilarious at the same time...

and this is all worship trick 66 in series 4

grace seeds - confession, affirmation, communion prayer

last night's grace was on the theme of seeds and a lovely communion service. these are a few of the prayers that those of us planning it wrote - and i am adding them as a worship trick - 65 in series 4...

a confession:

Gardener God

Forgive us for the times we have kept our seeds in the packet

For the times we’ve been too scared to risk, too selfish to love, too embarrassed to try

Gardener God, have mercy on us

 

Forgive us for where we have let weeds grow in the soil of our lives

For the times we have forgotten to pray,

for the days when we don’t bother to listen,

for the moments when we neglect the stirring of your spirit

Gardener God, have mercy on us

 

Forgive us for when we have trampled on the seedlings of others

Through careless words or outright criticism,

through envy or feeling threatened,

through being insensitive or wrapped up in ourselves

Gardener God, have mercy on us

 

Forgive us for when we think it’s all down to us

When we forget that to grow we need the earth of our community,

The water of other people’s contribution,

The sunshine of your favour,

The nutrients that come through conversation and challenge

Gardener God, have mercy on us

Amen

affirmation (based on the grace ethos/values create, participate, risk, engage):

We believe in the Creator who imagined this world 

And then made it with all its earthy glory

Who made us in God’s image

With the same gift of imagination

Made to CREATE

To look after the earth and develop its resources

 

We believe in Jesus the Son of God

Who most perfectly embodied that God like image

He was able to see what God was doing and join in

Participating in the overflow of God’s love for the world

Who call us to PARTICIPATE

In the the same love for the world

 

We believe in the Spirit of Life 

Who animates us with the breath of God

Who assures us that we are God’s children

Who calls us to RISK 

To offer up the gifts we have been given

 

We believe that one day God will make all things new

While we wait we will ENGAGE

In our communities, our neighbourhoods and our workplaces

Bringing foretastes of that new creation now

Sharing the good news of God’s wonderful Kingdom

Amen

communion prayer:

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground a dies it remains a single seed 

but if it dies it will produce lots of wheat. 

 

Wheat is ground to make flour 

Flour is mixed with water, salt and yeast to make bread.

 

Bread is your body

Your body is broken

For healing

 

Unless a grape pip falls to the ground and dies it remains a single seed 

but if it dies it will produce lots of grapes on the vine. 

 

Grapes are crushed to make juice

Juice is mixed with water, yeast and sugar to make wine.

 

Wine is your blood

Your blood is poured out 

For forgiveness

 

Thank you so much for gifts of bread and wine to remember you by

Thank you so much for being the seed that fell to the ground and died 

that we might have new life

Send your Spirit on these gifts

 

Come to the table 

You are welcome if you are waiting 

You are welcome if you are buried

You are welcome if you are hidden

You are welcome if nothing’s happening

You are welcome if you are growing

You are welcome if you are flourishing

All are welcome at God’s table,

especially those who know they are poor, weak and broken.

God is here, the One who makes the seed grow

Amen

there is no other there is only us - worship trick

i started writing worship songs years ago because of words (ok i wasn't that keen on the music around either!). i found if difficult to find words that articulated what it was we as a community then (st matts in bath at the time) believed and wanted to express. it was a great journey of expression and led me to explore the same in alternative worship through a range of art forms. and actually it also led to setting up proost to collate songs and liturgy and movies that had this same sense of expression from the grassroots in soulful (and theological) ways. i am still surprised how few communities go this route. i get that it is more time consuming but it is so much more rewarding that simply using commodified worship songs or liturgies written in high places. though of course blending your own expression with good stuff written by others is probably even better...

anyway all that to say i was sent a link to this blog/site plural guild which is the first i have seen for a while that really embodies that spirit of articulation. and the words are words i can sing which i have to say is a refreshing change (and i know i am hard to please). so thank you to plural guild (love the notion of guild by the way)! the song below seems especially poignant today on a day when my country have voted to leave europe - love the line there is no other there is only us. there is a also a downloadable album of advent and christmas songs too. i am making these worship trick 64 in series 4

solo remains

if you like piano music nils frahm put up some free tracks that didn't make it onto his album solo last year - they are really beautiful - solo remains. i love music like this to listen to, and as background soundscape for worship or prayer. there are some free piano tracks here if you scroll through this piano day page - for example olafur arnolds track is downloadable and lovely. 

while on the subject of soundscapes moby has put several 20 minute plus tracks here for free that you might want to check out - i have downloaded but not been through them yet.

worship trick 63, series 4 - instrumentals and soundscapes

 

stations of lament: hope and the poetry of pain

yes before you complain i do know it's easter week and am personally reflecting on stories of the resurrection but... tuck this away for next year or something - stations of lament: hope and the poetry of pain. jason miller sent me a link to some things they had done in ohio in lent and holy week this year. i have blogged about his stuff before (though can't find the links). i don't know many communities using lamentations for worship but think there should be more. anyway one for the right season. and worship trick 62 in series 4 (that very slowly developing series!)

40 thoughts

i always like the season of lent. lent means spring and is simply a season of the church year in the run up to easter. traditionally it is a time of preparation for easter with a focus on discipleship. we have often used it in grace to reflect together on something in a bit more depth. this year we will be using ian adams 40 temptations for a few reflections and discussions over meals. 

there are always new creative things that appear each year. i always used to have more time to blog these kinds of things but will try nd mention one or two...

first up 40 thoughts - this has to be the simplest - one thought of a few words x 40 - nicely presented by tim watson. here's no 19... proost has this as a freebie in a pdf here. i am adding this as a worship trick - 61 in series 4

margins to mainstream, mainstream to margins

a couple of weeks back i was invited to lead the opening worship/reflection/prayer at the fresh expressions gathering at southwark cathedral. (the last time i led anything there was with grace at the time of our lives festival in 2000!) the title of the conference was from margins to mainstream which i think is provocative - i am certainly trying to get the gravity flowing in the other direction in most of what i do. anyway i posted something in facebook about what those at the margins might say by way of blessing to the mainstream and vice versa. of course lots of people refused to play the game and deconstruct the whole thing which i get. but anyway i asked harry baker to take what had been said and weave the comments into a blessing which he did. several people have asked for it so it's posted below. 

the worship pieces for those who asked were 

but in silence by flock (chris and harry) which led into silence

before the silence i shared that the reading for the day was one phrase 'christ with us' inspired by sam wells latest book (which is amazing btw) a nazereth manifesto in which he says the word 'with' is the most important theological word. during the silence i shared some images of christ to reflect on that notion of christ with those at the margins and those at the mainstream - christ the king which i suggested was a mainstream image, and christ the migrant a more marginal representation (i like this take of the holy family as boat people). 

we then prayed by writing prayers on luggage labels with the word hope on one side and grief on the other - and placed them in a suitcase to offer prayers for the journey in whichever direction of travel we were heading (margins to mainstream, mainstream to margins).

and then harry concluded with this blessing

Margins to Mainstream, Mainstream to Margins
Mainstream to Margins, Margins to Mainstream

Can you hear me?
Lean a little closer.
Let’s talk!
Would you like a cup of tea?
We need you and we want you.
Wish you were here!

Margins to Mainstream, Mainstream to Margins
Mainstream to Margins, Margins to Mainstream

I Inhabit both and I don't feel at home in either
One persons margin is another persons mainstream
One person's edge is another person's centre.
Some of us were made to be edge-dwellers
We are all on the margins of something
Let us do our thing
We are so very much more than a label.
There's enough God for everyone
Come inside and learn from previous mistakes.
Come outside and learn from something new.

Margins to Mainstream, Mainstream to Margins
Mainstream to Margins, Margins to Mainstream

May we be open to embrace other people’s margins
May we be open to embrace them into our mainstream
Some of us were made to be edge-dwellers
Some of us are at home in the centre.
Margins to Mainstream, Mainstream to Margins
May we be open to conversation between the two

i am making it all a worship trick - no 60 in the very sporadic series 4!

birmingham trinity and we will cross the road

at the recent new parish conference in birmingham, lou davis was painting throughout and created this birmingham trinity, an improvisation on rublev of course and she says this about it...

The icon is said to represent the Trinity, the three angels being those who visited Abraham. As I walked round Birmingham, I had a sense of being a guest there, at one moment isolated, then next welcomed by the city. I felt as Abraham did, being invited to take a place at the fourth side of the table and commune with God in that context, a welcome wariness. There are bits and pieces of Birmingham in the picture, probably some actual dirt from the streets – as we took texture rubbings from the pavements and walls, and in the repeating patterns. You may recognise the circles as the pattern on the Selfridges building which dominates that part of the city, reflected everywhere in windows and street furniture. Then just round the corner is a bit that’s frightening at night – as overheard by one of our artists.

I kept to a palette of greys, with the occasional point of bright colour, as we had observed in the city itself. It’s deliberately half realist, half abstract, because that’s a style I’ve been reaching for as an artist, it’s something I appreciate in others work and want to reproduce myself. The realism gives you a hook to understand it and the abstraction sets you free. I want to create a balance between the two.

i love that...

at the same conference tim watson wrote some liturgy and poetry on the theme of new parish neighbourhood which you can download here - if you look online realise it is two pages. the first is a poem and the second a call and response liturgy called nobody crosses the road.

i am making these a worship trick - remember those?!

the simplest things...

grace last saturday was a repeat of what we call communion by numbers which follows through a communion service round tables in a café style. there are a series of numbered envelopes on each table and when a bell rings you open the next envelope and follow the instructions. it's very simple to set up and run but sometimes the simplest things are the best...

the outline for the service and all the bits and pieces we used this time round are here

the first one we ever ran i think is here which is of course a worship trick

put down all your weapons

the last grace was close enough to low sunday (is there a low saturday?). and steve collins led a wonderful grace SENSEOFDOUBT inspired by the story of thomas for whom easter didn't happen. the outline of the service is here in the grace archive and includes some gems...

it was a reminder for me how sometimes simple can be very powerful - there was a slideshow with words and a fabulous soundtrack to accompany it and plenty of space - the tracks are listed and you can download the slides. one beautiful track i hadn't heard before (and got rebuked for shazzaming when i should have been meditating upon it!) was weapons by son lux which has the extraordinary line which i have thought about since and indeed used yesterday with pioneers at cms...

put down all your weapons
let me in through your open wounds

this was a prayer

We thank you Lord for the story of Thomas
showing us that faith was never easy
and that doubt never breaks your love for us

We lift up to you our demands
show me,
prove it,
give me a sign NOW
our doubts
may your peace be with us

We offer you
Our fumbling answers
when others tell us
you are not
proven
may your peace be with us

We offer you
Our pain
And reticence
When we hold back from rejoicing
Because others can’t
may your peace be with us

We ask you
To meet those
In need of peace
In need of blessing
In need of an end to their waiting
may your peace be with them

We do believe,
help us overcome our unbelief

am making the whole thing a worship trick - 58 in series 4...

we've got poets! worship trick time (first in ages)

i have been reading soil and soul by alastair mcintosh. it's amazing. it's the story of how he and others set up the isle of eigg trust and managed against the odds to help the residents of the isle of eigg to clear their laid from the estate. it's a reminder that you don't have to settle for the way things are and in relation to money and power this is so important. it's a also an incredibly spiritual book - on the relationship to land, community life. he is inspired by walter wink's trilogy on the powers which suggests that in the face of any domination system a process of liberation involves naming the powers, unmasking the powers and engaging the powers. 

i have been thinking particularly about the internalised scripts and messages people tell themselves that end up imprisoning the imagination. if we are to be free this internal stuff has to shift - we have to learn to believe a different script, a different story. i have been reminded of this through lent as ian adams daily prayer series temptations in morning bell (see here for photos of all the scripts) has been a simple taunt/script that is precisely this kind of thing. it's a wonderful series and it got me thinking what my own taunts or scripts are that stop me from being free. certainly the islanders are not initially free in their own minds and a big part of the liberation is enabling them to begin to believe a different narrative about themselves and their relationship to the laird and the island. once that happens victory seems inevitable. 

my favourite paragraph in the book that produced a massive grin on my face was where alastair is reflecting on how ridiculous the situation is - the trust has no resources and the odds are stacked against it. the laird has power, money, control, friends in high places and so on. but there is this great moment where macintosh says with utmost sincerity 'but we do run on poetry'!!! i loved that. the community bards have been the story tellers at the heart of life on the islands so it's with a good basis. but this struck me as wonderful and so like the nature of the kingdom of god and indeed at this moment so like the easter story. 

so… last night we had a meal with friends from grace in our kitchen remembering the last supper jesus had with his friends. that was a meal about liberation from a domination system - a passover meal - remembering the slaves exodus from pharaoh's tyranny. jesus of course reframes it for his own life and death opening up liberation. well after discussing ian adams taunts and what we might need freeing from we proceeded to write a liturgy to share with bread and wine round the meal. it was simple - start a line with 'we've got…' and add something and then one with 'you've got…' and add something. what we came up with is below and of course it is called 'we've got poets'. and i think it's worthy of being a worship trick - 57 in series 4. try adding your own lines!

you've got the answers
we've got poets

you've got tunnel vision
we've got a wide horizon

you've got control of the media
we've got a pen

you've got cities of cement
we've got music

you've got the power to make people afraid, to keep them contained and compliant
we've got a different story, a creative resistance, relationships that sustain and nourish us

you've got management
we've got compassion

you've got viciousness and aggressiveness to scare
we've got meaningful relationships that heal and lift us

you' make people rely on handouts
we've got allotments

you've got surveillance
we've got openness

you've got appetite
we've got creativity

you've got the present
we've got future hope

you've got isolation
we've got mail

you've got iphones
we've got iphones

you've got destructiveness
we've got the power to rebuild with gratitude

you've got lawyers, superinjunctions, court costs that bankrupt the innocent
we've got citizens advice bureaux, amnesty international, pro bono solicitors working into the night

you've got shoulder pads and hello magazine
we've got a real example of a selfless life

you've got control of several churches
we've got a small group

you've got a porn empire
we've got our bodies

you've got the time and date
we've got a relaxed attitude to the whole thing

you've got the reactionary press hooting and braying at anyone different fighting on behalf of the powerful
we've got underground whispers, blogs run on love and creativity, networks of people who want a better world

you've got machinery
we've got mustard seeds

you've got tradition, the way things have always been done, the status quo
we've got a different story, anew way of doing things, a vision of how things can be better, more equal, more free

you've got no idea about anyone else
we've got each other

you've got Whole Foods™  
we've got bread and wine

you've got death
we've got resurrection

this hasn't been crafted - just a spontaneous piece of liturgy... we were set off on what i think was quite an interesting thought by the line about iPhones and thought an equally interesting liturgy would be to have both things the same all the way through. you've got a story we've got a story etc but maybe that's for another time...

love that makes no sense

grace last night was based around a poem by karlie allaway - for fools and dreamers. it was also valentine's day so love had to be the theme… we had fun writing in love hearts words associated with love whether in our experience, our culture. 

i had hoped to set up a slideshow scrolling round the images that people could post to instagram with a hashtag #gracelovefeb15 but forgot there was no wifi in the church. but i can share with you a couple of ways i found to do that - go to liveflow and type in that hashtag. the other designed for events - ii.do - you can use a trial version. it's designed for use at weddings. what is rather neat is that they then send you a link to an album after the event and that's on the free version - so the album is here - ii.do album

you can also see a photo album in the grace facebook group. or my instagram

it was a lot of fun - i am adding it as a worship trick - 56 in series 4.

II, V, | I [improv and perfect cadence]

was quite a magical grace on saturday night especially as it was chris read's debut curating. the evening was on the theme of ruah - the creative breath of god and a double bass was improvised all night to symbolise this. then there were a series of cards with a sequence of numbers on which represented a mood/feeling as interpreted by chris. the numbers are chord sequences - don't worry about it if that makes no sense. grace is II, V, | I - perfect cadence. people could choose and/or were given a range of cards and on the back expressed hopes, dreams prayers for the year gone by and the one ahead. these were then randomly lined up with a regular return to grace and  the sequence of cards improvised as a musical flow carrying those hopes and prayers by chris on guitar and the double bass. all rounded off with a new flock tune with chris joined by sam on cello which was also quite amazing in the space... steve has a ropey video here.

i am making the improvised cards a worship trick - 55 in series 4

advent - a gem

this is beautiful - katie pearce has designed a lovely advent calendar with daily posts on themes such as drudge, ache, wait, dark following the journey of mary and joseph and other characters in the story with scripture, reflection, song, image and thoughts...

all incredibly tasteful. follow along. each year it seems i stumble across something new in advent, a new creative soul expressing a fresh take on the old story. katie is hugely talented and i am very happy to say she is training with us on the pioneer course at cms :)

i am making this a worship trick 54 in series 4

happy 21st grace! and a worship trick - place mat liturgy

we realised last night that it was grace's 21st birthday! had a wonderful meal with friends led by steve summers. its become an annual thing now to have a service in the context of a meal in the main space of the church. i really love doing this. one neat innovation last night which i am making a worship trick (53 series 4) was that the words and prayers were written as a place mat - such a simple idea that i am sure will be repeated! i didn't have my camera, only a phone but you get the idea...

music out of the ground - worship trick

at last night's labyrinth at grace chris read dreamed up the idea of music out of the ground - at various points headphones were there to stop and listen. ipods (in plastic bags) were buried in the ground with a track set to loop. in fact all the ipods were playing variations on the same track - cello, guitar, vocal, spoken word. they were from a forthcoming ep that chris and harry baker are putting together of contemplative poetry/soulful music combinations - watch out for it on proost later this summer. anyway it's about time for a worship trick - so this is no 52 series 4. steve has a photo set here

the design of the labyrinth is the one at ealing common by mark wallinger