There was a real end of term / end of year feel as we met at the bandstand on Sunday morning for the last time in our usual format, before the Summer break. Paul and Fiona led us in the most poignant time as we reconstructed the Nevern Celtic cross of our first meeting there back in September (which we visited in February) and then reviewed key times over the year, building up a visual image with words and pictures and with everyone adding their own cherished memories.

What a year

Fallen leaves and Saints past and present, hazelnut cracking, hide and seeking the treasure, “I could be wrong”, entangled in the beech tree, slow walking, trout BBQ, connected with the seasons in the coldest winter, community within the circle, always the bread and the wine, building a snow table, Celtic earthy liturgy, walking and worshipping, with-breaders on the journey together, slate cairns, creation singing and the Christ icon.

All liturgy and readings related back to those used at some point or other over the year and felt especially significant, with a shared sense of wonder at how this has all unfolded beyond all our expectations.

The Caim circle of prayer

And how significant it was, in reviewing our story, that Tony, Frances and Charlotte were back with us – Tony on his feet and looking healthier than the rest of us put together! God be praised.

The coming weeks of Sunday mornings in August will comprise the sharing of a simple liturgy at or around 9.30 wherever we are. Those who can be at the bandstand will use it there and there will still be bread and wine, though the time spent there will be shorter than usual.

For those interested, the liturgy is adapted from a wonderful prayer pattern we have been using of late called Anam Cara, put together by Frank and Sue of www.anamcara.org.uk

Anyone who would like a copy of this morning, midday and evening prayer can either contact us or anamcara@btconnect.com

See below for our Sunday morning liturgy ‘Anam Cara’.

Creator God, we pause in your presence and hold this day before you. Still us, calm us, guide us as we enter this day. 

Suggested reading: The Psalms or Matthew chapter 5-7 

Creator God we hold our day before you. 

We hold before you all those we love…

We hold before you those we know who are troubled… 

We hold before you all those we will meet this day…

Lord God, grant me the faith this day to truly walk in the light of Christ: 

Christ as a light

Illumine and guide us.

Christ as a shield

Overshadow us

Christ under us

Christ over us

Christ beside us on our left and on our right

This day be within us and without us

Lowly and meek yet all powerful.

Be in the heart of each to whom I speak:

In the mouth of each who speaks unto me,

Lowly and meek yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light;

Christ as a shield;

Christ beside us on our left and on our right 

A Blessing

Creator God, may your peace go with us, wherever we will be this day.

May you guide us through the challenges, protect us when in need and inspire us with your love

May we acknowledge your presence in all the human goodness we will see

May you bring us back rejoicing to our places of rest this night

Creator God we now go into this day

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen

We met at the bandstand this morning and our focal point was a football. It is world cup final day – talk about being connected!

We opened with some lovely liturgy form seasonofcreation.com

We gather this morning in the name of the creator,

who creates time and space,

galaxies stars and planets,

In the name of Jesus Christ , born on planet Earth,

and in the name of the Spirit who fills Earth with his presence,

Creator God

in this time we call “now”

and in this space we call “here”

we worship you.

Make your presence felt amongst us.

We were asked to think about the links between the Christian Faith and football.

Adapted from www.churchontheball.com

“While the World Cup promotes temporary glory, believers need to remember there is more to life than earthly rewards. Parallels can be drawn between the rules of football and the rules of life:”

What is your one/main/Golden Goal of life for our planet?

The planet is represented by this ball – (hence the football focal point!)

How do we play the game?

In our lives is God the coach, referee, manager, top scorer, defender, does he give red cards?

In Third Space do we have Players – Spectators… supporters…

The game of life might be 90 minutes – 90 years…  Extra time… sending off… Penalties…?

In our daily lives we need to be competitive without being aggressive; to be patriotic, without being partisan/sectarian; to strive to win without being unfair…

Do we have team spirit in Third Space, do we have rules, balls, referee, coach?

How do we play – Playing for fun…   Joy… Goals… Prizes…  Heaven…?

It’s not winning but playing the game fairly that matters

Our world needs healing and reconciliation: healing should come about when we meet Christ.

After reading from Ephesians 2 – the passage where Paul talks about Jews and Gentiles being united because of the death of Christ we were asked to pray for areas of conflict in the world. Particularly remembering the situation in the Middle East where Jews and Gentiles are anything but united.

Praying for areas of conflict and for those we know who are in need we gathered our thoughts and prayers as we gathered sticks from around and about the bandstand. We then took our prayers and played Pooh sticks in the river. Dropping our sticks in the river up stream and watching them flow down stream in a symbolic way showing us that God had taken our prayer requests to Himself.

We returned to the bandstand to join together in our emerging creed, written by Grayden not long after we started meeting as Third Space church.

We are a people who …

Have found Jesus to be beyond compare,

Invite all to join us without insisting they become like us,

Find more reality in searching and questioning  than in certainty and absolutes,

Realise that how we treat others is the greatest test and expression of what we believe.

Firmly believe in the equality of men and women, that no-one is greater than another and that all people bear God’s image.

Recognise that following Jesus is costly and we need to support each other in the work we feel called to do: being peacemakers, striving for justice, befriending the lonely, healing the sick, serving the hungry and destitute, visiting the sick and elderly, inspiring children and young people, caring for God’s creation………

In sharing bread and wine together look back to remember Jesus death and resurrection and look forward to God’s feast for all peoples.

The morning ended in a competitive mode, a competition devised by “map man”. It involved a map of the park, some orienteering and questions whose answers were countries of the world. There was a prize. A very large bar of chocolate (Fairtrade of course).

Who won the prize? Following a tie break question we did the only thing possible – we shared it!

This week it had been the Feast of St Peter and St Paul and it seemed an opportune time to focus on the story of Jesus’ resurrection appearance to Peter and friends at Lake Galilee recorded in John 21.  After an initial prayer and introduction we read the passage at the bandstand and took time to reflect quietly on what seemed important to us. There’s something so lovely about Jesus  providing for his friends who’d toiled all night to no avail – not just the terrific catch, but the words of invitation – ‘Come and have breakfast’. And so, from there we walked across the river and down a steep bank to a beach area where Steve and Harry were waiting with fish on the barbecue, bread and hot coffee and cold juice… There (in Liberation theology style or is it  Jewish style?) we started to talk about the things that had impacted on us and what they might mean or did mean to us.

There’s certainly something there about unexpected encounters with Christ, our need to recognise him, his readiness to serve us and feed us and our need to receive from him… and there was the phrase used by the priest at the Mass I attended on Tuesday: ‘Every saint has a past; every sinner has a future’ – that was so evidently true of Peter as well as of Paul that encourages us in our transforming encounters with Jesus…

It was a wonderful time with inspiring shared ideas, another truly incarnational experience in beautiful surroundings and we had the joy of welcoming Christine and Adrian too.

Any more thoughts on the passage?