Gathering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFOGeOcgVCs

Music: Blackthorn Crescent (not that which is shown above)
In the name of the +Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

The Lord be with you

and also with you

My dear friends in Christ, we gather from the edges, of this racecourse, of this country, the edges of society to this place, here and now to gather up all the worship of this long day and to meet with the Lord in broken bread, and wine outpoured.

Coming as it does from all strands of God’s holy and universal church, this is a Mass of Unity and most importantly a Mass which seeks to speak for those on the edges, the margins, the dispossessed and the unclean: God is here – make yourselves at home, for in this place, all are welcome.

Penitential Rite

So in order to encounter God in these holy and sacred mysteries, we seek to ready ourselves: our minds, our bodies and our souls.

https://www.vimeo.com/14386770

Lord have Mercy

Lord have Mercy

Christ have Mercy

Christ have Mercy

Lord have Mercy

Lord have Mercy

Absolution

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive you all your offences; and by his authority committed to me, I absolve you from all your sins: +In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord has put away all your sins, and of your charity, pray for me, a sinner also

Amen

Gloria

https://www.vimeo.com/14464381

Collect

Let us pray…

Father, we come to you tonight from the edges of society, the margins of Church, the ignored spaces in between normality…

We look to you for affirmation, for redemption, for you to hear the cries which we raise from our own personal wildernesses…

For we know that you are the one who heals the broken, gives voice to the alienated, and lifts up the downtrodden.

We make this prayer through the wounded healer, Jesus Christ, God with us, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, Indivisible unto the ages of ages. Amen

Gospel: Mark 5:1-20

https://www.vimeo.com/14373426

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you, O Christ

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God the Father,

from whom every family

in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,

who lives in our hearts through faith,

and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,

who strengthens us

with power from on high.

We believe in one God;

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Intercessions

The Church

We pray for the whole Church, the visible body of Christ on this earth, in all its diversity.

We pray that the Church may reflect the face of Christ, seek to be united as the true vine and work together to build the Kingdom of God in our communities.

We pray for its leaders, that they may be empowered to pastor and guide the people, seeking the will of the Father and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The World

We pray for the needs of the world, a world torn apart by oppression, injustice and enmity.

We pray especially for those affected by natural disasters, especially flood and mudslide and those who seek to provide relief and aid.

May your kingdom come and the whole world be made whole.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Our Communities

We pray for our own communities, for their many different needs.

We pray for the isolated, the anxious and the alone, those who find themselves in the spiritual wilderness and those burdened by addiction or depression.

We lift up to you those that we know who are in need of God’s love, reconciliation and healing.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Sick and the Departed

We pray for those sick in mind, body or spirit.

We pray for those gathered into your loving arms, those recently departed, those whose anniversaries occur around this time, those we love and see no longer and those departed who have no-one else to pray for them.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Hail Mary

We do not pray alone, but join our prayers alongside the Angels, the Saints, the Prophets and the Patriarchs as we pray alongside the whole company of heaven and Our Blesséd Lady of Walsingham as we say…

Peace

Christ lifts up the humble

Christ reunites the broken

Christ draws us in from the edge,

into a new peace with him,

and with others

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you

Let us offer one an other that sign of God’s peace

Offertory

Pray my dear friends that this our sacrifice be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his church

Eucharistic Prayer

numbers refer to the screen

https://www.vimeo.com/14353555

(1)	The Lord be with you and also with you Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God It is right to give thanks and praise.
(2)	Father, all powerful and ever living God We do well always and everywhere to give you thanks Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Tonight, we bring to this table all that is painful in our lives. Our disappointments, Our failures, Our addictions, Ourselves.
(3)	In that bringing we come to the foot of your cross, Where you raise all of this up And our pain is overshadowed by your victory Over sin and death Over pain and suffering Over abuse and addiction So that we may join our prayers with the redeemed and renewed company of heaven, forever praising you and saying….
(4)	Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might heaven and earth are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest Blesséd is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest
(5)	Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the +body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
(6)	Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
(7)	In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
(8)	Let us proclaim the mystery of faith… Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again
(9)	And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
(10)	As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.
(11)	Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of Our Blesséd Lady of Walsingham and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
(12)	by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen

Lord’s Prayer

https://www.vimeo.com/10048025

Our Father in heaven.

Don’t say ‘Father’ if you do not behave like a son or daughter. Don’t say ‘Our’ if you only think of your self.

Hallowed by your name

Don’t say ‘Hallowed’ if you do not honour that name.

Your Kingdom come

Don’t say ‘Your Kingdom come’ if you are weighed down with material goods

Your will be done On earth as in heaven

Don’t say ‘Thy will be done’ if you do not accept the hard bits

Don’t say ‘as it is in heaven’ if you only think about earthly matters

Give us this day our daily bread

Don’t say ’Our daily bread’ if you have no concern for the hungry or the homeless

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us

Don’t say ‘Forgive us our sins’ if you remain angry with someone

Lead us not into temptation

Don’t say ‘Lead us not into temptation’ if you intend to continue sinning

But deliver us from evil

Don’t say ‘Deliver us from evil’ if you are not willing to make a stand against injustice

For the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen

Don’t say ‘AMEN’ without considering the words of your prayer!

Fraction

We break this bread

to share in the body of Christ

Though we are many, we are one body,

because we all share the one bread

Agnus Dei

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

grant us peace.

Presentation

Come, not because you are strong,

but because you are weak.
Come, not because any goodness of your own

gives you any right to come,

but because you need mercy and help.
Come, because you love the Lord a little,

and would like to love him more.
Come, because he loves you and gave himself for you.

This is the Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world

Blessèd are those who are called from the margins to his supper

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Communion

Prayer After Communion

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus,

May we who have met with you in this sacrament of salvation, been fed for the long and troublous journey of life and healed by your saving power, come to recognise you in these holy gifts, to the glory of your heavenly Father.

Amen.

Blessing and Dismissal

https://www.vimeo.com/14071738

The Lord be with you

And also with you

The Blessing of God be with us,

Father and Mother,

Sustainer of our earth

Source of all that is, and shall be.

The Blessing of God be with us

The Universal Christ

the Risen and Glorious Loved One

and our Friend

The Blessing of God be with us

Spirit spreading love and joy in our hearts

giving hope to the battered ones

inspiring peace and justice for the little ones

For we have been nourished

by the Bread of Life

we have been quickened

by the Life-blood of the Universe

With courage and hope let us continue on

our journey.

…and the blessing of God almighty,

the +Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

The mass is ended. Go in the peace of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

https://www.vimeo.com/14463660

“Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air…”

The Church

We pray for the whole Church, the visible body of Christ on this earth, in all its diversity.

We pray that the Church may reflect the face of Christ, seek to be united as the true vine and work together to build the Kingdom of God in our communities.

We pray for its leaders, that they may be empowered to pastor and guide the people, seeking the will of the Father and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The World

We pray for the needs of the world, a world torn apart by oppression, injustice and enmity.

We pray especially for those affected by natural disasters, especially flood and mudslide and those who seek to provide relief and aid.

May your kingdom come and the whole world be made whole.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Our Communities

We pray for our own communities, for their many different needs.

We pray for the isolated, the anxious and the alone, those who find themselves in the spiritual wilderness and those burdened by addiction or depression.

We lift up to you those that we know who are in need of God’s love, reconciliation and healing.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Sick and the Departed

We pray for those sick in mind, body or spirit.

We pray for those gathered into your loving arms, those recently departed, those whose anniversaries occur around this time, those we love and see no longer and those departed who have no-one else to pray for them.

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Hail Mary

We do not pray alone, but join our prayers alongside the Angels, the Saints, the Prophets and the Patriarchs as we pray alongside the whole company of heaven and Our Blesséd Lady of Walsingham as we say…

We took the red umbrella to mark that this was official "spontaneous worship", unrolled our wares in the arena, flashmobbed a load of people and started to pray the luminous mysteries of the Rosary

The images looked remarkably like Emma’s artwork, although they weren’t hers. We liked them. I will post them separately.

About 30 people took active part, including young families who enjoyed building the large rosary as we prayed.

Loads more people stopped and paused to look, hopefully knowing that they were prayed for,

[gallery

https://www.vimeo.com/14386770

https://www.vimeo.com/14373426

My beautiful daughter Emma (whose GCSE results come out tomorrow) is a wicked genius animator with Flash and these lovely naive stories are a delight to turn into dynamic scriptures. If I do another book on Children and Creative Eucharist (which I am desirous to do), then I could explain how to make these.

The Mass of the Edge at Greenbelt seeks to draw in the alien and the dispossessed, to use the sacraments as a method of encounter with Christ for healing, belonging, and restoring. This Gospel shows the transformation that an encounter with the sacraments can make.

It is based on Mark 5:1-20

Mark 5:1-20 (NIV)

The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil[b spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
9Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[chow much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ

https://www.vimeo.com/14353555

A mixture of recorded and live music from Blackthorn Crescent, this is why the video is silent after the Sanctus.

Numbers in the text below refer to the numbers at the bottom left of the screen. At the elevations, the guitar soars in a new take on the sanctuary bells

Pray my dear friend that this our sacrifice be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his church (1)The Lord be with you and also with you Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God It is right to give thanks and praise. (2) Father, all powerful and ever living God We do well always and everywhere to give you thanks Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Tonight, we bring to this table all that is painful in our lives. Our disappointments, Our failures, Our addictions, Ourselves. (3) In that bringing we come to the foot of your cross, Where you raise all of this up And our pain is overshadowed by your victory Over sin and death Over pain and suffering Over abuse and addiction So that we may join our prayers with the redeemed and renewed company of heaven, forever praising you and singing…. (4) Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might heaven and earth are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest Blesséd is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest (5) Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: (6) Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. (7) In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. (8) Let us proclaim the mystery of faith… Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again (9) And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. (10) As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. (11) Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of Our Blesséd Lady of Walsingham and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; (12) by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen

I’m not allowed to tell you exactly when and exactly where yet, but we will be undertaking some guerilla devotions some time during the Friday evening session.

Two years ago, we shocked and stunned the Greenbelt Festival by performing Benediction in the Jesus Arms Beer Tent

This year, we promise another Catholic, prayer-based devotion for everyone. Very lo-tech, very accessible, but we hope a powerful witness.

If you would like to email fr.simon@rundell.org.uk and tell me your text number, or you can also text me direct on 07976 802123 or direct message me on Twitter: frsimon. I will text everyone on that list with 10 minutes notice of where to assemble.

The only other bit of advice I should give you is for what to pack. This might be a useful aid to packing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pez2lJVk8nI

<hint, hint>

http://www.saintthomaselson.org.uk/164/

Not a great sermon. Sorry.

Text: Luke 13:22-30

• “There is, perhaps no greater hardship afflicted upon mankind in civilised and free countries than the necessity of listening to sermons” – Anthony Trollope
• Last week’s Gospel spoke of the radical nature of the Good News of Jesus Christ – the Magnificat or Song of Mary, where the humble are lifted up, the hungry filled and the poor remembered
  • This call to radical action and engagement continues in today’s Gospel
  • In a Society which seems to stand for competition, ‘dog-eat-dog’ and the selfish gene, the declaration that the first will be last and the last first seems very uncomfortable, unconventional and for the most part unheard – ignored by the church which sits so close to the reins of power, money and influence.
  • It is an uncomfortable truth, an uncompromising truth, it should undermine your very cosy assumptions of a religion formed out of habit and fluffy feelings
  • In putting this so starkly, I know I risk offending you, but not to do so fails to truly reflect the challenge that this text presents.
• The uncomfortable truth is that each and every one of us – you and me included – needs to be converted, needs to be transformed. Transformed by Christ. Now.
• There is a key difference between Baptism and Conversion: for the sacrament of baptism confers God’s grace on the individual (child or adult) who receives it, but the grace of God has an effect, a process, a conversion of every one who is touched by that.
  • For some, that may be manifest at Confirmation
  • For some that may be the work of a lifetime, something that may only be truly complete at our death and reuniting with God.
  • However, that does not mean that we should not strive to achieve it in our lives
  • We should actively seek that our lives may be conformed to the likeness of Christ, which by implication is the likeness of God.
• It isn’t enough to simply turn up, say the words of worship and return to a life unchanged by the Gospel
• It isn’t enough to have a pious Sunday and spend the next six days  in the pursuit of inequality, selfishness or injustice.
• The purpose of seeking to become more conformed to the likeness of Christ is to complete ourselves, and in becoming ourselves we become complete. In Christ.
• Ask yourself what it looks like to be complete in Christ
  • To fully know and understand the love of God and the relationship with the Father
  • To be able to reflect that love towards all those we encounter, even the unloved and the unlovable
  • To be given life, life in all its fullness (John 10:10)
• When we are transformed, then it suddenly makes sense: the old order changeth and the poor and dispossessed are given full and fair equal access to God’s love.
• Be transformed.
• Be. Like. Christ.

When I pray the Daily Office: the diet of Morning and Evening Prayer which is required of all those in Ordained Ministry, I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder. I love the cycle of daily prayer, the immersion in the Psalms and focusing of the day in prayer: Fr George Guiver CR used to call it being pickled in the Scriptures.

But I have to be honest, getting to the point of O Lord, open our lips has always been hard. No matter how much I get out of the Office when I do it, I find that finding the enthusiasm to actually open the book much harder: at home there are many many distractions and so many meetings that want to start at the time when I should be praising God. I have also in the past found praying alone quite a drag: a spiritual desert at times.

When I appealed to the Parish for help, I have been wonderfully supported: a couple of good members of the parish now come and pray the morning office with me, five days a week. Corporately said prayer strengthens all those who take part in it, and I can see the benefit in them, as well as sense it in me. If you are in Elson and want to join us at just after 9am most mornings then you are most welcome to join us. The prayers last about 15 minutes and by placing the day into the hands of God, by bringing to mind the needs of the world and specifically our community to him in prayer, the day begins right.

After a brilliant fortnight in Walsingham for the Youth Pilgrimage, where we went back to praying in a community in a way that I havn’t done since I left Mirfield, Lou and I have been saying the Offices together, so my Evening Prayer is no longer a solitary journey. This has transformed that prayer also: it is a shared experience and a sign of our journey together. As we explore the scriptures and hear God speaking so vividly through the Psalms, new insights into our own faith journeys are happening: I havn’t felt like this for about 15 years!

I have used a variety of forms of Office over the years: Celebrating Common Prayer (which I still love), the Mirfield Office (which I still miss terribly, but you need monks to make it work), The Book of Common Prayer, Common Worship Daily Prayer and where I always return to, the Divine (Roman) Office: for all its complexity, its arcane assumptions of familiarity which make it so hard to introduce to newcomers, its non-inclusive prayers (everyone I know changes the phallocentric prayer on-the-fly), it is still the best, most beautiful, most comprehensive daily office to be found. I have produced a laminated card for Matins and Evensong which we use in the parish to support the Shorter Morning and Evening Prayer books which were cheap enough for us to buy a handful. It saves a lot of flicking back and forth in the book. You can have this for you all to borrow/adapt/steal and improve.

S. Ephraim described the Scriptures as like a fountain, a source of living water. Praying the Office can refresh and revive the parched soul. I pray that you too may find similar refreshment in the calm cycle of pouring over his Holy Word. This is what sustains the Church. This is what sustains this Priest. This is the work of the Church.

[Psalm 16
A prayer for admission to the Temple

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever, world without end. Amen