This is for tomorrow in the remand centre. We have six services spread over the day there… I’ve been thinking a lot, after going to numerous services in prisons around the state over the last couple of weeks, how much our hatred for human nature [and ourselves] creeps into liturgy at this time of year.…
I am so late in getting this all organised… We’re inviting the women to write some responses at each section of the service, which will be used for Holy Saturday with images of Pietas. One of the women, Tomy, is going to sing a song at the end of the service. The rest of the…
Thanks to Fr Michael O’Brien for the use of the image ‘Jesus laid in the tomb’ I know I keep saying that being in the prison is surreal, but, you know, it really is. Last night when i left the prison I went to meet a friend for a drink, and when he asked what…
A favourite poem – God’s Funeral, by Thomas Hardy. A/theistic theology at its best… I I saw a slowly-stepping train — Lined on the brows, scoop-eyed and bent and hoar — Following in files across a twilit plain A strange and mystic form the foremost bore. II And by contagious throbs of thought Or latent…
This is for good friday in the women’s prison – i’ll post the whole service when it’s done, but that won’t be until next week, and I know some people are waiting on it… This is the foundation of the service – 7 candles laid out on black fabric… a series of readings and reflections…
Thinking about Good Friday. It’s all very black so far. Either Jesus was mistaken, or God really did leave the building… Alternative meanings for ‘forsake’, from the dictionary: renounce abandon relinquish dispense with disclaim disown disavow discard wash one’s hands of give up drop jettison do away with. My God, my God, why have you…
These are just some random bits from the good friday stuff. It basically follows John’s telling of the story, with short reflections between the bible readings. The reflections are below, the full liturgy can be downloaded here: goodfridayprison.pdf [the recorded music includes Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”, and Sufjan Stevens “O God, where are you now”, with…
These arrived back from the printer yesterday: They’re an Easter Saturday moment for chaplains to hand out in prisons. thanks to mike and claire for design… and to Sammy Stamp for the funds to get them done. [another update: if you wanted to get some of these postcards printed, email and I’ll send you the…
[writing Easter liturgies for the prisons today… this came out too complicated to use.] you didn’t choose to die and you couldn’t have chosen not to. you had no choice as you stood answering Pilate’s questions [you who defines love and is defined by love]; because to have a choice would mean that you could…
There are probably worse deaths than yours, God-made-flesh, (ask any parent who watches their baby take a last cancer-wracked breath). But the salvation of your death comes not from you hanging on a cross bearing the weight of our sins, but from us knowing now that you know what it’s like to hang on a…
