Worship and Rituals in a Feminist Key

Worship Services with Weave of Faith~Christian Feminist Worshipping Community

All our services are planned and designed by the members of our worshipping community. Themes are determined in worship planning meetings. The focus of each worship service is on the needs of those who attend. In this way we feel that worship can be an act of pastoring; a supportive time to get people through the week. We draw from our diverse religious traditions and every-day experiences, as well as women's spirituality. Thus, our services may focus on themes that have never been dealt with in mainline churches (e.g., El Shaddai: The Many-Breasted God). In this regard, we try to be on the "cutting edge." While our rituals may borrow from women's spirituality and non-christian religions, the divinity which we worship is grounded in the judeo-christian tradition, more often than not with feminine names and attributes which are biblically based. Our liturgies try to provide a model for using inclusive language. Also, we are committed to providing a safe environment for theological exploration and open spiritual experience: there are no "heresies" in our worshipping community. We are all exploring greater understanding of the divine and our relationship to the world, each other, ourselves, and that which is greater than ourselves (who can be called She, He, It or Them): whatever provides a meaningful connection.

The following services are a Sampler of what we've experienced in this unique worshipping community. We've been gathering for 10 years. More will be added, so continue to check back.

There are plans to publish all our services and provide an on-going resource.

You are welcome to borrow and quote from our services as long as you give credit to those who wrote it and Weave of Faith / CFC. Thanks.

Easter Sunday Celebration
April 12, 1998
In the Tradition of Yom haShoah - Remembering the Holocaust
May 4, 1997
The Wonderment of Our Bodies
October 20, 1996
Coming Out : Celebrating Lesbian / Gay Families : How Do We Sustain Ourselves?
October 19, 1997
A Son's Baptism -- Soon to be included
July 27, 2003

Easter Sunday Celebration

WEAVE OF FAITH ~ Christian Feminist Worshipping Community
April 12, 1998

My grandmother's Christ was one she could talk to about the daily struggles of being poor, Black, and female...
But most importantly, it is in the face of my grandmother,
as she struggled to sustain herself and her family, that I truly see Christ."
-- Kelly Brown Douglas
~~~~~
Welcome & Announcements

Welcoming Easter with the Tradition of Easter Laughter ~ Sandy

[Using a yellow play ball, Sandy told of one of the ancient traditions of Easter : that of people rising early for sunrise services. Legend has it that the sun dances three times for joy on Easter morn - and if you rise early enough, you can see this phenomenon as you look at the dawning sun on the horizon. Another Easter Tradition is that of Easter Laughter and the celebration that Lent is over. Some churches would promote Easter Laughter by tossing out a ball into the congregation for them to toss to each other in playfulness. This is the third year that we've followed this ancient tradition to begin our Easter Celebration.]

Call to Worship ~ Sandy


Song - "Christ-Sophia Lives Again"
To the tune "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" (Easter Hymn: Lyra Davidica. 1708) - words by Jann Aldredge-Clanton

Creating the Altar

You are invited to come forward and place on the altar items you've brought which represent your spirituality or religious tradition. - retrieving them at the end of the service and to participate in welcoming the Divine through the lighting of candles
Taped music : "Spring" ~ Vivaldi

Readings from Scripture & Ancient Texts :

John 16:19-24 ~ Josephus' Jewish Antiquities ~ The Gospel of Mary
John 16 : 19-24
Jesus, knowing that they wanted to ask, said to them, "Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, 'A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'?"

"Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.

"So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of God in my name, God will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."

Ancient Text
Josephus - Jewish Antiquities

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah.

When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him.

On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

LESSONS FROM SCRIPTURE
Excerpts from THE GOSPEL OF MARY

Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember -- which you know but we do not, nor have we heard them."

Mary answered and said :
"What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you."

And she began to speak to them, these words :
"I," she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him,
'Lord, I saw you today in a vision.'

He answered and said to me, 'Blessed are you, that you did not waver at the sight of me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.'

I said to him, 'Lord, now does whoever sees the vision see it through the soul or through the spirit?'

The Savior answered and said, 'He or she do not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind which is between the two -- that is what sees the vision...'

When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point that the Savior had spoken with her. But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, "Say what you wish to say about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are strange ideas." Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. He questioned them about the Savior : "Did he really speak with a woman without our knowledge and not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"

Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think?
Do you think that I thought up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?"

Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you have always been hot-tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That is why he loved her more than us. Let us be ashamed and put on the true human being and acquire it for ourselves as he commanded us, and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said."

. . . They then began to go forth to proclaim and to preach.


Women's Wisdom : Elizabeth Johnson - " She Who Is "

" Guided by wisdom categories, the story of the cross, rejected as passive, penal victimization, is reappropriated as heartbreaking empowerment. The suffering accompanying such a life as Jesus led - is neither passive, useless, nor divinely ordained, but is linked to the ways of Sophia forging justice and peace in an antagonistic world. As such, the cross is part of the larger mystery of pain-to-life, of that struggle for the new creation evocative of the rhythm of pregnancy, delivery, and birth so familiar to women of all times."

Offering

Song - UMC Hymnal # 276 - "The First One Ever "

Communion / Eucharist

Celebrant:
[ removing a cloth from the altar to reveal matzah ]

We begin this time remembering the religious journey which brought us to this Table. Let us remember that Jesus was a Jew, and it was Passover that they were celebrating at the Last Supper. The traditional bread is Matzah. As we now share this bread, let us remember. Jewish Feminist E.M. Broner tells us :

For women, "Matzah symbolizes our unleavened hearts . Traditionally, one matzah is given special significance. That is the "afikoman- gift" in Greek, which is divided in half, one half hidden. The hidden matzah must be discovered by the children. The adults then bargain with the children to redeem the afikoman. In our new tradition we speak of the breaking of the matzah as a break, a change, from the old order. We hide the past from ourselves and need to redeem it to create a whole from the broken halves."

Celebrant:
Join me now in extending your hands and bless this Bread saying -

People :
Come, Loving Spirit, bless this Bread
Symbol of your abiding presence

[The matzah is broken. The afikoman is wrapped and given to hide for the children to find later.
The rest of the matzah is broken and passed ]
Celebrant:
This matzah - a poor people's bread - is like a tortilla.
Hard, flat bland, it does not delight the palate, yet the belly gives thanks.
· This matzah - is like chapati.
Impervious to mold and rot even in the heat of the desert, it is compact and easily carried as our foremothers did during the hurried Exodus from Egypt.
· This matzah - is like shortbread.
Kneaded and flattened then shoved into the oven for a brief baking with no luxury of time allowed for leavening.
· This matzah - symbolizes the bread of our journey.

The bread is dry and it is not enough. We also need life-giving water.

[ a cup of water is poured and passed ]

Celebrant:
[ removing a cloth from the altar to reveal a loaf of traditional Easter bread ]

This second bread is sweet leavened Bread - Let us remember that Jesus led a movement of followers who wanted change and renewal. So this bread is sweet and was given time to rise. It's a symbol of resurrection and new life,
in which we share now.

Celebrant: May God be with you

People : And also with you

Celebrant: Christ is Risen !

People : Christ is Risen indeed !

Celebrant: Lift Up Your Hearts !

People : We Lift up our hearts to the Christ !

Celebrant: Let us give God thanks and praise

People : It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Celebrant:
Holy One of Blessing, we give You thanks for the lives and ministries of those who have gone before us, breaking new trails, and for those who stand beside us, giving us strength for the journey.

People :
For all faithful people - especially the women, we give you thanks and praise

Celebrant:
In our creation and through the waters of baptism, You have called us by name. We give You thanks for that call and for that naming, even as we lament our loss : the loss of the names of our foresisters in the faith; the loss of their stories ; the loss through rejection, betrayal, and suppression; the loss through distortion, erasure, and silence.

People :
If we do not speak, let the very stones cry out !

Celebrant:
Like our sisters before us, we give you thanks above all for the gift of your beloved child Jesus. He too knew rejection, conflict, and suppression.

People :
If we do not speak, let the very stones cry out !

Celebrant:
His ministry too has been distorted, his gospel of liberation silenced.

People :
If we do not speak, let the very stones cry out !

Celebrant: Let us remember that on the night in which he was betrayed by his friends, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, "Take eat : whenever you do this, remember me." Join me now in extending your hands and bless the Breads saying -

People :
Come, Loving Spirit, bless this Bread
Symbol of your abiding presence

Celebrant:
And likewise, he took the cup, saying, "This is the new covenant. As often as you gather together at this table, remember the covenant, and remember me." Join me now in extending your hands and bless the Cup saying -

People :
Come, Loving Spirit, bless this Cup
Symbol of your life-giving presence

Celebrant:
Remembering Jesus, therefore, and remembering the women who bore witness to him, we offer these gifts of bread and wine and ourselves, giving thanks that in spite of betrayal and silence and death, the mystery and movement of God brought forth hope and life and power. Empower us to break the silence, to tell and hear our stories, to live in the struggle for the fulfillment of hope and the restoration of all things, so that in all things we may give You praise and thanksgiving, with Your strong Spirit, now and always.

ALL:
Holy, holy, holy, our God, Creator of Light.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is Christ, who comes in the name of our God.
Hosanna in the highest.

Taped Music : " The Chalice " - Hildegard von Bingen

Exploring Our Beliefs Through Open Reflection ~ All

Prayers of the Community

Song - UMC Hymnal # 311 - "Now the Green Blade Riseth"

Benediction / Blessing ~ Sandy

Leader :
The women of old spoke of the Vision they had received from the Christ :

All :
"Blessed are you, that you did not waver at the sight of me.
For where the mind is, there is the treasure."

Leader :
And what will be the last words here to us of Mary Magdalen and the Christ she chose to follow?

All :
Let them be a little crazy because in terms of the world's grim sanity,
he is a little crazy indeed, and all who follow him are too.

Leader :
Let them be the words of the hymn that, according to the Acts of John,
Christ sang to his disciples at their last meal :

All :
"Glory be to thee, Mother-Father God. Glory be to thee, Word.

Leader : Glory be to thee, Grace. "

All :
Thus, having danced with us, Christ went forth.

Leader :
All is finished in Joy.

All : Amen . So be it .

Song - UMC Hymnal # 261 - "Lord of the Dance"
[those gathered started to spontaneously dance with each other and around the altar ]

Exchange of Peace and Friendship
Taped Music : " Exultate Jubilate " - Mozart

*************************************

Planning / Participating in This Celebration :
Rev. Sandy Gess, Judy Kriege, Lisa Rodke and Dianne Winne
Celebrant : Lisa Rodke
The Liturgy was written by Rev. Sandy Gess

RESOURCES USED / CONSULTED: PRAYING WITH OUR EYES OPEN : ENGENDERING FEMINIST LITURGICAL PRAYER
- Marjorie Proctor-Smith; "Celebrative Meal : Celebrating Miriam's Sisters" / Diann Neu - WOMEN AND THE GOSPEL TRADITIONS : FEMINIST CELEBRATIONS; SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES, VOL. 2 : FEMINIST COMMENTARY - Ed. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza; MARY MAGDALEN: MYTH & METAPHOR / Susan Haskins; THE HISTORICAL JESUS / John Dominic Crossan; THE EASTER BOOK / Francis X. Weiser; HANDBOOK OF CHRISTIAN FEASTS AND CUSTOMS / Francis X. Weiser; THE WOMEN'S HAGGADAH / E.M. Broner; BIBLICAL AFFIRMATION OF WOMEN - Leonard Swidler; THE NEW TESTAMENT AND PSALMS : AN INCLUSIVE VERSION / Ed., Victor Gold, Thomas Hoyt, Sharon Ringe, Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Burton Throckmorton, Jr., and Barbara Withers.; THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY / Ed., James M. Robinson

MUSICAL RESOURCES

"The Chalice" - Hildegard von Bingen / VISION : THE MUSIC OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN

"Exultate Jubilate" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/ INTRODUCING MOZART : THE COMPLETE MOZART EDITION

"Spring : Allegro" - Vivaldi / VIVALDI: THE FOUR SEASONS : LE QUATRRO STAGIONI - Performed by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg

"Hallelujah Chorus"- George Friedrich Handel / THE MESSIAH

PRAYING WITH CHRIST-SOPHIA : SERVICES FOR HEALING AND RENEWAL/Jann Aldredge-Clanton

UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL
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In the Tradition of Yom haShoah - Remembering the Holocaust

Weave of Faith ~ Christian Feminist Worshipping Community
May 4, 1997

"...and when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed.
But when we are silent, we are still afraid.
So, it is better to speak."
-- Audre Lorde, "Litany for Survival"

Welcome & Announcements & Offering ~ Sandy

The Tradition of Yom haShoah ~ Martha

Gathering to Remember - Traditional Music ~ Ani Ma'amin ~ played on clarinet by Sandy

Creating the Altar

You are invited to come forward and light candles of remembrance, including
11 votive candles in memory of those who died during the Holocaust :
6 million Jews (1 million of which were children) & 5 million non-Jews.

~ AT FIRST THERE WAS SILENCE ~

"Yom ha-Shoah might be the occasion for us to resurrect the medieval kabbalistic custom of a fast of silence. In the face of the Holocaust, unsure of how we should respond or what we can say, the most appropriate response may be silence."
~ Michael Strassfeld

~ THEN THERE WAS THE WORD ~
" For the sake of generations to come, the silence must be broken " - Elie Wiesel

We All Wear the Triangle ~ Dianne

Leader :
We are a culture which is selective about our historical remembrance. The Holocaust that occurred just over a generation ago, changed the world forever. Yet by some the Holocaust is forgotten, or never happened. The full scope of the Holocaust has been denied remembrance.

ALL :
As people of faith, we refuse to forget. We refuse to participate in the erasing of history. As a community of faith, we decide to listen to the voices which have been silenced. We dare to try to learn from the voices of the past, even as they echo today.

Leader :
In this moment we are all Jews wearing the yellow Star of David.

ALL :
We are all Homosexuals - wearing the pink triangle.

Leader :
We are all Lesbians and Antisocials - wearing the black triangle.

ALL :
We are all Political Activists- wearing the red triangle.

Leader :
We are all Criminals - wearing the green triangle.

ALL :
We are all Emigrants- wearing the blue triangle.

Leader :
We are all Jehovah Witnesses - wearing the purple triangle.

ALL :
We are all Gypsies - wearing the brown triangle.
We are all Deaf - never given any chance to survive.
We are all undesirable - all expendable by the state.

Kaddish in Hebrew ~ Martha

Kaddish in English ~ Martha

Leader :
Let the glory of God be extolled, let God's great name be hallowed in the world whose creation God willed. May God's kingdom soon prevail, in our own day, our own lives, and the life of all Israel. And let us say: Amen.

ALL :
AMEN

People :
Let God's great name be blessed forever and ever.

Leader :
Let the name of the Holy One, blessed is God, be glorified, exalted,
and honored, though God is beyond all the praises, songs, and adorations, that we can utter. And let us say : Amen.

ALL : AMEN

People :
For us and for all Israel, may the blessing of peace and the promise of life come true. And let us say : Amen.

ALL : AMEN

Leader :
May the One Who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, let peace descend on us, on all Israel, and all the world. And let us say : Amen.

ALL : AMEN

Leader :
May the Source of peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved. And let us say all together : Amen.

ALL : AMEN

Song "By the Rivers of Babylon"

~ SUMMONS TO REMEMBER ~

A Survivor's Tale - Jews ~ Jane

Lighting of the 1st Candle of Remembrance : YELLOW ~ Martha

Response of the People :
You shall not be forgotten.
O God, may their memory be for us a challenge and an inspiration
~~~

A Survivor's Tale - Homosexuals ~ Sandy

Lighting of the 2nd Candle of Remembrance : PINK ~ Dianne

Response of the People :
You shall not be forgotten.
O God, may their memory be for us a challenge and an inspiration
~~~

A Survivor's Tale - Women ~ Jane

Lighting of the 3rd Candle of Remembrance : BLACK ~ Nora

Response of the People :
You shall not be forgotten.
O God, may their memory be for us a challenge and an inspiration
~~~

A Survivor's Tale - Deaf & Disabled ~ Heidi & Pam (ASL Interpreter)

Lighting of the 4th Candle of Remembrance : WHITE ~ Heidi

Response of the People :
You shall not be forgotten.
O God, may their memory be for us a challenge and an inspiration
~~~

A Survivor's Tale - Rescuers & Righteous Gentiles ~ Lisa

First they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Socialists
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me --
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

- Martin Niemoller


Lighting of the 5 th Candle of Remembrance : RED ~ Judy

Response of the People :
You shall not be forgotten.
O God, may their memory be for us a challenge and an inspiration
~~~

Song " Be Still My Soul "

Prayers of the Community

~ WHERE WAS GOD ? ~

Psalm 44 - Selections ~ Connie

You are my Sovereign and my God...

Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies.You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil.
You have made us like sheep for slaughter,and have scattered us among the nations.
You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.

You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,the derision and scorn of those around us.
You have made us a byword among the nations,laughingstock among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant.
Our heart has not turned back,nor have our steps departed from your way,
Yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals,and covered us with deep darkness.

If we had forgotten the name of our God,or spread out our hands to a strange god,
Would not God discover this?For God knows the secrets of the heart.
Because of you we are being killed all day long,and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O God?Awake, do not cast us off forever !
Why do you hide your face?Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
For we sink down to the dust;our bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up, come to our help.Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.

Reflection on the Biblical Story of "Job" ~ Sandy

As people of the Book, we Jews and Christians share the conviction that God is at work in our histories. The Holocaust calls all that into question.

When we look to the foundations of our faiths for answers, we remember the story of Job in the Old Testament.
Job, the good and pious and just man represents every person living well and happily -- before disasters strikes.
Quite suddenly, things began to happen to Job that shook the foundations of his world.

Job was shaken -- but yet faithful in his suffering. His friends and family encourage him to curse God and die.
But he doesn't curse God -- or the world -- he curses the day he was born. He curses the day he was born. The victim becomes further victimized. His shalom -- his peace -- is completely gone.

Having lost his everyday world -- and himself (in a way), Job than plunges into the depth of yet another loss. That loss is the sense of the presence of God.

And then Job does something surprising. He musters enough self-esteem, enough courage, to demand an accounting of God.

He asks : Thy hands fashioned and made me -- and now, dost Thou turn about and destroy me?

Everywhere Job looks -- forward, backward, this way or that -- God is nowhere to be found. The moment ends with a poignant expression of what Martin Buber called the ECLIPSE OF GOD: ...For I am hemmed in by darkness, and thick darkness covers my face.

Finally, the Creator speaks from the whirlwind -- and confronts Job with impossible questions -- drawing Job deeper into the mystery -- until Job has an immediate experience of God -- saying, Now my eye sees you.

We think of these things on this day when we remember the Holocaust.

You know, the song I played to begin this service is Ani Ma-amin. Survivors tell us that this song was sung by Jews in concentration camps on the way to their deaths.

The words to the song are translated : "I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah. And though he tarry, still shall I believe and wait his coming."

Out of the whirlwind comes an amazing testimony of belief and hope.


Creed of a Survivor (adapted from the words of Alexander Kimel)
Leader :
I do believe, with all my heart, in the natural Goodness of Humanity.
Despite the blood and destruction, brought by one man, trying to be God -

People :
In the Goodness of Humanity, I do believe.

Leader :
I do believe, with all my heart, that God gave us the blessing and the curse.
We can select the curse of envy, hatred and prejudices, or the blessing of love, harmony and beauty.
Despite the painful curses of the past -

People :
In the blessing of the Creator, I do believe.

Leader :
I do believe, with all my heart, that God created a beautiful world,
The sun and the trees, the flowers and the bees.
And the best way to serve God, is to enjoy the fruits of God's labor of love.
Despite the painful memories from the past -

People :
In the joyful celebration of life, I do believe.

Leader :
I do believe with all my heart, that God has created us in image of God's own.
And the killing of human beings, is like the killing of God.
Despite the massacres in Rwanda, the cleansing in Bosnia,
The folly of Muslim fanatics, and the cruelty of Pot Pol -

People :
In the love and compassion of the Creator, I do believe.

Leader :
I believe with all my heart, that the Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven will come;
When we will conquer our destructive urge, and learn how to live in harmony with nature and ourselves -
When all the preachers of hate will be silenced, and we will become each other's keeper - When we will stop killing others, in the name of God, and nation will not lift weapons against nation -
When it will be, I do not know, but despite all the signs to the contrary -

People :
In the dawn of a Better World, I do believe.


Song - "Let My People Go"

~ LEGACY TO REMEMBER ~

Our Schindler's List ~ Jane

A Ritual for Empowerment ~ led by Sandy
[Sandy talked about the Jewish tradition of placing a stone on someone's grave as a statement that the person is remembered. She reminded people who might have seen the movie "Schindler's List" that this was a ritual that ended the film. She then took a basket from the altar which was filled with stones, inviting those gathered to pass the basket, take a stone, then place it on the altar as our witness to remember]

Song - "Singing for Our Lives"
We are a gentle angry people - and we are singing, singing for our lives...
We are Jews and Christians together - and we are singing, singing for our lives...
We are gay and straight together - and we are singing, singing for our lives...
We are women and men together - and we are singing, singing for our lives...
We are deaf and hearing people - and we are singing, singing for our lives...
We are a gentle angry people - and we are singing, singing for our lives...


~ AFFIRMING LIFE ~

Women's Wisdom : Anne Frank ~ Martha

It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder, I can feel the suffering of millions, and yet, if we look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right one of these days, that this cruelty will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again. In the meantime, I must hold on to my ideals for perhaps the day will come when I shall be able to carry them out.

Benediction ~ Unison

I believe.
I believe in the sun - even when it is not shining.
I believe in love - even when not feeling it.
I believe in God - even when God is silent.

Exchange of Peace & Friendship ~ All

************************************
PLANNING / PARTICIPATING IN THE SERVICE :
Connie Adachi, Rev. Sandy Gess, Jane Grovijahn, Pam Johnson, Judy Kriege, Martha Lubitz, Nora O'Farrell, Nancy Ogilvie, Lisa Rodke, Dianne Winne, and Heidi Zimmer.

Liturgy written by Rev. Sandy Gess

Special Thanks to Pam Johnson for being our ASL Interpreter.

NOTES ON THE MUSIC
Ani Ma'amin - This song was sung by Jews in concentration camps on the way to their deaths. The words to the song are translated : "I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah. And though he tarry, still shall I believe and wait his coming."

RESOURCES USED / CONSULTED FOR THIS SERVICE

THE PINK TRIANGLE / Richard Plant

LITURGIES ON THE HOLOCAUST : AN INTERFAITH ANTHOLOGY / Ed., Marcia Sachs Littell & Sharon Weissman Gutman

BENT / Martin Sherman

GATES OF PRAYER FOR WEEKDAYS / Chaim Stern

THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS / Michael Strassfeld

THE NAZI DOCTORS / Robert Lifton

WHEN GOD AND MAN FAILED : NON-JEWISH VIEWS OF THE HOLOCAUST / Ed., Harry James Cargas

CREED OF THE SURVIVOR / Alexander Kimel - < http://haven.ios.com/~kimel19/creed.html >

THE SONGS WE SING / Ed., Harry Coopersmith

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The Wonderment of Our Bodies

Christian Feminist Worshipping Community
Worship Service
October 20, 1996

Now I must write for myself...I look at my hands and see they are still unfinished.
I look at my face in the glass and see a half born woman. -- Adrienne Rich

Welcome & Announcements -- Courtenay

We'll be creating the Altar throughout the service, laying objects on the various colored cloths reflective of the 5 senses, and the 5 directions . Each direction & each sense indicate a state or passage toward wholeness of body and spirit. You are invited to place objects on the Altar at any point, as the Spirit moves you.

~ HEARING ~
Center
White - where we open ourselves inwardly

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made -- Psalm 139:14

Call to Worship through Word & Song -- Judy


~ SMELL~
East
Gold - reflecting the rising sun. The place where we purify ourselves,
establish our sacred intention, and invoke the Divine's presence.
God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good -- Genesis 1:31

Lighting of Incense -- Nora
[ Nora then read something that Helen Keller had written about her sense of Smell ]


~ SIGHT~
West
Blue - reflecting our vision quest.
O God, you have searched me and known me!...
For you formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb...You know me right well -- Psalm 139 (excerpts)

Guided Meditation - Courtenay

Giving & Receiving ~ Offering
Song : "Earthen Vessels "


~ Experiencing the Wonderment of Shape ~

Reading: "The Bodies of Grown-Ups" - Barbara

Reflections -- Barbara & Judy

Exploring Our Beliefs Through Open Reflection -- All

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Concerns -- Sandy

Response Through Song: "On Eagles Wings" Hymnal #143

And God will raise you up on Eagle's Wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of God's hand.

~ TASTE~
North
Multicolored - where we share our vision of community
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth -- John 1 :14

Reading : "The Community of L'Arche" -- Jane

Communion / Eucharist -- Sandy & Dianne & Jane

COMMUNION
Oct. 20, 1996 - Sandy Gess

Jane has reminded us of something wonderful.

And Jesus said, "This is my body, broken for you."
Jesus was not only identifying with the Bread --
-- but he was identifying with all the ways WE are broken.

And in spite of all the miracles and healings that people focus on, I think that the most miraculous thing he did was to bring together the variety of humanity at a table for a simple meal.

This do in remembrance of me.

As we gather together around this table, we don't so much RE-CREATE that meal -- because if you cook, you know that no two meals can ever be the same, the ingredients have their own dynamic. And, even the taste you want at the time varies. Jesus used the food to bring people together.

Food that is memorable requires great care -- love even. But the most exquisite food will be tasteless, if you are in an argument with the person you're eating with. With Christ's Supper everything comes together.

When Jesus said, "This do in remembrance" at a meal, he was tapping into something very elemental for us. Think of how much memory Taste has.

There are people who can taste a fine wine once -- and years later in a blind tasting can identify the vintner and the year precisely.

If you've done wine tasting, you will be told that not all taste buds are the same.
The front of your tongue picks up the sweet flavors -- but you need to let the wine move to the back of your mouth and let it lie there awhile to get all the flavors it has to offer.

Likewise, a fine meal -- you can't really taste it if you rush through it. Remember a meal that was really special.
Wasn't it special not only because of the food, but because of who you were with and what you shared on the human level?

Dianne has done so much to make our communion meals memorable.
She created this meal as a gift to our sense of Taste --

[ Dianne explain meal - she has made Focaccia and different dipping oils ]

Let us now experience the dimensions of God's gift of Taste -- and the gift of community, our communion.


Song- "One Bread, One Body"

~ TOUCH ~
South
Red - reflecting warmth & sensuality
We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members of one another.
-- Romans 12:5
Reading -- Connie

Blessing With Lotion - All

Song - "For the Beauty of the Earth" Hymnal #92
Sing verses 1-4 & 6, substituting "God" for "Lord" in the refrain

Benediction - Sandy & Pam

In American Sign Language : "Please Touch"

Exchange of Peace and Friendship

*****************************

Planning / Participating in This Celebration :
Connie Adachi, Barbara Cook, Rev. Sandy Gess, Jane Grovijahn, Julie Green, Pam Johnson, Judy Kriege, Nora O'Farrell, Courtenay Redis, and Dianne Winne.
Celebrants : Rev. Sandy Gess and Dianne Winne

The Liturgy written by Rev. Sandy Gess


RESOURCES CONSULTED / UTILIZED FOR THIS SERVICE
The collage on the bulletin cover is comprised of a portrait of Eve, painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with an ancient female figure made more than 20,000 years ago, and believed to represent the mother-God/dess. IMAGING THE WORD : AN ARTS AND LECTIONARY RESOURCE - Ed., Susan A. Blain. PLEASE TOUCH - Edwin M. McMahon & Peter Campbell "The Bodies of Grown-Ups," ALL DESIRES KNOWN : INCLUSIVE PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP AND MEDITATION by Janet Morley "Saturday Night Worship" by Ann Carhart in CRIES OF THE SPIRIT - Ed., Marilyn Sewell STORY OF MY LIFE - Helen Keller A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES - Diane Ackerman

**********************

ALTAR DESIGN

· Divide altar into 5 sections / 5 directions / 5 senses
· Each direction indicates a state or passage toward wholeness of body and spirit

· Create the altar throughout the service, adding the elements as we focus on the senses until we have a whole.

Move --> Center --> East --> West --> North --> South
Judy --> Nora --> Courtenay --> Sandy --> Connie

---------------
1. Center - White - Hearing - Center Ourselves - Judy
---------------
2. East - Nora
· SMELL
· INCENSE
· Gold - reflecting the rising sun
·Place where we begin to purify ourselves, establish our sacred intention, invoke Divine's presence
---------------
3. West - Courtenay
· SIGHT
· CANDLES
· MIRRORS
· Blue - reflecting vision quest.
· Breath of God.
---------------
4. North
Jane - reading
Sandy & Dianne
· TASTE
· COMMUNION
· Multi-colored
- place where we share our vision in community.
---------------
5. South - Connie
· TOUCH
· Red - reflecting sensuality
· LOTION - for blessing

Coming Out : Celebrating Lesbian / Gay Families :

How Do We Sustain Ourselves?

Weave of Faith / CFWC
Worship Service - October 19, 1997

Welcome & Announcements

Procession with Drumming ~ Pam & Courtenay
Candles are brought in - yellow, red, blue, green, orange, purple - Led by the Rainbow flag

Creating a Place which is Accepting
~ Open and honest ~ Safe ~ Inclusive ~ Validated in ritual and ceremony

Gathering Us ~ Dianne

Creating the Altar
You are invited to place objects on the altar which are sacred to your personal spirituality
as well as to the religious traditions we represent.
retrieving them at the end of the service

Taped Music : "Moonchild's Dream"

Creating a Rainbow : RED

Passion - Spark - Awakening - Essence - Differences - Sublimal stirrings - Pulsing Vitality

Reading /Women's Wisdom : "Unbosoming" ~ Dianne

Song

Creating a Rainbow : ORANGE

Shock - Denial - Homophobia - Social Energy - Change
Scripture ~ Judy

Creating a Rainbow : YELLOW

Light - Mellow - Enlightenment - Acceptance - Creativity - Synthesis of new ideas

Reading : "Illumination" ~ Sandy

Creating a Rainbow : GREEN

Center of the spectrum - Realization - Alignment with spiritual side - Balance

Prayer ~ Courtenay

Offering - Taped Music : "De Colores "

Involving Our Children " Celebrating Our Families " ~ Courtenay

Song - " You're a Lot Like Me " ~ Pam

(Chorus)
In the very middle - In the very middle - You're a lot like me
A shining rainbow personality
The clothes and the skin -- are just the car you're in
In the very middle you're a lot like me

(Verse)
Some got castles - Some got shacks - Some got backpacks on their backs
Many different ways to dance and sing
But the most important thing is :

(Chorus)
In the very middle...

Creating a Rainbow : BLUE

Vastness - Healing - New waters - Depth - Vision - Spirit - Tranquillity

Litany of Healing (insert) ~ Connie
[ adapted from "Advice to Beginners"- Ellen Kort from "If I had my life to Live Over."]

Communion / Eucharist

A Healing Communion

Celebrant : Connie

One:
Like the deer that yearn for running streams, so we are thirsting for God, the Living God.

All:
In the desert, we search for the thread of God.

One:
In the desert we search.

All:
Because of who we are, we are excluded from our churches and families.

One:
In the desert we search for the thread of God.

All:
To you, Giver of Life, we call in faith, in search of love, and truth, and wholeness.
May we experience wholeness and family in these elements this evening.

One:
Ancient love, source of our being, we praise you and give you thanks because you have created us, women loving women, in your image, to cherish your world and to seek your face.

All:
Rejected by your church's priests and powers,
Our families turning away, in denial of our love and connection,
May we remember that you do not turn from us.
Rather, you long for us to seek you and love you more intimately.
In the desert you seduce us and speak to our heart.

One:
Blessed is the one you sent, Jesus, who was also thrown out of his
village, distrusted by his own people, betrayed by a close friend,
and handed over to the police by his church's priests and authorities.

All:
On the night he was to be arrested, Jesus longed to eat with his friends the Passover of Hope.

One:
In this last meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said:
"This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this to remember me."
[Break bread]

In the same way, Jesus took the cup after supper, saying:
[lift cup]
"This cup is the new covenant.
Remember our God and our community when you drink it."

The gifts of God for the people of God.

[pass bread and wine]

"Bread to nourish you."
"Juice to quench your thirst."

[ Partake in communion. Prayer after all have received the elements.]

All:
In the body broken and blood poured out, we restore to memory and hope the broken and unremembered victims of tyranny and sin, and particularly today, the victims of sexism and homophobia. And we long for the bread of tomorrow and the wine of the age to come.

One:
Come then, life-giving Spirit of our God,
and make us one body with Christ, one another, and our families.
That we may labor together
to make the desert fruitful
and to build with each other
a true, free and open community.

All:
So be it.


Taped Music : " Child of Mine "

Creating a Rainbow : PURPLE

Claiming - Self-confidence - Vibration - Dignity - Supreme state of consciousness

Affirmation & Blessing ~ Pam

Creating a Rainbow : ALL COLORS

Wholeness

Lighting Rainbow Candle ~ Pam

Song

Exchange of Peace and Friendship

Postlude

Taped Music : " Make Your Own Kind of Music "

***************

Planning / Participating in This Celebration :
Connie Adachi, Rev. Sandy Gess, Pam Johnson, Judy Kriege, Courtenay Redis,
Kitrick Dumas-Pierre and Dianne Winne.

Eucharist / Communion Celebrant : Connie Adachi

RESOURCES CONSULTED / UTILIZED FOR THIS SERVICE
"Unbosoming" by Michael Field (pseud. of Katharine Bradley & Edith Cooper) in CHLOE PLUS OLIVIA - Ed., Lillian Faderman
REINVENTING THE FAMILY : THE EMERGING STORY OF LESBIAN AND GAY PARENTS - Laura Benkov
FAMILIES WE CHOOSE : LESBIANS, GAYS, KINSHIP - Kath Weston
COLOR SYNERGY - Patricia George and Dinah Lovett
"The Desert Experience", Christine Nuce, from Equal Rites, edited by Kittredge Cherry & Zalmon Sherwood, 1995. [Communion liturgy was adapted from this resource. Used with permission]

MUSIC
"Moonchilds' Dream" - Michala Petri / MOONCHILD'S DREAM
"De Colores" - Jose-Luis Orozco / DE COLORES AND OTHER LATIN-AMERICAN FOLK SONGS FOR CHILDREN
"Child of Mine" - Carole King / FOR OUR CHILDREN
"Make Your Own Kind of Music" - Cass Elliot / DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
"Advice to Beginners"- Ellen Kort from "If I had my life to Live Over."

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Last updated : Feb. 17, 2005

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