Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Living Water- something old, something new, something borrowed...

I'm always very aware as I prepare prayer trails and alternative Eucharists that the world of alt.worship is one where a magpie is very much at home.
Not only do you see potential worship aids in the most unlikely places (toy shops and of course Ikea spring to mind...but other people's skips have also yielded some treasures:sandpit, anyone?) but you constantly plunder shiney bits of ideas from other people too.
In this context I am hugely grateful to Fr Simon and blessed, whose agnus dei site* is the sort of gift to worship planners that Hugger Steward and I had long dreamed of...So many riches, there to be used freely. Bliss!

Last night, therefore, I was able to set up a station in the chapel using a loop of Simon's living waters video...with jugs of water and glasses to underline the message

I also borrowed from Jonny Baker (well, there's a surprise) in making our own ice candles, inspired by one of his worship tricks, and using a adaptation of a meditation by Mark Berry.

Jenny Baker was represented by the water flowers from Tune In, Chill Out
while my usual online conversations with Maggi Dawn on the traditional theme of "Help, what do I do for ...." were supplemented very helpfully by a face to face at her kitchen table last week, which not only gave me some workable ideas but helped me refine the overall vision too. It was also Maggi who first introduced me to the wonderful prayer of Sir Francis Drake that featured at one of the stations.

So - I'm not sure if Living Water counted as "creative worship", in that so much of the material was borrowed and adapted. On the other hand, if "creative" means
"Enabling people to encounter God in fresh ways", then I rather think it did...and I had such fun sewing the patchwork together.

*www.agnusdei.org.uk currently seems to be down, but a recent email from Fr Simon confirmed that this is a temporary aberration, and not cause for wholesale panic

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