Sharing Friendship 30 minutes
As people arrive light refreshments are served. This week’s ‘table ornament’ which will
become the focus for prayer and reflection is a crown of thorns which on closer
examination appears to be a nest of eggs.
This needs some thought in advance - encourage someone from the group to
take responsibility for this. Put
together a crown of thorns - the opening in the middle of the crown of thorns
is made to look like a bird’s nest.
Nestling in the nest are four
mini chocolate Easter eggs. The
idea for this piece again comes from Made Flesh - the Art Exhibition at the
University of Gloucestershire. Mike
Lafferty’s piece was inspired by Bocaccino’s painting of the Virgin with a
Goldfinch. It will later become the focus
for our prayers of praise. Do not
explain what the piece is until the appropriate moment until it is time for
sharing reflections on the Bible.
Have a small bowl prepared with a miniature ‘crown of thorns’
fastened around the rim - this will be used to pass the eggs around. In the middle of the dish write the words Risen Lord Jesus, give us hope and joy and
peace. This can be done as
artistically or as simply as you like - the simplest way of all would be to
write the words on a slip of paper or post it note and attach it to the centre
of the bowl.
Prepare clusters of mini-eggs for each person to take
home for Easter.
Once the group is settled and everyone has arrived the
leader can gather the group together and begin to focus the conversation a
little more.
·
go round the circle and invite each person to recall
some of the things that they have been doing over the last week, and share
anything special that has happened.
·
go round the circle a second time and invite people to
recall anything they have done over the course of Lent in response to the
thoughts and prayers that we have shared together.
Sharing Reflections on the Bible 30 minutes
Over the last four weeks our
prayers have been shaped by the concern we share for a world that is too often
divided, for a church that is too often in conflict with itself; they have been
shaped by the failings and sense of betrayal that we all share in some measure,
and by the grief we share in the face of death. This evening’s prayers are going to be shaped by the experience
of Resurrection. Together we shall be sharing prayers of praise in celebration of life.
Read John 20:1-31 - this lends
itself to a dramatised reading.
What do you make of these
stories of the first Easter? What are
they saying that can feed into our time of prayer as we share in prayers of
praise in celebration of life?
Allow the group simply to share their responses to
these questions - as leader you might look out for some of these points ...
Points to look out for in John 20
·
the first experience of
resurrection is in the very place where grief and sadness had only recently
been experienced - in fact, it is still dark, grief and sadness are still in
the air [1]
·
the first reaction Mary
has is one of bewilderment [2]
·
even though Peter sees
and believes he does not understand [9]
·
it is as Mary is weeping
that she turns round and sees Jesus, but she mistakes him for a gardener
[11,13,14]
·
it is when Jesus
addresses Mary by name that she turns and recognises him [16] - it is not the
emptiness of the tomb, or the witness of others, but the encounter with the
risen Christ that transforms Mary’s weeping into the confidence that made her
the first one commissioned by Christ to go and tell others the Good News of
resurrection [16-18]
·
the disciples meet the
risen Jesus at the moment of fear (19)
·
the words the risen
Jesus speaks into that time of fear are ‘Peace be with you’. (19, 21, 26)
·
it is the crucified
Christ who is risen (20, 27)
·
the presence of the
risen Christ brings joy in the place of fear (20)
·
the resurrection
experience of meeting the risen Christ is not simply an inner experience ... it
results in having something to do (21)
·
the task that is given
to those who meet with the risen Christ cannot be accomplished on their own ...
but only in the power of the Holy Spirit (22)
·
meeting with the risen
Christ leads on to a sharing of forgiveness (23)
·
the blessing of
resurrection was a real experience for the first disciples ... the blessing is
no less real for those who have not seen but have come to believe: indeed,
Jesus goes so far as to suggest that it is more real (26-29)
·
that believing opens up
a whole new way of living, a new experience of life (30-31).
Allow a good period of time sharing reflections on
this passage.
Place the crown of thorns/nest on the low table in the
middle of the circle or in some other prominent place. Up until this moment it has simply been a
table ornament.. Allow the group to make
their own responses to the piece before explaining what it is. The following questions may be helpful in
prompting a response?
What do you see in this
piece? What does it say to you?
Allow the group time to make their responses and then
share the artist’s thoughts on his piece of work.
Our thanks to [name the
person responsible for making the arrangement] for re-creating an original
piece of art which was exhibited as part of an exhibition at the Art School of
the University of Gloucestershire. The
exhibition, entitled Making Flesh was
supported by the University Chaplaincy and the Greenbelt Christian Arts
festival whose home is now at Cheltenham every
August bank holiday week-end.
Mike Lafferty’s original
crown of thorns / nest stood on a white plinth in the middle of the exhibition
space. Beside it was a caption which
read:
The Dream of the Gold finch’s
Nest. Legend says a goldfinch pulled a
thorn from Christ’s head and to this day the birds retain the mark of the
blood.
Mike Lafferty shared four
thoughts which had come to him as he reflected on the work he created:
·
The Dream of the Gold
finch’s nest was inspired by Bocaccino’s The Virgin with a Goldfinch
·
The world we are born
into, despite initial warmth, is surrounded by pain and sorrow
·
Instruments of torture
support our lives - the arms industry sustained by the pension funds,
investments and savings accounts we
depend on makes us all culpable.
·
Our everyday lives are
surrounded by Christian symbols which for most of the time we ignore
Making Flesh was an
exhibition first shown in the Summer in the Chapel on the Francis Close Campus
of the University of Gloucestershire.
A second exhibition with the same theme and many of the same pieces was
put on at the Art School at the Pittville Campus of the University of
Gloucestershire in the Autumn.
As Lent draws towards its
close and Holy Week is nearly upon us it speaks of the pain and agony Christ
endured on the way to the cross. It
speaks also of the hope of new birth and of new life which comes only through
that pain. It prompts us to think that
the world we are born into is surrounded by pain. And yet at the very moment when we are surrounded by the sharpest
pain there is the promise of new life.
Sharing Prayer 30 Minutes
Play some quiet, reflective music. Make sure that the Crown of Thorns / nest is
on the table in the centre of the circle, or in some appropriate place. Place the small bowl with its mini crown of
thorns around the rim next to the larger piece. In the middle of the dish write the words Risen
Lord Jesus, give us hope and joy and peace.
These may be written on a piece of paper stuck on the dish.
Jesus said, Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have come to believe.
How difficult it can be to
believe when there is no opportunity to see.
How many there are who doubt.
To them Jesus says, Peace be
with you. Do not doubt but believe.
Read John 20:24-27.
It is the crucified Christ
who bears the marks of the nails and says, Peace be with you.
It is the crucified Christ
who is risen and says, Do not doubt but believe.
Read John 20:28-29
Blessed are those who have
not seen and yet have come to believe.
Take one egg from the large nest on the central table
and place it in the small bowl. Hold the bowl for a moment.
In the first week of Lent we
came together in Friendship -
sharing prayers of concern for a world of need. Think again of that world of broken relationships, violence and
abuse, that world of barriers and divisions of faith and religion, of culture
and gender, of politics and race. Think
again of that world of hunger, that world of need, crying out for a healing
touch, the look of friendship, forgiveness and love.
As you receive this bowl hold
it for a moment and mention a concern you have for prayer in the world - and
then say: Risen Lord Jesus, give us hope
and joy and peace. Then pass the
dish round the circle of prayer.
The Crucified Christ is risen
and says ...
In the world you face
tribulation. But take courage; I have
overcome the world. [John 16:33]
Take a second egg from the nest and place it on the
small bowl.
During the second week of
Lent our thoughts turned to Conflict
and we spent time sharing prayers of longing for a church too often divided.
Think again of conflict that has arisen within a local church, between local
churches, within a denomination, between denominations. Think of that inner conflict which tears us
apart when our words go up, but our thoughts remain below and we realise that
words without thoughts never to heaven go.
As you receive this bowl hold
it for a moment and mention a concern you have for prayer in the church - and
then say: Risen Lord Jesus, give us hope
and joy and peace. Then pass the
dish round the circle of prayer.
When you receive the bowl once more hold it in your
hands and say ...
The Crucified Christ is risen
and says ...
I give you a new commandment
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.
By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one
another. [John 13:34-35]
Now take a third egg and place it in the bowl.
During the third week of Lent
our thoughts turned to Betrayal and
we spent time sharing prayers of confession for our own betrayal of Jesus. Take this cup away from me, was our
prayer. Yet not what I want but what
you want.
As you receive this dish hold
it for a moment and in the silence of your own heart speak your own prayer of
confession, and then say aloud the words Risen
Lord Jesus, give us hope and joy and peace. Then pass the bowl round the circle of prayer.
When you receive the dish once more hold it in your
hands and say,
The Crucified Christ is risen
and says ...
Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive someone’s sins they are gone
for good.
If you don’t forgive sins,
what are you going to do with them?
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the
world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
and do not let them be afraid.
[John
20:22-23 and John 14:27]
Take the fourth egg from the nest and place it in the
bowl.
Last week we thought of Death and spent time sharing prayers of
love with those who are bereaved. Think
again of that journey which takes us through so many mixed up emotions - of
shock and denial, of guilt and bargaining, of anger and bitterness, of sadness
and grief.
As you receive this dish hold
it for a moment and mention the name of someone who has been bereaved - and then say: Risen Lord Jesus, give us hope and joy and peace. Then pass the dish round the circle of
prayer.
The Crucified Christ is risen
and says ...
Peace be with you.
Do not let your hearts be
troubled.
You believe in God: believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many
dwelling places.
If it were not so, I would
have told you.
I go to prepare a place for
you.
And if I go and prepare a
place for you,
I will come again and will
take you to myself,
so that where I am there you
may be also.
Peace be with you.
[John
20:19, John 14:1-3, John 20:26]
Now we know that death is not
the end.
Now we can be sure that
nothing is hopeless.
In a troubled world of broken
friendships,
of conflict, betrayal and
death,
the crucified Christ is
risen.
He is here.
He makes the difference to
our lives.
He gives us
hope and joy and peace.
Even now we can look beyond
Lent and celebrate Resurrection -
sharing prayers of praise in celebration
of life ...
Play the fifth prayer
meditation, Resurrection, from Jesus
forever the same, the third part of the Video, Jesus: today, tomorrow, forever?
Pause for a few moments of silent reflection
Take the trade badge in your hands.
Are they the scales of
justice badly out of balance?
Or is it a cross?
Is it a cross weighed down by
the burdens of injustice?
The Cross is empty.
Christ is risen.
And still he says, Peace be
with you.
Jesus provided many more
God-revealing signs
than we have had time to
explore.
We’ve shared our friendship,
our reflections on the Bible,
and
our prayers.
As Holy Week, Good Friday and
Easter draw nearer
we still have a story to
tell.
Let’s tell that story so that people may believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God,
and in the act of believing,
have real and eternal life.
[adapted from John 20:30-31 in The Message]
Let’s join in saying The Lord’s Prayer together.
After a short pause, play some quiet music once
more. Have copies of the prayer
meditation Resurrection ready
for people to take home. Invite people to a showing of Jesus for Today some time in Holy Week, or over Easter week-end. Present everyone with a cluster of mini-eggs
to take home for Easter.
Friendship
– Conflict – Betrayal – Death - Resurrection