August 2011: Greenbelt - Yearn

Essentially a repeat of May 2010: Yearn at Greenbelt.

Outline

On Friday night before the service, take photos of people setting up ‘home’ in tents, cooking and eating in family groups to display during the service. Source a fridge. Source some inflatable armchairs.

On the day

Bring people in and squeeze them into the set.

Welcome

Opening conversation in groups; Ask them to discuss what home means to them and write/draw a symbol of home to be passed forward and stuck on fridge.

Bible reading and storytelling up to the part where the younger son is contemplating eating the food for the pigs. Stress the shocking nature of the demand for the younger son’s share of the inheritance.

Wondering; in groups, someone with a mic leading. Include psychological barriers that need to be crossed to consider returning home.

Song 'Yearn' by Padraig o'Tuoma. Images about barriers to returning home

Tell story of the homecoming.

Ferrero Roché music - and surprise the congregation by bringing in Ferrero Roché chocolates and distributing them!

Improvise a dialogue. Explore accusations that each has to make to the other. Explore some of the psychological issues discussed last time; `the older son had a lot invested in being the ‘good son’ Why was this? Lack of self-esteem/fragile pesonality/ lack of structure? Or maybe the older son saw the father crushed by the action of the younger and felt he needed to toe the line/be the responsible one. His sense of being the good one destroyed by the younger son's return. The younger son returning made this burden seem worthless. There was no value in being the good son any more.

Song: 'Maranatha' by Padraig o'Tuoma.

Confession - antiphonic

Move the furniture apart to make the home spacious, a place where there is room for everyone. Talk about Miroslav Volf’s idea that 'God reconfigures the world as an order of embrace'

Communion

Blessing on screen

Think about replacement for the key idea finishing the service