October 2016: Iceberg
This service came out of discussions at the Grace planning day in the summer, when we saw Grace as a kind of iceberg. The service is the visible, public part of Grace 'above the waterline', but supporting this is a community and its activities operating 'below the waterline' out of public sight. Very often different members of the community don't know what others are doing as part of Grace - and yet all these things are one community, one 'iceberg' visible and invisible.
The service starts with the Grace iceberg, but steps outward to look at faith itself as an iceberg, and then the ultimate iceberg, God!
Some photos here.
Spotify playlist here or below. Some of the remixes used and a couple of tracks aren’t on Spotify. However much of the pre, during and post-service music is in the playlist.
Setup
three strips of white paper side by side running the length of the nave. blue ‘waterlines’ at 10% of the length, towards the entrance/sound desk end. each strip labelled - grace, faith, god. fourth strip of paper on raised area in front of main screen, with waterline at 50%. small blue cards, pens.
intro to service:
show grace planning day 'iceberg' diagram on screen
idea that the public part of ‘grace’ is just a part of what we are
the ‘hidden’ stuff that the wider community are not always aware of
iceberg - only 10% above the waterline, 90% below
science thing re iceberg of dark matter, limit of human knowledge, mystery, the unseen and knowable
intro to icebergs:
three icebergs:
grace
faith
god
each with a waterline at 10% of the length
above the waterline - represents the visible, measurable, graspable, public
below the waterline - represents the hidden, private, unquantifiable, hard to talk about
also introduce prayerberg:
at any time during the service people can write things they want to pray about - ‘above the waterline’ kinds of things, and ‘below the waterline’ kinds of things
there are cards
write ‘above the waterline’ matters for prayer on a card
for ‘below the waterline’ matters place a blank card [with your name on as an option]
we will return to these at the end of the service
opening prayer
Be silent
Be still
Alone
Empty
Before your God
Say nothing
Ask nothing
Be silent
Be still
Let your God look upon you
That is all
She knows
She understands
She loves you with an enormous love
She only wants to look upon you with her love
[st hilda community]
grace iceberg:
think about Grace - all that we do and who we are
what is above the waterline? visible, measurable, graspable, public?
what is below the waterline? hidden, private, unquantifiable, hard to talk about?
write on a card. place on the iceberg above or below the waterline where you think it belongs
then we will spend a while in silence walking around looking at the results
quotation read out 3 times:
When we are together
we will remember what it is like to travel alone
When we are alone
we will remember what it is like to travel together
faith iceberg:
think about faith - all that we believe, all that we do, and who we are
what is above the waterline? visible, measurable, graspable, public?
what is below the waterline? hidden, private, unquantifiable, hard to talk about?
write on a card. place on the iceberg above or below the waterline where you think it belongs
then we will spend a while in silence walking around looking at the results
quotation read out 3 times:
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9]
god iceberg:
think about God
what is above the waterline? visible, measurable, graspable, public?
what is below the waterline? hidden, private, unquantifiable, hard to talk about?
write on a card. place on the iceberg above or below the waterline where you think it belongs
then we will spend a while in silence walking around looking at the results
quotation read out 3 times:
Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
[God speaking to Job]
prayerberg:
all stand around the prayerberg
together we pray the prayer cards
end liturgy:
on screen, but read in parts by different people