abbotsford.org.uk

Eco Day

I've posted some images from the eco day. And I promise, there were people there...

This is brilliant

Got this from a friends blog. It's a site where you can upload any of your photos and they'll send back down the line a massive poster size image that you can print out. I've a 2metre and 1 metre image of my daughter on my wall, or did have for the last couple of days, but she doesn't like the photo and tore it down tonight. You can get them as big and you need. Fabulous. Craft Daft are going to be going daft over this.

Go here to poster-size your images but just think about the trees and energy. You're allowed one go every so often only.

A labyrinth station

If you've been reading the green communion discussion this will make sense. If you haven't, just stand on your head.

Eco Workshop Reaction

I posted the image earlier this week. Ought to let you see the press release from the day prepared by John McFalls PA.

MP opens eco workshop at Abbotsford kirk

With picture

Representatives of all denominations in West Dunbartonshire attended an eco workshop which was opened by local MP John McFall at Abbotsford Church in Clydebank on Saturday.

The aim of the workshop, addressed by Old Kilpatrick academics Michael and Christine Davidson and local minister, the Rev Roddy Hamilton, was to bring people together to learn about climate change.

Dr Christine Davidson, who is a scientist based at Strathclyde University, said: “We discussed ways in which churches can respond to the challenges of climate change and there were lots of ideas for discussion, including the spiritual – celebrating creation in worship, for example.

“There were practical messages too. How churches can reduce their carbon footprints, for example, and wider issues such as promoting Fair Trade, which can help communities in developing countries who are likely to be worst affected by climate change.”

Mr McFall, who spoke about the rise and rise of climate change on the political agenda, said he was impressed by the presentations given by the scientists and clergy who took part in the workshop.

He also praised the showcasing of some of the “green” activities undertaken by local churches in the Eco-Congregation West Network.

Representatives from external organisations, including Christian Aid, Traidcraft and the Energy Savings Trust also attended the Clydebank workshop.

Green Communion

I think we'll be going down the environmental communion route again at the beginning of the month. It's Environmental Sunday and Michael pointed out a while back so there's lots to be done with that. I've to do a paper/talk/watzit in September at an event about communion (I'm on the task group considering the place and practice of Communion in the Church of Scotland remember) and I've been given twenty minutes to talk on an aspect of communion. I was thinking about chidlren and communion or creative communion an the cavalier approach that offers but now I'm gravitating towards environmental communions and social justice and the bread and wine that is fairly traded and global communities and all that stuff. I can't make up my mind. Would someone like to make it up for me? Seriously! What aspect of communion should I concentrate on? What do you think is relevant. It's not just about reinventing what we do but puting int into some new context and experience. So what space do you think should be explored or unpacked from your own experiences of communion in Abbotsford or elsewhere? Let's discuss.

Scary Fact

The Independent had a frightening fact as their headline today. In the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York.

Figures from the Global Canopy Project, summarising the latest findings from the United Nations, and building on estimates contained in the Stern Report, show deforestation accounts for up to 25 per cent of global emissions of heat-trapping gases, while transport and industry account for 14 per cent each; and aviation makes up only 3 per cent of the total.

"Tropical forests are the elephant in the living room of climate change," said Andrew Mitchell, the head of the GCP.

But you know the amazing thing? There is something you can do. Clearly until keeping the forests becomes something that generates more income by remaining as they are rather than cutting them down then there isn't much hope but the Global Canopy Programme has an idea on that that seems possible. I wonder how we can support it? Go here for the article in the Independent today and also their own website.

The image is some of the participating in the eco church west network meeting at the weekend as well as our own eco group.

This is all in the echo of the eco-church network meeting we held at the weekend. It's just boosted the eco life in me again which is what I needed. So well done the eco-group. It's back on the agenda for us in a more significant way than it has before.

Can we show Al Gore's film in the church sometime? Can we do a kind of a day like we had at the weekend ofr the whole congregation? And the next bio-mass communion?

Contemporary Communion

I don't know what others thought but I thought it was okay tonight. Lots of space to reflect on images. Here the service for Mucky Pawers who like these sorts of things. I'll post some images tomorrow.

Purple Cloth Communion

Tell the story of the outsiders

Setting

Four stations set out on tables with purple rather than white cloth. This is the communion for the people of the purple cloth. Each station is set out representing one of the four outsiders. On each table other than the objects there is bread and wine plus a red paper cross over the bread and wine as if not letting people touch.

The bible passages are printed out in large lettering and artistically stuck to board which is placed at the appropriate station.

The Four Stations

1. Tabatha: some clothes along with the bread and wine and a red cross over the elements
2. Cornelius: a sword or toga along with the bread and wine and red cross
3. Lydia: A pile of purple cloth along with the bread, wine and red cross
4. Syro-Phoenician Woman: the bread is simply a pile of crombs and a goblet of wine

Gathering

There is a verbal reminder of the stories and a prayer recognising those folk on the edge

Eucharistic prayer

The prayer of thanksgiving is said even though there is no bread directly in front of people, but at each other stations. the story of Jesus is told but in the contect of it being an open covenant, for the whole world and all people. Salvation is Universal.

Fraction

There is just a spoken fraction rather than also a visual one. The bread is already broken at each station

Communion

People are invited to got to each station in turn and read the stories and remove the red cross. Then they partake of bread and wine and replace the red cross before the next person. Each is invited to reflect on the people they share communion with at each station: those marginalised, those who are banned, those who are the underdog etc.

Intercession

Once everyone has taken communion, the four red crosses are removed and then by the light of a candle in the original gathering space, each is burned in turn as prayers are said for those who live on the other side of the track, whose face doesn’t fit etc

Blessing

Gambling

We had a session meeting tonight and the subject of games of chance came up and we had quite a circular discussion on the topic. The chruch officially will not condone bingo, tumbolas etc at church fetes but lots go ahead anyway. We also take lots of money from the lottery funded grants and we have for decades invested in the stock market.

So what should the church do about Bingo? About raffles? About guess the weight of the cake?

I'm really interested in this and how different people cope with it. What about chidlren at these fetes? How do you watch them when games of chance come up?

Eco Church Workshop

'Why should Christians care about climate change?'

Good question. I'm doing a short talk on that on Saturday at an ech-church workshop in Abbotsford on Saturday morning to which everyone is invited. So if you'd like a wee cup of fairtrade tea and an eco chat then come along. We'd love to have you.

Anyway, why should Christians care about climate change?

Do tell.

Misfits

I came across this today and was wondering if you recognise it:

"the church of misfits is a gathering of people who want to ask questions, have open dialog and truly make a difference in this world. this is a community seeking to know what it means to be on a faith journey towards God. if you have all the answers, this is not the place for you - we are looking for people who truly desire to ask questions - to seek out answers together - not to be manipulated into making a decision based on what is predetermined by some organized religious group - we desire to ask, seek, question and wonder. while we will start as a online community, our desire is that we meet every once and a while in our respective cities and areas, and we actually do something with our faith - we actually become what we claim we are."

It is from The Ooze Blog. It got me thinking a little because it is exactly the way I see the congregation here: misfits who certainly don't accept or even support the doctrines of the traditional church for the sake of being told to do so. That's a good place to be. Isn't it?