Advent 1 C (November 29): Hope, Waiting and Watching

Bible readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-46
About the Photo:
This is watch tower built on the south east coast of Australia at Boydtown near Eden by Benjamin Boyd in the 1840s as a lighthouse and as whale lookout. It was never completed and was never used as an official light house, however generations of whalers used it for spotting whales.

Reading: And this Shall Be A Sign to You
By Robert A. Raines in Imaging the Word Volume 1 by Kenneth T. Lawrence, Jann Cather Weaver and Roger Wedell (Eds.), United Church Press, 1994, ISBN 0829809716, page 78. (pictured in an earlier blog)

Prayer: Blessings Prayer
Found in Seasons of Celebrations by Patricia Mathson, Ave Maria Press, 1995, ISBN 0877935661, page 19.

Confession:
Use bits of the Jeremiah reading and the psalm.

Kids: Hope
Ask the kids if they have ever planned something that didn't work out the way they intended it to. Share a story from your own life which will illustrate this and show them if possible (mine is a quilt which went horribly wrong between the planning and the completing!!!)
Tell them that Advent is the time when we remember all of God's terrific promises to us that everything will work out because jesus is the one who brings us ......
Have huge letters H O P E stuck up in random order around the worship space. Ask the kids to help you sort them into a word they know.
Discuss with them what the word means and how it relates to Christmas.

Advent Angels: an advent version of secret buddies
Encourage or organise people (in the sense that you pair people up somehow without them knowing - like you do for secret buddies or Chris Kringles) to be advent angels ie where people do unexpected favours or give unexpected encouragement or praise anonymously to others in the congregation.

Story: Some Things are Immovable
Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and greg Mckinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 47 (pictured in an earlier blog).

Meditation: Waiting
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 20. (pictured)

Discussion: In pairs or threes.
What do you think has gone wrong with the world? How do you think it should be?
What do you think has gone wrong with our local community? How do you think it should be?
What do you think has gone wrong with our church? how do you think it should be?
Talk about waiting for change and about changing back or changing forward. Then discuss:
What are you waiting for?
What are we as a church waiting for?
What is this particular congregation waiting for?

Film Clip: The Man in the Egg
Found on Leunig Animated, Madman, 2001

Poem:
Accept surprises
that upset your plans
shatter your dreams,
give a completely
different turn
to your day
and - who knows? -
to your life.
It is not chance.
Leave the Father free
himself to weave
the pattern of your days.
By Dom Helder Camara in A Thousand Reasons For Living, ISBN 0800606647.

Prayer for Others; Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (i)
Found in Cloth For The Cradle, page 54 - see above

Adult Response: Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (ii)
Found in Cloth For the Cradle, page 56 - see above

Prayer/poem: The Coming Bushman
Found in Outback Christmas by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Lutheran Publishing House, 1981, ISBN 0859105628 (pictured)

Fridge magnets:
Give everyone a small (laminated maybe) card with the words of Psalm 25:4-5 on it attached to a small fridge magnet.

Christ the King B (November 22): Who's in charge?

Bible readings: 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Psalm 132: 1-12 (13-18), Revelation 1:4-8, John 18:33-37

About the Images:
Upper: Microsoft free clipart with my text
Lower: Photos of sunsets and sunrises always remind me of the power and reign of God - they are so big and awe inspiring and beautiful. They lift me up but also remind me of my insignificance - a bit like looking at the stars at night. I took this photo out the front of our place VERY early one morning. It is a part of Duck Arm (taken from Banksia Peninsula) in the Gippsland Lakes near Paynesville in Australia - Google any of those place names or look them up on Wikapedia if you are interested in this little bit of the world.

Film Clip: Chariots of Fire
Show the clip in the fil (pictured at left) where Eric Liddell talks with the Prince of Wales en route to the Olympic Games. Eric had a God space in his week that he was not prepared to give up. His allegiance to Jesus and his heavenly kingdom wwas more important than his allegiance to King and country.

Discussion Questions:
What are Eric's top priorities?
Who or what do we give our allegiance to?

Story: The Kingdom of God
Story No 363 in 750 Engaging illustrations by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker books, 2002, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured at right)

Sermon Help Notes and Response Activity: Revelation by Song
Can't remember where I got this idea from - maybe out of my head but I am not sure - please let me know via email if you can source it for me.
Give everyone a strip of paper with the words of Revelation I:8 printed across it. Under these words, print three pictures entitled as follows:
Picture 1: a cradle and the words "who is"
Picture 2: a spider and the words "who was"
Picture 3: music notes and the words: "who is to come". 1. The God who Is.
Sing Rock a Bye Baby together. Note that the song does not say "if" but "when the bough breaks". Life is full of surprises - not all of them good - but God is acting and moving in our world. Ask them to talk to the person next to them about how they see God at work in the world today.
2. The God Who Was.
Ask people to sing Ipsy Whipsy Spider together. Note that the song is very like human kind - we repeat our mistakes as nations, as communities, as families and as individuals but we keep plugging away. And "out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain". God repeatedly over history heals, restores, loves and forgives us.
3. The God who is to come
Sing the hymn "Joyful, joyful we adore you" to Beethoven's Ode To Joy. Note that because God is yet to come, the way we live makes a difference.

Adult Response
In verse 6 we are all called to be ministers. Ask people:
In order to be a minister, where do you need God the most:
healing your past,
with you in your present,
or being your future?
Fold your strip of paper in three so that the one you need is uppermost and take it home that way.

Prayer: Multi-Sensory Prayer:
There are some useful bits for this Sunday in in Multi- Sensory Church by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2002, ISBN 1859996671, page 15 (pictured at left).

Listening Song: For the Glory of Your Name
By Michelle Tumes on her album, Heaven and Earth or on WOW 2000 (pictured at right).



Maybe a bit more to come as I work on my service this week.

Proper 28 Ordinary 33 Pentecost 24 B (November 15): God can be trusted/The Challenge of our Times

Bible Readings:
1 Samuel 1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-25, Mark 13:1-8,

About the images:
Upper: A free microsoft image with my text.
Lower: Another piece of street art from one of the laneways of inner city Melbourne, Australia. For more info on the laneways, Google Melbourne and see the page on "Melbourne laneways" under "About Melbourne" or "Welcome to Melbourne". Please feel free to use my photo.

Introduction: The Challenge of Our Times
Can't remember the source of the following info - probably the web :-)
"Did you know that....
There is more than one mobile phone per head of population in Finland.
My ordinary car has more computer power than the rocket that took Neil Armstrong to the moon.
Our computers at home are out of date the moment we buy them.
The World Wide Web puts people in touch with each other like never before … and simultaneously isolates them.
The miracles of modern science have not eliminated pain and grief and loss and family breakdowns."
Link this to the Hebrews reading.

Listening Song: Bearers of the Light
by Michael Card on his album Poiema (pictured at right). This song enhances the Hebrews reading.

Kid's Story: Won't You Help Me
Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg McKinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 35. (pictured in an earlier blog).

Film Clip: Nottinghill
Show the scene in Nottinghill where the characters, in the intimacy and safety of their shared meal together, all share their secret fears and insecurities to illustrate Hebrews 10:25. (pictured at left)

Drama: The End of the World is Coming
Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0959109186, page 51 (book pictured in an earlier blog). This drama fits with the gospel reading.

Discussion Questions:
Do you think we are in times of turmoil and collapse today – in the world, in our society, in our church?
At such times, what sort of things do people place their faith in?

Story: God's Trustworthiness
Story 592 in 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching by Michael P Green, Baker Books, 1989, ISBN 0801063302 (pictured at left).

Story: The Power of Our Words
Found in Illustrations, Stories, and Quotes to Hang Your Message On, (as above) page 169 to illustrate Hebrews 10:24.

Story: God's Care
Story 98 in Your Point Being by Graham Twelftree, Monarch Books, 2003, ISBN 1854245929 (pictured at right)

Adult Response:
Ensure that everyone has a small candle and is standing and that you have a lit a large Christ candle that everyone can see. Read Hebrews 10:24-25 and explain that we are now going to live out these verses by giving each other the light and hope and encouragement. Light your candle from the Christ candle. Explain that you are going to light one person's candle and at the same time tell them something encouraging. That person will do the same to someone else until everyone in the room has a lighted candle. Tell them that when their candle is alight and when they have lit someone else's and encouraged them, they should sit down with their lighted candle.

Adult Response:
Make tiny (20 will fit on an A4 or letter size) cards/photos/drawings/whatever of the symbols of God found in the Samuel reading - make a total of three times as many as there are people in your congregation. Ask people to select one for themselves and one to give somebody else.

Proper 27 Ordinary 32 Pentecost 23 B (November 8): What is really important?

Bible Reading: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17. Psalm 127, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44


About the above images:
Upper: My text on an free image from www.freeimages.co.uk
Lower: This a my photo (so feel free to use it) of Aussie money - you might prefer to take a photo of your own currency, however the face on the $20 note above is that of John Flynn, missionary to the Outback, Australian pioneer, early aviator, explorer and founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Listening Song: Psalm 127: Unless the Lord Builds the House
By Sons of Korah on their album Shelter (pictured at right).

Kid's Story: A Penny is Everything
This story, based on the Gospel reading is by Walter Wangerin Jr, (one of my all time favourite authors - if you can find anything by him, either for children or adult, it is well worth the read) and Jack Glover, Arch Books, 1074, ISBN 0570060842 (pictured at left).

Film Clip: Hook
Show the scenes at the beginning when the father (Robin Williams) is too busy to spend time properly with his kids. This clip goes very well with the Gospel reading. The film cover is pictured at right.

Discussion on film clip:
What is important to the various characters in the clip?
What is important to you?

Film Clip: 39 Pounds of Love
(pictured at left) Show the scene where Ami talks about his weight being equivilant to that of a large turkey and how he uses just a finger on his left hand to make beautiful animations. I found this clip at www.wingclips.com and I found some really thought provoking comments about the film, and this clip in particular, at www.movieministry.com. It links well with the gospel reading.

Discussion: 39 Pounds of Love
1. What is important to Ami?
2. How does he make the most with what he has?

Drama: The Shirt of Your Back
In Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859100186, page 25 (pictured in an earlier blog)

Quote:
When Bart Cummings' horse was scratched in a Melbourne Cup around the time of the Bali bombing, his words were: “Bali is a tragedy, this is just a disappointment”.

For Youth or as an Introduction to the Gospel Theme:
"Mr. Bagwell dropped a check into the plate and thought, Boy, I hope next week when they announce the promotions, God remembers that I gave this money.
Mrs. Bagwell watched their hard-earned money go into the plate and prayed silently: God; thanks for blessing us like you have. Please use this gift to reach more people with the gospel.
Andrew Bagwell reluctantly contributed fifty cents out of his five-dollar pocket money and thought, Why does Mum make me do this? I need this more than the church does!
Little Jessica waited until the plate was right in front of her, then she got out her coin purse and dropped in her five cents. Looking around, she noticed several people staring at her. She got all embarrassed because she just knew she had put in the smallest amount."
From Life Application Family Devotions by Len Woods, Tyndale House, 1997, ISBN 0842337504, page 272 (pictured in an earlier blog).
Encourage people to answer the following question:
What is important to each of these people?
A discussion on this question goes particularly well if you divide the groups into ages that are roughly the same as the four people in the story - in our case, i divided people up into men, women, teenagers, and kids.

Poem: His Widow Complex
By Joseph G Donders in Imaging the Word, Volume 1, Uniting Church Press, 1994, ISBN 0829809708, page 64 (pictured in an earlier blog). I have put various images related to the gospel reading with this poem and backed it with Look Back in by Moby on his album, 18.

Offering:
Mention that it is not only money that we can give to God and the church. Talk about our time and talents .... Encourage people to hold the collection plate for a little while longer than they usually do (you may need to use more plates for this if your congregation is large and you want to finish in a reasonable time) and name in their minds something other than money or material possessions that they have that they can give to God and share with their community.

Communion: Nano- Communion
Roddy Hamilton's nano-communion for the 12 November 2006 is excellent and links in with the gospel reading beautifully. You will find it in his Mucky Paws archives (see link above left).

Proper 26 Ordinary 31 Pentecost 22 B (November 1): Choosing to Love

Bible Readings: Ruth 1:1-18, Psalm 146, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34

About the Images:
Upper: ThIs is a www.heartlight.com free powerpoint background with words I took from one of those emails which does the rounds of all our computers from time to time (see Useful Quotes below).
Lower: This is my photo so please feel free to use it.

Useful Quotes: About Love:
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your chips without making them give you any of theirs."
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate. "
"Love is when you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you any more. But then you get surprised because they love you even more."
"Love is when you tell a boy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
"God could have said some words to make the nails fall off the cross, but .............. He didn't. That's love."
"Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love others as much as you love yourself." -Jesus
"Love God and do as you like" - St Augustine

Kid's Story:
Tell story of Ruth and Naomi as an example Mark 12:30-31 in that Ruth loves God enough to follow God, and loves Naomi enough to follow and be with her.
Hide the individual words of Mark 12: 30-31 in the congregation on big individual red hearts.
Get the kids to find them, and put them in order to work out what the verse says.

Youth Time: When you don't fit in.
Do you ever feel like an alien – like a misfit, like you don’t belong?
Tell a story from your own teen years when you felt like you didn't fit in (we all have at least one!).
Relate it to Ruth and Naomi and how hard it must have been to live in a strange place and amongst foreigners/strangers.

Listening song: Alien
By Third Day on their album, Conspiracy No 5 (pictured at right) This song fits in well with the Ruth reading.

Voice drama for congregation: Not enough
One: I am a good Christian.
Many: What do you mean?
One: Well, I go to church every Sunday.
Many: That is not enough.
One: I visit my parents.
Many: That is not enough.
One: Well, I’ve never stolen anything, and I’ve certainly never killed anyone.
Many: That is still not enough.
One: What then? What is enough?
Many: You must love God. We must love God. With our hearts. With our minds. With our bodies. With our souls. We must love our neighbors. We must love ourselves.
ALL: Let us put our love into motion as we worship the One who’s taught us to love.
Written by Crystal Sygeel-Lystlund, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Richmond, Virginia. Excerpted from Homiletics, Nov. 2, 1997: Mark 12:28-34.

Pew Discussion:
Would you rather be known for your goodness or your love? Share your answer with the people on each side of you.

Benediction: Based on an African Version
Project the following words:
The Good News: You are loved
The Challenge: To love
The Invitation: To follow
Ask everybody to choose the line that means the most to them.
Stand at the door and have the first person who leaves tell you what line they chose and you then tell them what you chose. Ask that person to stand beside you. Have the second person to leave tell you which line they chose and you tell them which you chose, and then have them do the same with the person standing next to you. The second person then stands next to the person standing next to you. Have the third person to leave .......and so on.
When you do this with a whole congregation it takes a bit of time and you end up with a sort of human snake spilling out the door of your worship space; but it is a great end to a service and has literally everyone talking to everyone!

A little more to come as I work on my service for this week,

Proper 25 Ordinary 30 Pentecost 21 B (October 25): Going Against the Flow, Risky Discipleship

Bible Readings: Job 42:1-6, 10-17, Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22), Hebrews 7:23-28, Mark 10:46-52

About the images:
Upper: There was a T - shirt a bit like this doing the rounds a few years ago. I made this one with Microsoft free clip art.
Lower: I took this photo in one of the laneways of inner city Melbourne, Australia. For more info on the laneways, Google Melbourne and see the page on "Melbourne laneways" under "About Melbourne" or "Welcome to Melbourne". Please feel free to use it.

Prayer of Confession: Praise - The Business of Eternity
Found in Rivers in the Desert by Rowland Croucher (Ed.), Albatross Books, 1991, ISBN 086760137X, page 51 (pictured at right).

Film Clip: Mother Teresa
This is a TV series (pictured at left) which I have not seen in Australia (but I might be wrong). I downloaded the clip from that excellent site www.wingclips.com. I used the conversation between Mother Teresa and her priest, where she convinces him that she must go against the conventions of her cloistered order to follow God's call to minister to the poor of India.

Discussion: Mother Teresa
1. How are Mother Teresa and Blind Bartimaeus alike?
2. How is discipleship difficult for them both?

Drama: Blind Bartimaeus
Part 1: Interview 1.
Reporter interviews Bartimaeus who has a begging bowl and a blanket that he takes from his shoulders and sits on. Anything else to add authenticity is OK. Questions run along the lines below - it’s not word for word, make it up as you go along keeping to the basic story.
Who are you?
Blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus etc
Why don’t you go out and earn a living some other way?
In my culture that’s all I can do, no sheltered workshops, no braille, no social welfare etc etc.
What are you doing here?
Seemed to be a big crowd, bit of a holiday atmosphere, thought there might be good pickings
Why do you have that bowl?
People chuck money in it, its noisy so I know how much money people have given me, I eat out of it
Why do you sit on that cloak?
If any money misses the bowl, I have a fair idea where it is and I don’t waste my time sorting through stones and gravel
Can I look at your cloak?
No way!!Why not?Most important thing I own, I’d never let it go, it catches all my money, it keeps me warm, it shelters me from the weather, its my bed, its my security, my comfort, basically it is my life. Walks off in a bit of a huff at the very idea that someone might touch his cloak?

Part 2: Congregational play
Read the story out to the congregation (Mark 10:46-52). They provide the voices for the crowd (on the overhead or data projector or in your pew sheet). Encourage them to shout their parts loudly – even practice before you start reading. Its better if they each chose one or two phrases to shout out instead of trying to say the whole thing together.
Response 1 (after v 48a):
Pipe down! Be quiet!! Put a sock in it! Stop shouting!! Shush up!!! Don’t yell like that!! Hey, that’s enough from you!! Who do you think you are??
Response 2 (after v. 49b)
Don’t be afraid! Come on! He’s calling for you!! Go on then!! Get up!!! Quickly!!! Get a move on!! Hurry!!

Part 3: Interview 2
Reporter again interviews Bartimaeus -as before, what is below is not word for word. Improvise!
Why! Is that you, Blind Bartimaeus? You old rogue! So, you were just pretending to be blind?
No, I really was – tell story of what happened.
Wow, so where’s your cloak?
Chucked it away, didn’t even think, wanted to get straight to Jesus when he called, somebody’s probably nicked it by now.
So, do you want us to help you find it? I remember how you felt about that cloak?
Nah, don’t need it any more. Who cares? I’m off to follow Jesus
But it was the most important thing you owned. You said that you’d never let it go, it catches all your money, it keeps you warm, it shelters you from the weather, its your bed, its your security, your comfort. Basically, it is your life.
But everything’s changed. I can see. I am a disciple of Jesus. He’s my shelter, he’s my security, he’s my comfort.But I’ve heard tell things are getting a little sticky for him. People are plotting his death.
Will you follow him that far?
The most important thing is being one of his followers, I’ll never let him go. He is my life.
Copyright: Rosemary Broadstock and Ann Scull - permission given to use and adapt.

Listening song; It's My Life
By Bon Jovi on the album, Crush, 2000 (pictured at left).The words of this song could easily be Blind Bartimaeus's words as he stands up to the crowd and continues to call out to Jesus.

Discussion Questions:
What if Bartimaeus had not stood up to the crowd?
What does Jesus tell Bartimaeus to do after he is healed?
What does Bartimaeus do?
Where is Jesus going?

Story: The Kreplach Joke
Found in August 04 2006 archive of the blog called Divinity is in the Details. Useful for illustrating that we often feel comfortable with a lots of the different parts of out Christian faith, but when we put it all together and see the call and risk of discipleship sometimes we, too, say "AAAHHHHH!!"

Story: Christian Retirement?
Heard a story once about a minister in a small, struggling rural church in a small drought stricken and struggling rurul community who went to visit a new couple in the town who had recently retired and moved from the city. He had heard that they had been very active members of their city church and so he went with some excitement and anticipation. However when he knocked on the door and said who he was, he was met with this bald statement; " Oh no, we don't want to go to church here. We've retired".

Response Activity:
Pass around ribbons:
Ask people to think of one aspect of following Jesus which they would like to do or do better.
Then ask: If Jesus is asking you “ What do you want me to do for you?", what is your answer.
As they think of an answer to each question, ask them to tie a knot in their piece of ribbon. Stand together and say an Affirmation of faith/Creed together. Encourage them to take the ribbon home and put it somewhere significant to remind them of God's faithfulness and their determination to follow.

Prayer:
From Come Holy Spirit: Renew the Whole Creation, WCC Publications, 1990, page 38.

Proper 24 Ordinary 29 Pentecost 20 B (October 18): Looking at the Bigger picture/Servant leadership

Bible Readings: Job 38:1-7, 34-41, Psalm 104:1-9,24,35, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45

About the images:
Upper image: This is a Microsoft free clip art image to which I have added the Bible text.
Lower image: This is Australia Rock near Narooma in New South Wales, Australia. Unless you stand in front of the Australia shaped hole you cannot see the bigger picture - the sea beyond. From the side,it appears to be a solid rock wall. This is my image so please feel free to use it. It goes well with the Job reading. Nobody is quite sure how the hole in the rock wall was made but it is known that ships used to tie up here in the early days of Australian white settlement. For more info about Narooma, visit :www.visitnarooma.com

Kid's talk: God is Here
Have each letter of the words "God is Here" on separate cards and scatter them about the worship space. Get a couple of people to adlib a conversation about the whereabouts of God and their difficultly working out just where God is - especially when things go wrong. Have a third person join the conversation by noticing the scattered cards. Together, with the help of children in the congregation, sort out the cards so that they spell out the words "God is here" and then work out how these words apply to the conversation about the whereabouts of God in difficult times.

Kid's Talk: Fighting The Green Eyed Monster
Found in Fun Group Devotions For Children's Ministry by various authors, Group Publishing, 1993, ISBN 1559451610, page 75 (pictured in an earlier blog). This fits in well with the disciple's reaction to the request by James and John in the gospel reading.

Drama: What is a Servant
Based on the gospel reading and found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859100186, page 23 (pictured at right).

Story: Servanthood
Story 623 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 1993, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured in an earlier blog). This also suits the gospel reading.

Story: A Lesson in Servanthood
Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg McKinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 151 (pictured in an earlier blog). This story fits in well with the gospel reading,

Story: True Greatness
Found at
http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+4537
This story fits well with the gospel reading.

Listening Song: Get Down
By Audio Adrenaline on their album, Underdog (pictured at left). This song fits in well with both the gospel reading and with the Job reading.

Listening Song: You then Me
By Rebecca St James on her album, God, 1996 (pictured at right). Fits in well with Mark.

Quote: Frederich Buechner
God does not always give us all the answers.......God gives us himself. Links to the Job reading.

Response Activity:
Ask people to form inward looking circles of around eight to ten people. Tell them that each circle represents the church. Get each circle group to discuss and reform in any way and in any shape that they like in a way which they think, as a group, best represents the way the church should be.

Closing Prayer:
By Michael Quiost in Gentle Darkness by Rowland Croucher (Ed.), Albatross Books, 1994, ISBN 073241007X, pages 421-422 (pictured at left). Fits well with the gospel reading.