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Not a time for words

 

We have filled our world with words
with ideas and creeds
and divided ourselves between them

We have taken belief
and chosen one thought over another
one word before another

Yet here we are
facing Jerusalem
and the darkness of love
and we are lost for words

yet we know
this is not a time for words

It is a time for stories
the rich depth of emotion
the sharp sides of fear
the unknown of our questions
the daring poverty of our hope
and we are people of the story

so all we can do
is stop the chaos of words
that try to shape an understanding
and simply let the story live
and walk with the saviour
hear his breath while carrying the cross
hear the crowd swing in different directions
stand at Golgotha feeling the chill of the coming darkness
and touch the deep silence of the tomb
and trust
if this is the requiem of the story of love
then we choose to live it beyond this moment
for we do not recognise this ending
but offer it a new page
for what is yet to come

 

Sanctus

Requiem Silence

 

Listen as the Sanctus fades
the angel’s holy holy holy
Where has it gone
for we are left with broken words
that have never come to anything
the holy words
scatter about us
between the footsteps of a crowd
watching the cross carrier

but if we have learned anything
in this season of darkness
it is that holy does not glitter
and holy does not own a throne

holy is the forgiving side of the oppressed
holy is the loving side of the victim
holy is the giving of self for others

holy is God
when the words are spent
and the soundtrack dies
and the silence circles
and there is nothing left
yet still loves
and does not stop
even in it’s own requiem

 

In Paradisum
Epilogue

So let the silent angels find their voices
and let the newest dawn refine it’s breaking
Let the mighty hills rehearse their bowing
let the trees polish their hand-clapping
let the early birds perfect their chorus
let the cold stone prepare for rolling
let the grave cloths run-through their folding
let the morning dew groom the grass
let the doubting followers recite the alleluias
and let us all rehearse for the hoped for moment
amid all the swirling of the gathering darkness
We have been preparing for this all our days

 

Passiontide

                             Isaiah 52-53

              Words based on Faure's Requiem performed one evening

        

Prayer between the words

 

Loving God
we gather
among the ancient words
of requiem and hope
to dare believe the possibilities
of this season

Yes, we know the story
Yes, we know the outcome
Yes, we know of Easter

But this year
may we know the silence
and find the pauses
between all the words
and listen to the music
the lament of heaven
that knows
this story
repeats
and replays
too often in our world

of love
taken
and love
broken
and love
caricatured

and there
in such a dark place
dare believe
trust
hope
long
such love
always finds
new life
a new place to step back into the world
and breath
loudly
with life

So be it
Amen

 

Libera me

Deliver Me (A prayer)

 

Deliver me, O God
from the world that find this a suitable way
to deal with love

Deliver us, O God
from supporting
with quiet acceptance
in doing nothing
this response to love


Deliver me, O God
from enduring this story time and time again
and the hurt of the saviour

Deliver us, O God
from not enduring
from walking away from such a love
that does this for us
time and time again


Deliver me, O God
from the cruelty of the world
that moves towards love like this

Deliver us, O God
from too soft a faith
that no longer has the words
to speak truth to power
and the cost of such love


Deliver me, O God
from myself
and my selfishness

Deliver us, O God
from a faith that finds silence
not the space where words cannot explain
but the denial of a faith
that holds any emotion at all

Deliver us all,
O God
 

 

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