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Goth Eucharist
Jan. 18th, 2006 09:36 pmAs my previous post indicated, I went to the Goth Eucharist last night.
The TV cameras and journalists taking photos were mildly distracting (especially when they appeared to be attempting to film candles and when the cameraman sat on the altar step just was we were about to go up to receive communion) but on the whole I managed to ignore them. I was as much distracted from worship by wanting to watch and judge this event.
I admit that I went along out of curiosity. I am not a Goth. TBH, I'd never come across Goths until I came to Cambridge and do not know that much about the sub-culture. But, given the conversation we had over dinner after Mass on All Saints' Day, I wanted to see for myself what it was like and I do have a number of friends who define as Goth. This was really my first opportunity to go as for the last three terms I've had something on on the same alternate Tuesdays but that's on the other set this term!
I wasn't that sure what to expect. I got there at 8:30 and we hung around and chatted and I nearly didn't recognise![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
meirion in the half dark. After a bit, we sat down and started looking through the liturgy. I observed that the Eucharistic Prayer, though not an authorised CofE one had the words of institution and an epiclesis of sorts which reassured me on the point of validity.
Although the theme of the service was given as Miracles, the sermon did not discuss the idea of miracles and whether they were possible but took us through the raising of Lazarus and related it to our lives: being called out by Jesus from darkness and imprisonment; the role of the bystanders in freeing his bonds; the fact that Jesus made clear that Resurrection was not just some nice abstract idea that they'd learnt about in Sunday School (Sabbath school surely!) but was embodied in him and could happen how.
The text used at the invitation to Communion which was described as `after Teresa of Avila' was powerful. It had resonances with the Methodist Covenant prayer. It certainly was not a happy-clappy service and acknowledged the darkness many of us experience. The use of the beginning of the Prologue to St John's Gospel at the lighting of the Paschal candle worked, with its statement that the darkness has not overcome death and psalm 139 is my favourite psalm (although my inner pedant was amused by having several verse of it as the `opening sentence'!). I did wonder why there were 5 candles around* the paschal candle when only four were lit in the course of the service (and there were 6 spaces in the candlestand).
I'm still not sure though how to answer Fr Andrew's concern about it creating a ghetto. Where is the balance between reaching out to people in terms that they will understand and drawing them into the wider body of Christ in which there is no Jew, no Greek, no Barbarian, no Goth etc?
*That's what it said in the opening blurb but they were in front of it really)
The TV cameras and journalists taking photos were mildly distracting (especially when they appeared to be attempting to film candles and when the cameraman sat on the altar step just was we were about to go up to receive communion) but on the whole I managed to ignore them. I was as much distracted from worship by wanting to watch and judge this event.
I admit that I went along out of curiosity. I am not a Goth. TBH, I'd never come across Goths until I came to Cambridge and do not know that much about the sub-culture. But, given the conversation we had over dinner after Mass on All Saints' Day, I wanted to see for myself what it was like and I do have a number of friends who define as Goth. This was really my first opportunity to go as for the last three terms I've had something on on the same alternate Tuesdays but that's on the other set this term!
I wasn't that sure what to expect. I got there at 8:30 and we hung around and chatted and I nearly didn't recognise
meirion in the half dark. After a bit, we sat down and started looking through the liturgy. I observed that the Eucharistic Prayer, though not an authorised CofE one had the words of institution and an epiclesis of sorts which reassured me on the point of validity.Although the theme of the service was given as Miracles, the sermon did not discuss the idea of miracles and whether they were possible but took us through the raising of Lazarus and related it to our lives: being called out by Jesus from darkness and imprisonment; the role of the bystanders in freeing his bonds; the fact that Jesus made clear that Resurrection was not just some nice abstract idea that they'd learnt about in Sunday School (Sabbath school surely!) but was embodied in him and could happen how.
The text used at the invitation to Communion which was described as `after Teresa of Avila' was powerful. It had resonances with the Methodist Covenant prayer. It certainly was not a happy-clappy service and acknowledged the darkness many of us experience. The use of the beginning of the Prologue to St John's Gospel at the lighting of the Paschal candle worked, with its statement that the darkness has not overcome death and psalm 139 is my favourite psalm (although my inner pedant was amused by having several verse of it as the `opening sentence'!). I did wonder why there were 5 candles around* the paschal candle when only four were lit in the course of the service (and there were 6 spaces in the candlestand).
I'm still not sure though how to answer Fr Andrew's concern about it creating a ghetto. Where is the balance between reaching out to people in terms that they will understand and drawing them into the wider body of Christ in which there is no Jew, no Greek, no Barbarian, no Goth etc?
*That's what it said in the opening blurb but they were in front of it really)
