Residentials

Silent Communion Service

(as devised by Revd Stephen Thornton)

During the STETS ‘Youth and Children’ Weekend, Stephen Thornton conducted a ‘Silent Communion Service’. For those of you who have participated in this service and wish to reproduce it yourselves, here is a reminder of its key ingredients. We have intentionally not described it in detail, so that it retains its impact for those participating for the first time. Contact Stephen for details of when he will next be presiding at Silent Communion.

Recorded Music

Stephen used:

Grieg ‘Peer Gynt’ Morning Mood
Pachelbel Canon
Saint-Saens ‘Carnival of the Animals’ The Swan
Faure ‘Pavanne’ Op 60
Rodrigo ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ Adagio
J. S. Bach ‘Suite No 3′ Air
Mahler Symphony No 5 Adagietto
Elgar Cello Concerto Adagio: Moderato
Albinoni ‘Adagio’
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 Largo
Offenbach ‘The Tales of Hoffman’ Bacarolle

Cast in Order of Appearance :

Box, full of following:

paper windmill
bubble-blowing
liquid balloon (empty) and
pen pieces of paper approx 15 x 10 cm
two garlands Bible
Loaf of bread and white tablecloth
crown of thorns and cross (about 20 cm high or less)
bottle of red wine (unopened)
bottle opener – preferably the sort with two handles that rise up as the corkscrew is screwed in, and which are then used to pull the cork
picture or model of a church
empty photograph frame
globe nightlight
candles (at least one for everyone, preferably three)
candles for holding (at least one for everyone) and candleholders – circle of card with serrated hole in middle for candle is best

Rangoli

A Rangoli created by Jasmine Jebakani for the 27/00 Orientation Weekend.
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The art was drawn by rice flour in ancient days but now people use a special stone powder, although sometimes they continue to use rice flour. It is simple art drawn by women of different age groups. Usually women learn this art from their mother or grandmother.

Theological colleges in India are promoting indigenization within Christian worship. Christian worship in contemporary India was introduced by Westerners and reflects western Christian worship and often leaves no space for Indian culture. The processes of indigenization are bringing back the richness of Indian culture within worship in the form of song, music, instruments, dance and art.

As part of this indigenization process Rangoli is also brought into Christian worship. The picture is drawn either in the middle or front of the place of worship and is based on the theme of the particular service. The picture, which you have here, is made out of coloured salt because I couldn’t get the similar stone powder here. The salt was coloured by different colour inks. Ink is sprinkled into the salt slowly (not poured) and dried it for a day at least then mix it gently to spread evenly. The outline is drawn in white salt before you fill with coloured salt. There is also a simple way of drawing Rangoli using a set of dots which may be helpful to you.

Diagram showing how Rangoli can be drawn using a set of dots
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