Cornwood

Once a month, the Rev Freddie Denman, vicar of Cornwood and Sparkwell parishes on South Dartmoor in Devon, holds special services which focus on Creation Spirituality. Although supported by local GreenSpirit members, most of those attending are Freddie Denman’s regular parishioners. See also, GreenSpirit, Summer 2000, pp. 7-9.
What follows are the orders of service for Cornwood Church on 4th March 2001 and 7th April 2002.. Many of the readings are done by members of the congregation (shared out beforehand) with everybody joining in the bits in bold type and the chants and songs.

4th MARCH 2001

        OPENING CHANT
        When we are gone, they will remain
        Wind and rock, fire and rain
        They will remain, when we return
        The wind will blow and the fire will burn.

Friends! Let us be mindful here of the presence of God,
Since we have neither bread, nor wine, we will raise ourselves
beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself.
We, your people will make the whole earth our altar,
and we will climb up in spirit to the high places,
Bearing with us the hopes and labour of our mother the earth.
There is communion with God, and communion with earth
And there is communion with God through earth.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

        SONG
        Around and around and around turns the good earth.
        All things must change as the seasons go by
        We are the children of the Lord and the Lady
        Whose mysteries we know but will never know why.

CALL TO PRAYER.
O Great Spirit, whose breath gives life to the world
And whose voice is heard in the soft breeze,
We need your strength and wisdom
May we walk in Beauty
May our eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make us wise so that we may understand what your teach us.
Help us learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Make us always ready to come to you so when life fades as the fading sunset,
Our spirits may come to you without fear.
From a Native American Indian Prayer

        SONG
        High o'er the lonely hills black turns to grey,
        Birdsong the valley fills, mists fold away;
        Grey wakes to green again, beauty is seen again -
        Gold and serene again dawneth the day.

        So, o'er the hills of life, stormy, forlorn,
        Out of the cloud and strife sunrise is born;
        Swift grows the light for us; ended is night for us;
        Soundless and bright for us breaketh God' s morn.

        Hear we no beat of drums, fanfare nor cry,
        When the cosmic Christ comes quietly nigh;
        Splendour he makes on earth; colour awakes on earth;
        Suddenly breaks on earth light from the sky.

        Bid then farewell to sleep; rise up and run!
        What though the hill be steep? Strength' s in the sun.
        Now shall you find at last night' s left behind at last,
        For humankind at last day has begun!

Spirit that hears each one of us, hears all that is -
Listens, listens, hears us out -.inspire us now!
Our own pulse beats in every stranger's throat,
And also there within the flowered ground beneath our feet,
And - teach us to listen! - We can hear it in water, in wood, and even in stone.
We are earth of this earth, and we are bone of its bone.
This is a prayer I sing, for we have forgotten this and so the earth is perishing.
Barbara Deeming

        CHANT
        Chorus Round and around it goes, oh round and around it goes (Repeat).
        The Earth spins in a midnight sky and the night time follows the day
        She spins in a wheel around the sun and together they hark and say
        Chorus
        The moon moves through the star-filled skies from dark to crescent to full
        Thirteen times in the circle of the sun to grant your every boon.
        Chorus
        The oak tree blooms and gives forth leaves a greeting to the sun
        Seeds ripen with the turning leaves and fall down to the ground.
        Chorus
        The sun moves through the ancient signs calling in the twelve to be
        The stars mark his fiery path and the Ages come to be,
        Chorus
        Wheels in wheels forever spin the great dance ever to be
        Round and around the music goes unending harmony.

WHY ARE WE HERE?
Martin Luther was once asked
What he would do if he knew that the world would end the next day?
He replied "I would plant an apple tree".

        SING
        Where the world to end tomorrow would we plant a tree today?
        Would we till the soil of loving, kneel to work: and rise to pray?

        Dare we try to give an answer, reaching out with fragile hope,
        Touching lives with words of Easter, break a loaf and share a cup?

        Pray that at the end of living, of philosophies and creeds,
        God will find his people busy planting trees bind saving seeds.
        Fred Kaan

INVOCATION by John Seed
We ask for the presence of the spirit and pray that the breath of life
Continues to caress this planet home.
May we grow into true understanding -
A deep understanding that inspires us to protect the tree on which we bloom,
And water, soil and atmosphere without which we have no existence.
May we turn inwards and stumble upon our true roots
In the intertwining biology of this exquisite planet.
May nourishment and power pulse through these roots,
And fierce determination to continue the billion-year dance.
May love well up and burst forth from our hearts.

Awaken in us a sense of who we truly are;
Tiny ephemeral blossoms on the Tree of Life.
Make the purposes and destiny of that tree our own purpose and destiny.

Fill each of us with love for our true Self,
Which includes all of the creatures and plants and landscapes of the world.
Fill us with a powerful urge for the wellbeing and continual unfolding
Of this Self.

May we speak in all human councils on behalf of the animals
And plants and landscapes of the Earth.

O stars, lend us your burning passion.
O silence, give weight to our voice.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man;
Man belongs to earth. This we know.
All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth.
Man did not weave the web of life,
He is merely a strand in it,
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
Chief Seattle

When an oake is being felled it gives a kind of shriekes and groanes,
That may be heard a mile off, as if it were the genius of the oak lamenting.
JamesFrazer The Golden Bough.
The Forest is our mother, our source of life,
And in order to save it we will do everything we can until the end.
Chico Mendes.

SILENCE

Lord, help us hear the rock, the fish, the beast, the bird,
The multitudinous elements and be
Tender as the opening leaf that answers to Your ·call
Euanie Tippett

        CHANT
        Standing like a tree with my roots dug down,
        My branches wide and open,
        Come down the rain, come down the sun,
        Come down the fruit to the heart that is open to be.

READING.
Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth
And learn to hear my feeble voice.
You lived first, and you are older than all need,
Older than all prayer.
All things belong to you - the two leggeds, the four leggeds, the wings of the air
And all green things that live.
You have set the powers of the four quarters to cross each other.
The good road and the road of difficulties you have made to cross;
And where they cross the place is holy.
Day in and day out, forever, you are the life of things.

From each direction you have sent blessings and the sacred hope of
The Indian nation and the tree that was to bloom.
To the centre of the world you have taken me and showed me
The goodness and beauty and the strangeness of the greening earth,
The only mother - and there the spirit shapes of things,
As they should be, you have shown to me and I have seen.

At the centre of this sacred hoop you have said
That I should make a tree to bloom.
With tears running down, O great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather -
With running tears I must say that the tree has never bloomed.
A pitiful old man, you see me here, and I have fallen away and have done nothing
Here at the centre of the world, where you talk me when I was young
And tough; here old I stand, and the tree is withered, Grandfather, my Grandfather.
Again I recall the great vision you sent me.
It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives.
Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds.
Hear me, not for myself, but for the people.
Hear me that they may once more go back into the sacred hoop
And find the good red road, the shielding tree!
Black Elk

        SONG
        All praise to you, O God of all creation
        You made the world, and it is your alone
        The planet Earth, you spun in its location
        Amid the stars adorning heaven's dome
        We lease the Earth, for but a life's duration
        Yet for this life, it is our cherished home.

        With wondrous grace, you clothed the Earth in splendour
        With teeming life, you filled the sea and land
        Instil in us, a sense of awe and wonder
        When we behold the bounty of your hand
        Then when we hear the voice of bird or thunder
        We hear the voice our faith can understand.

        To tend the Earth is our entrusted duty
        For Earth is ours to use and not abuse
        O gracious God, true source of ail resources
        Forgive our greed that wields destruction's sword
        Then let us serve as wise and faithful stewards
        While Earth gives glory to creation's Lord.

A STORY……….

        SOLO SONG
        "I don't know how to love him"

A READING
Once while drawing an apple tree - thinking of nothing, just watching,
Seeing, following that life story through roots, trunk, branches, twigs
The most baffling riddles solved themselves.
The Tree became human-kind rooted deep in the earth;
Its limbs were the races, its twigs the families.
I, who once believed myself to be a tree,
Saw myself as but one of the myriad leaves of one long season.-
To be blown away a little earlier, a little later.
Some of the leaves had already fallen, many remained stunted,
Some were still freshly green in October.
But soon the November storm would sweep us all away.
Then after the cleansing tortures of frost
There would follow a new explosion of pink blossoms.
Then leaves, and next autumn the branches would once more
Bend down under the burdens of fruit.
The tree had become the tree of life. ,
Frederick Frank

We are greening, greening with life
We bear our fruits for all of creation.
We are greening, greening with life
We bear our fruits for an creation.
Limitless love from the depth to the stars flooding all, loving all.
It is the royal kiss of peace.
Hildegarde of Bingen

LIGHTING CANDLES

Great Spirit I light this candle for power to refresh your lands
I light this candle for knowledge to cleanse the waters.
I light this candle for strength to restore the beauty of your handiwork
I light this candle for all creatures of the earth.
I light this candle for wisdom to find a way to restore humanity.
I light this candle for justice.
I light this candle for peace.
I light this candle for compassion on all who suffer especially the children and young people.
I light this candle for the forests of the world.

The light shines out, the candle is transformed,
The spirit gives of herself we all receive,
In the beginning, darkness covered the face of the deep.
Then the rushing-breath of life covered over the waters.
Pause.
Let us breathe together.
Pause
Let us catch our breaths from the need to make to do.
Pause
Let us be conscious of the Breath of life.
Pause.
We breathe out what the trees breathe in.
Pause.
We breathe in what the trees breathe out.
Pause
Together we breathe each other into life.
Pause

Blessed is the One within the many.
Blessed are the many who make the one,
Now I go Great Spirit
With our feet I walk, I walk with your limbs,
I carry forth your body, for me your mind thinks,
Your voice speaks for me,
Beauty is before me and beauty is behind me,
Above and below me hovers the beautiful,
I am surrounded by it, I am immersed in it.
In my youth I am aware of it
And in my old age I shall walk quietly the beautiful trail.

SONG
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you.
There'll be shouts of joy and the trees of the field
Shall clap, shall clap their hands.

And the trees of the field shall clap their hands (x 3)
And you'll go out with joy.

And the trees of the field shall clap their hands (x 3)
And you'll go out with joy

7th APRIL 2002

Holy is this fire and holy are you, O God who from your burning heart
drew forth a fiery ball and flung it into space. Your laughter shook
the empty cosmos and echoed again and again until the darkness of space
resounded with your love and with fire. You reached in again and drew
forth fire and seeded it like yeast in each atom, plant and animal, each bird,
fish man and woman. And you gave us a special star, our sun, aflame with
life evoking energy to make our planet green and fertile,
sun-soaked in your love. As we celebrate this day open our eyes
to the countless wonders and to the sparks of fire-life that you have
planted in each of us. May this day be aglow with star-fire and God-light
as we once again begin the sacred season of spring.

SONG
Psalm 5

Lord, as I wake I turn to you,
Yourself the first thought of my day;
My King, my God, whose help is sure,
Yourself the help for which I pray.

Our loving gifts of grace to me,
Those favours I could never earn,
Call forth my thanks in praise and prayer,
Call me to love you in return.

Lord, make my life a life of love
Rev'rence for earth, in all I do,
Lord make your way my only way
Your will my will, for love of you.

Great spirit of the universe who made this day to shine with brightness
of your light. Set us aflame with the fire of your love and bring us to the
radiance of eternal light. Father of Fire, Mother of Mystery
teach us the lesson of Spring as all creation comes alive, in richness of
resurrection.

CHANT

Air I am, Fire I am, Water and Earth and Spirit I am.

Voice: Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away. For lo, the winter is past
the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth
The time of the singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle
is heard in the land. Song ofSolomon, 2:10-12

And we can rise with the fire of freedom
Truth is the fire that burns our chains
And we can stop the fire of destruction
Healing is the fire running through our veins.

The light of Christ rising in glory;

Thanks be to God.

The Easter Candle is held. Candles are lit. The light is passed

Rejoice heavenly powers. Sing choirs of angels.
Exult all creation round God's throne.
Jesus Christ our Sun is risen.
Sound the trumpet of our healing.

Rejoice O Mother Earth in shining splendour
Radiant in the brightness of your Spring.
Christ our brother rises from you
Flames of hope enkindle in our hearts.

Listen, all you seeds in the earth buried in your earthen tombs.
As this flame penetrates the darkness
May your tender stems pierce the earth to dance in wind and rain
Just as this flame like a tiny sun now dances before us.

Voice: Let us breathe together.
Let us catch our breaths from the need to make ,to do.
Let us be conscious of the Breath of Life.
We breathe out what the trees breathe in.
We breathe in what the trees breathe out.
Together we breathe each other into life.

Who are we?

We are the earth.
(Be conscious of the Earth beneath our feet
and the feel of your body where it contacts)

Voice: Earth is stardust-come-to-life, a magic cauldron
where the heart of the universe is being formed. In me, the Earth and its
creatures find their voices. Through my eyes the stars look back
on themselves in wonder. I arm the Earth. This is my body.
Listen and remember

We are the air.
(Be conscious of breathing)

Voice Air is the breath of the Earth, the movement of life, the quick violent stem
the slow, caressing breeze. In my breathing, life is received
and given back. My breath unites me to all things.

We are Fire,
(Be conscious of inner activity of thoughts and emotions

Voice: Fire is the energy of the universe, the source of power and new life.
In my thoughts burn the fires of the original eruption of life;
In my emotions, lightning flashes; in my love, new life is conceived.
I participate in power. I share in energy of the universe,
To keep warm, to fuel my body, to create my relationships.
I am fire, this is my power. Listen and remember.

We are Water.
(Be conscious of saliva, sweat, tears)

Voice: Water is the womb of the Earth from which all life is born.
The oceans flow through the Earth, bringing abundance.
The oceans flow through me carrying food, recycling waste
Expressing emotions. I am water. This is my life,
Listen and remember.

But we have forgotten who we are.

This earth is my sister; I love her daily grace her silent daring,
And how loved I am, how we admire this strength in each other,
All that we have lost, all that we have suffered, all that we know;
We are stunned by this beauty, and I do not forget;
What she is to me, what I am to her.

SONG

Our kind of love, our kind of passion
Burns with a heat so hard to bear.
Its not a game, no fad or fashion
Our kind of love's for those who dare.
I must be strong, I must be bolder
Cling to my dream and never tire.
Each love denied leaves people colder
New love re-kindles every fire.
I shan't betray my heart's desire.

Oh, where can I go from your spirit,
Oh where can I fall from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there,
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea's farthest end
Even there your hand would lead me.
Your right hand would hold me fast,
If I say; 'let the darkness hide me
and the light around me be night'
Even darkness is not dark for you
and the night is as clear as the day. Ps. 139. 7-12

Here in the silence I say a prayer, though I've never seen you
Somehow I know you're there, you're in the faces of the people I meet.
You' re as silent as the earth beneath my feet.
So if I should complain that all I have is not enough,
Forgive me I've been given so much.
And I am blessed every time I look into a baby's eyes,
I think of all the friends who touched my life.

O Sun of spring, wrap us all in your fiery lover' s embrace.
Long enough has frosty Earth been host to Winters cold.
Like mourners at Lazarus' wake,
We shout with joy that Earth is free of her shroud of snow.
Obedient to her God, according to her primal pattern,
She rises once again from winter's grave,
Seeking her bright lover in the gleaming sky.

O beautiful spring-time Sun, daily as Earth soaks up your warmth,
Call forth to resurrection all who sleep in caves
Lingering half-awake in lifeless mud,
All who await your quickening call.

May your caressing warmth, which brings green resurrection to the earth,
Be a sacrament and sin, that I too shall be touched by fire,
Awakening from my earthen hibernation
To live in endless light in an eternal spring.

SONG - Top of the World

Such a feeling' s coming over me there is wonder in most everything I see,
Not a cloud in the sky - got the sun in my eyes,
And I won' t be surprised if it' s a dream.
Everything I want the world to be is now coming true especially for me
And the reason is clear, its because you are here,
You're the nearest thing to Heaven that I've seen.

"I'm on top of the world looking down on creation
And the only explanation I can find is the love that I've found
Ever Since you've been around, your love has put me at the top of the world."

Something in the wind has learned my name
And its telling me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
There's a pleasing sense of happiness for me.
There is only one wish on my mind when this day is through
I hope that 1 will find that tomorrow will be just the same for you and me,
All I need will be mine if you are here.

"I'm on top of the world looking down on creation …

O you who are beyond all names
Yet whom we call Father and Mother,
Help me to balance power and compassion,
A woman's gentleness with a man's strength
As I open wide the doors of my heart
For the life of the universe to flow through.

I know that the gates of paradise, both here and there,
Swing open only to the child.
Instruct me this day in the art of perpetual childhood
Which truly knows both honour and humility.

Unfold for me your best kept secret;
How by becoming the stream of the universe,
I may learn to be playful, yet prayerful,
Ever relaxed, yet constantly alert,
Always prepared, yet carefree as a child,
And so achieve the harmony of heaven.

Depart in Peace - O Powers of Air
Depart in Peace - Raphael
Our thanks and blessings.

Depart in Peace - O Powers of Fire
Depart in Peace - Michael.
Our thanks and blessings.

Depart in Peace - O Powers of Water
Depart in Peace - Gabriel
Our thanks and blessings.

Depart in Peace - O Powers of Earth
Depart in Peace Uriel.
Our thanks and blessings.

Meister Eckhart said:
‘If the only prayer you say in your entire life is "Thank you"
that would suffice.’

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING.

For moments of laughter, for times of joyful sharing,
For the happiness we feel for family and friends,
For moments of peace within us we give thanks.
Help us, loving God, to remember them
when our lives are difficult and stressful.
Help us at all times to remember that you are always with us
and to give thanks for that.

SONG

Sing for God's glory that colours the dawn of creation,
racing across the sky.
Trailing bright clouds of elation.
Sun of delight succeeds the velvet of night.
warming the earth’s exultation.

Sing for God's power that shatters the chains that would bind us.
Searing the darkness of fear and despair that could blind us.
Calling our name with love that will not lay blame,
Reaching out gently to find us.

Sing for God's justice disturbing each easy illusion,
Tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
Lifeblood of right, resisting evil and slight,
Offering freedom's transfusion.

A BLESSING.

Hildegarde of Bingen said:

'Good people, most royal greening verdancy, rooted in the sun,
You shine with radiant light.
In this circle of earthy existence you shine so finely
It surpasses understanding.
God hugs you. You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.