Today, I pulled a book formerly published by Proost by Cheryl Lawrie. Back then, she was working in prisons, and this book is a gem, full of lovely poetry and liturgy, often from meditation spaces and installations that Cheryl had been part of curating. I loved this book, and we used parts of it within our own community. I also remember Cheryl fondly for her kindness as she edited my own poetry collection, ‘Listing’.
This book contains some liturgies for lent, and I am going to recreate a couple of them here. They tell another story of the innovation around small group spiritual practice that was being recorded and spread through Proost. I remember fondly how simple rituals could carry such profound depth. Cheryl’s work is a perfect example of this.
Some nails are placed on a table along with a piece of wood and a hammer
Jesus hung on the cross in the company of sinners.
In the eyes of people who wanted him to die, he was a sinner. He spoke the truth about love, relationships, the church, the world, God… and people weren’t willing to hear it.
Sometimes we’re not either.
Take a nail and hold it in your hand. Think of a truth about God, pointed to by Jesus, which you find most difficult to hear and believe.
Is it that you are loved completely?
Is it that others are loved completely too?
What is it for you?
Take a nail and hammer it into the wood.
A length of white cloth that can be easily ripped
When the women went to the garden on the Sunday morning to anoint Jesus’ body, they discovered that he wasn’t in the tomb. He wasn’t where they thought he would be.
Resurrection rarely happens as we would expect.
New life isn’t the same old life recreated. It’s new life.
Rip some of the white fabric and take it with you.
