8th Day: Church of the Fools in the Pandemic: Friday 17th July 1830 UTC
Alan Cresswell
Admin, 8th Day Host
The theme forum for this service will be The Styx, the suggestion being working the service around the idea of crossing the river. As we develop the service I'll edit the order of service into this post.
[added outline order of service]
Poem: ‘I Hear a River thro’ the Valley Wander’ by Trumbull Stickney
2 Kings 2:6-14 @Martha
Revelation 22:1-6 @Rossweisse
Music: Mahalia Jackson, ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll’ @Simon
Matthew 3:13-4:1 @Alan Cresswell
Message @Simon
Poem: ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ by Langston Hughes
[added outline order of service]
Poem: ‘I Hear a River thro’ the Valley Wander’ by Trumbull Stickney
I hear a river thro’ the valley wander
Whose water runs, the song alone remaining.
A rainbow stands and summer passes under.
2 Kings 2:6-14 @Martha
Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
Revelation 22:1-6 @Rossweisse
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
Music: Mahalia Jackson, ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll’ @Simon
Matthew 3:13-4:1 @Alan Cresswell
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Message @Simon
Poem: ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ by Langston Hughes
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
Comments
Joshua 3:2-6, 14-17 (the people crossing the Jordan)
Matthew 3:13-4:1 (Baptism of Jesus - other Gospels are available!)
Revelation 22:1-6 (the river of life in the New Jerusalem)
Opening poem: ‘I Hear a River thro’ the Valley Wander’ by American poet Trumbull Stickney (1874-1904)
Poem: ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ by African American poet Langston Hughes (1902-67)
Music: Mahalia Jackson, ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll’
I can screen share the music for that.
@Rossweisse and @Martha have both volunteered for a reading ... do either have a preference? I'll take another reading, from what's not been taken. Any others wanting to volunteer taking a reading?
River diagram, 1854
Scottish rivers diagram, 1832