Greensy Grumblings

Hi guys,

we survived the camp. It was great. We as leaders are a bit tired, 13-14 year olds really wear you out.


I am about to head to a meeting (should have left already) to organise some "alternative" worship sessions for Easter camp.

I don't like the phrase "alternative worship" because it makes music "normal" worship and anything else 'alternative'.

I come from the Salvation Army and my movement has a sad distrust of ritual and liturgy in worship. I think we have lost the deep significance that some other denominations have within their worship services. I think we can also be very arrogant and hold to our position claiming that ritual and liturgy are "irrelevant" and 'religion/law'.

Whilst I do agree with the Salvation Army's position that ritual can create habitual observance, so to a lack of ritual can rob us of its positive aspects.
Last year I had a lecturer who shared how she used rituals in her ministry, one she used was to assist someone who was grieving and unable to attend a funeral in another country.

All churches have rituals that happen every week, mostly we choose not to identify them as that.

But anyway, I better go to my meeting, be 'alternative' and keep trying to buck the system.