A Ritual Suggestion (Jesus, rituals, Earth, gospel, Kingdom)

[Elvendon]

Okay, this isn't directly relevant to Christian Wicca - it is more to do with a way of praying to God using his elements as an icon and focusing tool. It draws on the Celtic reverance of directions and Celtic Christian symbolism, and as we don't have a Celtic Christianity subforum yet, I thought I should post it here

What you will need:

A clean dove or goose feather
Incense with a dish to burn it in
A stone dish or bowl - or a clean pebble and a porcelain bowel
A cup of water
A candle
A lighter or matches
A compass
A Bible



Key:
Dark Green = Start Earth postion
Light Green = End Earth position, North
Yellow = A cross
Blue = Water Position - West
Brown = Air Position - East
Red = Fire Position - South.

I would recommend a some form of cleansing meditation or penitance beforehand, so that you are in the right frame of mind.

1) Find a place to pray. You probably have one already, it can be outside, inside or whatever. Wherever you are comfortable.

2) Set up the circle - you may cast a circle if you wish, or if you are following a druidic rule, honour each of the directions by standing in the centre of where you want the circle to be, and face east, south, west then north respectively, saying a short prayer (I suggest the Lord's Prayer) facing each direction. Remember to use the compass to find the right direction to pray! Also, remember that each of the positions must be within easy reaching distance from the end Earth position.

3) Take the cup of water, and place it in the Water Position with this prayer:

Oh dear God, the Father of all things, wellspring of creation, may this water help me reach You in the high halls of heaven and to bring myself closer to You. May this water be as that with which I was baptised - may it be as the water that was turned into wine at the wedding feast. By Your power - Amen.

4) Take the incense in it's dish and set light to it. Place it in the Air Position with this prayer:

Oh Lord Jesus, the divine Logos and saviour of mankind, may this incense represent Your kind breath, with which Your words of wisdom were spread to all mankind. May this smoke ascend and rise from the ashes as You Yourself did on Easter Day, and may it's sweet scent remind us of your eternal presence with us. By Your wisdom - Amen.

5) Take the candle, place it on the ground in the Fire position and light it, saying this prayer as you do so:

Holy Spirit, the essence of all being and fire of all believers, help me to unite myself in the light of God, so that I may see all things clearly and faithfully. Bring me closer to the unfailing love of the Godhead and surround me in Your purity and goodness. May this flame be as the tongues of fire at Pentecost, compelling me to speak the gospel. By Your love - Amen.

6) Step back out of the circle, through the end Earth Position. Place the cross in the middle as you do so, saying

Oh sacred triune God, I commend myself to Your Spirit, and place myself in Your sure hands. I repent utterly of my sins and misdeeds - both expressed and unexpressed, and I pray for the salvation I so sorely need, through the power of Your death and resurrection. May it bring me and all people to new life. Amen.

7) Stand in the Start Earth position. Sit or stand with the bowl in your hands or just before you. Sit and contemplate for a little while. Is there anything you want to do or say before you start to approach the icon you have created? If so, do so.

8) The start Earth Position represents you as a human being at the foot of the spiritual cross. To reach God at the top, there is a journey to be done. You are mortal earth, as we all are, and you seek union with the other "elements" - the Fire of the Holy Spirit, the Wellspring of the Father and the Breath of the Son. So you pray:

Oh Lord, I come before you as an unhealthy mortal, standing at the foot of the cross. May I, as Mary, Saint Peter, Saint John and all the faithful before me, approach you now to gain closer union with your love, so that I may be healed as my ancestors were.

(Lift the bowl)

May this bowl be a symbol of my lonely heart - for I need to be filled with Your divine spirit. Please, allow me to approach, to atone, and to drink from the river of Your peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

9) Stand, and walk the few steps to the end Earth Position. You may like to say a quiet prayer as you do so, recite the Agnus Dei or just silently contemplate. When you reach the end Earth Position, place the bowl there and sit just behind it. Or, you can sit in the End Earth position yourself, with the bowl on your lap or just in front of you.

10) Now, take the feather of the goose or dove. The Goose is the ancient Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, but for those of you who are slightly less Culdee orientated, try using the dove's feather. I would recommend it being large enough to fan the incense with. Take the feather, and lift it up

Lord, I give thanks for your love and acceptance, even when we fail to live up to your example. May this feather be a symbol of the Holy Spirit as it descended upon Christ at his baptism, and may it be a means for me to feel closer to you. Amen.

Place the feather before the cross and say a short prayer of thanksgiving for anything you feel thankful for. Pray again for God's presence to be with you, then lift up the feather again.

11) Hold the feather over the incense and pray

"Holy Spirit, may the love of God be everlasting in the heart of man. Amen"

12) Pick up the dish of incense and use the feather to fan the incense over the stone bowl in the end Earth Position, using the above prayer.

13) Incense the cross in the same fashion as above, reciting the Lord's Prayer.

14) Then incense the candle as before, saying

"Three in one and one in three, blessed be the Holy Trinity"

13) Incense the glass of water, repeating the above phrase.

14) Lift the glass of water and pray

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. May the water of life, which You have mastered since before time, be within me, oh Merciful Father. May the water of life break through the rocks of death as it did in the desert for the Israelites, who were lost as I am, and may my thirst be quenched. Amen

Pour the water of the cup into the stone bowl. Place the cup before the cross.

15) Take up the candle, ensuring it is shining into the bowl filled with water and pray:

I am filled with joy at Your coming Oh Lord, for as scripture tells us:
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
"Therefore, since we are recieving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire"
Oh Lord, You are a fire that brings us light and love, a passion that shines on the righteous and unrighteous alike. Bring us all together in Your glory, so all shame and lies be banished forever by Your shining presence and so that Your fire may warm us and cleanse from us all iniquity. Amen

16) Say:

As this water has filled the bowl, may your loving spirit fill me, now and evermore, Amen.

Drink from the bowl after you say this. After this, sit and say a silent prayer of thanks.

You may want to sit and meditate for a while, you may want to read scripture or just sit and think.

I would say this is the end of the ritual.

Could you please give me your thoughts and point out any mistakes/problems with this?

Thanks and Trinity bless you all.

Elvendon

[Mike182]

ooooo, looks good to me! but, i only read it briefly, as i am about to log off and go to bed

i will read this tomorrow and give you my thoughts, if that's alright?

[Elvendon]

Originally Posted by Mike182

ooooo, looks good to me! but, i only read it briefly, as i am about to log off and go to bed

i will read this tomorrow and give you my thoughts, if that's alright?

That's great! I'm really in awe of your quick reply skills

Pleasant dreams!

[Elvendon]

Bump?

Reposting in the prayer resources forum ->

[Mystic-als]

I thought I saw this somewhere before.

[ChrisP]

Hey just taking a look at that, if light green is north, blue is East and orange is west.

Apologies for intruding in here.

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by Elvendon

Okay, this isn't directly relevant to Christian Wicca - it is more to do with a way of praying to God using his elements as an icon and focusing tool. It draws on the Celtic reverance of directions and Celtic Christian symbolism, and as we don't have a Celtic Christianity subforum yet, I thought I should post it here

What you will need:

A clean dove or goose feather
Incense with a dish to burn it in
A stone dish or bowl - or a clean pebble and a porcelain bowel
A cup of water
A candle
A lighter or matches
A compass
A Bible



Key:
Dark Green = Start Earth postion
Light Green = End Earth position, North
Yellow = A cross
Blue = Water Position - West
Brown = Air Position - East
Red = Fire Position - South.

i really like the drawing, i fidn being able to see things laid out as well as an explanation helps for a better understanding of what is being portrayed!

I would recommend a some form of cleansing meditation or penitance beforehand, so that you are in the right frame of mind.

yep, that's a good suggestion

1) Find a place to pray. You probably have one already, it can be outside, inside or whatever. Wherever you are comfortable.

2) Set up the circle - you may cast a circle if you wish, or if you are following a druidic rule, honour each of the directions by standing in the centre of where you want the circle to be, and face east, south, west then north respectively, saying a short prayer (I suggest the Lord's Prayer) facing each direction. Remember to use the compass to find the right direction to pray! Also, remember that each of the positions must be within easy reaching distance from the end Earth position.

ah, i like your idea of combining the calling of quaters with the Lords Prayer!

i personally call them in the order of North, South, East and then West, but that's a personal preference

3) Take the cup of water, and place it in the Water Position with this prayer:

Oh dear God, the Father of all things, wellspring of creation, may this water help me reach You in the high halls of heaven and to bring myself closer to You. May this water be as that with which I was baptised - may it be as the water that was turned into wine at the wedding feast. By Your power - Amen.

4) Take the incense in it's dish and set light to it. Place it in the Air Position with this prayer:

Oh Lord Jesus, the divine Logos and saviour of mankind, may this incense represent Your kind breath, with which Your words of wisdom were spread to all mankind. May this smoke ascend and rise from the ashes as You Yourself did on Easter Day, and may it's sweet scent remind us of your eternal presence with us. By Your wisdom - Amen.

5) Take the candle, place it on the ground in the Fire position and light it, saying this prayer as you do so:

Holy Spirit, the essence of all being and fire of all believers, help me to unite myself in the light of God, so that I may see all things clearly and faithfully. Bring me closer to the unfailing love of the Godhead and surround me in Your purity and goodness. May this flame be as the tongues of fire at Pentecost, compelling me to speak the gospel. By Your love - Amen.

6) Step back out of the circle, through the end Earth Position. Place the cross in the middle as you do so, saying

Oh sacred triune God, I commend myself to Your Spirit, and place myself in Your sure hands. I repent utterly of my sins and misdeeds - both expressed and unexpressed, and I pray for the salvation I so sorely need, through the power of Your death and resurrection. May it bring me and all people to new life. Amen.

so this is basically the invocation of the elements, only with Christian prayer!

7) Stand in the Start Earth position. Sit or stand with the bowl in your hands or just before you. Sit and contemplate for a little while. Is there anything you want to do or say before you start to approach the icon you have created? If so, do so.

i personally think that when doing a ritual, the ritual has a purpose, and so to focus the mind on the goal, it is worth stating the intent of the ritual to which ever deity is being invoked

8) The start Earth Position represents you as a human being at the foot of the spiritual cross. To reach God at the top, there is a journey to be done. You are mortal earth, as we all are, and you seek union with the other "elements" - the Fire of the Holy Spirit, the Wellspring of the Father and the Breath of the Son. So you pray:

Oh Lord, I come before you as an unhealthy mortal, standing at the foot of the cross. May I, as Mary, Saint Peter, Saint John and all the faithful before me, approach you now to gain closer union with your love, so that I may be healed as my ancestors were.

(Lift the bowl)

May this bowl be a symbol of my lonely heart - for I need to be filled with Your divine spirit. Please, allow me to approach, to atone, and to drink from the river of Your peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

9) Stand, and walk the few steps to the end Earth Position. You may like to say a quiet prayer as you do so, recite the Agnus Dei or just silently contemplate. When you reach the end Earth Position, place the bowl there and sit just behind it. Or, you can sit in the End Earth position yourself, with the bowl on your lap or just in front of you.

10) Now, take the feather of the goose or dove. The Goose is the ancient Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, but for those of you who are slightly less Culdee orientated, try using the dove's feather. I would recommend it being large enough to fan the incense with. Take the feather, and lift it up

Lord, I give thanks for your love and acceptance, even when we fail to live up to your example. May this feather be a symbol of the Holy Spirit as it descended upon Christ at his baptism, and may it be a means for me to feel closer to you. Amen.

Place the feather before the cross and say a short prayer of thanksgiving for anything you feel thankful for. Pray again for God's presence to be with you, then lift up the feather again.

11) Hold the feather over the incense and pray

"Holy Spirit, may the love of God be everlasting in the heart of man. Amen"

12) Pick up the dish of incense and use the feather to fan the incense over the stone bowl in the end Earth Position, using the above prayer.

13) Incense the cross in the same fashion as above, reciting the Lord's Prayer.

14) Then incense the candle as before, saying

"Three in one and one in three, blessed be the Holy Trinity"

13) Incense the glass of water, repeating the above phrase.

14) Lift the glass of water and pray

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. May the water of life, which You have mastered since before time, be within me, oh Merciful Father. May the water of life break through the rocks of death as it did in the desert for the Israelites, who were lost as I am, and may my thirst be quenched. Amen

Pour the water of the cup into the stone bowl. Place the cup before the cross.

15) Take up the candle, ensuring it is shining into the bowl filled with water and pray:

I am filled with joy at Your coming Oh Lord, for as scripture tells us:
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
"Therefore, since we are recieving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire"
Oh Lord, You are a fire that brings us light and love, a passion that shines on the righteous and unrighteous alike. Bring us all together in Your glory, so all shame and lies be banished forever by Your shining presence and so that Your fire may warm us and cleanse from us all iniquity. Amen

16) Say:

As this water has filled the bowl, may your loving spirit fill me, now and evermore, Amen.

Drink from the bowl after you say this. After this, sit and say a silent prayer of thanks.

You may want to sit and meditate for a while, you may want to read scripture or just sit and think.

I would say this is the end of the ritual.

this is all fine, i would certainly not say there are any "problems" with your ritual, and i always find it hard to go through someone elses ideas and give critique, as rituals are a personal expression

the only thing that i personally would change is the fact that it is entirely orientated towards the male aspects of God, and i would invoke a Female deity to balance that out, because i see the male and female aspects of divinity as being balanced and equal, and i personally try to show this in my ritual practices, but again, that is a personal thing

other than that, i think it's great!

[Elvendon]

Hey just taking a look at that, if light green is north, blue is East and orange is west.

Hehe, dyslexia ftw You know what I mean

Originally Posted by Mike182

i really like the drawing, i fidn being able to see things laid out as well as an explanation helps for a better understanding of what is being portrayed!

Yeah, I thought it might help The link appears to be broken, I'll get on that...

ah, i like your idea of combining the calling of quaters with the Lords Prayer!

That's what syncretism is all about isn't it?

i personally call them in the order of North, South, East and then West, but that's a personal preference

Yeah, it's quite logical. I might go West, East, South and North, as that is the order of revelation (Father, Son, Holy Spirit then humanity.)

so this is basically the invocation of the elements, only with Christian prayer!

Coming from a Christian perspective, it's praying to each of the aspects of the trinity but using the elements instead of icons. But potatoe-potahtoe.

i personally think that when doing a ritual, the ritual has a purpose, and so to focus the mind on the goal, it is worth stating the intent of the ritual to which ever deity is being invoked

/nods

this is all fine, i would certainly not say there are any "problems" with your ritual, and i always find it hard to go through someone elses ideas and give critique, as rituals are a personal expression

What you've said is useful though

the only thing that i personally would change is the fact that it is entirely orientated towards the male aspects of God, and i would invoke a Female deity to balance that out, because i see the male and female aspects of divinity as being balanced and equal, and i personally try to show this in my ritual practices, but again, that is a personal thing

I understand. I used the Father - Son - Spirit terminology because it comes natural to me, and imo God is male, female, both and neither, and so I don't feel the need to distinguish traits within God any further. I often hear God speaking with a female voice during quiet prayer

other than that, i think it's great!

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, it's given me confidence to start making more

[Fluffy]

Thanks Elvendon, thats given me some really great ideas! Frubals to you!

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by Elvendon

I understand. I used the Father - Son - Spirit terminology because it comes natural to me, and imo God is male, female, both and neither, and so I don't feel the need to distinguish traits within God any further. I often hear God speaking with a female voice during quiet prayer

that's fair enough, i personally can't relate to one entity being both, so i simply invoke two