Methodist women to smash crockery

Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11/20/2001 | Victoria Combe

[dighton]

THE Methodist Church is inviting all women worshippers to smash crockery during next Sunday's service as a symbolic "act of violence".

The addition of plate-smashing to the liturgy is the Church's novel way of marking the International Day of Action against Violence on Women.

"We hope the act will provide a powerful image of the violence experienced in the home," said the Methodist Church's Women's Network which composed the service.

For health and safety reasons, women are asked to secure the crockery in a plastic bag before beating it with a hammer "to prevent flying debris harming participants".

The crockery smashing will happen during the Act of Confession and Reconciliation and worshippers will then make a cross out of the broken pieces.

The minister will lead a prayer, saying: "We stand in solidarity with women and all victims of violence who are piecing their lives together."

The order of service, called Soaring Wings and Strengthened Dreams, also includes the testimony of a Baptist minister's wife who was beaten after church for serving Angel Delight at Sunday lunch.

The Rev Frances Biseker, one of the authors of the order of service and a minister in Stourbridge, West Midlands, said the plate smashing was designed to "bring into the open something very hidden".

She added: "We chose crockery because it is a very domestic item and many women may have been hit by flying crockery. We want to help women to come forward and tell their stories."

Previous story: Guard dogs keep a flock at prayer

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2001.

[SuziQ]

Around my relatives, a iron skillet - when banged real hard on the stove - had every man running for cover.

One year for Christmas, Sir SuziQ gave me a marble rolling pin I had admired. Every time I take it out to use it he laughs, and high tails it out of the room!

[DebtsPaid]

The Methodist Church is a has been denomination.

[openotherend]

psycho-ceramics
Cracked pot.

[Arkinsaw]

And that is why I am in my church. I do assume, however, that you didn't mean for there to be a religious tolerance test for being on Free Republic.

What I obviously meant was that if you agreed with the POLITICAL positions of the United Methodist Church it would be difficult to understand why you would be interested in FreeRepublic. It has nothing to do with the religion of the church, but the political stances of the church. I think you know that based on my posting a political statement from the church.

As an aside, and not to you directly, its interesting that political positions such as reparations, decrying the use of Viecques Island by the Navy for target practice, etc. are not bandied about in the press as violations of the separation of church and state. I guess it depends on the particular political stance taken whether it is a violation or not.

Personally, I don't believe that minority members of a church should attempt to change that denomination's beliefs or public policy pronouncements. They should just find a new denomination where their beliefs are not in the minority. The Church of England is a great old denomination also, but I have no duty to save it from itself and the market forces that are gutting it.

I wish you luck with turning the UMC around. You better hurry.

[WVNan]

An individual local church designates where it's funds are to be used. There are categories that they choose from. We don't send funds for things we disagree with. As Miss Marple stated, we stay with the hope of effecting change.

[Cold Heat]

What a crock....(no pun intended) I'm a Methodist and nothing like this would be tolerated in our church or any church in this country under the Methodist umbrella.

[daves_brother]

There are categories that they choose from.

Hey, now that's a cool system.  Thank you for the clarification.  The system you have briefly described acknowledges honest differences of opinions among Christians in a large organization.  It is interesting that the church would allow local churches to define which parts of the General Budget or Fund they wish to participate in financially.

[anniegetyourgun]

Do you recall any pot-smashing in the scriptures? If you do - you also know it was a pre-cursor to a violent slaying of many of the enemy. I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony herein!

[Graewoulf]

Point of order here, I am a Lutheran.

I am concerned when an article is not specific, that is an implication can be made, or generalized, to the extent that conclusions made are not based on fact.

Thus, when I read this article, I was not sure if it was a hoax, designed to cast an unflattering light on Methodists; a UK, USA or just a specific group of people in one Church in one town.

To illustrate: "My first thought first was that it was a group from Berkely, California." There, I just generalized, and shed a dim light on the many good folks in Berkely.

[LeeMcCoy]

"Where is Jesus Christ in any of this?"

Excellent point! I wish He was the focus of more interest between believers.

[Cold Heat]

My wife who is knowlegable is church things says this is not the United Methodist but is the Methodist chuch which is a splinter group that has it's own wierd ways.

[Miss Marple]

Thank you, RevNan. I am always having to explain that whatever the national group does is not necessarily funded by we local people.

Our church is quite conservative and is mainly concerned with the Gospel, Bible study, evangelization, and feeding the poor. We have sent liberal pastors packing, believe me!!

The Bishop isn't fond of us, but we take nothing from the district or from the national group. We are self-sustaining, and they really just tolerate us, since we bring their numbers up. Ha!

[Cold Heat]

is=of

[Graewoulf]

Reminds me of an old Quaker saying:

"It would be a perfect world if everyone were like me and thee -- but sometimes I wonder about thee!

[dighton]

Do you recall any pot-smashing in the scriptures?

Best I can do -- not without cheating -- is:

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

[daves_brother]

I should have realized by your question that you were probably not Methodist. If you had been, you may have recognized a difference between "The Methodist Church" (which is UK, in this instance), and the "United Methodist Church" (which is the church in the US, although they are often referred to as simply "Methodist".).

Or at least Dighton's post of "Smashing time promised at Methodist services for women" from the Great Britain site would have answered the question. I didn't stop to think that it would not be general knowledge that the Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church are separate organizations. I apologize.

shed a dim light

Even a dim light might help some of them. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[logos]

Sometimes you have to wonder if these people know what they're doing, or if they just make it up as they go along.

[Arkinsaw]

The UMC of course does a good number of things that I agree with. But here are some news articles from the United Methodist News Service with news of how some church leaders spend their efforts. You can find some good articles at UMNS but there are just too many that I totally disagree with for me to be a Methodist anymore. I can honestly say that I know VERY, VERY, few Methodists who hold the same positions on these things as the UMC and not many that even know about UMNS.

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[wooden nickel]

Welcome aboard! I guess that is better than throwing an ashtray.

[Cold Heat]

My wife tells me our church is none too happy with the conference folk and has not been for some years. They give dollars selectively and are big enough to go solo.