Posted on 11/19/2001 4:44:56 PM PST by 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.
Now, now. There may be an FR from Berkley.
Or more technically, in the case I remember, it was a pre-cursor to the enemy killing themselves, mostly.
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.
-- Judges 7:19-22
You are correct about the Church advocating a lot of issues that local member may not agree with or be aware of. The same might be said of many denominations, I think.
The designated giving by local churches described by RevNan in a previous post may be helpful in keeping more conservative local congregations from bolting the denomination and becoming part of the growing "independent" church movement.
Conversely, that system may just allow the conservative congregations to fund the administrative functions of the church, while the more liberal congregation fund action on the more liberal positions.
Please correct me if I have misunderstood your post about the way allocations work, RevNan.
To make it more difficult, all the pots should be the same size, material and color.
Naturally, the glue used would be water soluble (symbolic for tears) so than the pots could be re-used again next year, following the ceremony of tears, of course.
What a sight. The men of the church attempting to put these pieces back together. This would be...what...a week-long ceremony?
I prefer the symbolism of Ezekiel 4:1-13. Lying on one side for over a year, and then the other for almost six weeks, and eating food baked over a fire fueled by what?
EXACTLY SO!
(whew! now that I got that off my chest, I'm gonna say something really outrageous)
Ready?
sounds like a crock...to me.
Many women?
http://www.ucmpage.org/news_page.html
Ah, there is nothing like liberal theology... reaching the world for?
Dr. S
From the UCMPage home page:
The People Called Methodist
"I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out."John Wesley
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