Virtual Service 2

Introduction

Hello and welcome to this Sanctus 1 virtual service, we hope you find it to be enriching and uplifting.

If you would prefer to print a copy of this service and run it offline, we have included a PDF of this page for you to download.

You will need to allow 20-30 minutes for the service, and it can be at any time and any location that suits you. The service has some activities and could require a few optional items, which you can pick up from a local supermarket if you would like a more immersive experience, these include:

  • 3 candles
  • lighter/matches
  • a bowl of water
  • a towel or cloth
  • a cup or glass
  • hot or cold water
  • a tea bag or some cordial
  • an internet connection and an email account

Before we begin

Take a moment to calm your mind and open your heart, to find a quiet inner peace as we begin the service.

Slowly count: 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10

Relax in this space and time.

Lighting of the candles

You will need:
3 candles (any size, colour or fragrance is fine) and a means to light them

Please place the candles on a flat, non-flammable surface, out of reach of small children and animals. If you prefer, you can leave the candles unlit, or watch this video instead.

As you light each candle, read out loud or to yourself the following:

- With the 1st candle we think on God the Father, the source of life

- With the 2nd candle we think on Jesus, who offered us living water

- With the 3rd candle we think on the Spirit, which flows through all of us

Reading 1

Psalm 36:5-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Your love is faithful, Lord, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you. Your decisions are always fair. They are firm like mountains, deep like the sea, and all people and animals are under your care. Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You give your guests a feast in your house, and you serve a tasty drink that flows like a river. The life-giving fountain belongs to you, and your light gives light to each of us. Our Lord, keep showing love to everyone who knows you and use your power to save all whose thoughts please you.

Activity 1

You will need:
a bowl of water and a towel

Slowly immerse your hand into the bowl of water. Feel the water move between your fingers, covering your skin. With the reading from Psalm 36 in your mind, think about God's love being deep as the sea.

Gently ripple the water, and consider the life-giving fountain, the energy that flows through each and every one of us.

Lift your hand out of the water and as the droplets fall, with each drip, think about the blessings that you have experienced today, the 'treasures' that remind you of God's love.

Dry the water from your hand and contemplate the power and love of God, that is constant and faithful.

Reading 2

John 2:1-11 (New Century Version)

Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding. When all the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” Jesus answered, “Dear woman, why come to me? My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you to do.”

In that place there were six stone water jars that the Jews used in their washing ceremony. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled the jars to the top. Then he said to them, “Now take some out and give it to the master of the feast.” So they took the water to the master. When he tasted it, the water had become wine. He did not know where the wine came from, but the servants who had brought the water knew. The master of the wedding called the bridegroom and said to him, “People always serve the best wine first. Later, after the guests have been drinking awhile, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine till now.” So in Cana of Galilee Jesus did his first miracle. There he showed his glory, and his followers believed in him.

Video 1

This video shows a chemical reaction, and not actually turning one liquid into another, but it recreates the magic that the people at the wedding in Cana would have experienced. It was a miracle that is marvellous to behold.

Some might say that turning water to wine is frivolous, and not as worthy an act or as impressive as healing or raising someone from the dead. However, the result of the miracle is secondary to the image of the water turning to wine. Jesus offers the water of life (the tasty drink from Psalm 36) so we will never thirst again. The act is a symbol of God's love, and a precursor to the last supper.

Activity 2

You will need:
a cup or glass, a tea bag or some cordial, some hot or cold water, an internet connection and an email account

We are going to create our own little miracle. You are going to change water into a different drink.

- If you prefer hot drinks, pour hot water into a cup and add the tea bag or cordial, watch as the colour changes, from clear to orange-brown (or whatever colour your cordial is).

- If you prefer cold drinks, fill a glass with cold water and add the cordial, watch as the colour fills the glass until all the clear water has vanished.

The clear water is your church, your family, your friendship groups. Like water, these groups nourish you, give you strength and are vital for our well being.

You are the thing that changes the colour of the water, your individuality adds colour and uniqueness, it contributes new benefits that only you can provide.

We encourage you to take a 'selfie' (a photo of yourself) with your drink, and send it to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can add it to the end of this webpage. As we build up the images on the page, and the collection of faces (and drinks) grow, you will see the diversity and vibrancy of this community, your community, the group you are a part of and know that you make an impression, just as the other individuals you see make an impression on you.

Video 2

Firstly, another science video for you, looking at another liquid, of another element vital for life. This is oxygen.

And finally, a video of a liquid unlike any others we have seen so far.

We can draw much from learning about the elements that make up our world. It is vast and complex, satisfying our instinctive curiosity. We value those who invest their time in studying the elements, so that we can benefit from their efforts and have a better understanding of our universe.

Likewise, we need our communities, to gain a deeper knowledge of ourselves as well as the world around us, both physical and spiritual. Sanctus 1 exists as a means of discovery - we are the scientists, the explorers, the deep thinkers and discoverers. Together, as we share our uniqueness, our beliefs and knowledge, we grow in our understanding of each other, of God and our place in the world He has created.

Activity 3

You will need:
an internet connection and an email account

Think on the different liquids that you have seen today, their properties and what makes each of them different. What kind of liquid are you? What characteristics best describe you? Are you an element that nourishes? Are you magnetic? May be you feel that you are clear like water or strong like a long-brewed cup of tea. Then think on Sanctus 1 and what kind of liquid it is too.

Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (subject heading ‘Liquid’) sharing that liquid you believe you are and the liquid you believe Sanctus 1 is. Receive emails from others and see what other people think, and know that you are part of a complex and unique community, that your individuality contributes to what makes Sanctus 1 what it is.

Close

As you blow out the candles, think about your Sanctus 1 family, and how you are a vital, integral part of the community. Think about all the different colours we each bring. Think about what you can do to enrich that family.

- With the first candle, we thank God for our individuality

- With the second candle, we think on Jesus, the revolutionary who broke with the traditions of his birth land to bring us a new way to be

- With the third candle, we thank the Holy Spirit for bringing our community of individuals together

Thank you for taking part in this Virtual Service. We hope you found it to be interesting and useful. If you have any questions or would like to develop a conversation that has been inspired by this service, please send a message out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will respond to you.

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