we’ve developed a tradition for advent at grace (well we’ve done the same thing three years in a row which for us is probably a tradition!) – nine

it’s a very simple idea for a service. we take the traditional nine lessons and carols idea and give it our own twist. we find nine volunteers willing to take part and then names are put in a hat and the nine people are given one of the readings. they then have to choose a piece of music and do something to reflect/relate to the reading – this might be a piece of art, a ritual, a meditation, a thought, VJing, or whatever. at the service the nine readings are read from the bible and after each one the person/people do their piece and play their chosen piece of music. the last two years we have really tried to involve people a bit on the fringes rather than the usual suspects.

this year’s nine was on saturday night and was fantastic. music choices ranged from a 15th century carol, green day, lies damned lies to johnny cash doing personal jesus. some of the pieces were stunning – simon and joel (new kids on the block) did some fantastic VJing with an original piece of music they had created, steve had us making tinsel handcuffs (relating to mary not having too much choice about the task she was given), andrew had created a video piece of him walking down a dark alley (the people walking in darkness). i love this service – it’s simple, creative, participatory, surprising, rooted in the christian tradition whilst renewing that tradition playfully… for my part, i was making the mulled wine for the second year in a row…

these are the nine readings we used this year:
1. Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19
2. Genesis 22:15-18
3. Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
4. Isaiah 11:1-3a, 4a, 6-9
5. Luke 1:26-35, 38
6. Luke 2:1, 3-7
7. Luke 2:8-16
8. Matthew 2:1-12
9. John 1:1-14

And these are the tracks people chose:
Adam Lay I-Bounden Anon 15th c
No title – Welk
At the Centre’ – Lies Damned Lies
It Hurts So Good – Millie Jackson
Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
Personal Jesus – Johnny Cash
Untitled – Joel Baker and Simon Burrell
Sound effects of a journey – Mark Waddinton
As I Went Down – Lies Damned Lies
To Be Alone With You – Sufjan Stevens

steve has a few snaps of the first year’s nine on smallfire