New Beginnings
Cast Circle
At this time and in this hour, we encircle ourselves with Holy Fire. Separated from the mundane are we, as we will so mote it be.
Call Quarters
East
In the Name of Yod-He-Vav-He, we invoke thee, Archangel of the East, Raphael!
South
In the Name of Adonai, we invoke thee, Archangel of the South, Michael!
West
In the Name of Eheieh, we invoke thee, Archangel of the West, Gabriel!
North
In the Name of Agla, we invoke thee, Archangel of the North, Auriel!
Cleanse space
Holy Water
Purify us, O Lord, that in Thy Power we may worthily perform the Great Work. In Thy strength, O Indwelling Lord, do we expel all forces of darkness from this, Thy Holy Altar and Sanctuary, and from this house and our own human temples wherein we worship Thee; and we pray Thee Heavenly Father, that Thou wilt command the Rulers of the Four Regions, your mighty Archangels, Lords of the Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, to build for us a Spiritual Temple through which Thy Strength and Blessing may be poured forth upon Thy people. Through Christ our Indwelling Lord. So mote it be!
Holy Incense
Purify this place, O Divine and Eternal One, and make of us one mystical Body, growing into your light. Make us a Spiritual Temple of living stones, through which your infinite Light may flow. Let the Holy Angels of Light join us and aid us in the act of divine transformation. We unite now to celebrate, knowing that we all come from You.
Call Deities
Sophia
O Mother of the Aeons, O Paraclete! Spirit of Wisdom, Come to dwell in us, O Merciful Goddess!
Christ
O Father of the Aeons, O Paraclete! Spirit of Truth, Come to dwell in us, O Merciful God!
Open invitation
At this time if anyone would like to invite own deific figures please do so now.
Church Dedication
Through the ages, the Divine has moved people to build houses of prayer and praise, and to set apart places for ministry and the Sacraments. It is with gratitude that we gather to dedicate Our Lady of Perpetual Wisdom to the Lord and Lady.
Grand Architect of the Universe, Lord, and Lady, receive the work of our hands in this place, now to be set apart for your worship, the building up of the living, and the remembrance of the dead, and to praise the grace that flows down to us.
Lord and Lady, make this a temple of your presence, and a house of prayer. Be always near us when we seek you in this place. Draw to us when we come alone or with others, to find comfort and wisdom, to be supported and strengthened, to rejoice and give thanks. May it be here that we are made one with you and with one another. Open our eyes, ears, and our hearts, that we may grow closer to you through joy and suffering. Be with us in the fullness of your power as new members are added, as we grow in grace through the years, when we are joined in marriage, when we turn to you in need, and when we are committed to your hands.
Thank you for the waters of Baptism where we die to our old ways and are born anew. Grant through your spirit that those baptized here may enjoy the liberty and splendor of being your child.
Announcements
Before we get started we have a few announcements.
-Christopaganism.com has been updated. If you would like to partake in the forum there, please do so. There are different categories that you can post in, so go nuts. If you would like more categories, let me know. You will need to register your account. You can do that easily with a Google account, before you are able to post. I am working on adding a Facebook account login, but it is not working at the moment. Your first post on any part of the website must be approved. Once you are approved, no other future posting will need approval. This is due to spam bots that took advantage of just letting anyone sign up and post. It is finally under control, and I want to make sure it stays that way.
There is a page dedicated to this church where the transcripts will be posted. Though if I go off script they will not be included on there. There is also a brief description on the general setup and focus of the church, so if you have questions, you can view it all there. If the question isn’t answered ask away and we will add it.
The last point on the website is that there may be ads appearing soon to aid in funding for the site fees. I want to make sure that it isn’t too obnoxious with ads, but some ads are a necessity for covering these expenses. Trust me when I say, I hate seeing them too. We may do sponsored ads in the future as well. One that is already on there is my personal eBay store, currently located on the side.
-We do want to be sure to thank our Patrons on Patreon who have given to setting up this church. If you would like to become a Patron, the link is in the description and on the website. There is also a dedicated page under the about section on the website to thank our Patrons past and present.
-One last note I also wanted to mention is that this is not the regularly scheduled service, that one will be on the 7th of January, so join then as well.
This ends our announcements for today, let us join our hearts and minds in prayer as we weave ourselves together to make create a sacred tapestry of community.
Let us pray
“Grand Architect of the Universe, Divine Being beyond understanding, may the light of your presence be with us through the coming year. Illuminate our paths to foster understanding among us as a community. Let that understanding radiate through our lives, influencing our relationships throughout the coming year. So mote it be!”
Beginnings can be difficult. Anytime something new is started there is a human tendency to want everything in place, figured out, and perfect before we take the first step. This becomes a roadblock to carrying out any progress at all. Today we gather as a ChristoPagan community to celebrate the first step in our creation of a ChristoPagan church and the turning of the calendar year. Today marks a significant turning point in our civic calendar. Some have been born and some have passed on, some have grown their family and some have shrunken their family. Traditionally yesterday would’ve been the day that we look back on the previous year’s events. While today, as we are likewise doing, is the day we look to what is ahead. In my house this process starts to take place around September or October, where I start to set the goals for what is about to come. What I would like to accomplish and what I would like to get rid of. That lower number on the bathroom scale always seems to be a constant on such a list.
Though the planning stage for the next year starts months in advance, it always seems that the days leading up to the start of the new year are fraught with replanning and stress of what is to come. By the time the new year comes along, it all unravels, plans fall through, and the whole year is wasted with nothing on the list getting crossed off. Again, this always happens with that damn scale. After a few years of this, I start to wonder, “am I just a loser?”
Reflecting on this situation for this year, I came to the answer…no, I’m afraid. Fear…that crippling feeling that paralyzes us where we are. So, I started to peel this onion to reveal the next layer of this is “what am I afraid of?” For my situations I have found that there are two prominent answers to this, and they are both true.
The first is a fear of judgement from others. This is something that we are usually taught from a young age. We are told to act and to think in a certain way that society deems as correct. This isn’t unreasonable; however, it goes a little too far when it comes to something that we are passionate about doing. When I was around 12 years old, I got interested in knitting. I bought at a yard sale a set of needles and some yarn, with the intent to teach myself from the helpful little book that came with the needles. There was an embarrassment, a fear that someone would notice what I was doing. It was not societally correct for a 12-year-old boy to be knitting in the late 1990’s. This stunted me from wholeheartedly going into knitting. I tell this story as it is all too common with what happens for any project that we would like to start, no matter the project. Inevitably there will be someone in society passing judgement on what you do. This doesn’t make starting our projects any easier though. As humans we want to be liked. It’s easy to say don’t pay attention to the naysayers, but it is inevitably harder to do.
The second fear that comes up for me is the fear that everything isn’t perfect. When it comes to making a blog post, a video, a writing project, or in the case of us here today, a church. The urge to make everything perfect has a similar effect. Going through life I see so many people who seem to have all their crap together. With our church, for instance, I see ministers who are so eloquent and charismatic that you hang onto their every word. They make you feel like going to the service was an investment in yourself and not an obligation for getting a ticket to Heaven. I see the same with some captivating YouTubers out there. You can’t help but watch the next video. Even if it was just them reading the phonebook aloud.
How could I compete with this? I’m not captivating, I’m not that well-spoken, and if I get something wrong, if I misspeak about something, then my seemingly perfect video, let alone the sermon itself, is anything but perfect. It is the same type of feeling for anytime I get started on a new project. I want it to be perfect and I want it to be complete, I want a masterpiece. If you are like me, a quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway is something that should always be remembered. “The first draft of anything is shit!”
You are only going to get better at something by doing it…a lot. If you look at the first videos of any YouTuber or were present for the first sermons of any of those ministers, chances are that they were terrible. People were quick to click off the video and the people in church were mentally going through their shopping list for when they could finally get out of their pew. Nobody is ever perfect out of the gate. Putting that pressure on ourselves to be at that level when you’re just starting out is like expecting a Kindergartener to ace the SATs.
Finding the reasons for our false starts is fine. At least we know why we feel the way that we do. But what we do with this information is what’s truly important.
For those times when you feel the fear of being judged, reflect on The Secret Book of James where Christ said, “listen to the word, understand knowledge, love life, and no one will persecute you and no one will oppress you other than you yourselves.” If you are understanding knowledge, in this case the secret gnosis, no one can touch you. But it goes further than that. It is understanding your motivation. The why behind what you do. Is it in line with what the Divine is asking of you? Are you listening to what’s being said to you? Then live life knowing that nothing can touch you.
Well Rev. that’s all well and good but that doesn’t really make me feel any better. It’s like saying everything is in my head. I need more guidance than that. Don’t worry I got more with Psalm 109:1-4 “O God, do not pass over my praise in silence, For the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful man opened against me; They spoke against me with a deceitful tongue; And they surrounded me with words of hatred, And warred against me without cause. Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me, But I continued to pray;”
That last part of verse 4 is the key here, “But I continued to pray.” When that moment comes, reach out to deity. Reach out to your support group. Don’t have a deity in your practice? No problem. You have the community here to reach out to. I got an email from an individual asking about ChristoPaganism, I in turn reached out asking for people to show this person that they aren’t alone. The community responded and helped this person solidify what they believe. The power contained in this support system is crucial when you are starting something new. For that person it was starting their practice, for you it may be starting a business, a family, a new job, or even a new type of craft…like knitting. Even if our community members are not involved in the project directly, having that support system can be vital for getting your project off the ground. You have a community here to call out to. Use it to your advantage. Let that support system drown out any of those naysaying troglodytes. Also, for those of the witchy persuasion, you can always read the rest of Psalm 109, particularly verses 5-20, if you really want to do some damage. I’ll leave that in your hands.
Addressing the fear of not being perfect when you are starting a new venture, let’s turn our attention to Galatians 5:25. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Again, this brings the question, “what is the why behind what you do?” If your goal is to have fun, you can make a mess and have fun. If you want to present yourself authentically to those on the internet, then they should also see you when you aren’t at your best. But if your goal is to glorify the Divine with your project, then you’re already halfway there. Thomas Merton in what is known as the Merton Prayer said “But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.” Looking at this, having that desire is the key, that is the focus of what you are doing. Put it another way, if you’re building a birdhouse and it turns out all wonky, but your desire is to house a bird, if it has a place for birds to build a nest, it’s perfect. Sure, it may not look the way you want it to, but it’s still perfect in its function. Building a business this year? If your goal is to cover the bills and have a little left over for savings and you end up scraping by, but still meeting your goal, your business is perfect. Do not look at the High School Senior with a perfect SAT score thinking, how am I not there yet? You’re only a kindergartener and there’s a lot of living that needs to happen before you get to that point. There will be stumbles and there will be tough times, you will mess up at times, learn from it moving forward. With determination to reach that perfect state, the aid of the Divine and our community, it will all turn out P-E-R-F-E-C-T.
All that being said, let us continue as a community to dedicate this ChristoPagan church, starting what I’m sure will be a wild ride full of many missteps. But, with focus on the Divine, it will be perfect.
Church Dedication Continued
Lord and Lady hear us. Sanctify this area dedicated to you. let it be to us a sign of a High Altar. Accept here the continual recalling of sacrifice. Grant that all who eat and drink at this holy Table may be fed and refreshed, be forgiven for sins, united with one another, and strengthened in service.
Reflection
Let us now turn our attention to the perfect communion feast that we share with one another today. Take a moment to reflect on the fact that you made it another year. Send gratitude to those who helped get you through it. Remember those who did not make it. Send loving energy to them at this moment. Examine yourself, what may need to be released to be in harmony with the Divine and the community. Finally, we turn to the Divine and ask that any infringements we have committed that is separating us from them, be forgiven.
Absolution
Grand Architect of the Universe, forgive the sins of these souls, blot out any iniquities which have knowingly or unknowingly been committed; forgive us, make us worthy to be reckoned with the Kingdom. So mote it be.
Prayer over the bread and wine (or other food and liquid)
Almighty, we ask You to make holy these elements of communion. May You bless+ approve + and ratify + that they may become like the Body + and Blood + of Christ, the Logos.
Communion
The eternal High Priest, Master Jesus, took bread, gave thanks and praise. He blessed and broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said:
Take and eat, for THIS IS MY BODY.
Do this in remembrance of me.
In like manner, when the supper ended, he took the noble Chalice. Again, he gave thanks and praise, blessed it and gave it to His disciples, and said:
Take and drink, for THIS IS MY BLOOD.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Departing of Deity
Divine presences, thank you for your presence here today. Merry meet, merry part until we merrily meet again.
Departing of Elements
Elemental guardians thank you for standing guard of our community, may you peacefully part until we meet again.
Releasing of Circle
Holy circle of fire, you have done what is desired, these words being spoken, the circle is now broken.
Benediction
Go into this New Year with an open heart, and the determination to fulfill what the Divine is calling you to do. May the blessing of the Almighty + of Christ the redeemer + and of the Holy Spirit our celestial Mother + descend upon you and remain with you always. Blessed Be.