Opening Hymn # 123
Spirit of Life, come unto me
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea
Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice
Roots hold me close, wings set me free
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me
Opening Reading, written by Percival Chubb
The lazy days of Summer are upon us. The fields are mature, with early crops waiting to be harvested. In the fertile ground of our minds, there is also a harvesting of plans made, now come to fruition. What is needed is that burst of energy to reap what was sown in the Spring of field and mind. If we experience heaviness, perhaps it is because this is a finale. It is not easy to stand with scythe in hand, poised before the first cut ... the beginning of the end. And so ...... we avoid just a bit longer bringing our own Quests to an end. We are each Hero's and Heroines, on our own journeys, with individual challenges along the way. We naturally experience that small hesitation before we set the last brick in place, sign the painting, or first send our child to school or camp. We savor for one sweet moment the feeling of success, of creation, of the execution of the plans of our lives. We are reminded at Lughnasadh that accomplishments are to be celebrated, and that they naturally fade into our past, with new ones always on the horizon. Our lives are about beginnings as well as endings, and each are to be honored.
Explanation of Lughnasadh and Lammas, Lorraine Ellis
First of all – does anyone want to take a stab at the pronunciation of this word? I’ll give you a hint. It’s Gaelic, therefore the two h’s render the letters in front of them silent.
Lughnasadh is named for Lugh, an ancient Irish god, the foster son of Tailtiu (pronounced Telsha). Tailtiu was an earth goddess who, it is said, cleared the Irish forests for agriculture, working so hard that she perished in the process. In honor of Tailtiu, Lugh established the Tailtian games. This was a period of up to two weeks at the end of July and beginning of August in which tribes gathered for business, to celebrate the first harvest, and to compete in games such as throwing the dart, high-jumping, pole-vaulting, stone-throwing, triple-jumping, throwing the wheel, foot races, and horseracing. Lughnasadh gatherings were an historical fact, occurring throughout the Celtic lands of Britain, Gaul and Ireland, from about 2000 BC, until the year 1169 C.E., when the last official games were held. It is likely that the Highland Games of Scotland and the Grasmere Games of Britain, as well as the enduring tradition of summer fairs and festivals are decendents of the Tailtian Games. And to be sure, many of the traditional customs of Lughnasadh survived as folk practices and continued for the next several hundred years.
While at first glance the holiday may seem to be simply about the games, it’s important to remember whom the games were named for: Tailtiu, an earth goddess who made agriculture possible in Ireland. The clearing of the land allowed for the growing of grain. Grain is the first major crop to be harvested each summer in an agrarian society, and this is the time of year for that harvest. Our local grain is corn, which will also be harvested soon.
The other common name for this holiday is Lammas, which is actually a Christian name, and most probably a shortening of the Anglo Saxon “hlaef-mass” or “loaf mass.” The Anglo Saxon Chronicle of 921 C.E. mentions Lammas as “the feast of first fruits.” It was a popular ceremony during the Middle Ages, in which the first grain was gathered in, ground in a mill and baked into a loaf. This first loaf was offered up as part of the Christian Eucharist ritual.
The roots of this tradition are undoubtedly pre-Christian, and probably date back nearly as far as the baking of bread. The original name of this loaf ritual, if it had one, is lost to us, so modern pagans often use the Christian term.
Before we go on - a quick note about the word corn. In Britain, corn is a generic name for all forms of grain – wheat, barley, rye, oats. The American grain that we know as corn is usually called by its native name, “maize,” in the rest of the world. So when you hear terms like “corn dolly” and “John Barleycorn,” understand that they are not talking about what we know as corn, but about what we would consider to be, generically, “grain.”
Throughout northern Europe and the British Isles, the gods of vegetation, particularly grains, were almost invariably male. The female earth nurtured seeds in her womb and the resulting crops were male in spirit. In many cultures, as grain was harvested the spirit of the grain, the spirit of the vegetation gods, was believe to retreat before the sickle, into the remaining grain. The last few stalks of grain, containing the concentrated spirit of the local vegetation god, was gathered, bound together, and placed in a safe location to wait out the winter, until it could be returned to the fields with the new spring planting. Sometimes these grains were plaited into elaborate shapes, including human forms. The tradition of making corn dollies is a reflection of these ancient beliefs.
In many ancient societies, the sun was also predominantly seen as male, and the cycle of the sun was intimately linked with the cycle of vegetation growth on the earth. At the summer solstice, or mid-summer, the sun god is at his greatest strength, shining upon the earth, nurturing her and all her inhabitants. After the solstice, the days begin to get shorter. It was believed that the sun god was dying, sacrificing his energy and strength to the vegetation on the earth, and particularly to the corn fields. At Samhain, the end of October, which marks the third and final harvest, the sun god finally dies, enters the womb of the earth goddess, and is reborn at the Winter Solstice. Animals and humans are both able to live through the winter because of the god’s sacrifice.
Indeed, the theme of the “sacrificial king or sacrificial god” is common among many cultures. Some of the gods who were believed to have died or to have been sacrificed annually are Adonis, Attis, Crom Dubh, Dionysus, Mithra, Osiris, Prometheus and Set. Some theorize that the sacrifice and death of Christ is yet another retelling of the pagan story of the sacrificial god. But that’s another story.
Among modern pagans, beliefs vary about whether the ancient gods and their stories are real, or simply metaphors. Likewise, beliefs vary as to whether the gods are all separate individuals, or merely facets of one great god entity. Whether we believe in the stories literally, or treat them as metaphor, the themes of first harvest and sacrifice come through in our celebrations at this time of year. It is true that the sun’s energy is converted from radiant solar energy to biological energy within the vegetation of the earth. It is also true that we consume what is ultimately solar energy every time we eat – either vegetable or flesh. That, in itself, is worthy of some thought and consideration at this time of year, when the sun seems strong, but is undeniably growing weaker by the day. Is it divine sacrifice, or simply the way things are?
We will hear more about sacrifice in a few minutes.
Responsive Reading #656
A Harvest of Gratitude - Percival Chubb
Once more the fields have ripened to harvest, and the fruitful earth has fulfilled the promise of spring
The work of those who labor has been rewared: they have sown and reaped, planted and gathered.
How rich and beauthiful is the bounty gathered: The golden grain and clustered corn, the grapes of purple and green,
The crimson apples and yellow pears, and all the colors of orchard and garden, vineyard and field.
Season follows after season, after winter the spring, after summer the harvest-laden autumn.
From bud to blossom, from flower to fruit, from seed to bud again, the beauty of earth unfolds.
From the harvest of the soil we are given occasion to garner a harvest of the heart and mind:
A harvest of resolve to be careful stewards of all life's gifts and opportunities.
A harvest of reverence for the wondrous power and life at work in things that grow, and in the soul.
A harvest of gratitude for every good which we enjoy, and of fellowship for all who are sustained by earth's bounty.
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Song/Offertory
Round and the earth is turning
Turning always round to morning
And from morning round to night
Sermon, "Sacrifice - it's not just for ancient pagans"
by Lorraine Ellis
Lughnassadh and Lammas mark a season of sacrifice. Many modern people, including modern pagans, are uncomfortable with the word "sacrifice," especially in a religious context. I think this is in large part due to Hollywood sensationalism, and a perceived need to defend (or deny) the actions of ancient pagan cultures, many of which did, indeed, practice animal and human sacrifice.
In the religious sense, sacrifice and offering are essentially the same thing, although a sacrifice might be thought of as a "really big" offering. The purpose of a sacrifice or offering is to make a gift to the divine - to give back some of our wealth and prosperity in thanks for the many gifts we have been given. A sacrifice or offering may also be thought of as a “purchase price” for a need or desired outcome. In ancient days people made sacrifices to the gods to ensure prosperity, or a good harvest, or the return of the sun at the winter solstice. In many ancient temples and sacred sites, archeologists have found jewelry, tools, and other objects that show no wear whatsoever, and appear to have been made or purchased specifically for the purpose of making an offering to the Gods. Coins and other material offerings have been common throughout the ages.
In addition, many cultures around the world have had a tradition of sacrificing living creatures to the Gods. Even the Bible includes numerous references to "burnt offerings," which were animals that were slaughtered and burned upon an altar in thanks for God's gifts, and petition for his continued blessings. Such an offering might truly have been a sacrifice for an agrarian culture. Imagine that your family's flock of sheep produced 10 lambs in a season. Offering one of those lambs to the gods might make the difference between survival and starvation in a lean winter. The more I think about it, the more I believe Catholics are onto something with the concept of tithing. If it is to mean something, an offering - a sacrifice - should hurt a little. Which would mean more to you - a $1000 gift from someone who earns $100,000 a year, or the same $1000 gift from someone who makes only $10,000 a year?
In modern times, for most westerners, the concept of religious sacrifice has been subsumed into the Sunday morning offering plate, although we still regularly make bargains and deals with the divine for specific needs and wants. I’m thinking of the man who, exiting a bar after a night of drinking, and swaying as he gets into his vehicle, implores “Dear God, just get me home safe and past the cops, and I swear I’ll never drink again!.”
The concept of a pagan offering or sacrifice should never be confused with Hollywood sensationalism of black magic. Some cultures and individuals have, and continue to use the pain and suffering of animals as a method for raising energy for magical rites. And we often hear about dabblers in devil worship sacrificing cats or other animals to win the favors of Satan. These are not the kinds of sacrifices that modern pagans subscribe to, nor should they. Remembering the purpose of sacrifice – to give a meaningful gift to the divine. The ancient Mayans played a ritual ball game – a sport requiring great skill, strength and athletic prowess. At the end of the game, which could go on for days, who do you think was ritually sacrificed to the gods – the winners or the losers? It was the winners! The Mayans believed they must give their best to the gods. Why would the gods want the losers?
Modern religions like Santeria and Voudoun, which have roots in older African religions, continue to practice animal sacrifice. However, unlike what you may have seen on television, the animals that are sacrificed by the Santeros have been meticulously raised and cared for. They are held in clean, spacious quarters, fed liberally, and treated with great respect. Their quality of life probably far exceeds that of animals being commercially raised for the slaughterhouse. They are, after all, to be given as a gift to the gods, and the gods deserve the very best.
When considered in this light, it makes no sense at all for a pagan (or anyone else) to round up the neighborhood cats for a sacrifice. Again, which gift would mean more to you: a bouquet of rare roses, lovingly raised and tended by a friend, or a handful of daisies stolen from the neighbor's garden? Which gift is truly a gift of the self?
It is important to also remember that even those historic pagan cultures that offered animals for sacrifice did so in a humane way - there was little or no suffering on the part of the animal. In Santeria and Voudoun, aftern an animal is killed, the blood is usually set aside for the gods, but the rest of the animal, after being cleaned, is cooked as a celebratory meal for the human participants in the ritual. When you think about it, what truly is the difference between humanely slaughtering one of your backyard chickens as an offering to the gods, and purchasing that chicken, already killed and dressed and wrapped in plastic at the grocery store? Does it make a difference to the chicken? For that matter, what is the difference, to the backyard chicken, between being killed for the family stewpot, or being killed as a meal for the gods? Indeed, many pagans routinely set aside part of the family meal as an offering to the gods or spirits. Is it somehow worse to offer them a chop from a newly butchered pig, than to open a can of Spam?
Now, before you begin to get the wrong idea, I am not advocating that we all begin making animal sacrifices, or raising chickens and goats for that purpose. I certainly don’t intend to do that myself. I, like most neo-pagans do not believe that the gods require or expect this kind of sacrifice. I am only trying to place things in perspective, and suggest that we do not need to be quite so uncomfortable with the concept of sacrifice, as performed by other religions. The practice of animal sacrifice is no more horrific than is raising animals for human consumption. I'm simply saying, "let's not be hypocritical." If it's ok to eat animals, it is ok to offer them to the divine. Of course, the vegetarians and vegans among you are probably thinking, "she's just made my whole point for me," and perhaps so. I'll leave that issue to your individual consciences.
For those of us who believe in deity, the main purpose of an offering is to build a relationship with the divine. A regular offering is a regular reminder to pay attention to the divine presence in our lives. And it is a tangible reminder to the divine that we are here, that we believe, and that we are grateful.
But what is the value of sacrifice or offering for someone who does not believe in God? It’s all about gratitude. Without gratitude, we are in danger of becoming self-centered and arrogant. Making a regular offering, even if you believe it goes no further than the bellies of your backyard birds, is a discipline, not unlike daily meditation. They are regular reminders to be grateful. To stave off haughty self-importance. Offerings of money, time and service to others in need give us a sense of accomplishment, connect us with the real world, and give us a glimpse of the divine, even if it only exists in a metaphorical sense.
For the modern pagan, offerings and sacrifices can take many different forms. Some people make a daily, weekly, or monthly offering of food, flowers, fruits, incense, or any number of other consumable items, upon an altar or in a special outdoor spot. I, for example, keep a big bag of wild bird food mix, which includes seeds, nuts, corn, and other delicacies, in the back of my car. When I visit places where I wish to acknowledge and honor the local energies, spirits and deities, I leave a handful of the grain for that purpose. Others people offer their money or their time to worthwhile social or environmental causes. Interestingly, many people do not equate donations or service with the concept of a religious offering, but those may actually be the more valuable of sacrifices. They are truly a tangible way of giving back to the divine, to the world and to the cosmos, in thanks for the gifts we have been given.
I'd like to invite you to reflect for a few minutes on the kinds of offerings and sacrifices you are already making. In what ways to you give back to your community, your world, your gods? In what ways do your actions say "thank you?"
Now, let’s think about other ways in which you might be able to contribute. What gift can you give that will truly show the depth of your gratitude for the blessings you've received? What changes can you make in your life that will help you to remember to be grateful, and to show that gratitude?
Does anyone wish to share their ideas?
(Discussion followed)
Group Chant
written by Carter Heyward
Participants were encouraged to treat this as a performance, and to get as dramatic as they wished with it.
In the beginning was God
In the beginning, the source of all that is
In the beginning, God, yearning
God, moaning
God, labouring
God, giving birth
God, rejoicing
And God loved what she had made
And God said, "It is good."
Then God, knowing that all that is good is shared
Held the earth tenderly in her arms
God yearned for relationship
God longed to share the good earth
And humanity was born in the yearning of God
We were born to share the earth
In the earth was the seed
In the seed was the grain
In the grain was the harvest
In the harvest was the bread
In the bread was the power
And God said, All shall eat of the earth
All shall eat of the seed
All shall eat of the grain
All shall eat of the harvest
All shall eat of the bread
All shall eat of the power
God said, You are my people
My friends
My lovers
My sisters
And brothers
All of you shall eat
Of the bread
And the power
All shall eat
Then God, gathering up her courage in love, said,
Let there be bread!
And God's sisters and brothers, her friends and her lovers,
knelt on the earth
planted the seeds
prayed for the rain
sang for the grain
made the harvest
cracked the wheat
pounded the corn
kneaded the dough
kindled the fire
filled the air with the smell of fresh bread
And there was bread!
And it was good!
We, the sisters and brothers of God, say today
All shall eat of the bread,
And the power,
We say today,
All shall have power
And bread.
Today we say
Let there be bread.
And let there be power!
Let us eat of the bread and the power!
And all will be filled
For the bread is rising!
By the power of God
We all are blessed
By the people of God
The bread is blessed
By the bread of God
The power is blessed
By the power of bread
The power of us all
The power of God
The people are blessed
The earth is blessed
And the bread is rising.
Closing Song
I will be gentle with myself
I will love myself
I am a child of the universe
Being born each moment
