Book Title: All in Good Faith
Author(s): Jean Potter, Marcus Braybrooke
Publisher: World Congress of Faiths

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Page 139
________________ The Opening Ceremony of Our British Interfaith Ecological Centre Claire Dalley This imaginary service was written by Claire Dalley as part of her work as a student of Theology and World Religions at Westminster College, Oxford. Copyright for this chapter is with Westminster College. Introduction When we look at the use of flowers in history and the present day, their influence is almost universal. They touch many faiths and cultural systems. They are present in the symbolism, liturgy, poetry, thought and psyche of many of the world's religions. They seem to express in visual form, profound statements from the giver to the receiver. In religions, flowers have been used to express an abundance of theology, philosophy and thought. A common theme is that of impermanence. Philosophers and poets alike have compared the short life of a bloom to the relatively short life span of a human being. For many, flowers have become a natural tool to reveal our thoughts on death and the afterlife: although the bloom dies, and retires for Autumn, Spring occurs bringing the plant back to life. This phenomenon has been used to explain beliefs about Rebirth, New Life and Resurrection. In today's 'Post-modern' world, flowers have taken on additional meanings. They are often used to express the theme of the delicacy and impermanence of the world in which we live, expressing a need for extreme care in the way we treat our environment. Flowers are symbols of the beauty of the world, and at the same time, its easy deterioration. They, along with other symbols of nature, have been used to make a stand against opposing ideologies present in the world, such as consumerism. In this service, I decided to bring these two themes together. By creating an Interfaith ceremony I hope to highlight that many of the world's faiths (particularly those present in Britain) use flower symbolism. In order to do this, the main part of the service involves a member of each community offering a symbol with flower connections to the whole group, these shall become a symbol of our unity and alliance in caring for the world. Being the opening service of an Interfaith ecological centre, I hope this will illustrate some of the ecological symbolism found in flowers. The Service A Note on Text Italics... Bold and Italics... Bold. ............ Normal. one person is speaking all present may say the words instructions information The chairs have been arranged in a circle, to symbolise equality, unity, and the shape of the world in which we all live. The words 'Religious People Meeting Together(1) for the Sake of Our Earth' are written in roses on a colourful backdrop of marigolds.(2) As all process in from the reception room, these words may be said by all: We come together to this place, in a spirit of respect for religious differences, to try to bring our shared religious concerns for the welfare of our planet into realistic effective action. - 128

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