At our September Wild Church, held at the far side of the tarn, we explored what this late-summer time of “going to seed” has to say to our own reckoning with mortality and purpose. What if the end of our life is to become a good meal for someone else? Or to die into new life, over and over again? How does attention to this process affect how we steward our resources? How we think about our own aging bodies?
Here is the closing liturgy, written by Lydia Wylie-Kellermann
1
As sunlight dances through the trees,
we feel into our tender places
mindful that we are constantly
becoming seeds.
Sweet, packed with new life,
ready to take flight.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
2
Within the sweetness,
we stumble upon our own raggedness,
our tattered edges,
our imperfections,
and within this circle,
held by the sound of the bullfrogs,
we welcome these pieces
with gratitude and delight.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
3
As the cattails prepare to take flight,
we too imagine the freedom of letting go.
We dare to look at what must be released
mindful that no matter how much we resist
we release control
for our own seeds will be carried off in the wind
free to fall upon the earth where we know not.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
4
And, oh, precious the sound
that the seed may fall
and take on new life beyond
what we could ask or imagine.
Hope carried
by wind
or bird
or kin
or simply back to the earth.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
5
Over and over
the cycle pulls through the seasons
and our bodies
sew, tend, harvest, release.
Release, release, release.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
6
And here before us
Bread and wine
Wheat seeds fallen and gathered
Grape seeds picked and smashed
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
7
Generations before us,
On the night before Jesus was to be killed
He gathered with his friends
Ragged, imperfect, tattered
Ready to become seed
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
8
He held up the bread and wine and said
“pick up these seeds” once I have left
Bread and wine
And do this in remembrance of me
“Let my words, my life, my body
Spread across the wind
and carry on.
And then he let go.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
9Today, we gather
Surrounded by seeds
Becoming seeds
And we share this bread and grape juice with one another
Letting seeds get inside of us.
Seed upon seed upon seed.
Refrain:
The earth holds our fragile, mortal bodies,
as we slowly become seeds.
