The Sunday Service: The LEONARDiction

Thanks to Phil's recent blog post over at Philip's Tree House regarding my CAVEspers I've been spurred on to come up with a new Sunday Service. So here it is - The LEONARDiction.

My long-held view is that the title of most inspired song-writers belongs to the holy trinity of Bob Dylan, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Having compiled a DYLitANy and CAVEspers already, I felt it was time to give the honour to Mr Cohen. (Incidently I've been very fortunate to see all three leading worship in London during the last 18 months.)

Why 'The LEONARDiction' - well being a traditionalist I had to come up with some kind of religious pun, however paltry. Also, the Benediction - or blessing - that usually accompanies the end of a church service or prayer time is somewhat appropriate for Cohen. For some reason a benediction is always 'prounounced' - and in my experience that means the minister or priest delivers it with a sombre yet uplifting tone. And surely if such contradictory adjectives were ever to be attributed to a singer's voice - it has to be Cohen's. So here's the 'setlist'...

Processional Hymn: Hallelujah (Various Positions, 1985)

Praise and Worship:
Love Calls You by Your Name (Songs of Love and Hate, 1971)
Dance Me to the End of Love (Various Positions, 1985)
That Don't Make It Junk (Ten New Songs, 2001)

Intercessionary Prayers: The Future (The Future, 1992)

Confession:
Everybody Knows (I'm Your Man, 1988)
Tower of Song (I'm Your Man, 1988)

Bible reading: The Story of Isaac (Songs From a Room, 1969)

Sermon: Anthem (The Future, 1992)

Response: If it be Your Will (Various Positions, 1985)

Recessional hymn: Here It Is (Ten New Songs, 2001)

The Sunday Service: DYLitANy (Week 1)

A highlight of my life over the last couple of weeks has to be my entry into the 'Never Ending Pool' (sad I know). This is a Bob Dylan related game - where particpants choose 12 songs from the master's back catalogue and get points if he deems to play them on the latest leg of his tour. I'm not doing so well at the moment but there's plenty of time for a comeback. Anyway, checking out my score every morning before breakfast I'm reminded of the incredible discography Dylan has. And so it's time for my first 'DYLitANy' in true 'U2charist' style.

Why DYLitANy? As well as being the only 'service' type pun I could come up with, the term litany is sometimes related to long and 'wordy' statements - something Bob Dylan can be accused of in his songs - although in my opinion only in a good way, as he rarely wastes any words!

Processional: Ring them Bells (Oh Mercy, 1989) Listen here...

Praise and worship:
Beyond the Horizon (Modern Times, 2006) Listen here...
I Believe in You (Slow Train Coming, 1979) Listen here...
I Shall be Released (Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits vol. 2, 1971)Listen here...

All age spot (optional): Man Gave Names to all the Animals (Slow Train Coming, 1979) Listen here...

Confession:
What Good am I? (Oh Mercy, 1989) Listen here...
Not Dark Yet (Time Out of Mind, 1997) Listen here...

Offertory: Only a Hobo (Bootleg series vol. 1-3, 1991) Listen here...

Intercession:
Chimes of Freedom (Another Side of Bob Dylan, 1964) Listen here...
Death is not the End (Down in the Groove, 1988) Listen here...

Sermon
Response:
A Hard Rain Gonna Fall (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, 1963) Listen here...

Recessional: Lay Down Your Weary Tune (Biograph, 1985) Listen here...

Benediction: Forever Young (Planet Waves, 1974) Listen here...

The Sunday service: CAVEspers

Perhaps you've heard about 'U2charists'? In case not the 'U2charist' is a church service that uses church liturgy interspersed with U2 songs instead of traditional church music. Firstly, a quick word on this. I get the concept - somewhat in line with this blog - and I do like U2. However, in my mind it's cheating slightly! Using U2 is pretty much like using church music or at least Delirious? and the dozens of Christian bands that mimick the U2 sound. What I want is something a little bit more 'edgy'. So here's my first offering: CAVEspers...

Why CAVEspers? Well, there is definitely something of the night about Nick Cave, and it just seems appropriate that Vespers, the evening prayer service, belongs to him (although I'm very aware that the format below doesn't follow a Vespers format, necessarily). So here are some songs by Nick Cave that I would use in a CAVEspers service...

Opening hymn: Get Ready for love (Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus, 2004) Listen here...

Praise and Worship:
Hallelujah (No More Shall We Part, 2001) Listen here...
Carry Me (Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus, 2004)
I Let Love in (Let Love in, 1994) Listen here...

Confession:
Foi Na Cruz (The Good Son, 1990) Listen here... Translation here.
People Ain't No Good (The Boatman's Call, 1997) Listen here...

Bible Reading: There is a Kingdom (The Boatman's Call, 1997)

Intecessions:
We Call Upon the Author (Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, 2008) Listen here...
God is in the House (No More Shall We Part, 2001) Listen here...

Sermon
Response: The Mercy Seat (Tender Prey, 1988) Listen here...

Recessional: Bring it On (Nocturama, 2003) Listen here...

And finally, here's a quote from the man himself about Sunday services: "When I go to church, I have to take so much of it as metaphor, and I find it very irritating. The sermons are often pathetic and untrue, based on terrible misinterpretations of the Bible. But I like the order and the ritual of a church service. It gives me an elevated feeling about the mundane. I’m more aware of things... I haven’t had any great epiphanies. I just feel it’s my duty to educate myself about the concept of God."