Full Moon Vespers

The Lantern Bearer’s Prayer, by Emma Moreton

FULL MOON VESPERS

Flower Moon, 26 May 2021

The following liturgy is adapted from the Forest Church movement in the UK. It seeks to reconnect the natural and supernatural, to reënchant our world, and to draw positive lessons from the neopagan movement which has drawn so very much from Christianity.

Introduction at the Fire Pit
The celebration of the Full Moon was held in ancient times by Jewish communities and is the basis for at least three major biblical festivals: Purim, Sukkot, and Passover. It is a celebration of the abundance of life, thankfulness for protection and for those things which have reached fulfillment in our lives at this point.

At this time we are bathed in the fullness of silvery beams from Lady Moonlight (to paraphrase St Francis) and give thanks for her role in refreshing her sister, the sea. Let us listen to the voice of the Eternal Spirit as we join together to declare our intention for this hallowed time.

I. Marking Sacred Space
Leader 1: Lord of all Creation, Father and Mother to our beings, You call us at this appointed time to offer You our thanks and praise, both for the abundance of Your Creation and for Your transforming presence in our lives. We now separate ourselves from the mundane and enter this sacred place.

If you can, please crouch down or bend down on one knee.

All: May Your Kingdom come, on earth below (touch ground with left hand, looking downwards), as in heaven above (raise right hand and look heavenwards). All rise.

Leader 2: Blessed be You, Almighty Star Breather, who with the words, “Let there be!” breathed the cosmos into being. Eternal One, present before time and space, who from the primordial chaos crafted sun, moon, and star, and set them in place to serve as heavenly markers, we bid You hail and welcome.

Calling the Quarters
Each participant faces each direction as it is called.

North: God of the North and of our Sister, Mother Earth, through whom all Your bountiful generosity makes provision for all life here, and whose song of praise can be heard in the rustle of leaf and song of bird, we bid you hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

South: God of the South and of majestic Brother Sun, who stands still in the sky and pours his radiant beams upon this sacred landscape, providing life-giving energy to all in his gaze, we bid you hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

East: God of the East and of Brother Air, bringer of refreshing breeze and stayer of stagnation, who brings the weather, both calm and stormy, and through whom we exchange our very breath with all green life, we bid you hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

West: God of the West and of Sister Water, so useful, so humble, so precious and pure, who cleanses and revives ourselves and all life, and who shapes the landscape around us, we bid you hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

Consecrating the Circle
Leader 1: Without peace, no work may be fruitful. Let us establish our circle in the peace of Christ, the Prince of Peace.

The Peacemaker moves to each cardinal point (E, S, W, N in turn), faces it and says the following: May there be peace in the [direction].

All: So may it be.

After this has been completed:

All: Let there be peace throughout all worlds; in earth and sky and sea.

Leader 2: Our circle is established in the Name of the Three of Grace.

A Reading of the Eighth Psalm:
O Eternal, our Lord, Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth; Your magnificent glory shines far above the skies. From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent, You have decreed power to stop Your adversaries and quash those who seek revenge.

When we gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—on the moon, stars, and all You have made, we can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—sons and daughters of men and women—motes of dust floating about the cosmos.

But You placed us just beneath God and honored us like royalty, crowning us with glory and honor. You ordained us to govern the works of Your hands, to nurture the offspring of Your divine imagination; You placed everything on earth under our care: All kinds of domesticated animals, even the wild animals in the fields and forests, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, all the multitudes of living things that travel the currents of the oceans.

O Eternal, our Lord, Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth.

II. Blessing and Honoring the Full Moon

All face the Full Moon in the East.

Leader 1: The heavens and the highest heavens belong to the Divine Creator, but the earth he has given to all peoples.

Leader 2: Divine Creator, we give You thanks and praise for our Sister Moon, who dances around our world, marking the appointed times and washing our landscape with silvery beams.

Leader 1: May we bathe in her calming gaze and meditate upon how special she truly is, both in her beauty and in her role of keeping the natural world in balance.

A time of reflective silence is held.

Leader 2: Let us bring a blessing upon our Sister Moon.

Group raises their arms towards and palms facing the moon.

Leader 1: Lunar Lady of the Night, reflecting the glory of Brother Sun, we honor and bless you this eve. Join with us now in declaring the praises of your Creator for your faithfulness in your created purpose.

Leader 2: As we bathe in the fullness of your splendor may we see in the surrounding darkness of this world more clearly than ever before.

Leader 1: As our arms stretch out in vain to touch you, so may those who would seek to harm us be unable to touch us.

Leader 2: May you be blessed in the faithfulness of your cycles, and in your sisterhood with the sea. May you refresh her and bring abundance to all life dwelling within her bounds. We bid you hail and welcome.

All: Hail and welcome!

A Reading of the Song to the Moon, from Carmina Gadelica:
May your light shine down on me in the fullness of your being!
Pour forth your radiant beams and guide us safely home.
O fair moon of the seasons, O great lamp of grace!
He Who created you created me likewise;
He Who brought you forth in full, will bring us to our own.
O fair moon of the seasons, O great lamp of grace!

III. Thanksgiving and Praise
Leader 1: The Full Moon is a time of looking back over the past month to give thanks and praise for that which has been given to us in abundance, for that which has been fulfilled, and for times when we have felt the protection of the Divine in our lives. As we give thanks and praise, let us declare it aloud.

A period of silence is held as we each offer our thanks and praise to the Eternal One.

Leader 2: As both firelight and moonlight illuminate our lives, reflecting our image towards the heavens—images of the Image of God—we offer You, our Creator, our heartfelt thanks and praise. Blessed be.

All: Blessed be!

A Reading of the 148th Psalm:
Praise the Eternal! All you in the heavens, praise the Eternal; praise Him from the highest places! All you, His angels and His armies in heaven: praise Him! Sun, moon, and all you brilliant stars above: praise Him! Highest heavens and all you waters above the heavens: praise Him!

Let all things join together in a concert of praise to the name of the Eternal, for He gave the command and they were created. He put them in their places to stay forever—He declared it so, and it is final.

Everything on earth, join in and praise the Eternal; sea monsters and creatures of the deep, lightning and hail, snow and foggy mists, violent winds all respond to His command.

Mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedar forests, all you animals both wild and tame, reptiles and birds who take flight, praise the Lord! All kings and all nations, princes and all judges of the earth, all people, young men and women, old men and children alike, praise the Lord!

Let us all praise the name of the Eternal! For His name stands alone above all others. His glory shines greater than anything above or below. He has made His people strong; He is the praise of all who are godly, the praise of the children of Israel, those whom He holds close. Praise the Eternal!

Leader 2: Light of the World, Maker of all lights, we ask that You remain ever present within us, and that the light given to us will shine out into the darkness of these times. May whatever shades our light be removed, that we might shine like the stars in this world. Equip us, that we may enable others to walk in the light, as we journey towards and reach our fullness of being in You.

IV. A Small Shared Meal
Leader 1: This is a time of fulfillment and abundance. May we give thanks for the bounty of the natural world, for food and drink that we may be nourished for our journeys ahead.

Leader 2: May the Almighty One who gives us the dew of the heavens and earth’s richest abundance bless this food and drink this night. Eat and may you never hunger.

Leader 1: Drink with heartfelt thanks; work that none may thirst.

Leader 2: Eat with heartfelt thanks; work that none may hunger.

Food and drink are consumed mindfully—in our case, s’mores! A time of sharing what’s happened since the last Full Moon, for prayers and thankfulness, can be undertaken. Musicians and dancers may bring gifts of song and dance at this time.

V. Closing
Leader 1: Let us cherish in our hearts each and every blessing this ritual has brought to us, whether seen, heard, felt or touched. Let us bind them to our hearts and memories that we may leave this place, kept in the love and tender care of the Eternal One.

Each participant faces each direction as it is called.

North: God of the North and of bountiful provision, bless us in our need, that we may have enough for each day. Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

South: God of the South and of majestic sun. May the fire of your Pentecost Spirit blaze in our hearts and set others aflame with love for You. Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

East: God of the East and of the air we breathe, may your Holy Breath be found in every word we speak. Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

West: God of the West and of precious water, pour Your refreshing Spirit over us once more and quench our thirst forever. Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

Peacemaker: Now let our celebration, which began in peace, end in peace. In the Name of the Eternal Three in One, go forth in peace. Take the blessings you have received, and with them bless others in turn until we meet once more.

The fire is reverently extinguished.

Leaders 1 & 2: Our circle is now opened once more. Go forth in peace, serving our Creator as we take the blessings we have received to bless others in turn.

All: And the Creator’s promise of the turning of the Wheel, of seedtime and harvest, and the journey of Sister Moon will continue to provide for all. So may it be.

Leader 1: In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.  



Liturgy ©2020 Matt Arnold,
matt@mattarnold.co.uk, www.GodOfGreenHope.com.