Signs of Grace was written as an authentic liturgy for BeachcomberFX to use within its gatherings that connected with those who are part of the community. In its normal setting this liturgy would be used at the start of a meal. Bread would be shared and drinks raised before the meal is eaten together. Signs of Grace can also be used in smaller chunks and you will find bits of it used in our Coastal Sanctuary booklets.
We read the liturgy in different ways too. Usually this is by giving space for anyone and everyone to take part in it. The first line is read and then people read out a line at a time one after another as. Sometimes three people say the same line at the same time and sometimes there is prolonged silence as we wait. Another way is to use the numbers for each line. These allow people to have numbers given to them and they read their lines in turn for a more structured approach. Finally, the last words are always said together before we start the meal, go our separate ways or move on to the next part of a gathering. There is not set way to do Signs of Grace.
It is called 'a work of the people' because at its roots the word liturgy comes from two Greek words that mean people and work. Signs of Grace is a set of words written by members of the BeachcomberFX community for the community. They are a gift for a moment in time and it is our hope that they will develop and change over time into different words and different works.