Following the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent article in The Spectator, 'Face It: Marx was Partly Right about Capitalism', the Liturgical Commission has been rushed into action to make key changes to Church of England worship. Here is a sneak preview of the opening lines of the Common Worship Eucharist, as revised:
Marx be with you
And also with you.
Almighty Marx,
Unto whom all brains are open,
All analyses known,
And from whom no thought is hidden:
Cleanse us from false consciousness
By the inspiration of Lenin and Trotsky,
That we may perfectly love
What you have written as historical process.
Reading you.
Amen.
The elected Lecturer uses these suitable words:
Marx so loved humanity
That he gave us Marxism
And even the Frankfurt School,
To be the advocate of the Working Class
To remove false consciousness,
And bring us to a time of plenty.
Let us recognise our position in the class system,
Firmly resolved to take necessary action,
As our purpose is to change the world.
Almighty Marx, our earthly Scribe,
We have exploited
Or been exploited against
In deed and culture,
Through the system and intention,
Through our own deliberate gain, or loss.
We cannot help it,
Because of surplus value.
For the sake of your labour,
Who wrote for us,
Guide us towards the future
And grant that we may serve humanity without profit
To the glory of humankind.
Amen.
The elected Lecturer says:
Almighty Marx
Who analyses all what we have all done
Show us the way forward
Strengthen us in political action
Keep us in unfolding history
Through Marx, Lenin and Trotsky.
Amen.
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4 comments:
Funny, I swear you should start an Anglican humor mag.
I read the Spectator article (and the accompanying - various takes - of reporting about it over at TA). But I wonder in this day and age of the secularisation in Britain, if these pronouncements by Williams will be taken seriously. (if, indeed, they should). He lost my respect during the recent Lambeth gathering, with is wavering on LBGT issues.
The thing is, I'm lacking the ability to write things seriously. I could treat it seriously, I may even do so later today (I could give myself a shove in the back) but the amateurism, the way they attract sensationalists in the press. Marx was not interested in myth, but concrete relations, and it's nothing to do with Dawkins and Hitchens. The TV news said Williams's piece was closely argued - it's nothing of the sort. It has the look of being dashed off and unchecked, as if he has to say something. I suggest a monastery.
I'm going to try it at morning worship. I doubt anyone will be awake enough to notice.
I thought about adding the Gloria. I thought of some words. Over time I could end up with the full service. I have to restrain myself.
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