Gathering Our Spirit with God's Spirit

This is a Communion Sunday. In the center there's a Communion table, with big bread loaves on it and juice, but it also has a bowl of rose water on it, and unlit incense sticks on little incense burners. The mood is relaxed, like last Sunday, but not dark. There are four Communion stations … but we’re not eating and drinking.

• “Breathe (2 a.m.)” by Anna Nalick plays
• A Journeyer steps up to light the lamp and another rings the bell
• Rick (E), Leslie (L) make announcements

Worshiping with Our Children

• A Journeyer leads our children in talking about how when we breathe fresh air, we feel good and healthy, but when we breathe stinky or stale or smoky air, we feel bad, tired, cranky. God’s love is like fresh air.

Welcome and Breathe

• Film clip from “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” plays. Bless you.
• Rick welcomes, has us breathe. While we are trying to breathe and center ourselves, an audio track of traffic sounds grows louder and louder.

God’s Spirit and Our Spirit

• "Prologue" by Loreena McKennitt with quotations from Rumi video plays
• Renee (E), Leslie (L) read “Journey Communion”

The word “Communion” is usually thought of as referring to the ancient Christian sacrament involving bread and wine. This sacrament, an enacting of Jesus’ sharing bread and wine with his followers at his Last Supper with them, is also known, in various Christian traditions, as The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. We Journeyers participate in this ritual about once a month together.

But we seldom restrict the celebration of this sacrament to the traditional words of the scriptures and church creeds, or to only one method for eating the bread and drinking the wine or juice. Instead, we think of this sacrament as a means by which to celebrate Jesus’ words, and Jesus’ gift of his life to us and the world, and depending on what we’re learning and experiencing together, we allow Communion to be any number of things: crackers, bread, fish tacos, lots of flavors of juice, water. We approach Communion servers, who speak to us. Or we serve one another. Or we take the bread and juice by ourselves. In each case, we are in communion.

The word “communion” comes from the Latin word communio. It means “close relationships” -- as in, “community.” A group of Christians, a group of churches, or the entire number of Jesus’ followers in the world can all be called a “communion.”

The sharing of the bread and wine which represent Jesus’ gift of himself to us and to the world is a way for Jesus’ followers to be close to God, and close to one another. That’s the true meaning of communio -- community -- and participating in Communion together is a way for that to happen.

Today we are celebrating Communion together, but we will not share bread and juice. We will inhale, to symbolize God’s Love, given to us.

According to the Jesus story known as the Gospel of John, Jesus appeared to his followers after he conquered death:

On that Sunday afternoon, Jesus’ students and followers were gathered together. They had locked all the doors in the house, afraid of the religious leaders. But Jesus came in anyway. He stood among them, and said, “I give you peace.” He showed them his hands, and his side.

His followers were thrilled. Jesus repeated his greeting: “I give you peace. And, just as God sent me, I am going to send you.” He took a deep breath, and breathed into them. “Inhale God’s Spirit,” he said. “I am giving you the power to make wrongs and brokenness disappear.”

So, Journeyers, we are also gathered together. We are also following a Christ who has conquered death. Are we ready to inhale God’s Spirit? Are we ready to be sent, as God sent Jesus to us? Are we ready to be empowered to make wrongs and brokenness disappear?

Giving -- To Help God Do God's Work in This World

• A Journeyer reads Genesis passage

At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground, God formed the human, out of dirt from the ground. God blew God’s breath into the nostrils of the human. It was the breath of creation. The human came to life—a living soul!

• The same reader says an offertory prayer
• Dave Madden sings as the ushers pass the baskets and then take them to the foot of the cross

Telling The Story and Our Story

• Rick talks
• Rick (E), Leslie (L) explain/direct Communion
• Communion servers go to the stations, light incense sticks. When people come to stations, servers say, in NO hurry, “Receive God’s Spirit.” The person breathes in as much of the scent of the incense, bread and rose water as desired, and then goes away when ready.
• Renee and Dave play “Breathe” and people sing if they want as we walk around

Go Out to Serve with Courage and Grace

• A Journeyer reads Dismissal Blessing

According to the Jesus story known as the Gospel of John, Jesus appeared to his followers after he conquered death:

On that Sunday afternoon, Jesus’ students and followers were gathered together. They had locked all the doors in the house, afraid of the religious leaders. But Jesus came in anyway. He stood among them, and said, “I give you peace.” He showed them his hands, and his side.

His followers were thrilled. Jesus repeated his greeting: “I give you peace. And, just as God sent me, I am going to send you.” He took a deep breath, and breathed into them. “Inhale God’s Spirit,” he said. “I am giving you the power to make wrongs and brokenness disappear.”

So, Journeyers, we are also gathered together. We are also following a Christ who has conquered death. Are we ready to inhale God’s Spirit? Are we ready to be sent, as God sent Jesus to us? Are we ready to be empowered to make wrongs and brokenness disappear?

Go. As God sent us the Christ, so now the Christ sends us. Breathe in the Spirit of God.

Go in God’s Spirit -- and bless you!

• “Breathe (2 a.m.)” by Anna Nalick plays again as folks depart