Gathering Our Spirit with God's Spirit

Four Communion stations. Intinction. Bread and juice, and a goblet, at each station. Light enough to see – and the room feels like a flow. We are doing the work for God that our souls tell us is right and good. God will help us do it.

• “Bodhisattva” by Steely Dan plays
• A Journeyer steps up to light the lamp and another rings the bell
• Rick (E) and Leslie (L) make announcements

Worshiping with Our Children

• A Journeyer leads our children in talking about how following Jesus means helping other people, helping the environment, and helping good things happen. That’s what Jesus asked us to do. And we can do it. God helps us.

Welcome and Breathe

• Rick welcomes, has us breathe...

God’s Spirit and Our Spirit

• Video clip from “Wisdom” DVD shows
• A Journeyer reads “I Am Awake”

A traveler encountered a holy man on the road and asked him,
“Are you a god?”
The holy man said, “No.”
“Are you saint?”
The holy man said, “No.”
“Are you a prophet?”
The holy man said, “No.”
Exasperated, the traveler asked, “Well, then, what are you?”
The holy man answered, “I am awake.”

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

• Rick leads Journeyers who tell stories about listening and helping
• A Journeyer reads from Acts 2

Luke describes Jesus’ followers on the Feast of Pentecost, feeling on fire and speaking God’s message to the pilgrims in Jerusalem, in languages the foreigners could understand. Then, Luke says, they began to coalesce as a group. Here is what the group did (from Acts chapter 2): 

• They devoted themselves to the leaders’ teaching;
• They committed to the group overall;
• They regularly participated in Communion;
• They prayed together and individually.
• They paid attention to – and were humbled by – the power of God at work in their group and beyond it.
• They banded together and shared what they had.
• They sold belongings and holdings, and made sure that no one had a need that wasn’t filled.
• They met together every day, in the city.
• They gathered in each others’ homes – large homes and small.
• They ate together with grateful hearts, and honest words.
• They honored God.

The people around them saw what was happening in the group – and people came, and became part of what God was doing.

• The same reader says an offering prayer
• Video “Laborers Needed” shows (Rick will provide) as the ushers pass the baskets and take them to front

Telling The Story and Our Story

• A Journeyer reads from the Jesus story called John

Jesus said, at his final supper with his friends, "Don't be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me. I tell you the truth. The person that believes in me will do the same things I have done. Yes! He will do even greater things than I have done. And if you ask for anything in the work you're doing in my name, I will help you with it. Then our Parent's beauty and power will be shown through me and through you.”

• Rick talks

Communion

Go Out to Serve with Courage and Grace

• Leslie reads from “Footnote to ‘Howl’” by American poet Allen Ginsberg, 1955

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!

The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy!

Everything is holy! everybody's holy! everywhere is

holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman's an

angel!

The bum's as holy as the seraphim! the madman is

holy as you my soul are holy!

Holy the groaning saxophone! Holy the bop

apocalypse! Holy the jazzbands marijuana

hipsters peace & junk & drums!

Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements! Holy

the cafeterias filled with the millions! Holy the

mysterious rivers of tears under the streets!

Holy the lone juggernaut! Holy the vast lamb of the

middle class! Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion!

Holy New York Holy San Francisco Holy Peoria &

Seattle Holy Paris Holy Tangiers Holy Moscow

Holy Istanbul!

Holy time in eternity holy eternity in time!

Holy the sea holy the desert holy the railroad holy the

locomotive holy the visions holy the hallucinations

holy the miracles holy the eyeball holy the

abyss!

Holy forgiveness! mercy! charity! faith! Holy! Ours!

bodies! suffering! magnanimity!

Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent

kindness of the soul!

• Leslie dismisses us
• “Bodhisattva” by Steely Dan plays again as folks depart