Gathering Our Spirit with God's Spirit

(Note: There was no Audio Afterthoughts recording session this week.)

Chairs are in the round. White swathes of cloth still stream from the arch in the back corner. The pond and waterfall have been transformed into a pool in the center of the room. The cross stands in the pool, surrounded by Journey rocks. Water showers the cross from above. Communion table – pitchers of water, cups, bread.

• “River, Stay ‘Way from My Door” by Frank Sinatra 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 it can feel really good when we are doing the things God wants us to do – playing, or laughing, or crying – and something in us tells us when we’re not – hitting, fighting over toys, not including other people. That’s God in our hearts reminding us that God is Love, and when we’re in it, we feel it. 

Welcome and Breathe

• Rick welcomes, has us breathe... 
• Rick recognizes Mother’s Day
• Mike C. talks about upcoming Haiti mission trip

God’s Spirit and Our Spirit

• Three Journeyers read from the Israelite prophet Amos; reader one reads softly, reader two reads in an ordinary voice, reader three reads SHOUTING – all from where they're sitting, not up front [text is NOT on screen]

This is what God says God wants: not religion – not plans – not the things that we put all our energies into – but – let justice roll down like a river – and let righteousness and goodness be like a mighty flood. 

• Rick talks 
• Rick leads group discussion of What God Is Doing with Journey in the world

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

• A Journeyer reads from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., five months before his assassination

“I say to you this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live. You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand of some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid. You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You're afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you're afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand. Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.

You died when you refused to stand up for right.
You died when you refused to stand up for truth.
You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”

• The same Journeyer says an offering prayer
• Renee (E) sings "Come to the Water" and Darden and Dave (L) sing "Wade in the Water" as the ushers pass the baskets and then bring them to front

Telling The Story and Our Story

Lord of the Rings video clip plays 

• Rick talks
• Three more Journeyers read from the Israelite prophet Amos again, but reversed; reader three reads SHOUTING; reader two reads in an ordinary voice; reader one reads softly – all from where they're sitting, not up front, and in that order [text is still NOT on screen]

This is what God says God wants: not religion – not plans – not the things that we put all our energies into – but – let justice roll down like a river – and let righteousness and goodness be like a mighty flood. 

• Rick introduces/invites us to Communion
• Everyone comes forward, gets water and bread, then pours water into cup, drinks some, pours water into pool
• Renee (E) and Darden (L) play during communion

Go Out to Serve with Courage and Grace

• A Journeyer leads a responsive prayer

Leader:  Flow in me
Journey:  Flow through me
Leader:  Awaken me
Journey:  Help me
Leader:  Show me
Journey:  Strengthen me
Leader:  Send me
Journey:  Send me
And all of Journey said “Amen”

• The same Journeyer dismisses us 
• “River, Stay ‘Way from My Door” by Frank Sinatra plays again as folks depart