Gathering Our Spirit with God's Spirit

The room is warm in tone. Signs are all around the room – go/stop/speak/listen/will/sacrifice/action/choices/take/give/serve/hate/love/those/they/them/me/we/I – with four prayer stations, each one different. One says “God,” one says “Me,” one says “Do,” one says “Believe.” Each one has a different feel – water, candles, sand, wood, stones, whatever.

• “Jesus” by Cat Stevens plays
• A Journeyer steps up to light the lamp and another rings the bell
• Cory (E) and Leslie (L) make announcements

Worshiping with Our Children

• A Journeyer leads our children in talking about how knowing lots of things about God and stories from the Bible is great – but it’s especially great if it helps us do what Jesus did.

Welcome and Breathe

• Rick (E), Leslie (L) welcome everyone
• Take a breath…

God’s Spirit and Our Spirit

• A Journeyer reads from the Jewish scriptures, the book called Genesis, or, Beginnings

The people gathered and built a great civilization, and a great tower. They said, “We will climb all the way to the sky – all the way to the gods!” But Yahweh, the One God, confused them so that they couldn’t speak each other’s languages. And so they scattered, and their plan failed.

Many generations later, one of the families had traveled to a city far away, Ur, in the land where the Chaldean people lived. The family lived there for generations, and had children and grandchildren, houses and land and animals and servants. And Yahweh, the One God, came to Ur and spoke to a man named Abram who was married to a woman named Sarai.

Yahweh, the One God, said to Abram, “I want you to leave this country. I want you to leave your people, and your father’s tribe and household. I have a new land to send you to, and I will show it to you. I will make you and your people into a huge nation, and I will bless you, and you will give my blessings to the whole world.” 

And Abram took his wife Sarai, and their family, and their servants, and he left Ur, and traveled, allowing Yahweh, the One God, to show him where to go.

• We sing “Change the World” together

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

• A Journeyer reads from Philippians 4

The early Christian teacher and leader Paul wrote a letter to a group of Jesus’ followers in the city of Philippi. This advice is from the 4th chapter of that letter. 

My brothers and sisters, I love you, and I miss you. Who you are and what you do gives me so much joy! And I’m so proud of you, you're like a crown on my head. I beg you to stand up strong in your trust in God! 

And whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or worth telling others about – focus on those things. I’m doing my best to follow Jesus and teach you what that means. If you’ve seen me do anything good, put those things into practice.

• The same Journeyer says an offering prayer. 
• Music plays as the ushers pass the baskets and bring them to front
• Film clip from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” plays

Telling The Story and Our Story

• A Journeyer reads from the Jesus story called Mark, chapter 9

Jesus and the three leaders of his school came down from the mountain where they'd seen a vision from God. His other students were in the middle of a large crowd of people. The religious teachers were there, and everyone was arguing. When the people saw Jesus coming, they were overwhelmed and relieved and in awe, and they ran to speak to him.

“What are you all arguing about?” Jesus asked.

A man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a terrible illness – it must be an evil spirit. It’s taken away his ability to speak. It seizes him and it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth and gnashes his teeth. His body goes rigid. 

“I asked your students to drive the evil thing out of him, but they couldn’t.”

Jesus looked around at all the people who’d been arguing while they'd been trying to heal the man’s son. Theological arguments, procedural arguments, religious arguments. 

Jesus was furious. “These people can't see the simplest thing about God!” he shouted, in frustration. “How long am I going to have to put up with you people and your stupidity?!” 

Then he took a breath, and looked at the students and the boy’s father. “Bring the boy to me,” he said.

They brought the boy over to Jesus, and the boy had a seizure. The boy fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  

Jesus looked at the boy’s father. “How long has he been like this?” he asked. 

The man answered, “He’s been like this since he was little. The spirit has thrown him into fire, or into water. He’s nearly been killed. But if you can do anything,” he pleaded, “take pity on us, and help us.” 

Jesus looked at him. “What do you mean, ‘If I can do anything’? The impossible is possible for the person who truly trusts God.”

The man exclaimed to Jesus, “Master, I do trust God – help me overcome my lack of trust!” 

Jesus saw that more people were running over, and a huge scene was beginning, he decided to end the discussion and move on. He spoke to the spirit in the boy.

“You!” he said. “I command you to come out of him and leave him alone now!”

The spirit yelled, and the boy’s body convulsed violently – and then he went still. The boy looked dead. People were saying he’d died. But Jesus knelt down, and took the boy by the hand, and gently raised him up. The boy stood before all of them.

Jesus took his students into a house. When they were alone, his students asked, “Why couldn’t we get rid of the boy’s illness?”

• Rick talks
• Helpers pass out cards and pens/markers for prayer exercise
• We are invited go to write things we believe/trust and take them to prayer stations

Go Out to Serve with Courage and Grace

• Leslie asks people to say something they wrote or affirmed or felt at the stations (a word only)
• Leslie says a prayer and dismisses us 
• “Jesus” by Cat Stevens plays again as folks depart