Gathering 7-23-15: The First in Eight Weeks

Do you have a friend whom you hardly ever see these days and, when you do meet, feel as if you have never been apart? To be able to live in relationship in that way is fruit of a profound and mature relationship.

Imagine, if you can, that your "church" didn't hold a worship service for eight straight weeks. What do you suppose that next meeting would feel like?

As far as our Thursday night group is concerned, we don't have to imagine. We met last night for the first time in eight weeks and, to me, it was as if we'd just met last Thursday.

There was one significant difference between this one and all of the previous gatherings of the group: We met in our home so that our 89 year old next door neighbor, whose family is out of state for a few days, could join us.

We had a very sweet gathering. Everyone was comfortable.

As I've mentioned in connection to all our groups, there never is a plan for the gathering. We have become adept at permitting the Spirit to lead.

One participant was delayed at the last minute so we decided to put off the taking of the bread and cup until after the (very delicious and lovingly prepared) meal.

I led, when we did, as I do only rarely and I was blessed to do it and by the spirit of it, even with Mary, our neighbor, present for the first time.

After that time worked itself out, we spontaneously entered into a time of praise along with the confession of sin, which led to an honest and intimate time of affirmation.

It strikes me that one crucial difference between what we do and the traditional, seeker-sensitive, Christendom-oriented, parish priest led service is that what we do organically allows for the confession of sin to one another to take place. And, it does take place among us fairly often.

Our gatherings seem to me to produce fruit of repentance among our people much more than traditional services do, in my opinion.

One reason, I believe, is that we are all invited to make our own sin and failure fair game in our gathering culture.

And, so, we can not gather for eight weeks and pick up without skipping a beat.

We are blessed.