Saturday, August 23, 2008

Our Gathering on August 23rd

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church, in a pub. So please feel free to move around, order drinks and food, doodle on your placemat, and above all express your thoughts and ideas freely! This is sacred space.


OPENING READING

I do not have to go to
To Sacred Places
In far-off lands.
The ground I stand on
Is holy.

Here, in this little garden
I tend
My pilgrimage ends.
The wild honeybees
The hummingbirds moths
The flickering fireflies at dusk
Are a microcosm
Of the Universe.
Each seed that grows
Each spade of soil
Is full of miracles.

And I toil and sweat
And watch and wonder
And full of love.
Living in place
In this place.
For truth and beauty
Dwell here.

- By Mary de La Valette, Life Prayers, p. 398


PEACE – TOAST

In this place we creatively express;
Some of us are focused, some are a mess!

We participate during the sermon
And people do connect, we are learnin’

Greet all with a handshake, toast or a wave
At all times feel free to yell, rant or rave

Fake not friends, we can arrive as we are.
Cheers! Here’s to sacred space in a bar!


CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
Reflections on Place and Sacred Space

  • Is our encounter with the Divine always a combination of the Divine, humanity and place?
  • Do we have any particularly sacred place/space; “a little garden” of our own? How did we develop that relationship?
  • What is the difference between space and place?
  • Does our opening reading reflect more of a reference to place or space? Or both?
  • What difference does it make that we are a church in a pub? Why does this place (a pub) matter? How?
  • Do we need to mark or designate a place as a “sacred space”? If so, how do we do that?

SHARING OF RESOURCES
Today’s sharing of resources will be saved for the next inspiration that arises!

COMMUNION

FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Check the BLOG: thepubchurch.blogspot.com
What will be our next place??

CLOSING

Be still and aware of the Divine presence
who is within us, who is with us, and
who goes before us as we leave this place.