Experiencing the Gathering

During our new alternative worship service, The Gathering, we have been looking at various "I AM" claims made by Jesus in the Gospel of John. One week, worshipers (some blindfolded!) traveled up from Ellis Hall to a pitch-dark sanctuary where we heard and experienced the Light of the World who expells all our darkness proclaimed by candlelight. Another week centered around the theme of Jesus as the Bread of Life while we sensed the growing aroma of home-baked bread cooking while we worshipped and then feasted together in Holy Communion dinner-style. Another week we felt ourselves washed clean by Jesus as the Water of Life in a hand-washing ceremony.

Most recently we experienced Jesus as the Great I AM (John 8:52-58), and claimed the inheritance and blessing of Abraham because of the work of Jesus Christ who has made this possible (Galatians 3:13-14). Each worshipper noted names of people who have influenced their faith in their lives and in Scripture on leaves that folks glued throughout the service onto the handmade tree , finalizing in writing our own names as ones who claim the Scripture as our story and the folks in Scripture as part of our family tree.

For the scheduled themes coming up go to the blog article http://peoplesumcnews.blogspot.com/2006/09/we-have-begun-to-gather.html

This style of worship is not for everyone, but it just may be for a friend or family member who doesn't attend any church. Why not invite them this week?