Conversational Sermon Text for July 26, 2008

Mark 1:35-45

And rising early, while it was still very dark, he went outside and stole away to an isolated place, where he started praying. Then Simon and those with him hunted him down. When they had found him they say to him, "They're all looking for you."

But he replies: "Let's go somewhere else, to the neighboring villages, so I can speak there too, since that's what I came for."

So he went all around Galilee speaking in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Then a leper comes up to him, pleads with him, falls down on his knees, and says to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

Although Jesus was indignant, he stretched our his hand, touched him, and says to him, "Okay - you're clean!"

And right away the leprosy disappeared, and he was made clean. And Jesus snapped at him, and dismissed him curtly with this warning: "See that you don't tell anyone anything, but go, have a priest examine . Then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as evidence ."

But after he went out, he started telling everyone and spreading the story, so that could no longer enter a town openly, but had to stay out in the countryside. Yet they continued to come to him from everywhere.

~~~~~~~~~~

Where do you personally connect to the story in this text?
What questions does this text raise for you - either about the gospel so far, or personally?

July 19, 2008 Gathering

SILENT MEDITATION

Be still and aware of the Divine presence within and all around us

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church, in a pub. So please feel free to get up, move around, order drinks and food, doodle on your placemat, go to the bathrooms and above all express your thoughts and ideas freely!

We all come with stories, talents, gifts, and hopes. It is our prayer that with all our differences and all our strengths, we will come together and drink in the spirit!

OPENING READING

Go tell the earth to shake with marching feet

Of messengers of peace

Proclaim my law of love

To every nation

Every race.

For the old wrongs are over

The old days are gone

A new world is rising

Where my people shall be one.

*an excerpt, Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours (p. 173-175)

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!

TELLING OUR STORY

- By Kathryn House

CONVERSATIONAL SERMON

Mark 1:29-34

They left the synagogue right away and entered the house of Simon and Andrew along with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her right away. He went up to her, took hold of her hand, raised her up, and the fever disappeared. Then she started looking after them.

In the evening, at sundown, they would bring all the sick and demon possessed to him. And the whole town would crowd around the door. On such occasions he cured many people afflicted with various diseases and drove out demons. He would never let the demons speak, because they realized who he was.

~~~~~~~

1) Twice so far in Mark, Jesus has not wanted to be exposed for who he was...why do you think?

2) Have we ever not wanted to be known - even when it was for a seemingly good thing? Do tell J

3) What do you think about Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law only so that she can "look after them"?

4) There is a pattern in Jesus' healing work that is both in this healing and in the exorcism from last week's text - what purpose does this healing pattern serve in Mark's gospel?

SHARING OF RESOURCES

The Alex Hivoltze-Jimenez Scholarship funds will be sent Monday ~~~ We have two options for this week…

COMMUNION

FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Check the BLOG: thepubchurch.blogspot.com

CLOSING

Go tell the earth to shake with marching feet

Of messengers of peace

For the old wrongs are over

The old days are gone

A new world is rising

Where my people shall be one.

*an excerpt, Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours (p. 173-175)

Go in peace, with authority, and Drink in the Spirit!

Conversational Sermon Text for 7-19-08

Mark 1:29-34 – Scholars Version of the Gospels

They left the synagogue right away and entered the house of Simon and Andrew along with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her right away. He went up to her, took hold of her hand, raised her up, and the fever disappeared. Then she started looking after them.

In the evening, at sundown, they would bring all the sick and demon possessed to him. And the whole town would crowd around the door. On such occasions he cured many people afflicted with various diseases and drove out demons. He would never let the demons speak, because they realized who he was.

~~~~

Twice so far in Mark, Jesus has not wanted to be exposed for who he was...why?

Have we ever not wanted to be known - even when it was for a seemingly good thing?

What do you think about Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law only so that she can "look after them"?

There is a pattern in Jesus' healing work that is both in this healing and in the exorcism from last week's text (and the pattern will continue throughout Mark) - what purpose does this healing pattern serve in Mark's gospel?

Today's Gathering @ The Pub Church

PRELUDE
Maggie Keelan on the Harp

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church, in a pub. So please feel free to get up, move around, order drinks and food, doodle on your placemat, go to the bathrooms and above all express your thoughts and ideas freely!

We all come with stories, talents, gifts, and hopes. It is our prayer that with all our differences and all our strengths, we will come together and drink in the spirit!

OPENING READING

Within and around the earth, within and around the hills, within and around the mountains, your authority returns to you.
*by Alfonso Ortiz, Earth Prayers (p. 125).

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!

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Maggie Keelan on the Harp

CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
TELLING OUR STORY
Mark 1:21-29a

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath day he went right to the synagogue and started teaching. They were astonished at his teaching, since he would teach them on his own authority, unlike the scholars.

Now right there in their synagogue was a person possessed by an unclean spirit, which shouted, “Jesus! What do you want with us, you Nazarene? Have you come to get rid of us? I know you, who you are: God’s holy man!”

But Jesus yelled at it, “Shut up and get out of him!”

Then the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and letting out a loud shriek it came out of him. And they were all so amazed that they asked themselves, “What’s this? A new kind of teaching backed by authority! He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him!”

So his fame spread rapidly everywhere throughout Galilee and even beyond.

Then they left the synagogue right away…

SHARING OF RESOURCES

Resources shared tonight will go to the is thAlex Hivoltze-Jimenez Scholarship Fund for students studying Queer Theology.

All gathered funds will be sent out this week!

COMMUNION

FEEDBACK and ANNOUNCEMENTS

The most up to date information is posted on the BLOG: thepubchurch.blogspot.com

CLOSING

Within and around the earth, within and around the hills, within and around the mountains, your authority returns to you.
*by Alfonso Ortiz, Earth Prayers (p. 125).

Go in peace, with authority, and Drink in the Spirit!