PRELUDE
Music by Andrew Prete
WELCOME
Welcome to The Pub Church! As a church in a pub, the Spirit is with us. So feel free to move about as the Spirit inspires and express yourself openly!
We come together with all our diversity and everything that we all bring is welcome. We pray coming together and sharing our differences with one another and with Spirit, we participate in a new divine reality. We are in sacred space.
OPENING PRAYER
Holy Living God, you have called us to life. You have called us to live in love and compassion with one another – to live according to a different and divine standard; one that does not make sense.
We are grateful! Lead us now to be present to one another with the love and compassion that we see embodied in the life of Jesus, so that all that we do and say in this gathering will bring us closer to you.
TELLING OUR STORY
What is your most memorable experience with prayer?
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
By Andrew
CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
Mark 9:14-29
When they had rejoined the disciples, they saw a huge crowd surrounding them and scholars arguing with them. And all of a sudden, when the whole crowd caught sight of him, they were alarmed and rushed up to meet him. He asked them, “Why are you bothering to argue with them?”
And one person from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you because he has a mute spirit. Whenever it takes him over, it knocks him down, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and stiffens up. I asked your disciples to drive it our, but they couldn’t.”
In response he says, “You distrustful lot, how long must I associate with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him over to me!”
And they brought him over to him. And when the spirit noticed him, right away it threw him into convulsions, and he fell to the ground, and jept rolling around, foaming at the mouth. And [Jesus] asked his father, “How long has he been like this?”
He replied, “Ever since he was a child. Frequently it has thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. So if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
Jesus said to him, “What do you mean, ‘If you can’? All things are possible for the one who trusts.”
Right away the father of the child cried out and said, “I do trust! Help my lack of trust!”
When Jesus saw that the crowd was about to mob them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, and commands it, “Deaf and mute spirit, I command you, get out of him and don’t ever go back inside him!”
And after he shrieked and went into a series of convulsions, it came out. And he took on the appearance of a corpse, so that the rumor went around that he had died. But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him, and there he stood. And when he had gone home, his disciples started questioning him privately: “Why couldn’t we dive it out?”
He said to them, “The only thing that can drive this kind out is prayer.”
Silent Meditation: Be still and aware of the Divine presence within and all around us as we prepare for our conversation.
COMMUNION AND SHARING OF RESOURCES
God is with us.
Yes she is.
FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
v Wednesday Open Conversations
v Quincy next Saturday
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
By Andrew
