The Usual

Hi there,

Just wanted to post that even though the most recent liturgies haven't been posted here on the blog these last few weeks, we're still gathering as usual; Saturdays, 5PM at The Dugout Cafe.

We've had different people leading our time together and so the liturgies don't always make it on here.

But come join in anytime :-)

-Xochitl

February 28, 2009 Gathering

PRELUDE

Music by Andrew Prete

WELCOME
Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church in a pub and the Spirit is with us. In this space you are free to move about, order drinks/food, doodle, and express your ideas openly!

We come together with diversity of thoughts, stories, talents, hopes and hurts. Our prayer is that in coming together with all our differences and with Spirit, we participate toward a new divine reality. This is sacred space.

OPENING PRAYER

Teach us, Spirit Divine, not to torture ourselves, not to make martyrs out of ourselves through stifling reflection, but rather teach us to breathe deeply in faith that you are near to us. – Be near to us then, that we may feel a joyous assurance that you are not far from us, but that we live and move and have our being in you.
*adapted from The Prayers of Kierkegaard, p. 36, 53

TELLING OUR STORY

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’

(All may join in the following)
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 Prete


CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
Mark 1:9-15

During that same period Jesus came from Nazareth, Galilee, and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And just as he got up out of the water, he saw the skies torn open and the spirit descending down like a dove.

There was also a voice from the skies: "You are my favored son – I fully appreciate you.”

And right away the spirit drives him out into the wilderness, where he remained for forty days, being put to the test by Satan. While he was living there with the wild animals, the heavenly messengers looked after him.

After John was locked up, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming God’s good news. His message went: "The time is up: A Divine new way has commenced. Change your ways, and put your trust in this good news!"

~~~~~~~

• Thoughts on last week’s movie
• Thoughts on today’s reading
• Thoughts on Lent
• Any connections?

RITUAL OF CONFESSION


COMMUNION
SHARING OF RESOURCES

THE INVITATION
XA: God is with us.
All: Yes she is.

FEEDBACK and ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Up to date information on the BLOG:
thepubchurch.blogspot.com
* Next week and March 14th

BENEDICTION

Today is the beginning of everything. Go in peace, with new life, and Drink in the Spirit!

POSTLUDE
By Andrew Prete

Dinner and Movie Pub Church Gathering

As noted on the calendar

This coming Saturday, February 21st, is our Dinner and Movie Pub Church gathering.
This means that this week we will NOT gather at The Dugout,
Instead we will meet in Cambridge at Jaclyn, Jesse and Xochitl's place.
Email for directions - thepubchurch(at)gmail(dot)com

Dinner starts at 5:00pm (our regular time)
Chicken Fajitas and Veggie Fajitas, rice, beans, salsa and guacamole! All home made of course :)

Movie will start around 6:00pm
We will watch 25th Hour, Rated-R, 2002, a Spike Lee movie with Edward Norton and Phillip Seymour Hoffman

* What revelatory insights or challenges does it offer us?
* We will engage this movie in our conversational sermon next week.

I hope you can make it. Perfect time for first-timers to come too!

February 7, 2009 Gathering

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church in a pub and the Spirit is with us. In this space you are free to move about, order drinks/food, doodle, and express your ideas openly!

We come together with diversity of thoughts, stories, talents, hopes and hurts. Our prayer is that in coming together with all our differences and with Spirit, we participate toward a new divine reality. This is sacred space.

OPENING PRAYER

Adapted from We’Moon

Spirit of Creative Power

We seek your great movement

Planet on the edge, Chaos in our lives

We listen for the clarity of your voice,

The roaring imperative in crisis-time

To Choose! Act! Come together!

Center us now, step by mindful step.

TELLING OUR STORY

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!

READINGS

Mark 1:32-39

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

· What are our initial thoughts and observations about the text?

· What questions does it raise?

· What topics does it make us think of and can we make connections with our conversation about Genesis from two weeks ago?

· "How do these texts propose a manifestation of the divine?"

RITUAL OF CONFESSION

In stillness, we find our vision. In stillness, we experience God’s Divine voice amid all the other voices of life. Such stillness strengthens both our sense of self as well as our sense of creative participation. It may also, as Jesus exemplifies, give us guidance for a deeper and broader participation with the Divine.

COMMUNION AND

SHARING OF RESOURCES

THE INVITATION

XA: God is with us.

All: Yes she is.

FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

BENEDICTION

May the creative power of the Divine strengthen and guide the creative power in us.

May the forgiving grace of God give the power of forgiving grace to us.

May the Holy Spirit strengthen us in all moments, opening us up to honest love, mindful creativity and unending joy.

Let us go and continue to Drink in the Spirit.

*Adapted from Process and Faith Liturgies.

Some Updates

This year we will initiate more frequent Happy Hour gatherings as well as Dinner and Movie gatherings. These will both serve as a time to get to know and enjoy one another in more creative formats :-) Dates for these gatherings will be noted on the Google Calendar, here on the left side of this Blog. They are:

Happy Hours:
January 31st - TPC Tattoo Happy Hour at the Dugout. Come share your tattoo stories...or just come!
March 7th - TPC Tournament Happy Hour at the Dugout. Come play in a Pool or Darts tournament...or just come! :)

Dinner and Movies:
February 21st - TPC meets for Dinner and Movie at 124 Hamilton St. Cambridge (not at the Dugout). Movie to be determined.
April 25th - TPC meets for Dinner and Movie at 124 Hamilton St. Cambridge (not at the Dugout). Movie to be determined.

These Dinner and Movie days are inspired by Marjorie Suchocki (a wonderful theologian) who loves to watch movies as a way to initiate discussion on current day situations and the theological challenges and significance they raise. We will watch movies that she recommends in Creative Transformation, a publication of the Process and Faith center.

Also, Andrew Trip will be facilitating our gatherings once a month; bringing new creative energies to our gatherings :) If anyone else is inspired to help lead just email Xochitl at thepubchurch(at)gmail(dot)com. Creative participation is always welcome!

As always, everyone is WELCOME, so feel free to stop in and join us at any time! Hope to see you soon...

Happy New Year!

Hi Friends,

We're back at it - The Pub Church had its first gathering of 2009 this past Saturday (after two weeks off) at our favorite local pub, The Dugout. We reflected on chaos and creativity - perfect themes for new beginnings!

One new thing with TPC this year will be a monthly Happy Hour gathering - a time to hang out, be social, and get to enjoy one another in an unstructured format :-) Fun, fun!

As always, everyone is WELCOME - so feel free to stop in and join us at any time! Hope to see you soon...

Christmas Break

Hope everyone is enjoying the winter so far! Yay for pretty snow in New England - stay safe and warm during the storm though!

Well, this advent season at The Pub Church we have enjoyed celebrating Mary and her Divine incarnation - her female body as the sacred place that ends any separation between the human and the divine. Her womb as the holy of holies! Ah, what beauty!

Last Saturday we enjoyed a Christmas celebration at the Dugout with dinner and music and everyone who was at the pub. Fun times.

However, because so many of us are out of town during the holidays (most of us really!) TPC will not gather on December 27th or January 3rd. We will gather again in the New Year on January 10th, 2009.

Soooo,

Have a restful and rejuvenating holiday season! :-) And see you in two weeks!

December 13th Gathering

PRELUDE

Music by Andrew Prete

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church in a pub and the Spirit is with us. In this space you are free to move about, order drinks/food, doodle, and express your ideas openly!

We come together with diversity of thoughts, stories, talents, hopes and hurts. Our prayer is that in coming together with all our differences and with Spirit, we participate toward a new divine reality. This is sacred space.

OPENING PRAYER

From Process and Faith: Lectionary Commentary

Loving Goddes, open our hearts and minds to the truth made manifest in Jesus – That you are with us.

You are with us now, in this moment, flowing like a secret spring in our innermost being. May the simple beauty of the birth of Jesus summon us always to love what is most deeply human, and to see your love reflected in the humblest of lives. May the testimony of this incarnation summon us to cherish all life, and to see your goodness in the beauty of this Earth and one another.

TELLING OUR STORY

By Xochitl

PEACE – TOAST

Followed with music by Andrew

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

Queering Mary, Queering Christ

Luke 1:26-38; 45-55

In the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy) the heavenly messenger Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. He entered and said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

But she was deeply disturbed by his words and wondered what the greeting could mean. The heavenly messenger said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary. You see, you have found favor with God. Listen to me: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus…

• What are our initial thoughts as we hear this story today?
• What parts of the story stand out in a good way?
• What parts of the story trouble us?
• Is there a way to queer the story in a way that helps bring out the good news?

COMMUNION AND SHARING OF RESOURCES

Led by Xochitl

Followed by one small song :-)

FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Next week’s plan, December and January plans

BENEDICTION

From Process and Faith: Lectionary Commentary

Depart in peace, and take with you the certain knowledge that Goddess is always in the world. At this Christmastide let it be our delight to attend once more to the story told of one who was born on this Earth, who ministered to the poor, the rejected, and the brokenhearted, who died speaking truth to power, and whose death signified not the end, but a transformation awaiting all who commit our lives to the Divine vision for the well-being of this world.

Let us recall the original blessing imparted to us, that we are created in the image of God, and we are declared good. Let us ponder anew God’s promise to Noah and all creation to be present with us, no matter what unfolds.

Go forth in hope, in peace, in joy, and in love.

December 6th Gathering

PRELUDE
Music by Maggie Keelan

WELCOME

Welcome to The Pub Church! We are a church in a pub and the Spirit is with us. In this space you are free to move about, order drinks/food, doodle, and express your ideas openly!

We come together with diversity of thoughts, stories, talents, hopes and hurts. Our prayer is that in coming together with all our differences and with Spirit, we participate toward a new divine reality. This is sacred space.

OPENING RITUAL
Pouring of the Wine, by KristinWhite

Open the Wine

Call to Worship:
Prepare for the Goddess upon your tongue
– the taste of her wisdom in your mouth.
Prepare for Her scent within your nostrils
– the heady call of love and grace and justice.
Prepare for Her swirling purple beauty
– alive with lives of the past, ripe with anticipation of joy to come.

She is moving amongst our fingertips.
Extend our arms to welcome Her.

Pour the wine

Scripture
Mark 2: 22
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If she does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be lost. No, she pours new wine into new wineskins.

OPENING PRAYER

Goddess, in this place, in this gathering, we pray for change, to become new vessels,
full of courage, wisdom, hope and calm.
May we become new women, new men, new people, changed, shifted, grown strong and hopeful by your grace and by one another’s love.
May we leave this space different than we arrived. We desire to be new wineskins, strong and healthy, filled with your grace. May our strong bodies hold your grace, pouring it out for well-being and for joy. Amen.

BLESSING OF THE WINE and TOAST
Followed with music by Maggie

God of grape and God of harvest
God of wine and wind and sun
We give thanks for your Creation
– earth, and vine, and weather.
We lift up laborers, who work the fields of the world, who bring forth sustenance.
We rejoice in our togetherness.
We love you, heart of our lives and source of our blessings!

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!

Drink the wine (or beverage of choice)

CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
Small Incarnations

COMMUNION AND SHARING OF RESOURCES
Led by Xochitl
Followed by one small song 

FEEDBACK AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
December and January plans

BENEDICTION
Blessed Be! Wild Goddess of wine and women, wisdom and wonder, and of all people, spin out your mystery and your love within us. Sisters, be ripe, be fresh, be vibrant. May the harvest be abundant in our lives. Blessed Be! O, Blessed Be!

What's on tap? Religion - The Boston Globe

So The Pub Church is in the news...

What's on tap? Religion - The Boston Globe

Posted using ShareThis

It's pretty funny to read a perspective from an outside person - especially when it's for a newspaper. But of course, like with any perspective, it's always an opportunity for self-reflection...

First of all, the idea of pub church did start at The Crossroads, but several years back, not last year. And it took a while, more than a year, before anything really got going. Then those who were interested in the pub church began to meet as a "core group" to reflect on the form, vision and structure of pub church last fall 2007.

Now, one of the things that has always been important for me as a practice of openness to the Spirit, and which we practice at pub church, is silence. Silence is important in order to allow space for thought, clarity, and listening to the Divine. So it was kinda funny to read the reporter's interpretation of it as "awkward silence" that resulted from an absence of rote ritual...for whom was it awkward, really? ;)

Also, Bryan Stone commented that "Everyone contributes to the truth rather than relying on something handed down by an authority." There is so much to think about regarding this statement and what/who "authority" is. This makes it seem as if there is a complete rejection of "authority" by those at pub church - but perhaps it is not authority in and of itself which is in question, but how authority is defined and understood. At The Pub Church, there is definitely an openness to Spirit/God/Goddess (whichever name one uses for the Divine), this openness in itself reflects an understanding of the Divine as "source," as "authority."

But we also recognize and have experienced a world that misuses "divine authority" to justify oppression and domination, abuse and violence, by people and institution who claim to have "rights" (and be "right"), and the truth, under this authority; it's a hierarchical understanding of authority. So yes, if this is authority, then I'm pretty sure anyone who participates in pub church altogether rejects this kind of authority.

So how do we come to know truth if it is not "handed down" to us from a hierarchical authority? First of all, very tentatively, or, I may say, with humility. To claim to have "the" truth is a very dangerous business. But we also start with an affirmation of the Divine in us all. That God made herself flesh, that God let herself be known, embodied, and experienced in the flesh and body of a little baby - a baby who grew up to share a new and divine way of life with a community of people - is a shattering of all separation between the Divine and the human. The Divine does not reveal herself from "above," from an authority to which we have no connection. She reveals her truth in the flesh, in the beautiful and messy lives of humanity (and the universe). God makes herself be know among us, with us, and in us. And that's where we look for her. In the small incarnations that occur among us.

The article also raises the question of identity (something I'm always asked about in regards to TPC), but I will deal with that later. For now, one more thing...

At the end of the article the reporter asked me, What is a Church? I wish I would have added more to my answer; I say "From a Christian perspective, church is the people who respond to God's good news."

I would at least say, "From a Christian perspective, the church is the people who respond to God's good news that there is a new divine way of living and relating in the world, thus, the church is the people who communally act to embody this divine new way."