gathering

I like to gather with my friends…over coffee…for good music…for intriguing art.

I like to gather with crowds at festivals…like the Montreal Jazz Festival…like the England’s Greenbelt Festival…comme la Nuit Blanche à Paris

I also like to gather with others who are following the path of Jesus….when we do, we place the following elements on the table….

some bread…a meal together…our sharing of life together…nourishment is not the only reason we eat…we were designed to stop a few times a day… to sit down with others…to experience community

a few stones…the things that weight us down…that we stumble over…that get in our shoes…we can encourage each other…bear each others burdens…pray for each other

a candle…an illumination… a light for the path…readings from the ancient stories…insight for the journey ahead from those who’ve gone before..enlightening stories of Jesus…living in the alternative realm of grace…peace…light

some dirt…the dust of the earth…from where we came…who we really are…our confession

a plant…growth…learning…miraculously emerging from the dirt of our lives…perhaps even a bloom or two

a bowl of water…refreshing… soothing…seeking the lowest place…infiltrating the cracks…blessing… reviving…restoring…life bringing…channeling the current to others…following the flow of Jesus