imagining how the church can reorient around mission

Here is a liturgy I wrote for our new group, Immanuel to attempt to put into practice what I have been talking
Listening_e about the last two days.  Enjoy!

Note: I passed out the
texts in advance to others so I was not the only one leading.

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There are many things that
we need from God. One is how he is leading us. In the Old Testament, we are
told that under Moses, the People of God followed God in a cloud and a pillar
of fire. They refused to move until the cloud or pillar moved and when it did
move, the people packed up and went forth.

I hope we can always
receive fresh revelation from God, but also discernment.  One thing that we have looped back to
several times is the potential of, instead of launching something new, joining
something else that is going.

3 thoughts:

1)   
Joining God
where he is already working.

2)   
Supporting a
need that is clear we can assist

3)   
Seeing
ourselves in a humble manner. 

Listening
exercise.

Breath – Breathing is one
of the most vital and involuntary things we can do. It is both required and
innate. Most of the time we are completely unaware of its rhythm. We just do
it.

When we move into an
anaerobic state, we become completely aware of our breath, because we are
heaving for more.  There just isn’t
enough air around us to satisfy our need. It is more like gulping, then
breathing. It is like we are reaching out for just a bit more so our body can
recover.

It is noticeable when we
are still as well. When we are completely still many things that are happening
become apparent. Noises that are unnoticeable become glaring when we stop. For
me, I can hear my “tinnitus (a ringing in my ears from listening to music too
loud).” I also become painfully aware of my thoughts swishing around at break
neck speed. I touch on things that are unresolved, insecurities I have, and
dreams that I long for. I also notice my breath.

For a moment, let’s just
concentrate on that…our breath. It is a sign of life.  If you can sense your breath, it is a
sure sign that you are still on the earthy side of living.

Psalm
146:1-4 – Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as
long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in
princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When
his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on
that very day his plans perish.

Psalm
104:24-30 – O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom
have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea,
great and wide, which teems with
creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There
go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. These
all look to you, to give them their food
in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when
you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face,
they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to
their dust. When you send forth your Spirit,
they are created, and you renew the face of the
ground.

Stop…

Breath is a gift from God.
In fact, the Greek and Hebrew from breath is the same God chose for His
Spiritual manifestation – the Holy Spirit. It is the same word. Both are a
gift.

Job 33:4 – The
Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life 

Stop…

Let me state some core
beliefs.

I
Samuel 3:1-9 – The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under
Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes
were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual
place. The
lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple
of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then
the Lord called Samuel. Samuel
answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you
called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went
and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And
Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,”
Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now
Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been
revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and
Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli
realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel,
“Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant
is listening
.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

This is our prayer – Speak
to us Lord, WE are listening.

Stop…listen
(I gave an unusual amount of time on this one, bordering on awkward, attempting to do my own
listening to the Holy Spirit for when to conclude the silence)

After,
spend time to debrief what people have heard.

One other practice that is
related to breath in the Bible is praise…

Psalm
150 – Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise
him in his mighty heavens! Praise
him for his mighty deeds; praise
him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with
trumpet sound; praise him with lute
and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise
him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with
loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise
the Lord!

End by going around the
group allowing people to express praise or gratitude to God in response to last
reading.

Listening in nature

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Peace,

r