Still Waters

Once a month my wife and I join a Sabbath worship service at Still Waters. In May I was invited to lead the non-traditional gathering, and I chose the theme of knowing God.

After a short introduction of the topic, our friend from NC, Travis, read a series of short vignettes taken from three books written or co-authored by Shane Claiborne (see pages 1-12 of the attached PDF). Then I read a few quotes by Jamie Foxx about how living someone else’s life as an actor made him understand the person (pg. 13 of the PDF). This was to introduce the concept that living out God’s priorities helps us know God on a visceral level, not just a cognitive level (knowing about).

Then, as usual, we split up, each person finding a quiet corner where they could contemplate and pray about the discussion questions for 45 minutes (pages 14 and 15 of the PDF). After that we came back and spent an hour sharing our thoughts and stories based on the study guide.

I really like this monthly church service. While the format is the same every month, the topics and leaders are different. Would people in your area find this style of “church service” rewarding? It’s heavy on contemplation and sharing, low on music and liturgy, although it could be adjusted in these areas and others.

One day you will visit this blog and find an interview with SW managers, Rob and Sarah Fuste. Wait for it… Wait for it…

Peace, Jeff

PDF (download time depends on your Internet speed): Still Waters Stories & Discussion Guide