Open thread.

All those great ideas that don't fit elsewhere? Put them here and the
really lively ones will get threads of their own.

General plans for services - Our template

So here's a starting point for the general layout of our services, based
on our conversations over the last few weeks. This is just a starting
point; remember we want to keep these loose enough that they can adapt
but firm enough that we're not continually reinventing the wheel.

For the Service:
- Welcome / Check-in (with each other)
- A bit of The Word (to set the tone for the evening, bring god in)
- The Movable Ritual (body prayer, rosary, meditative walk, etc)
- Chant / Song 1
- Poem / other reading (non-biblical, to find god elsewhere)
- Silence
- Reflection / Shared Thoughts / Sermon
- Centering Prayer
- Prayers of/by/for the people
- Chant / Song 2
- Eucharist Service (The Righteous Rev. Spellers leads us here)
- Chant / Song 3 (Do we want/need this?)
- The blessing

And yes, this did go out over email back in March. Just helpful to have
here as well.

What's your gift?

What do you have to offer the group? How can we incorporate these into
meaningful worship?

Worship planning space ideas

What should our space look like for the Tenebrae? How about our regular
services?

this thursday's agenda, last week's notes

comrades,

rosanne, ben and i had an incredibly fruitful conversation last thursday
about spreading the word re: the crossing. i know several of you wanted
to attend but couldn't. never fear! the detailed notes are below.

more urgent: we meet THIS THURSDAY at 6-8:30 p.m. in the lawrence room
here at the cathedral (the lovely meeting room on the main floor, on
your left after you've walked down the long entry corridor and into the
reception area). following our format from last thursday, we will ...

-- share a simple 20-minute evening prayer around the table, followed by
a meal (JASON AND ANDY: if you could plan the prayer gathering, 'twould
rock; the reading is exodus 3:7-12; i'm happy to offer support.)

-- review plans for the wednesday, april 12, tenebrae service, our
contribution to holy week at the cathedral
-- start to present some materials for publicizing and inviting people
to our april 20 go-live date
-- continue planning what needs to be in place for april 20: space,
worship, greeting, hospitality, etc.
-- nail down a schedule for worship planning for the next month (at least)
-- closing prayer with blessing

A WORD ON GETTING OUT THE WORD: while we'll have lots of publicity
rolling out over the coming weeks (up to and beyond april 20), we all
know that's not the chief way that people will learn about the crossing.
it's relationships! so, while we shouldn't feel intense pressure to turn
out 50 people for a big start (although, if that happened, we'd give
praise to god!), i hope you'll be inspired to connect with friends and
anybody else you know who might be yearning for god and community and a
common practice the way we've all been yearning.

LAST THURSDAY'S NOTES:
-- LOGO & WEB: rosanne and jason have both been working on the logo (if
you haven't hit the website design, go there:
http://www.newwineboston.org/; click on the "welcome to the crossing"
line to view and add to blog).

-- PUBLICITY ANGLES:
* the crossing will be regularly announced on the cathedral's
sunday morning radio program
* a banner will hang between the two huge columns in front of
the church from easter sunday on
* website will include short video on the crossing and the
emerging church phenomenon (available on our website and the main st.
paul's website)

* use diocesan avenues to reach churchy folk: FYI (monthly
pub), postulants and candidates mailing list, other group lists,
cathedral crossing bookstore

* by april 12, producing business cards, postcards, fliers
(8.5x11) and posters (just 9x12) for a variety of uses:

- giving to friends & colleagues
- leaving/posting at local yoga studios, gyms, thrift stores,
coffeehouses, bookstores, co-op groceries (think both sides of the river)

- special attention to campuses closest to cathedral: suffolk,
emerson, tufts medical. might pick dates to stand outside and hand out
biz cards. we've got contacts at all the campuses. steph will check with
offices of spiritual life at each campus to get tips on access, radio
ads, etc.

- coverage at boston univ (inc. seminary), harvard univ (inc.
seminary), episcopal divinity school, mit, boston college, boston
theological institute, tufts univ. if there's an episcopal chaplain on a
campus, let him/her know, but no need to push to their particular
circle; they've got their own gigs and we're not encroaching.

A WORD ON WORSHIP:
-- cast images on the two blank walls on either side of the high altar
(mosaics that look like stained glass? icons? cool).

-- invite people with theater backgrounds to join us in planning best,
most creative use of space

that's the word, friends! got questions? comments? reply via e-mail
(soon, at our blog) and we'll keep it rolling.

blessed be,
steph