On The Table

Hi church,

Well, it's November. Not sure how that happened. Nothing much we can do about it, though. And it's feeling like a gorgeous autumn!

Three things on the Table this week:

1) Friday evening, we'll be gathering at The Lamb Center for our final karaoke night of the year. Come at 6:30 for prayer and pizza, and stay for song, joy, and chutzpah. At 8, it's all over - at least until the spring!

2) Saturday morning, at 10am, the "Next Steps Team" will meet to work on discerning a process for figuring out where we're going next as a community. Please say a prayer for Liz, Erin, Jackie, Amy, Mike, and Mike as we try to hear the Spirit's voice in our midst.

3) Sunday morning at 9:30am, please join us at Jammin' Java for the "9:30am Club" - a free and open time of worshipful music and anything else folks want to bring - prayer, poetry, etc. - it's all good! After that, at 10am, we'll gather for our regular worship service, which will also be musical - a simple, contemplative time of silence and chanting in the tradition of the Taize community.

That's it for now. Hope God is smiling on this season in all of our lives.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, music

This week we'll take a little time out of our busy weeks to create some contemplative space to think about what it is we are longing for -- for our world, for our church, for our families, for our relationships, and for ourselves, both in our spiritual and everyday lives. Come ready to enter into a shared experience that we hope will shape how we interact with one another, Sunday morning at 10am at Jammin' Java.

Before that, though, we'll be gathering at The Lamb Center on Friday night to share in the wonderful gift of Karaoke with the fine folks who gather there. Come at 6:30 for prayer and pizza, and we'll start up the old-fashioned audio-visual-midi-machine for a foot-stomping good time. Doors close at 8.

Next week, we'll be back at Java for a journey into the Jesus Sutras, an early example of an eastern expression of Christianity. It should be fascinating.

Happy October,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center

Hi church,

Well, it's the fourth Sunday of the month so as per usual, we're not going to be at Jammin' Java for worship. And given that we've been away from Java for four out of the last five Sundays, that "as per usual" is seeming more apt than ever. The good news - for those who actually enjoy things like reliability and predictability - is that starting on October 4th, we're going to be back to our usual schedule with three worship services per month at JJ. The...typical...news is that we have no idea what we're going to be exploring, or how, when we go back to that schedule. This is because we've not yet determined,

"What are we going to do next, together?"

Providentially, this will be the topic of our quarterly congregational meeting, which will happen this Sunday, starting at 1pm, at Kate and Matt and Lizzy and Maddie's house. (If you can, please bring some food or bevvies to share for a "light snack/bring potluck". If you can't, don't sweat it!) This timing will give us the opportunity to worship with another community Sunday morning, if we want to - perhaps with our friends at New Hope Fellowship. If you care about the Common Table, you are invited to this meeting!

Finally, excitement is appropriate(!) because we'll be gathering at The Lamb Center next Friday night (October 2nd) from 6:30 to 8 for Karaoke. Kids are especially welcome, and there will be pizza and soda for everyone. We'll join new and old friends, nom some pizza, and sing like joy is more important than refinement - because it is!

That's all for now. BTW, it's official - welcome to autumn! God is good.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: congregational meeting, karaoke

Hi church,

This week, we'll gather for two events which will challenge us even as they allow us to sort of kick back and enjoy each other's company, and God's grace. It's summertime, after all - and also, we dig paradox. So here we go!

First, our monthly Karaoke Nights with our friends at the Lamb Center are moving to first Fridays as of this month, so please join us this Friday, from 6:30 to 8pm, as we sing some pop tunes (badly), nom some pizza (hungrily), and share fellowship and mutual encouragement (joyfully!) These gatherings are a fun time, and you can't miss the face and voice of Jesus as this eclectic crew harmonize (?) together.

Then, on Sunday, we'll gather at Jammin' Java at 9:30 for our new(ish) tradition of open-source worship music before the service. (Bring your instrument of choice, your voice, or just your ears to hear the joyful noise). Then for our Simple Worship service, beginning at 10, Brother Vinnie will be leading us as we watch and discuss the movie Frisbee, The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher. Here are Vince's words on it:

In a nutshell: Lonnie Frisbee was a hippy, an artist, and born gay. Lonnie Frisbee was used by God. When Lonnie ministered, people were saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and healed of infirmities. New Testament stuff. Lonnie Frisbee basically started two denominations: Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard. Yet, he was basically disowned by both denominations. He died of AIDS, alone, discarded, and unacknowledged.

So please bring an open mind and heart and add your voice as we share our thoughts on this remarkable life.

And that's all I know, I think. Stay cool, cats and kittens.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, simple

This week, we'll be jumping head-first into CT's first official Lectiolabyrinphony. What is it, you ask? Well, we'd be honored to have you come and find out as we explore it together. In the meantime, let me break down the name for you in the hopes of piquing your interest:

Lectionary
Labyrinth
Symphony

Suffice to say, you'll get your full dose of Scripture this week, along with an earful of some stellar musicians, plus a chance to sing an original song, all in the hip environs of Jammin' Java. The band will be leading worship music at 9:30, and our regular service starts at 10am. Try it; you'll like it. Or your money back.

Next week, our monthly Karaoke night at The Lamb Center moves up and back at the same time. In an effort to allow greater participation, it'll now happen on the first Friday of each month. So, Karaoke is next Friday evening, August 7 from 6:30 - 8pm. Hope you can come out to catch up with friends, to have some fun, and to hear some spirited singing. Oh, and pizza, natch.

See you soon,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, music

Church,

In an unbelievable turn of events, we'll hit the mid point of July this week. Time to take stock of your summer and determine whether you're enjoying your full share of ice cream cones, outdoor play times, light-hearted reading, watermelon and afternoon naps in the shade. If you find yourself lacking in any of these areas, I recommend you prepare your "Out of Office" message immediately and begin to rectify the situation...

Our Common Table summer celebrations will continue this week with Karaoke at the Lamb Center on Thursday. Come on out to fellowship, laugh and share a meal with our friends there. We'll be there from 6:30 to 8:00, but if one night isn't enough for you this week, feel free to come on out again on Friday for movie night. Our friends at New Hope will be hosting movie night from 6:30 to 8:00 on Friday.

Sunday at 10:00 AM we'll find ourselves back at Jammin' Java for a particularly season-appropriate all-ages service. At our last all-ages service we discussed the idea of the "Abundant Life" that Jesus offers us. This week we'll take a look at some of the characteristics of an abundant life as we consider the Fruit of the Spirit. As usual with an all-ages service, we'll be asking everyone to contribute, so be thinking this week about those defining characteristics of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We'll continue our tradition of joining our kids on the floor, so feel free to bring blankets and/or cushions to make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Have a great week -- and don't forget to enjoy a summer treat,
Deanna

Labels: all ages, karaoke, lamb center, summer

Hey church,

So did anybody else have one of those "rushing-wind-and-tongues-of-fire and speaking-in-tongues-till-people-think-you're-drunk" days on Sunday? No? Just me?

(Well, it was kind of like that. People seem to think that just because I'm an Irish Anglican, it's perfectly plausible that I'd be drunk at 9am. Apparently Galileans have to deal with the same sort of prejudice. 'Srude, if you ask me.)

But seriously, it seems like I have been blessed with some extra opportunities to see the Spirit at work since this season of Pentecost began. And I can let you in on a couple more!

This Thursday, from 6:30 - 8pm, we'll be at the Lamb Center again, among friends and neighbors in a wide range of economic circumstance. We'll be singing Karaoke, cheering each other on, and generally sharing God's love. And pizza. It'll be awesome!

Then, on Sunday (10am at Jammin' Java), we'll gather for our first official worship service of Pentecost. It'll be a Simple service in which we'll invite the inspiration of the Spirit and claim our creative identity as children of the Creator God. So please bring whatever might help you respond to inspiration: eg., if you're a musician, bring your guitar or doumbek. If you're a poet, writer, visual artist, or sculptor, we'll probably have you covered. If you don't think you're creative at all, then remember that you're made in the image of the Creator, and come see what happens!

And that's all I got for you. Remember that the Holy Spirit blows where she will. Stay alert.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Pentecost, simple

Hey church,

This week, the season of resurrection we call Easter draws to a close, and this Sunday we commemorate another day when everything changed: Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, when the Holy Spirit came, and the Church - women and men, old and young - was set on fire, and sent to bring that fire into the world.

We won't be celebrating Pentecost with a service at Jammin' Java, since it's the last weekend of the month. But we will be remembering that day in an appropriate manner: by coming together around the Table in one of our occasional congregational meetings. We'll invite the Spirit to inspire the thoughts, words, and prayers of each of us - women and men, old and young - as we try to discern together what God is calling us to, both within our community (particularly on Sunday mornings) and in the wider world (through our giving of relational presence, volunteer time, and maybe even money). We'll gather at Kate and Matt and Lizzy and Maddie's house at 11am on Sunday. Everybody is welcome around the Table (this means you!) as we talk, pray, and hope to discern together where that wild old Spirit is leading us now.

And that's it for this week. Next week: it's Karaoke Thursday at the Lamb Center again (6:30-8pm)! If you're chasing the Spirit this Pentecost, I recommend checking in there. :-)

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: congregational meeting, karaoke, lamb center, Pentecost

Hi church!

Spring, and the Easter season, proceed apace, and both are chock full of blessings, if we have eyes to see them. One such blessing: it's the return of Karaoke at The Lamb Center! THIS Thursday, May 7th, from 6:30 to 8pm. Come and join us as guests of the shelter and volunteers alike let our hair down, sing, encourage each other, nom some pizza, and see what the Spirit is up to as we make some joyful (if not always tuneful!) noise. :-)

Then, please join us on Sunday morning at 10am (yes, srsly, 10am - not 10:25 - srsly!) at Jammin' Java for our May Simple Service, as we try to live into this season of Easter, of Resurrection. We'll sing some Easter hymns, and have some discussions about this weird thing we call resurrection: what did it mean for Jesus two millennia ago, what might it mean for us one day, and (last but not least) what does all this mean to us now, as the Church of the Common Table in Northern Virginia in AD 2009?

And that's all I have to say. Except, you know...he is risen! Alleluia!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: Easter, karaoke, lamb center

Easter continues as we make our gradual return to (what is commonly referred to as) 'normalcy' at Common Table. This Sunday, we'll be back at Jammin' Java, finding our creative groove as we consider 'Spring' and Psalm 77. As you notice the fresh greenery all around, and as you experience the sustaining rains over the next few days, consider the new life that God is nurturing in you just now. Then bring those ideas to our communal encounter with this remarkable piece of Scripture.

In other news, a team of folks from inside and outside our church are announcing that we'll be returning to our tradition of hosting Karaoke at The Lamb Center again, beginning Thursday, May 7, from 6:30 to 8pm. These fun and transforming get-togethers will continue on the first Thursday of each month. And don't forget that we're welcome to join New Hope Church's movie nights there on the 3rd Friday of each month, too.

He is Risen,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: Easter, karaoke, lamb center, Psalms

This weekend is our church retreat! We'll be kickin' back, fellowshippin', and (for the bold) braving the outdoor hot tub. You're still invited! Let us know if you want to come!

(Please note: This means we will not be gathering at Jammin' Java on Sunday morning.)

But first - don't miss our LAST karaoke night for this year at the Lamb Center on Thursday, November 20th! We need to take a break until spring, because area churches will begin hosting homeless folks to protect them from the cold winter weather. So bring your best voice and your clearest eyes to see God at work, from 6:30 to 8pm.

And that's it! See you in the jacuzzi!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, retreat

This Sunday morning, 10am at Jammin' Java, we'll be treated to the unveiling of a new initiative at Common Table: The All Ages Service! (We'll be having one approximately every other month.) A crack team have been collaborating to bring a full-featured worship experience that will be accessible to all ages. They've been a little secretive regarding details, but we have reason to believe we'll see some fresh liturgy and hand-crafted visuals and stories and an engaging project to enact, plus a whole lot more. So bring your kids and/or your own inner child and let's see what we can learn and create together.

Next Thursday (November 20), we will be gathering at the Lamb Center for the LAST karaoke night of this year, as area churches will begin hosting homeless folks to protect them from the cold winter weather. So bring your best voice and your clearest eyes to see God at work, from 6:30 to 8pm.

Finally, we will NOT be meeting at Jammin' Java next Sunday, as the 2008 Common Table retreat will be held November 21st-23rd. You're invited! If you wanna come, let us know, pronto!

See you soon,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: all ages, karaoke, lamb center, retreat

Hi church,

Well, if you made it to one or more of our gatherings this past weekend, I hope you had as much of a blessed blast as I did! Cox Farms Pumpkin Fest with a whole mess of kids (most of whom wouldn't have been able to go without the help of our fine friends at FACETS), a spooky Halloween party at the haunted Tennyson Manor, and finally an awesome collaborative All Saints service at Church in Bethesda with saints from a variety of local communities. It was a God-blessed weekend full of friends!

And we have more opportunities this week to bless others, enjoy friends, and praise God, starting with karaoke night at The Lamb Center (6:30 - 8pm on Thursday) - limber up your vocal cords and prepare to join friends old and new, in all kids of life circumstances, in songs of thankfulness and celebration. Possibly to include something by Rick Astley. But it's all good, really.

Then, on Friday, a bunch of us are road trippin' to Philly for the Emergent Mid-Atlantic Conference, featuring the Irish theologian/community-practitioner/provocateur Pete Rollins. The conference is taking place all day Saturday, and it's not too late to join this wagon train, so let us know if you want to hop aboard.

Those of us who are in town Sunday morning will be coming together at 10am at Jammin' Java for one of our new "simple" worship services. This service will be simple indeed, the idea being that all we really need to worship God together are two things: us, and the Holy Spirit. In this case, we'll gather for a contemplative time of Lectio Divina, followed by Holy Eucharist.

And that's the plan for this week. Finally, don't forget that the 2008 Common Table retreat is coming right up, November 21st-23rd. You're invited! If you wanna come, let us know, pronto!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: conference, karaoke, lamb center, simple

Hi church,

Here's what's goin' on:

Firstly: Thursday the 16th, from 6:30 -8pm, we'll gather at The Lamb Center for another blessed evening of pizza and karaoke. It's always Spirit- and fun-fulled as we let loose our inner ham and see the face of Christ in friends of every age and circumstance.

And then, on Sunday morning (10am at Jammin' Java), we'll have the first service from our newly formed musical worship team: a sort of right-brain sequel to last week's "What is Real?" What should you expect? Here are P3T3's words about these services:

an aural experience like no other. witness an artistic tour de force... a mind-blowing, reality-altering walk through the minds of some exceptional artists. Be prepared to engage your other brain - the other half of what it is that makes us human. Together we hope to more fully experience and love God with our heart, soul, strength and mind.

If that doesn't get you pumped, then I don't know what to tell you. Except perhaps: Dude, maybe you need to getcher self an infusion of joy, praise, song, and worship. What's that you say...a recommendation? Why yes, since you ask, I do have a recommendation! ;-)

See you soon, in a place of song!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, music

Dear Church--

This Sunday, we're back at Jammin' Java after several weeks away. We'll be hearing from one of our Ryans, who will be taking on us a journey toward "What is Real?" Through physics, physicality, God, and the thing that we call our consciousness, he'll be helping us to think about what 'real' is, what makes it that way, and how we interact with reality. Come at 10am, and prepare to be expanded.

If you'd like a head start, you're welcome to join a few of us on Saturday at lunchtime, as we connect with a friend who's in town to do some advocacy for Not For Sale. Email me at [my name@gmail] if you'd like details on some time learning about human trafficking and the modern-day abolitionist movement. A chance to be changed, and to bring change.

And if you'd like a practical exercise in becoming something more than you currently are, bring an appetite for pizza and your best singing voice to The Lamb Center next Thursday (October 16, from 6:30 to 8pm) for the next iteration of the ongoing connection point of Karaoke. You'll feel yourself expanding, and not just from the pizza!

See you soon,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Not For Sale, reality

Hi church,

It was a relationship of affection and commitment, and we thought it would last forever: Jammin' Java + Common Table. But then this guy rolled into town, and before we knew it, his kiddish melodies were making Java swoon and sigh and...well...we just couldn't compete. Not with Ralph.

Just kidding - the Jammin' Java folks asked us a while ago if we wouldn't mind making way for the popular Disney Channel troubadour this Sunday morning, so for a variety of reasons we decided to postpone our annual church anniversary celebration for a month, and it's our pleasure to invite you to:


We'll do a potluck picnic/barbeque: please bring picnic food and utensils for your family, plus a little to share, and there should be plenty for everyone. We'll have a grill going, so by all means bring some meat or veggies to char.

For the labyrinth walk, we won't have any prepared verbal prayers or liturgy. Instead, we'll pray in two ways: we'll pray contemplatively, listening, receptive to God's Spirit as we walk the labyrinth. And we're also encouraging everyone to bring acoustic musical instruments, if you want to: guitars, drums, shakers, other percussion (we'll have some extras) - and we'll offer the music and rhythm we make as praise to God as we walk, listen, and open our hearts.

We'll begin music and walking at the labyrinth behind the church as soon as we can assemble there, and folks can begin preparing food at the picnic tables on the front lawn (near the awesome playground - kids and parents, take note!) as soon as they want to as well. It'll be a great time of worship and fellowship - hope to see you there!

But wait - before all that, we have the opportunity for another awesome time of fellowship and mutual blessing: Thursday from 6:30 -8, we'll be gathering at The Lamb Center for pizza and karaoke. Don't miss that chance to see God's Spirit at work and play in friends old and new!

It's a week for celebration - come join us as we party round the Table!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, labyrinth, lamb center

Hey, everyone--

Hope you're all adjusting to this tricky week when many of us-- young and old!-- are returning to the classroom and switching to a different schedule. Fortunately, our schedule at church continues on with some continuity, as we keep up with our engagement with The Lamb Center, and as the overflow from our wonderful Psalm series continues into September:

Thursday evening, 6:30 - 8pm: Karaoke at The Lamb Center. Bring your singing voice (if you've got one), your kid (if you've got one), and your appetite for pizza (we know you've got one) to this great space to make friends and develop relationships.

Sunday morning, 10am: Vengeance in the Psalms. We'll be gathering at Jammin' Java at 10am to look at several Psalms which are in fact prayers for destruction of enemies. So bring a list of your enemies to church with you (if you cannot identify an enemy, one will be assigned to you ;-).

And looking ahead:

Next Sunday, September 14, we will be having another of our baptism services. At least two infants will be baptized, and if you're considering baptism for yourself (as an adult) or for a child, please let us know.

On November 8, several of us will be headed up to the Philly area to catch a one-day conference with Pete Rollins. So if you're interested in joining us, speak up. Or, if you're one of our wider readers who will be attending, we hope you'll say 'hello' (we'll be the manically social pack of people who may well be sleeping in a camper in the parking lot...).

November 21-23: Retreat!! The unique thing about our annual retreats is that they are actually low-key and relaxing. No conference folders, no Big Agenda, nothing much to do but hang out and eat. Of course, there are some nice hikes at Algonkian Park, and we'll have a cabin with a jacuzzi this year. All to say: Retreat = Retreat. And if you're reading this, you're welcome to join us.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Psalms, retreat

Last weekend, I managed to indulge in both the camping trip and the pool party. Like a good father, I won't say which one I might have preferred, but I will say something noncommittal about the gorgeous weather in both the city and the country, and how fulfilling it was to just hang out with my CT peeps. If you weren't able to make it out to one or the other, I hope you at least had a nice reminder of the great importance of doing nothing.

This weekend, we're back to doing something:

On Thursday night from 6:30-8pm, we'll be piling into The Lamb Center for pizza, snacks, and Karaoke. Our energetic leader Martha is back from the beach, and says that the folks at TLC have been buzzing all week in anticipation!

This Sunday morning, we'll return to our regularly scheduled Psalm series at 10am at Jammin' Java. Stacy will be taking us on an inspiring journey to the heart of Psalm 66, and engaging us in a discussion around this audacious Psalm.

As the final weekend of the month, next weekend is our regular time to leave the comforts of Java and do a service project. It's also the anniversary of our church, which is a traditional time to eat outdoors and walk a labyrinth. So stay tuned to see if we can squeeze all of that into one (long) weekend, or if we'll need to stretch things out a bit.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, labyrinth, lamb center, Psalms, service-worship

Hey, Church--

Granted, August snuck up on us. And yes, Target is stocking school clothes and safety scissors aplenty. But Summer isn't over yet! We've got a few chances to squeeze a little more pleasure out of the season.

Karaoke is back, baby! Join our Lamb Center friends at 6:30 this Thursday for pizza, soft drinks, friendship, and klinky midi files set to random landscape backgrounds. It's a great time to laugh and connect and see God at work.

This Sunday, Amy and Pete and I will be doing our best to put the Psalms back to music, as we explore this ancient hymnal in our next installment of the Summer Psalm Series. Bring your singing voice, and a toe to tap, and maybe even a little passion, if you've got it. 10am, at Jammin' Java.

Next weekend, a bunch of CT folks will be driving on curvy roads two hours west to the cool mountains of West Virginia for several days of camping at Trout Pond. Several of us went last year and enjoyed two lakes, several hiking trails, and real bathrooms and hot showers, along with campfires and quiet and stars and coffee and food and all of the other pleasures that go along with camping. If you can make it any time between Thursday evening and Sunday, let us know so that we can save a spot for you.

Those of us who will be missing the camping trip have yet to decide if we'll muster around a more conventional worship service at Jammin' Java, or if we'll follow the leisurely example of the campers and plan to spend Sunday morning gathered around a swimming pool or some other venue of relaxation. Either way, we'll have an update and directions in this space next week.

Hope to see you soon,
Mike Stavlund

Labels: camping, karaoke, lamb center, Psalms

Hi church,

Wow - lots to report this week! So I'll try to be brief. (Stop snickering. I am capable of brevity. With God's help.)

First: this Thursday night, we have two (2) awesome options for song and fellowship! First, it's Karaoke night with homeless guests and volunteers of all ages at The Lamb Center (6:30 to 8pm)! Come out for an evening of fun, pizza, mutual blessing, and song.

For song of a more rarefied caliber (but sacrificing the chance to rub elbows with our Lamb Center friends), the other option for Thursday evening is to join the awesome Amy and the singular Cindi for their final scheduled gig performing their own original music at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church. They're on from 7 to 7:30, but we should plan to stay for yummy Thai food and a variety of great acts, all part of the Songwriters' Association of Washington.

Moving on to Friday, we'll be gathering at Tina's and my place (13337 Feldman Place, Herndon, VA) at 7pm for the first of three follow-up meetings to our congregational meeting this past Friday evening. That gathering was vibrant with the conversation of a deckful of engaged and jovial Commoners sharing hearts, minds, and cold beverages - and we identified three major, interconnected areas in the life of our community where we are clearly sensing that some change is necessary:

1) How we integrate our kids into our community,
2) How we approach and accomplish Sunday morning worship, and
3) How we approach our community budget (i.e., giving and spending).

So we agreed to have, at least initially, three follow-up meetings on Friday evenings to continue conversation and discernment on these three topics. This coming Friday (the 18th): Kids. The Friday after that (the 25th): Sunday mornings. The Friday after that (the 1st): Money. If you care about CT and can make it, please join us for any or all of these times of discernment in community. This week's meeting at our place might be held down by the playground - an appropriate location for discernment about (and with) the littlest Commoners.

Then on Saturday, there's a good-looking event on Jubilee Economics coming to the Servant Leadership School of Church of the Saviour. A few CT folks are going, and several of us will be talking about our relational redistribution network (The GNU Team) in the afternoon there. Come on out, if you're interested and available.

Also on Saturday (afternoon/evening), at the Tennysons have invited us over for beer and barbecue! (And also to help move Ken's siblings' stuff from their place into a U-Haul.)

Last, but not least, please join us on Sunday at 10am at Jammin' Java, when we'll be continuing our Summer Psalms series. Our very own ErinPoetChica will lead us as we look at and experience that elusive and evocative form of discourse known as poetry - a form that encompasses every Psalm in the Bible, not to mention the Song of Songs, the works of T.S. Eliot, and those of the Bobs: Dylan and Marley.

And that's it! If you're at a loss for something to do this week, don't blame us. :-)

Peace,
Mike Croghan

P. S. Still rollin', July 31.

Labels: Amy, jubilee, karaoke, lamb center, poetry, Psalms, Tennysons

Hi church,

The mundane breezes have blown a bit cooler this week, and we're feeling like the Spirit is calling us to sit back, relax, and celebrate God's gifts a bit.

Our first opportunity to do that is Thursday evening (tonight!) as we open our hearts and sing from our diaphragms for Karaoke Night at The Lamb Center (6:30 to 8pm). Please join us kids of all ages as we share song, serendipity, and blessing with each other, regardless of age and life circumstance.

Then, Sunday morning, we're thinking of ("planning" is too strong a word) a service that's in marked contrast with the gorgeous, yet complex and carefully ordered, Anglican liturgy we celebrated last week. Ken suggested a good old-fashioned hymn sing (in which anybody suggests a hymn and we all sing along) so let's do it! (If we can find hymnals!) And let's not limit ourselves to hymns: In "Quakeresque" fashion, let's bring whatever the Spirit moves us to bring - a hymn, yes, or a poem, or a body prayer, drum solo, spoken prayer, artwork, mini-art-project, word of inspiration, short reading, dance, etc.

And just to keep us open to the Spirit's challenging (as well as joyful) presence, we'll intersperse our offerings with some periods of discussion about where we've been as a community, where we are, and where we're going - and try to open our musings up to broader themes that might have implications for the journeys of communities, and individuals, in general. Please join us at Jammin' Java at 10am.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

P.S., Jesus for President!!!

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Quakeresque

As we continue to move through the season of Pentecost, we're chasing the Spirit in a couple of different places:

On Thursday night, we'll be enjoining our bi-weekly karaoke night at The Lamb Center in Fairfax, from 6:30 to 8pm. Pizza, soda, cookies, singing, and enough wholesome laughter to last you for two weeks.

Saturday brings us a "barn raising" at the Tennysons'. No, we're not actually building them a barn - "barn raisings" are a new tradition we just made up, based on the example of the Amish and other close-knit communities who come together to share work projects and fellowship with one another. For this Saturday, weather looks good - hot but dry...

Here is a tentative schedule and work list:

• Meet at 10:00 am
• Work until 1:00pm
• 1:00 Barbecue - Ken and Maranda can provide meat and juice for kids; BYOB

Work List:

• Cut up a tree that Sam will have cut down. Haul and stack rounds.
• Haul limbs and branches to recycling center (there are already a couple of loads worth on the property)
• Clean gutters
• Weed backyard beds (this could easily keep 3-4 people busy the ENTIRE time)

For those less outdoor inclined, Maranda will have several indoor projects to work on, and we will also need help with kids.

Come Sunday, I'll be taking a crack at one of our 'Grab-Bag June' Sundays with my offering: "Hiding the Gospel: A Preaching Clinic". Of course, it's not like I'm going to teach you how to preach-- who would ever want to preach?-- but we'll teach each other a little bit about the fine art of indirection. Think of it as a Pentecost season experiment in a radical expression of 'the priesthood of all believers,' where everybody who wants gets a turn in the pulpit. So bring yourself to Jammin' Java at 10am on Sunday morning, and let's just see what happens.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: barn-raising, karaoke, lamb center, preaching

Hey church,

This past Sunday was Pentecost, and in our joint service with Convergence and Holy Grounds felt like a beautiful and powerful release of the Spirit into our chaotic collaboration, and into the world through us, the people of God.

Now, we begin the season after Pentecost. Like the season between Christmas and Lent, this part of the Church year is often referred to as "Ordinary Time" - where "ordinary" refers to the numbered weeks, not to any humdrum quality of this season. (And who ever said that God isn't powerfully present in the "ordinary", anyway?) But in any case, I really prefer to think of this time as the season of Pentecost, a season which invites us to live in vibrant consciousness of the indwelling Spirit, who sends us out into the world together to share our gifts with reckless abandon.

Our first opportunity to do that this week will be at this Thursday's Karaoke Night at The Lamb Center (6:30 to 8pm). The Spirit is always present in these gatherings, as homeless guests and volunteers of every age (including kids) share their gifts in song, friendship, and prayer. It never fails to be a powerful experience, and powerfully fun, too!

In the Anglican Church calendar, the first Sunday in Pentecost is Trinity Sunday, the day when the church particularly celebrates the relational dance of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we'll celebrate that dance together this Sunday as we negotiate the mambo of ancient liturgy in another of our occasional series on the faith traditions that formed us and that bless our community through us. This time we're exploring the Anglican/Episcopal tradition that provided much of the "DNA" for our church through its founding pastor, Doug Gray. Please join us at Jammin' Java at 10am.

Finally, just a heads up: next weekend, Memorial Day weekend, will also be our service-worship weekend for this month. So instead of gathering at Jammin' Java, we'll be out trying to bless our wider community. Specifically, you're all invited to a combination community woods-and-stream cleanup, block party, and Memorial Day weekend cookout at Tina's and my place in Herndon. We're inviting all our neighbors, and we'll spend some time together cleaning up the massive amounts of litter in the woodsy common area in our housing community. And then we'll eat, drink, and meet new friends. Look for details as soon as we figure them out!

And that's it for this week, I think. Keep your ears and heart open for the warm, rushing wind of the Spirit this season...I think it might be a wild one.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: Anglican, karaoke, lamb center, service-worship

Hi church,

First of all, I just wanted to say thanks - especially to Sam, the genius of trees, but also to everybody, for the tree planting this past Sunday - for the Sister we didn't know, for Will, and for my Dad. It was (and, as the trees grow and flourish, will continue to be) a thing of great beauty and sacredness. Thank you.

Likewise, the gatherings we have planned for this week will also be all slathered in sacred beauty of various flavors. First of all, this Thursday, March 1st, from 6:30 to 8pm, will be another awesome Karaoke Night at The Lamb Center . Friendship and song, love and laughter, and building deeper relationships with TLC's homeless guests. And so much fun it ought to be illegal.

Then, please join us this Sunday at 10am at Jammin' Java for our third and final "living room" service reading the book of Romans together, with a musical team including friends from Convergence. I'm really looking forward to hopping in for the final part of this series, to worship with y'all and spend time immersed in this remarkable letter. I hope I didn't miss any of the good parts. ;-)

Looking ahead, please mark your calendar for something a bit different next Sunday, May 11th, which is Pentecost. We won't be meeting at Jammin' Java in the morning, as we'll be joining with our friends from Convergence and Holy Grounds at the worship lab at Convergence in Alexandria at 5pm. It promises to be a great time of mass collaboration as we celebrate the somewhat chaotic coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2.

And that's it, I think. Blessings of new life to you all, dear friends, in this season of Easter! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Pentecost, Romans

Hi church,

Hey, it's me, Croghan, reporting from Common Table's satellite chapel near Charlotte, NC. I'm pretty sure you all know more about what's going on back in NoVA than I do right now, so if I get it all wrong, please feel free to ignore this message and do the real plan instead. I won't mind. :-)

Seriously, the time my family are spending together with my Dad right now is an immeasurable gift, and we all want to thank you all for your love and prayers. You rock, church family, and you are a rock in Tina's and my lives. Thank you.

So here's what I gather y'all will be up to this week.

This Thursday, April 17, from 6:30 to 8pm will be the second opportunity this spring to bring yourself and your gifts out to The Lamb Center for Karaoke night. These evenings are your chance to share friendship and song and love and laughter and to build deeper relationships with TLC's homeless guests, and it's a ridiculous amount of fun. Don't miss it!

Then, please join us this Sunday at 10am at Jammin' Java for the second in a three-part series on the book of Romans - just reading Romans together, as a letter (which it is, after all), with interludes of reflection and inspiration provided by a musical team including friends from Convergence. I hear this was an incredible experience of worship, music, and dwelling in the Word last week, and this Sunday's continuation promises to be at least as inspiring.

And that's all I know. If you know more than me...I'm not surprised. :-) Love you guys!

Peace, love,
Mike Croghan

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Romans

We hope you can join us this Sunday at 10 at Jammin' Java as we begin a three-part series on the book of Romans. Which is to say, we'll be reading through the book of Romans in three chunks: no sermons, no theologizing, no agenda except to remember that this book (like most of the New Testament) is a letter, written to particular people in a particular place. In this way, we hope to see how our particular group can be more connected with our particular place, and head toward the future with a better sense of God's purpose.

The truly exciting development is that some friends of ours from Convergence will be joining us to add some groovy music to our times of contemplation, and to offer their own subtle artistic interpretation of what we're hearing. It promises to be a rich time of revelation and reflection.

But that doesn't mean we don't want to hear your artistry, though! Bring yourself and your gifts out to The Lamb Center for Karaoke night next Thursday, April 17, from 6:30 to 8pm. It's been a great time, and a wonderful opportunity for our friends at TLC to get to know us and one another that much better. Plus, it's a lot of fun.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center, Romans

Hey, Church--

This Thursday night will be another session of Karaoke at The Lamb Center. Come out between 6:30 and 8pm to display your own talents, and/or to revel in the talents of others. When we were talking up this auspicious event last Saturday, folks were really excited about it!

Sunday morning, we'll be back at Jammin' Java for a low-key service. Martha will be leading us in a prayer gathering, where we'll offer our thanks and pray for one another and also for those outside the church, especially our friends at TLC. Please join us at 10:00 to talk and share and pray.

In weeks to follow, we're looking forward to a 3-week series on the book of Romans. This will consist mainly in a straightforward reading of the text, which should be a powerful experience of that letter, and a chance to give it a fresh new look.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center

Hey, Church--

This Thursday night will be another session of Karaoke at The Lamb Center. Come out between 6:30 and 8pm to display your own talents, and/or to revel in the talents of others. When we were talking up this auspicious event last Saturday, folks were really excited about it!

Sunday morning, we'll be back at Jammin' Java for a low-key service. Martha will be leading us in a prayer gathering, where we'll offer our thanks and pray for one another and also for those outside the church, especially our friends at TLC. Please join us at 10:00 to talk and share and pray.

In weeks to follow, we're looking forward to a 3-week series on the book of Romans. This will consist mainly in a straightforward reading of the text, which should be a powerful experience of that letter, and a chance to give it a fresh new look.

Mike Stavlund

Labels: karaoke, lamb center

Labels: context, karaoke, lamb center, retreat