- in homes, and
- will do some creative input /Godspace activities
- around meals.
(Like the underground church...)
1. Once a month there will be another meal closer to Perth, which will be open to all.
2. And once a month will be at Banksia Grove, for the team, but also open to others by invitation.
You can email me (or any other team member) for venues and times - gwestlake@optusnet.com.au
Meanwhile, we thank God for SSS's impact so far.
It certainly achieved what it set out to do:
SSS came out of Tuesday church,
- to make a place where our friends couuld be a fly on the wall,
- in an ambient atmosphere we found connducive to prayerful worship;
- for our own experimenting with worshiip and prayer expressions;
It also:
- played a role in validating other artt/contemplative experiments in Perth.
- became a supportive group in itself ffor the organising team.
Our friends have come and stayed or gone; the experiments have been done; the validating has been achieved. And now we know what we can continue with for now.
But the support, encouragement, and affective-learning continues, with this meal-based version. SSS underground.
Cheers,
Geoff Westlake.
--------------------------------------------------------
In a fast-changing culture,
speed and relevance over size and longevity.
Every month, on the second Sunday, a small group of us run a contemplative exercise, called "Godspace".
We call it that because it's when we make space & time in our lives to do nothing but practice "attending" to God, practice listening, or being still, or contemplating, or meditating, or silence. Those quieting activities which give us eyes and ears to recognize more of God's presence in the whole arena of our lives.
We've only been doing these activities since 2000 - mere novices compared to the long Catholic traditions from which we (of none, or mostly evangelical traditions) sometimes draw. But it's a genuine expression of our devotion to God, that we want to stop and listen. We don't do any activity for tradition's sake. We do each activity because we believe it can offer some fresh way of attending to God. Heart, Soul, and Strength, as well as mind.
It doesn't have singing, didactic teaching, or most of the stuff you'd normally associate with church. But it does have ambience, discussion, interaction, art, a variety of contemplative exercises and experiences - stuff you often don't find in church.
It's not a proper church community. It's more a dispersed community of like people, who gather monthly for spiritual exercises. These exercises are not for quantity of teaching content, but quality - God's voice specifically to each of us.
You'd need more than this meeting to: engage in acts of community service; or deep friendships; or thorough learning... (although we can link you to all of these, either thru our links with the Mt Hawthorn Community Church, or by Geoff working with you and your friends on the idea of starting your own community of faith. - See "Reframe")
But "Godspace" does offer different ways to listen to God, and express yourself to God.
Our door is open to anyone who likewise wants to attend to what God might be doing in their lives.
If "Godspace" is not your cup of tea, no problem.
But if it is, you may be pretty thirsty.
Every month, on the second Sunday
730pm
Mt Hawthorn Community Hall
Braithwaite Park, Corner of Scarborough Beach Rd, and The Boulevard
Mt Hawthorn, Perth, WA.
