A service of worship and fellowship — a gathering of individuals who walk in a circle and express that of the Holy Spirit given to them. No table of offerings is set; the whole of it is a seed, and a seed must be grown.
Eight movements · one circle · no front
A gathering of individuals who walk in a circle, each one expressing that of the Holy Spirit given to them — hot and cold: the truth of struggle and the truth of gratitude, praise and plentifulness, need and worship unto the Father of Heaven, the Creator of Ezekiel, He who has resurrecting power, honour and glory and is worthy of all Presents.
Jerusalem, Emmanuel, Issachar, Yawrib Messiah — the names are spoken and sung as they are given.
The lack of face in the motion of circling brings about a place for vulnerability and transparency. No one is looked at and no one is looked to; the circle has no front, and so the one who speaks has nowhere to hide and nothing to perform.
The service is walked in order, and every part of it belongs to the congregation. Nothing here is performed for anyone; everything here is offered to Him.
A word may come to anyone in the circle — sung, shouted, spoken, or played. Instruments are allowed. Nothing is prepared for an audience and nothing is performed: what is given is given. The sound of the congregation is the first movement of the Spirit among us.
Six minutes in which no word is spoken and no instrument is played. This is the time to admire the breath of God given to you, and to listen to the sound of motion — your own breathing, the room, the body of the one beside you. What the shout could not say, the stillness says.
Sing only of Him, and of all that He has created, sustained and provided for. Not of the self, not of the week, not of want — of Him. The Father of Heaven, Creator of Ezekiel, He who has resurrecting power, honour and glory, is honoured above all; and Yawrib Messiah is sung as He is given.
Here the circle speaks both the lack and the abundance — the struggle and the overflow, plainly and without shame. We observe our abundance and offer it fully: the prompting of the Holy Spirit moves toward the need, and we give out of abundance rather than out of fear. No offering is demanded and no need is announced for show.
The table is the garden’s table — food that does not require the death of the innocent to feed a craving. Eat simply and be glad. Joy is not a reward for the service; it is part of the service.
Lie down together in the sanctuary and sleep, or sit and meditate as one body. This is the letting of the mud settle: the water is not made clear by stirring but by stillness. Nothing is asked of you here but rest.
When the circle prays, the eyes stay open. Open eyes keep the conscience pure and the conviction honest, and they give each member a door to service — you see the one you are praying for, and you see who is not yet being prayed for.
Each person comes with a jar of Moringa oil prepared, that their feet may be washed by the Messiah — Jerusalem, Emmanuel, Issachar, Yawrib — and this washing is practised one upon another. Feet are washed in the circle, with oil, in turn, as He washed them.
Christ isn't in Hope. Christ is a murder and to be anointed by blood spilt and to spare one's life falsely in a separation in fear of destruction or pursuit of power.
The murder of the Messiah was the work of all those who desired to be Christ. It is evident in such words as circumcision (to remove piece), christ is to kill or steal from life, Crucifixion is to destroy by mutilation, molestation and rape.
We do not deny christ as a right of The creator and offer it unto no man. For he is far greater in mercy and Faithfull works.
The Messiah was not a substitution or offering to be spared. In His murder He was christed from the thief, killer and destroyer and will soon bring about judgment for the day of atonement is drawing to a close.
For as it is written: go to a quiet place and pray in secret, so that your Father in heaven may reward you in secret. What is given in the open is given to the open; what is given in secret is given to Him.
A blessing of plenty should come from a place free from death and sacrifice, and it may be of trade. A donut shop may bless its congregation with a time of freedom to receive offerings — the gift stands outside the church and outside the market, and no blood is required to make it.
So the congregation keeps a table of talents rather than a table of offerings: what each one has been given is written down, and given away freely.
| The talent | What is given | How it is offered |
|---|---|---|
| A song, a shout, a word | The word given to you in the gathering — sung, shouted or spoken in your own voice. | GIVEN IN THE CIRCLE |
| An instrument and its playing | The skill of the hands, played for the congregation and not for the player. | PLAYED FREELY |
| A jar of Moringa oil | Oil prepared and brought, that feet may be washed and the washing practised one upon another. | BROUGHT AND POURED |
| The food of the garden | Bread, seed, green things and water from the garden — a table that requires no death. | SET WITHOUT PRICE |
| A trade, given free | The work of your hands — repair, build, carry, cook, mend — given to a member at no charge. | THE HANDS’ TRADE |
| A quiet hour and a place to rest | Room in the sanctuary, and the watch kept while another sleeps. | KEPT IN STILLNESS |
| Water for a widow or an orphan | The strong act of service done in secret, with no one told that it was you. | GIVEN IN SECRET |
| The door kept for another | A door to service opened for a member — an introduction, a place, a need met unseen. | OPENED TO THE CIRCLE |
Do not fear — it is a seed that must be grown. Reverence is a good spirit, and one of celebration is never condemned. A circle that is silent out of fear and a circle that is loud out of vanity are both being measured; what is asked of you is that what you bring be truly yours.
Go from the circle sober, gentle, honest and glad. What was sung was sung to Him; what was given was given in secret; what was washed was washed as He washed it.
Do not fear the smallness of the sound. It is a seed, and a seed must be grown.
Back to the garden