Thursday, August 18, 2011

Bowling, Black Lights, Worship... It Works!!!

We had the first service of the spiritual block party that is Winding River. A LOT of people came. We needed every single deck chair that was brought and luckily the bowling alley did have a couple dozen folding chairs we could borrow. The theme was "Don't Miss Your Blessing". Every child in attendance (15+ of them) asked to return next week. The musicians and the bowling alley got paid. I did not lose any money.

Now THAT is success.

Music was provided by Velpo on guitar and Roger on sax. It had a street musician kind of feel. They played all jumpy fun stuff. Sara was in charge of the ministry of bubbles. Mary was church secretary. Betye heckled me the whole time.

Jim won the good egg award. Bob earned the voodoo postcard. Laura and Gin almost got in big trouble. Deanna, Betye, and Sam won the door prizes. Mark bowled slowest. One family of four had a complicated scoring system which suggested multiple rule bendings in the interest of family cohesiveness.

Chris drank a beer. David went for soda. Marcia's legs glowed in the black light. Lois giggled. Adelaide drooled. Ian pinched my nose with his toes. Nikki smiled so much I almost cried for joy. Andrea thought I didn't recognize her.

And you. Were you there? Not to rub it in, or anything... but you should have been there. It was low-key, happy, chill, great. The punks AND the hippies called it cool. And the one thing I heard the most was that people felt that they had never had a worship experience like it.

That's pretty much what I was going for.

We have a service this week. 5 PM at Plaza Bowl in Southside Plaza at Belt Boulevard and Hull Street. $7 cover (cash please) but we do have financial aid if needed. Bring a chair. Bowling shoes, worship, music included in the cover. Beverages and snack extra. The theme is "911".

If I do say so myself... I am pretty darn stoked.

1 comment:

Lauren said...

You have no idea how very much I WISH I could be there. I'm currently hanging out in the garden of pantheism all by my lonesome here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific. I learned about you on your very last Sunday at the UU, thanks to Gin & Richard Brockwell. It was one of the most wonderful 'church' experiences I ever had. I can only imagine how it would compare to this new and wonderful thing you're doing.

That being said, I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about it!!!

Go you!

Do you think anyone there might figure out how to do a live stream via Skype or some equally snappy technological gizmo?