Dear OpenSpiriters:
Greetings in this Advent season! We continue to gather on Sunday evenings at the Metro-West Performing Arts Center, from 7 – 8 p.m., for spirited, engaging worship.
Now, about our upcoming schedule: note that we will meet, as usual, this Sunday evening at the normal time and place. The theme, continuing our Advent reflections on the theme of longing, is our longing for peace. The following week, we will not meet on Sunday but rather on Monday evening, December 21, at Edwards Church in Framingham (for directions, www.edwardschurch.org) for a “longest night” (solstice) service. Also, we will NOT gather on December 27th.
The reason for this letter, beyond saying that we’re delighted you’ve been among us during the nine months of our life together, it to invite your help. We are writing at a crucial juncture in our OpenSpirit life. Attendance this fall has been erratic – as many as 35, as few as 2. As a result, we find ourselves reflecting on where we are – and, more to the point, who this “we” is and what this “we” desires in terms of a future.
If you would help in our discernment, we would be most grateful. You could do so by contacting one of us whom you know or replying directly to this email. What are we interested in knowing? Such things as:
1. Love the worship, but the time on Sunday nights is difficult for me; if the latter, what day/time might work better?
2. Enjoy what you are doing, but want something more – such as…?
3. Would come regularly, but the space doesn’t work well for me because. . .
4. I’d come more regularly if OpenSpirit took place monthly, instead of weekly.
If there are other concerns, questions, or ideas, feel free to express them. We are here, after all, to be a lively gathering of folks intent on finding a form of worship that would not be possible in many local churches.
We are also clear that we do not intend to be a “new church start.” We would value your response. Contact us by return email, or by contacting one of us directly. Kind thanks!
Mark Burrows (msburrows@comcast.net)
Debbie Clark (debbiecl@aol.com)
Debbie Guest (vaguest@mac.com)
Willie Sordillo (wsax@rcn.com)
Andrea Castner Wyatt (revandrea@gmail.com)