Experience Jesus’ message of love holistically in an inclusive spiritual setting, without any dogma or sectarianism blocking the way.

Fri, Dec 6th, Doors at 7pm, ceremony begins around 8pm and lasts several hours

The heart of this Gospel Ceremony is a dramatic reading of the entire Gospel of Mark (lasts just under 2hrs) facilitated by Rev. Dr. Ian Mevorach, director of the Common Street Spiritual Center; he has been a student of Jesus and other great prophets and spiritual teachers for over 20 years.

The.reading of the Gospel will be offered with very minimal explanation, in trust that it speaks for itself, and will be accompanied by embodied practices of remembrance and enactment that will awaken our imaginations and give us ways to somatically experience the meaning of the story.

Such practices may include meditation, journaling, mindfully drinking cacao, coffee and/or tea, sharing the ritual bread and wine of communion, prayer, singing, contemplative or dramatic readings, partnered or small group reflective practices, etc. These practices will be woven organically into the experience of the Gospel story, similar to audience participation in improvisational theater contexts. There will be plenty of laughter and serious moments in this sacred gathering insofar as the Gospel itself is both a divine tragedy and divine comedy.

While the Gospel writings are essential to Christianity, Christianity is not essential to the Gospel writings; similarly, Jesus is essential to the Gospel writings, but the Gospel writings are not essential to Jesus. The goal of the Gospel Ceremony is not to convert participants to any form or sect of Christianity, but rather to create an inclusive and dynamic space where people of diverse belief systems and philosophical perspectives can share in an authentic experience of the Gospel of Jesus, which is a message of love that transcends religious categories and forms; insofar as this sacred message does relate to religious traditions like Christianity, it tends more towards their deconstruction and transformation rather than their establishment and maintenance.

People of all beliefs, spiritual paths, and religious identities, and those who do not identify as religious and/or spiritual, are all equally welcome to participate, and people of all ages are also welcome. There is no charge to attend the Gospel Ceremony, though donations to the Spiritual Center are always welcome at www.commonstreet.org/give. Also, ceremony participants are very welcome to arrive early or stay late to help with setup/cleanup, and to offer assistance and contribute their talents and energy in various ways during the ceremonial practice itself.

What to bring:
Water bottle, yoga mat and/or meditation cushion to sit on (or you can borrow one, or use a chair), a journal (optional), Bible (optional if you want to read along), blanket (optional), mug for coffee/tea (or we’ll have paper cups).

For questions, or to volunteer, please contact Ian at ian@commonstreet.org