Jubilee! Circle: Where "Church"
Doesn't Mean What You Think it Means

Jubilee! Circle is a progressive, inclusive community, influenced by Creation Spirituality, ecumenical, feminist, and traditional Christian theologies.

We respect and value each person's spiritual path. Whether you come from a church background, a religious background other than Christianity, or no religious background at all, you are welcome here.

At each Celebration we express our faith through music, dance, poetry, prayer, evocative messages, and fellowship. No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome at Jubilee! Circle. Join us!

Meeting days: Sunday
(every first Sunday is Potluck!)

Meeting time: 11 a.m.

Meeting place: 2730 Millwood Avenue, Columbia, SC

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The Via Positiva:
Dance With Delight

So what if God is a band? As in, say, a dance band? Not the leader of the band (ala Dan Fogelberg), but the actual band? Whether you picture God as Allah, Great Spirit, Brahma, Tao, Creator, Comforter, Mystery, Spirit of Life, Cosmic Evolutionary Force or Grand Poobah, what if that image of The Holy is actually something you dance to? Or not? If it's true, then, not only do atheists have fewer holidays; they also might be one band short of a festival.

So, if God is a band (work with me here), then, perhaps our gig is not so much to go to church or pray or read scripture or do nice things for people. If God is a band, then, our role might be to simply dance to the music or sing along. What if that's what real worship is all about? What if all this time, religious folks have been missing the boat by mumbling hymns, studying scripture, sleeping through sermons, feeling like scumbags and scrambling around kissing up to God, so at graduation, they'll get wings instead of a barbeque set?

What if our task on this planet is to simply dance to God's music? We know that on a molecular level, everything is in motion. Everything. What we call "solid" (rocks, trees, tacos, credit cards, goobers and gonads) are actually galaxies of atoms and atomic particles all whirling around each other like dervish dancers on steroids. And, as far as we know, they never stop. Even after we bow out, centuries down the line, our dust will still be hip-hopping to some beat somewhere. And what if that beat is what we humans have long called "Divinity"?

Perchance, when Jesus said, "Follow me," he was referring to dance steps. Or the Tao and Buddhism are both invitations to dance on The Path. Maybe the water cycle and the tides, the pushing up of mountains, the pollination of flowers, the death of any living thing and the birth of any baby are all part of a grand and goofy dance to The Music - dances which might remind us of why we're here in the first place.

Maybe prayer, at its best, is simply a time to listen for the music. And reading ancient scripture is a way of seeing how our species has danced in the past. Perhaps hymns and anthems are there just to get our feet and hearts tapping and to remind us that our souls were not made to be wallflowers.

If this is the case, then churches, synagogues and temples are essentially dance halls where folks gather to learn some old steps, some new steps, to remind us of dancers who have gone before and to re-instill a love of The Dance. We just might be born to boogie. The band is playing. Shall we?