Marcus Borg, in his book Meeting Jesus Again For the First Time describes what took place during worship in the early church.  This time period would be from the time in the book of Acts through the first two centuries of the church.  Borg says three things happened.  The folks gathered.  They told their stories.  They broke the bread.
His words have remained with me because they seem accurate, right.  Of course I have tried to apply them to our church.  Here are some of my conclusions.
First, gather the church.  That especially applies this year.  With a new summer schedule, we have been scattered a little more than usual.  Some people have been gone more than usual.  Some have gotten out of the habit of worship.  Then we return to the fall schedule.  On September 8, 2002, we have Rally Day.  We return to our regular schedule of 9:15 A.M. Sunday School and 10:30 A.M. Worship.  We come back to church to show our support for one another and to have our faith renewed.  Gather the folks.
Second, tell the stories.  Do you remember returning to school when you were an elementary student and the first or second day the teacher gave the following assignment: "Please write one page telling what you did during the summer."  It was a chance for children to tell their stories.  Much the same thing happens when adults return to church.  We see one another, we tell our stories of vacation, adventure, joy and sadness.  We hear again the Bible stories.  Those stories are told through scripture, music and sermons.  Tell the stories - ours and God's.
Third, break the bread.  While we don't offer communion each Sunday, we will offer it the first Sunday of September and the first Sunday of each month.  I might stretch Borg's words to include not just a literal bread but the bread that nourishes us called fellowship.  It is a different kind of bread, but it nourishes us nevertheless.
Gather the folks.  Tell the stories. Break the bread.  Join your friends and brothers and sisters in Christ as we attempt to do these three things at First United Methodist Church.

Lou