art as a springboard (essentials red week 4)

For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

How can our physical space act as a springboard to help us worship? A visual artist friend of mine has her small home like a lively, rich and full gallery. It fully expresses her as a person, and I find myself very inspired when I am there. Her space stirs in me a vitality, depth and creativity I haven’t felt in any other home. So, as I thought more about art this week, I wondered to God about how my home might better serve to help me worship Him. I felt He was saying that I could do with a few more things around the place that helped me remember my personal past, to help create more continuity and integration in my life, rather than existing in a kind of vacuum.

I suspect, especially in our post-modern context, its important to remember that we don’t exist in a vacuum, out of touch with history. It seems to me that many people today live without much awareness of history at all across the board, so to seek to build this into our personal lives and into church somehow could help to consolidate our identity of who we are and where we are going.

So, what about you? How about asking God if there is something you could do to make your physical space more inspiring for worship of Him?

And what about church? What ideas might God have for us to make our church space more inspiring for worship of Him? And more affirming of who we are and where we are going as His body?

daily bread (essentials red)

For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

Baptism and communion have been and still are staple foods of the Christian experience. They bring us back to what Christ did for us on the cross and how we can join with Him. What would help us delve into and soak up the meaning of baptism and communion all the more? How can we thoroughly digest the richness of these sacraments? Unpacking the meaning of baptism and communion is one thing. Another is to deeply apply the full impact of this meaning in our lives – overall and on a daily basis.

Our daily routines can blur into a haze in our memories, such patterns are just part of our normal existence. But what if these patterns were woven into a fabric of worship? Our daily food could remind us only He can truly feed us. Such simple things as showering could remind you of your baptism (if you’ve been baptised) and how only He can truly wash you clean. What tangible physical reminders such as these could you use to build a daily habit of worship…?

what to serve up? (essential red)

For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

So many possibilities for leading worship – we could use a mix of scripture, prayer, liturgy, music and a whole variety of alternative forms and styles. Perhaps a buffet of styles of worship could be served up, so that people get to taste different things and discover what helps them connect with God the most. Or are provided with a balanced diet – and find they hate broccoli but love chocolate, or that broccoli is ok when served up a certain way and is healthy for them.

I suspect that no matter what is served up, it will always be incomplete and won’t satisfy everyone’s worship. So it seems to me that an education process is in order. Seeking to help people find the nourishment that helps them connect to God in worship the most and to take responsibility for choosing this food for themselves. Rather than one meal served up for all, perhaps there could be a menu of options available – as long as we can all still eat together.

inside and out, time and space (essentials red)

For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt

We are beings in time and space. We are created by God, He is all around us, within us and beyond us. We are individuals and we are also in community. We exist in God’s creation, which has cycles of days and seasons and years. So how do we worship?

We look UP to God and ackowledge who He is

We look INSIDE ourselves and seek to come into alignment with God

We look ACROSS to each other and seek to build each other up and love each other

We look OUT for others and seek to draw them towards God

We look AHEAD to the coming Kingdom of God, in us and in nature. We also seek the Kingdom NOW, and to be agents of the Kingdom, staying connected to the only One who can help and reconcile us.

We aim to REMEMBER who we are, in the past, present and future, in the cycles of life – birth, marriage, death – and in the cycles of days and seasons and years.

And we try to do this all at once… Even while cleaning the house… Oh God help us! I pray that God will show you ways that will help you remember Him more. What is one thing you could do that would help you to remember God’s presence this week?

Bring it on

Love is in the air… (happy valentine’s day!) Here I am to blog for a worship study course I am doing. Maybe the worship team at my church and others might be interested in having a look at this too every now and again. I’ll try to make it inspiring, witty and brief!