a good day
Yesterday I attended the Hein-Fry Lectures at Luther Seminary with a congregation member (and the VP of the Synod). The lectures were excellent. The first two from Chilstrom and Anderson were more remedial, but Mark Hanson (though he repeated information from previous talks) was again right on. I do hope that his theology and evangelical nature will be caught by the church at large. If you have the 'in' at Luther Seminary (Grads can use their e-mail login) access the lectures at Inside Luther and give them a glance.
What I continue to hear, and want to believe, is that the ELCA is a church with a lot of hope. Hanson said that a guy from the Lily Foundation said that the ELCA is THE mainline denomination poised well for success. He also quoted a book saying that it is a farce that the mainline denominations have a 'death date'--a time when they will exist no more.
The bummer part of the day is that I didn't get to touch base with Mo and Jo. :)
In my life I wanted to reflect that I have an unsettled feeling as I work with the worship resources I have at my disposal. Since my start date I have felt that what I have to use is not getting the job done (sorry that this sounds crass) that I hope. What I mean is that it does not accurately (enough) express they way I want congregation members to experience God in worship.
I am sure that part of my problem is that I don't always feel that I have the exact 'impromptu' or prepared words to share that extra inspiration. Either in a sermon or as an intro to a liturgy piece. But I have also been feeling that we are not being transformed in the right ways by the liturgy.
In the Easter Season I am introducing Now The Feast and Celebration. I am producing one bulletin for all 8 weeks (is 8 right?) and will put the readings clumped together (Week 1; week 2) I am also going to use the 'Shape of the Rite' Explanations from Renewing Worship (i.e. greeting--the presiding minister and the assembly greet each other in the name of the triune God). I hope this connects artistically as well as logically.
But you know what I am thinking? I wonder if an association of pastors, artists, theologians, whatever couldn't write some unique (yet common language, not necessarily using IT IS INDEED RIGHT AND SALUTARY) Eucharistic prayers, etc...that could really be powerful and surprising. I have acquired a great international piece that is incredible.
Ok, so the big word for all of this is AUTHENTIC. It is pretty much every other word that comes out of my very wise wife's mouth when she speaks of the church. As I enter into some of the Emerging Church and Pomo church dialog I realize that this is a huge component. I have a feeling most of my congregation does not feel this way, but I have been pushed by a few congregation members to make this connection. One has used words like 'fun church' or said they don't want it to be a downer (which it really isn't), but what they are really searching for, I think, is an authentic experience with Jesus Christ.
This is very hard to do. I have two last thoughts. I think this happens a lot around the font and the table. I think this happens in a community that is truly in dialog and prayer together, as in they really do lift one another up in prayer.
Ok, done for now. 0 comments means I am barking up the wrong tree. Paz
posted by Chad K @ 3/24/2006 05:37:00 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
you know what's wierd? i had been looking at your blog recently (i check everyone's almost every day) and yours wasn't updating. now it's fine, but i see you've posted several times and i didn't know it. and now i know to hit "refresh" more often...
your comments about worship hit home, especially the need for an authentic experience in worship. i do wonder if people's eyes glaze when they hear words that they would never hear anywhere else. and yet, i do know that the church is supposed to be about the business of doing and saying things that don't happen anywhere else.
i have a feeling since you are focused on an authentic experience for your people that it is happening more than you think it is. and, that the spirit will keep moving to bring you ideas and resources to do that.
one idea might be to get a few of your people together, teach them about an element of the liturgy like the prayers, the eucharistic prayer, or the prayer of the day, and have them write one. maybe you end up with a team that writes a eucharistic prayer for each church season. maybe you have some young people do it. that way it would be authentic, and give you a chance to do some intentional teaching about worship. sort of like a seasonal planning team like mons suggested, but on a smaller scale and more focused. just an idea.
i hope both of you are feeling better, and that you're finding a way to get everything done. i know that we're struggling a bit with that, but still hopeful that things will come together and we'll spend some time together soon...
It was great to see you, even if it was shouting across the commons. It was a pretty crazy day for me too. Another time we'll meet up and have a beer and contemplate all of life's wonders.
I agree with K that the authentic experience you're looking for is probably happening way more than you think...or even more than people realize right now. Words and actions are so powerful, but I know, at least for me, they don't always take hold right away - sometimes it takes a bit to sink in and really understand the true meaning behind what was said and how/what it means for me.
I like K's idea of a focus group - I was thinking along the same lines. Bringing the liturgy to the people as a way of teaching and learning is a great option to help them understand the liturgy and help y'all find a connection.
There is comfort sometimes in the traditional - i think of "keeping the faith" where the old rabbi is telling rabbi jake that Mrs. Katz likes singing the ein kelihenu (sp) the way she knows it, even though the Harlem choir brought some life to the service. There's comfort in the traditional, but I also like the thought of bringing an 'old age' God into the the 'new age' and shaking things up - bring the authenitc to life.
I'm excited to read more about your ventures with this.
worship is a big issue around here, brought on by very polarizing conversations long before i came and added to by words like..."if we don't do a "true" contemporary service we will die!!!"
so we are going to create an authentic, open, creative and growing worship experience out of fear? our goal for worship is to suck people in? ARGH!!!
what i have been trying to do is start the conversation about what does worship at DMLC look like. not what does it look like at another church, but here. with all our various issues, with all our various likes and dislikes, how do we worship together.
one challenge is with so much info out there and so much church on tv, people who previously never knew what others did in worship have seen it now. of course they also have very limited knowledge about what that service really looks like, as they see only a slim picture. they have no idea of the 1,000's of churches that are worshipping in many other styles.
the focus group idea is great. i think anytime you can get people together to take ownership of the liturgical process, you start that process of authentic worship. it can't come from the next best marty haugen liturgy or whatever, it has to come from real people in that place. good luck on that process, know that many of us are at it.
i am glad to see your desire for keeping the worship experience authentic and homegrown. in all my years in youth ministry one of the worst things i have witnessed churches do is to take something happening at one church and import it lock-stock-and-barrel into their church. i have seen bits of this in worship too. there is power and authenticity that comes from the people gathered locally truly giving birth to their own thing - not that one can't get inspiration and ideas from elsewhere but we always need to ask the question of 'what would that look like here.'
i like what e said about inquiring about what things truly look like now where you gather and then moving from that question to where is God calling us and then figuring out where the two don't connect.
my final thought on the idea of worship - regardless of the shape it takes - is that is sure is amazing when people come together with the common goal of worshiping the almighty.
thank you all for your comments. Contextual ministry is important, you all are right. What would that look like here is really important. Paz
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