Worship Unplugged is a workshop planning process fostering partcipation
and the reinvention of worship...
a raft of creative ideas and some thoughts about mission...
context and underlying stuff behind the need for change!!
Many colleagues, e-groupers and others ideas get a spot in the 150+ ideas...
It should be printed within the fortnight!!
It's near completion had a page of text added today as I caught part of the
Memorial Celebration for Steve Irwin!!
It's one of three examples I'd cite as evidence that:
- there is little seperation between the secular and the sacred
- that the church is on the margins of our community
- we must worship in our context and access real issues and liturgy in doing so
1. The Bali Tribute following the bombings
This event led by Geraldine Doogue [albeit a Catholic by background] and included stirring and teary music from Wendy Matthews [The Day You Went Away] and Iva Davies [Great Southern Land] .
There was everyday 'liturgy' [defined as the work of the people] and the deep symbolism of a reflective pool for the placement if flowers.
It was not a religious observance an clergy [ecumenical or multi-faith] were not in leadership.
2. The second was Kerry Packers State Funeral [with Peter Faiman as Producer] and the speeches, choir, use of audio-visuals and the clear processes of moving through a grief assisting process.
3. Third was today:
Steve Irwin's memorial was a stunning event. His mate and Manager John Stainton combined brilliant stuff to make it all work!! Aboriginal greeting, spoken liturgy, the music of John Williamson and others, appropriate use of audio-visuals. The symbol of his Toyota 4WD that was packed up to the strains of 'True Blue'. The bloopers reel was great. With Stainton as curator, the two worship leaders were Anthony Field 'The Blue Wiggle' and Steve's mate Wes who ran the Zoo!! Anthony was a great choice to help kids and adults alike, grasp the sense of the occasion!!
As well as being a remarkable event [not a dry eye anywhere] its a reminder that if we as 'church' do not access real life, its symbols, issues and flow and bring them to worship with authenticity and integrity THEN we will be left behind!!
Not an alb in sight!!
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-10386543-1497206124-4134.jpeg.jpg)
3 comments:
I had a reaction to the "no need for clergy" under-current (my words, not yours) in the post above.
To cut a long thesis short, I thoroughly agree with your observation about using everyday language and symbols in worship, and about liturgy being the work of the people, but in each of the examples you cited I found myself asking, "Who was being worshipped?"
I increasingly suspect that part (if not all) of the role of clergy in worship is to simply remind people that it's God we're worshipping here. We might have gathered around a particular issue, or theme, or person, but they're not what should be worshipped. Not that clergy are the only ones who can remind people, but my observation is that they tend to be the ones who regularly do.
Sure, historically the temptation for clerg has been to make God (or the church) the focus of everything at the expense of real, everyday, lived experience of people. And I agree, there's a radical necessity to speak in the language and symbols of everyday life.
Simply put, though, event management ain't the church's real gift to humanity.
Hi Blair,
I absolutely agree with your observations about my examples BUT my agenda is more about how people are choosing to express whatever they're expressing and NOT anti-clergy as such. As you note by owning your emphasis I just mean that 'people' in those xamples have not yearned for the leadership of and traditionla role of any religious worship leadership and this is what asks questions of all of us... myself included as a sometime worship curator, leader and encourager as a Youth Worker [whether soon to be ordained or not]...
I think we offer a totally unique perspective, relationship, spirituality and dare I say truth... but many people aren't seeing it... so its really just a 'ball is in our court' kind of comment reinforcing the need to make worship real, accessible, deep, and contextual involving as many people as possible and with clergy and lay leadership exercising those vital gifts... accessing whatever it takes and being unapolegetic in the pursuit and provision of space and time for people to direct their worship in the fulfilling direction of God who loves us, offers us grace and demonstrates for us an alternative reality and life in the teaching, example and relationship we can have with Christ!!
Just not in a God box, not worship ourselves and all the other nots... thanks for the feedback which helps me try to sharpen the why and the what of what I was trying to say in sharing those observations.... I'm very much a kind of, let me have another go at saying that kind of writer/blogger...
All the best in Bacchus Marsh and the new ventures and adventures!!
I'll blame my spelling on the 12 midnight posting!!
Post a Comment