2009 Year….ning for Rhythm

The beginning of 2009 is no different than any previous year with regards to what I find myself thinking about. Each year I like to think about the different dimensions of my relational world (I’m kind of a relational guy). I think about how its going with Me and God, Me and the family, Me and my faith community and Me and the community beyond my faith community. (I purposely phrase my relationships Me and…, as a reminder that ultimately I am responsible for the health of my relational world).

 Each year I find myself celebrating some great times, grieving some hard times, and hoping for a richer balance amongst all my relationships for the coming year.

So as I enter into 2009 I chant my favourite life phrase ‘do-be-do-be-do’.

I’ve tagged my blog Do-Be-Do-Be-Do for two reasons. First it is a fun phrase to roll through my head, especially when you forget the lyrics to a song. Secondly it reminds me of the two most important aspects of my life as a follower of Jesus.

The phrase brings to mind the two strands that weave through my life and I see their weave on every page of the biblical story.

God has established a covenant relationship with His created. When I said yes to His covenant He became ‘Abba’ Father, and I became His child. When I said yes to His covenant through Jesus Christ I also became His representative and  I’ve been given the privilege and the responsibility of doing the works of Jesus.

With Relationship comes Responsibility. Being. Doing. Do-Be-Do-Be-Do. 

Stille Nacht – the legend of Christmas in the trenches

Merry Christmas!

A Communion Liturgy for a faith community unfamiliar with Traditional Liturgy (Essentials Red Final Project Fall 2008)

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

When I reflected on the material studied in Essentials Red, the word ‘convergence’ came to mind. For my final project I want to converge as many of the worship languages as possible but at the same time weave them into one central event.

Our community is not familiar with traditional liturgy so I chose to write a Communion liturgy for our faith Community.

Communion Liturgy

Convergence (Essentials Red Week 5 Fall 2008)

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

 

Convergence is the occurrence of two or more things coming together. In today’s post I attempt to bring together all that I have been digesting  over these 5 weeks of study and reflection concerning the varied worship practices covering the wide sweep of Christian History. One thing is certain. One can only observe these matters from 30,000 feet when you only give 5 weeks to something as rich and diverse as Christian worship history. With that as a preamble I now seek convergence.

 

The significant value that surfaces in my heart from this five week study is the call to humility.

 

One thing I notice is that the  worship practices of any given era were often viewed as contemporary, even risky or dangerous for its time. I noticed how many of the ‘new’ practices were birthed out of their present perspective of what had gone before them, with an attempt to adjust where they thought adjustment was needed, to reclaim that which they were convinced had been lost or diminished, and then weave those threads into a creative, contemporary  ‘new’ expression of worship. Though our cultural dynamics and our technologies are unlike any age before us, worship history serves to remind me that I am not part of a first generation discovering the new and the contemporary. I find this exciting and humbling (always a good thing).

 

We viewed worship history through the lens of language. First there is the language of Time and Space. Time and Space is what provides us with patterns and locations. Regarding the use of space, I respond to a phrase from White ,  ‘the human spirit associates beauty with worship.(1)  We look at space and ask how can we use this space to accent the beautiful and the authentic. Time is a gift and when we worship we are choosing to use our time for the sole purpose of nurturing remembrance. This is vital.

 

“Biblical remembering makes the power and the saving effect of the event present to the worshipping community. . . . God loves our worship when we remember his saving deeds in Jesus Christ. Our worship tells that old, old, story. That’s the story God gave the world, and that story is the content of worship. Through worship the world learns its own story. And how will others hear unless we do God’s story in worship, calling people to remember God’s story? …Forgetting brings death, but remembering brings life.” (2)

 

I needed to be reminded of how death accompanies forgetfulness. Whenever God’s people forgot the attributes of God they became distant and found themselves in exile. By nature I am forgetful and I need to be in a community that uses time and space to call to mind again and again God’s relentless loving actions towards us.

 

In those times and in these places we gather as a community to hear the retelling of our story as ‘succulent chunks’ of scripture is read. We are proclaiming…’this is the story we are part of’. As a community we respond to God in prayer. Prayer invites a diverse people to that level place of commonality. Our unity finds expression in prayer as we all seek to be a people who trust God more than we presently understand Him. History is calling me to be faithful to these two practices: “Public Reading of Scripture & Public Prayer”. Like others I too, breathe the air of ‘individualism’ and I must be intentional to find communal expressions of scripture reading and prayer as languages of worship.

 

In an earlier post I borrowed  a poet’s phrase ‘touching the unseen’  to capture my reflections on the sacraments, particularly eucharist and baptism. I am most grateful for the metaphors that were outlined by Dan (3). My question henceforth is, ‘Is our community being faithful to portray the invisible moves of grace in ways that are visible? How can I communicate what is occurring in a particular sacramental action without diminishing or overshadowing  the language of the sacrament itself.

 

Fittingly this course is called Essentials Red when you consider the colour red to represent passion. Perhaps the two remaining worship languages of music and art are the most passionate of all the languages. So, why would I ever by surprised by widely varied and  passionate responses  from people to these two languages? Whether it is a hymn or spontaneous song; whether it is classical sculpture or modern poetry, regardless of the expression there will be some who will despise the expression and there will be others who will identify deeply with the very same expression.

 

I seek convergence. How do I respond  to what God has been speaking to me? I am asking Him for courage and vision to promote the varied expressions of these passionate languages believing that they were given as gifts to us from a passionate God. I hope to do so with a meekness that comes from wisdom.

 

(1)    James White, Introduction to Christian Worship (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000), 102

(2)    Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008),43-44

(3)    Dan Wilt,  Essentials Red,(Studies in Worship Theology and Biblical Worldview – Fall 2008, pdf) The language of Baptism. The language of Eucharist.

BROKEN (Remembrance) EVERMORE (Union) (Essentials Red Week 3 Fall 2008)

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

 

Touching the unseen.

 

the sweet wine of your blood is on my lips

the tender mercy of your body is on my tongue

 

in the background of this meal i can hear

the desperate shriek of the egyptians

and the gentle whispering of death passing over

the doorframe of my soul

 

your heart was broken on that cross

and your blood has soaked deeply

into the wood of my days

 

remembrance.(1)

 

Touching the unseen

 

tiny wonders of winter dreams

floating softly from the sky

each land with a gentle kiss

on the dark and inky waters

of the cold unfrozen lake

 

there, grace and danger

melt into each other’s arms

and become one

as the surface

welcomes the sky into its heart

and the bride is

home at last

 

i am falling into your arms

melt me into yourself

until only you

remain.

 

union (2)

 

I enjoy much of the writing and poetry of Steven James. These two poems ‘remembrance’ and ‘union’  capture many of the themes I have been reading, thinking, listening to during this weeks study on the worship languages of Baptism and Eucharist.

 

This morning, as I was reflecting on what I have read and listened to, I was drawn to the above phrase ‘touching the unseen’.  Though it is the phrasing of a poet, it resonates with what Dan wrote in regards to the sacraments.  A sacrament might best be defined as ‘An outward sign that conveys an inward grace’(3). As much as I enjoyed the rich exploration of church history, theology, and pastoral considerations for Baptism and the Eucharist, I was probably most encouraged from the portions of my study that explained the meaning and significance of the Christian sacraments.

 

Last week I was considering how God’s love is made audible through public prayer and scripture reading, now this week I am considering how God’s love is made visible through meaningful actions called sacraments.(4) One compliments the other in just the same way my grandchildren will cry out ‘OPA’ while running towards me with their arms outstretched.

 

When we engage in the sacraments we are declaring, reclaiming, re-enacting rich themes of our salvation story. We involve all of our senses. We engage our full being.

 

I appreciated the historical background of the sacraments and their unfolding story from early Christian history. In the earliest accounts of the Christian church it seems that the number of sacraments was not limited to a specific number. However, over the passage of time through church history, along with its passionate debate and resulting divisions, many of us in the Evangelic streams now tend to limit the number of sacraments to two (Baptism & Eucharist). Yet, interestingly,  “In the Orthodox view, all of life is considered to be sacramental – i.e. life is made up of simply actions that can be invested with meaning to be carried out in a consecrated way. In other words we recognize that we live our lives coram Deo, in the presence of God.(5)

 

Although the worship languages of Baptism and Eucharist are powerful and beautiful, I find that I want to recapture the heart of those before us. When we study scripture we use the disciplines of exegesis and hermeneutics. What was meant then to ‘them’ helps us to understand what it means now to ‘us’. Perhaps we can apply this same discipline to the sacraments so that we don’t lose the beauty and power of ‘sacred actions’.

 

For instance, when I rise in the morning for prayer, there is a place I go to pray and before I begin praying I customarily light a candle . I enjoy bringing it close enough to feel its warmth (but not so close as to singe my beard). I take time to acknowledge Jesus as the one who leads me by his light. I respond to the warmth as an indication of his astonishing love towards me. From what I read this week I now appreciate how this simple action conveys an inner grace.  I also think of how my wife loves to use banners and dance during our worship times. I have a friend who prefers to worship using sign language. Could it be that all of these are simple, yet profound ‘sacred actions’?

 

However I also want to celebrate the rich gift of these two languages of Baptism and Eucharist. The worship language of baptism(6) declares we are in union with Christ; incorporated into His body, the church; we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; we have the forgiveness of sins, and we have been given new birth.

 

I love baptisms. But how often have I missed some of these powerful metaphors illustrated in the sign act of baptism?

 

The worship language of the Eucharist(7), or communion declares and reclaims the story. We commemorate that God has acted as Saviour; we are reminded that we are part of the communion of saints; we are persuaded that a sacrifice has occurred to right the world, the Eucharist speaks of the presence of Christ among us; we are welcomed to experience the work of the Holy Spirit and we look forward to the eschaton.

 

Likewise, how often do I see the Eucharist as a celebration of the risen Jesus and my longing for his return?

 

As one who spends much of my time speaking and teaching, my study this week reminds me of the great limitation of words. In fact, words can sometimes hinder the message being communicated through the sign itself.

 

In the same way that a beautiful picture or painting can be diminished through an attempt to explain its every detail and nuance, I too must know when enough is enough. It is vital that I explain the significance of a certain sacrament, but great care must be taken so as to permit the sacrament to speak its language.

 

(1) Steven James, Story – Recapture the mystery, (Grand Rapids – Fleming H. Revell, 2006),128

(2) Ibid, 203

(3) Dan Wilt, Essentials Red,(Studies in Worship Theology and Biblical Worldview – Fall 2008, pdf) The language of Baptism.

(4) James White, Introduction to Christian Worship (Nashville – Abingdon Press, 2000) 175, paraphrased.

(5) Dan Wilt, Essentials Red,(Studies in Worship Theology and Biblical Worldview – Fall 2008, pdf) The language of Baptism.

(6) Ibid

(7) Dan Wilt, Essentials Red,(Studies in Worship Theology and Biblical Worldview – Fall 2008, pdf) The language of Eucharist.

STORY merged with PRAYER (Essentials Red Week 2 Fall 2008)

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

 

In our Essentials Red course we are studying the different languages of worship. This week I’ll  reflect on a question that has been living with me all week.

 

When we gather as faith communities each Sunday is there any possibility that we might be setting aside foundational elements of worship, for the sake of relevancy to the felt needs of our community?

 

For instance, do my efforts to ‘hit the mark’ through a sermon, or my attempts to discern ‘the point of ministry’ move my focus from what is truly essential?

 

Now I realize this is not an either/or situation, but I am trying to discover a healthy tension between ministering to my community and that of calling the community to re-locate themselves in the STORY.

 

I have enjoyed the class discussions this week concerning the languages of public scripture reading and public prayer.  The dialogue has been rich and the ideas were plentiful. Some of my classmates come from a liturgical background and their insights have been beautiful. Others of us are from traditions of contemporary corporate worship. The latter group, of which I am part, seem to be yearning to discover fresh ways to recover expressions of worship that have somehow been diminished, though they were once rich in the fabric of church history.

 

There is a keen interest in worship history and as Robert Webber challenges, “the road to the future runs through the past”(1).

 

Here is what I learn from the past. Historical church was faithful to the practice of telling and retelling the STORY. There was faithfulness given to the public reading of scripture so that over a period of time the saving actions of God are recalled and re-experienced. {Without experiential connection to the story, the actions quickly moves into a dead ritualism)

 

Is it not true, that our human nature is to forget? We become so easily distracted by current events. We become so easily discouraged by anxious thoughts concerning what the future holds. Often we look for ‘practical’ answers to our ‘panicky’ questions.  Since our greatest problem is forgetfulness, then our greatest need must be Remembrance. With remembrance, hope returns.

 

This is a lesson we can learn from the history of the Jewish synagogue, to which we can trace some of our basic church practices.

 

Here are some quotes from James White(2) as he explains the history and function of the Jewish synagogue.

 

“It [Jewish synagogue] seems to have originated to fulfill a nationalist function:  the survival of Israel while in exile in Babylonia” 

 

What was at stake was the issue of identity. The author then goes on to write,

 

“Israel kept its identity by remembering. It remembered what God had done for God’s chosen people whose history made them unique.”

 

“Recalling what God had done and rejoicing in those memories…..was that worship or education? It doesn’t matter because the result was the same. Israel could survive through worship when countless other kingdoms were obliterated by the sword. And the power to remember, reinforced generation after generation by worship, was too powerful even for the tyranny of Babylonia.”

 

“Homesick Jewish exiles gathered to read, reflect on, and rejoice in what God had done for their people. And every time they told the familiar stories their self-identity was renewed.”

 

“Survival came through remembering.”

 

How many of us experience serious wounds because we forget? Our memories fade so quickly.  

 

In my family, we continue to benefit from the family album. Both my wife and I inherited portions of the family album from our respective parents. We recall the stories and we retell them to our children and grandchildren, and within that retelling we re-experience many of the memories. Our imaginations are charged with life. Our family identity remains intact.

 

Likewise as Christians we need to hear the story told and retold. We need to find fresh and creative ways to recover and re-experience the ‘exodus spirituality’ like that of Israel as they observed Passover; The escape from slavery; The conquest; The captivity; The hope for The Messiah.

 

Today we must celebrate and re-experience the Incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and Mission of God.

 

So, with renewed energy and focus I want to find ways for our community to read out scripture, and fusion it with public prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession and repentance so that our community of faith will always remember and always hope, not losing sight of our ‘given’ spirituality. The salvation that belongs to us by faith and faith alone.

 

(1)   Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time, forming Spirituality through the Christian Year ( Grand Rapids, Baker Books 2006),11

(2)   James White, Introduction to Christian Worship (Nashville, Abingdon Press 2000), 152-153

I’ve been thinking about time and space (Essentials Red Fall 08)

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

 

This week I’ve been thinking about Time and Space. I have been recalling the significance of Time and Space represented as patterns, rhythms, routines, and locations and how all of this has shaped my own spiritual landscape as a Christian; a Christ follower; a worshiper whose primary call is to know and enjoy God and to make him known so others may be hope-filled.

 

Even now as I write this post I am sitting in my favourite room of our home. It has a wall of windows overlooking my back yard. Leaves are falling from the huge maple tree in the centre of our yard, and rain is pattering on the skylight. In this moment of time, and in this location, I notice. Beauty stirs me to worship my Creator. There is something about location and time that tugs at our inner busyness to pause and to take in what is happening at a moment and place…and to consider God’s active involvement in what is happening at any given moment…even now.

 

This is the first week of my studies with Essentials Red and my study of worship history in the Church already has me recalling the many occasions of time and space in my own formation. There are baptisms, weddings, cathedrals, campfires, school gymnasiums filled with exuberant worship. I recall the time when Sabrina and I renewed our wedding vows in a small room packed out with our closest and dearest friends. I remember times and places where I heard tragic news, yet in those Kairos moments, my heart would simultaneously proclaim the goodness of my God.

 

I  have been considering the various markings of time. There is the second, the moment, the hour, the day, the week, the year, one’s lifetime. In these time buckets we seek to find the rhythm between activity and rest. We seek a means to remember and celebrate our risen King. We seek ways to trigger prayers of intercession and thanksgiving.

 

In the material that Dan presented this week I was particularly struck by two thoughts that I’d like to consider. The first is in reference to writings by Robert Webber….  “Forgetting brings death, and remembering brings life” ¹  This phrase explains my incessant need to create patterns in my life. Patterns that lead me to recall His Story and my own story that is folded into this larger redemptive story.  As I consider my brokenness, the greatest evidence for me is my tendency to forget the goodness, faithfulness and loving-kindness of my God.

 

Secondly, there is Dan’s comment on one of the themes that runs throughout the history of worship in the Church. “The languages of time and space are used through Christian history to create both patterns and locations in which focused acts of worship can occur.” ²  In particular, it is the phrase ‘focused acts of worship’ that did it.  Our focused acts of worship includes the full myriad of our worship response. This is our choosing. This is our interaction.

 

As I finished my readings for this week concerning the language of time and space in Christian worship, I am so appreciative of all the smells and the bells represented in the collective history of Christian worship. As a worshiper who seeks simple devotion to Jesus, I can only benefit.

 

¹ Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008) 43-44

² Wilt, Essentials to Worship History, An introduction.

Blog On

I now wade into the new waters of blog. I am looking forward to the coming weeks as I journey with fellow mates in the way of Essentials Red.