Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
moving the blog...
I'm moving this blog to newpietist.tumblr.com as it will allow room for your comments, and much more interaction.
I hope it's not too inconvenient for you to change your bookmarks and links. The new website is almost ready...
I hope it's not too inconvenient for you to change your bookmarks and links. The new website is almost ready...
 |
| (c)tribuneindia |
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Grand Day Out! (Any other 'Wallace and Gromit' fans out there?)
The Worship Arts Workshop in Rhode Island last saturday was tremendous fun. I love to discuss the use of the arts in worship, and when the place is swarming with enthusiasts*, 'my joy is made complete'.
It's been suggested that I should post about the main points that came up, and provide some food for thought and further discussion... so I'll be writing more regularly over the next days and weeks about the 'live issues' and thoughts moving in some interesting directions.
Thanks to Jeff Olson and Christ Church, East Greenwich RI for hosting the day.
*enthusiast = someone notable for having 'God inside' (from the Greek en Theos)
It's been suggested that I should post about the main points that came up, and provide some food for thought and further discussion... so I'll be writing more regularly over the next days and weeks about the 'live issues' and thoughts moving in some interesting directions.
Thanks to Jeff Olson and Christ Church, East Greenwich RI for hosting the day.
*enthusiast = someone notable for having 'God inside' (from the Greek en Theos)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
upcoming worship arts conference in the East...
 | |
| Do come if you can. More info at |
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Disparate thoughts on Prayer and Worship
Prayer and worship – 1) How much is any relationship defined/formed by the conversations which express and characterize it? How much is this true of my conversation with God?
2) Can new vocabulary build/extend or progress in the devotional relationship?
The quality of communication, the vocabulary, the length of time spent and thoughtful consideration behind the conversation at least reflect the nature of the relationship.
Prejudice warning: I think we humans tend to limit God, (for instance when we) control the ways and words He uses to speak to us, to reduce Him to manageable concepts which fit our understanding and stop Him from saying something unexpected or counter-productive.
With our in-built preference for music we know, and our liking for the familiar, the congregation is always going to opt for well-known, popular material in it's most familiar form. Nothing wrong with that, on the face of it. But they also need to trust that when we introduce something new, different or unfamiliar, it's worthy of their attention. That's not always an easy trust to gain; when we do get it, such a trust is hard-won.
'Modern' thought focused on how concepts in the Word inform our intellect, but also allowed that the Spirit can communicate at a sub-linguistic level (ie. tongues, music). In 'post-modern' times, we may experience (and prefer) the Word communicating in other-than intellectual media (audio-visual, story, etc). However, for the cautious modern mind, this has the danger of a lack of intellectual control; the narrative undermines the modern need for constraint and categorization.
We love to say "God never..." or God always..." but the Bible doesn't encourage this in many cases.
The exceptions? God never changes (Heb 13.8), His loving-kindness endures forever (Psalm 136), nothing is impossible with God... (Lk 1.37).
Feel free to add more texts in comments...
2) Can new vocabulary build/extend or progress in the devotional relationship?
The quality of communication, the vocabulary, the length of time spent and thoughtful consideration behind the conversation at least reflect the nature of the relationship.
I think we humans tend to limit God...Prayer - and other vocabulary used in worship - can be seen as essentially 'one side' of the conversation, answering and in response to the Word and the Spirit. We like to stay in control, in familiar territory.
Prejudice warning: I think we humans tend to limit God, (for instance when we) control the ways and words He uses to speak to us, to reduce Him to manageable concepts which fit our understanding and stop Him from saying something unexpected or counter-productive.
With our in-built preference for music we know, and our liking for the familiar, the congregation is always going to opt for well-known, popular material in it's most familiar form. Nothing wrong with that, on the face of it. But they also need to trust that when we introduce something new, different or unfamiliar, it's worthy of their attention. That's not always an easy trust to gain; when we do get it, such a trust is hard-won.
*************************************
'Modern' thought focused on how concepts in the Word inform our intellect, but also allowed that the Spirit can communicate at a sub-linguistic level (ie. tongues, music). In 'post-modern' times, we may experience (and prefer) the Word communicating in other-than intellectual media (audio-visual, story, etc). However, for the cautious modern mind, this has the danger of a lack of intellectual control; the narrative undermines the modern need for constraint and categorization.
We love to say "God never..." or God always..." but the Bible doesn't encourage this in many cases.
The exceptions? God never changes (Heb 13.8), His loving-kindness endures forever (Psalm 136), nothing is impossible with God... (Lk 1.37).
Feel free to add more texts in comments...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Feedback: Bethany's favorites...
On my home church blog i asked for people's favorite hymns and songs, so that we could use them during our Lenten services. I also asked for a two-or-three line explanation of why it was a favorite.
I'm compiling a document of all the responses I've received to this request. It can be found here:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddrw3sbj_34gs27dff3
I'm compiling a document of all the responses I've received to this request. It can be found here:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddrw3sbj_34gs27dff3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)