Thoughts on Living the Text

I am sure that I am no different to most people, coming with preconceived ideas about what is church. Prior to this course I’ve heard many people say we, ‘we should do church differently’, ‘we need to become relevant to people in our society, in their world’, 'to connect and think out of the square’, come up with ‘fresh expressions’ of church’. But no one has come up with anything remotely helpful like, ‘what’ and ‘how’, without throwing out the baby with the bath water!

When I was reading the course reader before it even started, I come across ‘Preaching’ throwing a hand grenade in the fruit bowl’ by Baker. He too says that ‘something has got to change’, its ‘time for a rethink’! That we need to ‘think creatively’ and ‘get out of the time warp’! Baker, suggests that if we want to think creatively about church then it might be worth dropping out…choirs, worship leaders etc. He then asks what about applying this to preaching and ‘dropping out sermons’! That was defiantly a hand grenade and had me asking questions. “What was it that I didn’t like in preaching and could do without, like boring irrelevant 3 point sermons, and what was it that I couldn’t change, sound biblical message with good exegetical work (my Methodist background perhaps?). I was left with many questions, and this is where Steve’s course came in, offering some practical ways of ‘doing’ preaching, presenting differently, without sacrificing those things I hold as important. Ways of drawing people into the text, so they form a deeper relationship with Christ which then effects their whole lives, (that is the whole point!), yet still maintaining reverence in the process.

I was impressed with the ‘Romeo & Juliet’ movie introductions that we engage differently visually, we process everything at different speeds to what we did 20 yrs ago. I had not thought of it like this before.
This got me thinking. Music too has changed, its not just listened to any more, its visual too. Youth today, hear, see, and feel the ‘vibes’ of music. Would they ‘get’ my way of listening and entering music? Probably not, for they ‘live’ their music. This is what I want to do with the text. Present it in such a way that people come alive. That they not only enter the text, but that they hear, see, taste, and feel the vibes of the text. That it is not ‘just’ a ‘story’ way over there, irrelevant to their lives, but rather a story that is connected and expresses their lives, their deep inner feelings, which offers hope.

A little dj-ing may be needed. The way we layer and mix effects the experience. Through dj-ing we can use everyday life experiences and lay them alongside a message or even mix through, yet keeping the integrity of the message. I was challenged by the dj stuff. I hadn't thought of doing this juxtaposed etc. as a sermon form, this was interesting.

Some things have changed the way I think of living the text. Although I have meditated on the Word before, I have never spent so much time hearing and re-hearing a text. The message of the bible is not just to be read, but heard, again and again. To be tasted……and felt……to be seen……..and held. To be read in community…..wow, I haven’t read the bible like that before. How enriching and illuminating! This opens up ways for people to become actively involved in the Word. Most people don't have time to go to a ‘bible study’ during the week where they can delve in the text at depth. But this way, people can listen, think, draw on their life experiences, ask questions of the text and talk with each other about the text. I liked this because it not only actively gets people involved, but it also deepens relationships.

I found the ‘Godly Play’ and ‘takeaways’ helpful. They showed the deep impact that ‘images’ can have, in words, and visuals, revelling the importance of using all our senses in worship and engaging with Scripture. This combined with the use of art and electronic visuals, and lighting (even in a simple form) I can see can add to the Scriptural experience. We all like to remember. Visual aids prompt this. They remind us to do something, to go back and think about what we felt or heard. The challenge is to introduce refreshing experiences using various expressions in which a community (for all are different) can effectively engage and enter worship with God and experience the life with His Word.

This course has certainly made me review ‘preaching’ and how I present worship. It has also made me stop and think about me, about what makes me, ‘me’. I am creative. I’m a musician, a quilter, who loves colours and fabrics. I love weaving ways of learning, layering, sight, sound, and activities so that a message integrates through these different parts building on the senses. I have just come to realise that I was ‘doing’ some of this outside of my church life. I have kept two quite separate boxes. Some of this is because of my church background. Growing up in the Methodist church. The question I’m asking myself now is, “am I going to step out and give it a go?” Integrating both areas of my life, using the tools in my toolbox, some of which I already had, but didn’t know it, and some of which I have gained from this course? The answer is, yes. It feels right, even natural and life giving to me. I have been thinking about what it would be like if I integrated my creativity with my spirituality. Just thinking about it at the moment gives me peace, and a feeling of being whole. Yes, I’m considering stepping out of the ‘box’, daring to do things differently (Wow, this is so unlike me, in a church environment!), with fear and trepidation! Yet excitement and a sense of freedom of expression too! An emerging journey! I look forward to what the future brings, and the challenge of change, starting within me. Change the way I think about and approach worship, allow my creativity to come into expression in church, bringing life and depth, to experience the text, I pray. Thanks Steve!