outside is better

Scott Erickson and the Crucifixion according to Radiohead

Scott Erickson is the artist in residence at Ecclesia in Houston. I have a very short list of churches I am wild about...and Ecclesia is one of them. My wife and I have worshipped there once and it was truly awesome.

Scott is a wonderful artist and teaches so much about the need for a visual culture in worship. Last Easter he put together this performance piece based of the classic stations of the Cross, with video clips and live painting. The soundtrack to the whole evening was taken from rock band Radiohead.

You can read Scott's thoughts here. You can also watch a live video of the whole event. It is worth your 45 or so minutes.

 

Reading during Lent

A few years ago I picked up the pattern to practice an intentional devotion read throughout season of the calender as well as different parts of the Christian year. Sometimes these readings make alot of sense and at other times I just set aside something to intentional read and pray through.

This lent I wanted to do a light level study of the desert fathers, the Christian monastic tradition found in Egypt from around 300 AD to 600 AD. This tradition is different from the more familiar European monastic tradition most of us are aware off. Instead of living in communities together, most of these lived in either small networks or totally alone.

I am halfway through my readings and think this was the perfect focus in Lent this year. It has provided plenty of new thoughts, truths and depth to my life as a Christian. Here are the books I decided to read.

1. Athanasius : The Life of Antony -St. Athanasius. The book that started it all, a biography of the first well known desert Father, St. Anthony. Written by church father St. Athanasius, this biography called many to the life of the desert. It is possibly the easiest book written by a church father, I would encourage it to just about anyone.

2. Desert Father: In the Desert with Saint Anthony-a modern look at Anthony, it is written from the perspective of the author's investigation into the Desert life. He has conversations with Lazarus, a contemporary hermit living close to Anthony's cave.

3. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection (Cistercian Studies) -A collection of the proverbs of those who followed Anthony into the Desert. Many of these sayings influenced early church theological development and the movement of devotion and discipline that carries through to our own modern Christianity.

This has been a great devotional cycle for Lent and I will be excited to finish it and see where it leads. What are you reading this Lent?

 

Contemporary Communion in Advent

This Christmas Eve we are having communion together in my congregation. I pastor and lead the contemporary service at my church and over the last few months we have used the more formal Great Thanksgiving liturgy in the United Methodist Hymnal. Due to both time and the fact I we have been pretty high church lately, I decided to use a less formal approach to communion for Christmas Eve.

The tension revolves in the sacramental conviction I have as a Methodist pastor to keep communion in line with the greater tradition of the Church. Specific words do not matter, but the greater story does. I wanted to find something brief but strong and would fit well within our service.

This Advent, my secret weapon for a few special services as been the A Christmas Sourcebook. I found this while in seminary and it has proven its worth several times over. It has plenty small bits that work well in Advent and Christmas services. It is a must buy for worship designers.

Below is what I am using to tell the story of Christ during our communion time. You can find it on pg. 23 of the sourcebook.

The grace of God has appeared, ordering salvation to all men and women. It trains us to reject the godless ways and worldly desires and live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age as we await our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus. It was he who sacrificed himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness and to cleanse for himself a people of his own, eager to do what is right.

I wanted to share this great resource with you. Buy it and be ready for next Advent season.

Worship as Narrative Resistance

My message from this past weekends Christmas Carol service

_______

In the last few weeks Time magazine has announced their “person of the year”. Past folks who have held this title have been John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Both George Bushes, many other presidents and Mark Zuckerburg, the founder of facebook.com. A few years ago it was even “you” with a mirror like cover showing the face of the person looking at it.

This year, they did something rarely done to announce the person of the year. They selected a grouping of people, who they felt made 2011 a monumentous year. The person of the year is The Protestor. From the sands of North Africa to the concrete streets of the United States, this has been a year marked by protest.

You might wonder why I am talking about protest during a Christmas Carol service. But what I wanted to share with you was the reason we sing. The image of the protestor is perfect for understanding the power of Christian singing in the face of a world filled with death.

In songs, we are agreeing together on the foundational principles of Christian faith. If we were to try to explain such complicated theological concepts in sermons, or casual conversations I think many of us would quickly change the subject. But the words of these songs matter very much.

When we sing these Christmas songs, we are declaring to the world that Christ has come. The Son of God has descended from heaven, came to earth through the womb of a young woman and is here to cause light to overcome darkness. The prophets were true...they told the world to prepare, because the kingdom of God has come.

While these songs give us great memories, warm feelings and are fun to sing together during the season, we need to remember that they contain very dangerous words. These songs and the message the contain, and from our belief, shake the foundations of hell. They mark the time when the light that was before all men, Jesus Christ, came and overcame darkness.

In worship, we make an outpost of the Kingdom. These songs show we are not allowing the world to write our story, but we are part of Gods story. We are rehearsing the great narrative of Christ and his Triumph of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling amongst us.  We declare that this space does not belong to the world...but belongs to a heavenly kingdom where Christ sits on the throne.   In this room, tonight, we are retelling a story of the greatest act of resistance that has ever and will ever take place. When God himself came to this world to bring his people back to him. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

 

 

New Music: The Opiate Mass

Last week I stumbled upon this really interesting musical project. The Opiate Mass is comprised of several worship leaders/pastors/artists and musicians in Washington State. I have to say that I really love their music and attitudes towards how worship can be contextualized to younger generations who might not respond to Chris Tomlin or David Crowder. The embedded artistry really amazes me and has served as the soundtrack for several times of personal prayer already. I just hope Catalyst doesn't find them.....

 

Sermon: I against the World

This week at St. Paul's New Song service we started a new series called "A new look at old school." The Old Testament really gives us a good picture of what proper worship looks like, what the contents of it are and what the response of the people of God should be. I am taking some arcs of scripture that can be several chapters long and using the key stories as our beginning points. This week our passage what 1 kings 16-18, and Elijah's relationship with Ahab and the showdown with the prophets of Baal.

I had some great conversations (on twitter no less!!!) with friends when I was preparing this sermon, so they might recognize their contributions. One of the elements that really jumped out to me was Elijah's invitation to worship in 18:30. Thanks for listening.

Chad Brooks 1 Kings 16-18

Book Review: Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns

Months ago a friend (Matt O'Reilly) asked me if I had read T. David Gordon's book Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns.. I bought it and threw it on the shelf intending to read it this summer. I did and I am glad that I read it. It has a really interesting thesis and I think it really asks some good questions about worship.

Gordan writes from the perspective of a media ecologist, and looks at the cultural anthropology behind how music motivates us in worship and the theological concerns that this brings up. He also writes from the lens of a Pastor, and much of his questioning comes from a practical sense of worship leadership.

The overlying theme of the book, as understood from the title, is why people today have a hard time singing traditional Christian hymns. They seem "foreign and inaccessible." (pg 11). It isn't a question of enjoyment, but the actual physical ability to sing these songs.

My undergraduate work was in sociology. One of my favorite topics of conversation revolves around the relationship between worship and culture. The first couple chapters of this book really got my guns loaded...

But after the basic introduction and explanations, I was seriously disappointed in rest of the content. When I first started grad school, a teacher carefully pointed out the necessary idea of presuppositions in academic work. The danger of presuppositions happens when one allows them to become foundational theological items and the writer assumes every reader holds the same convictions and background. In my own academic work, especially in Revelation, I quickly state what I bring into the conversation.

Gordon allows his presuppositions to drive the entire book. His thoughts regarding the use of contemporary expressions of worship borders on derogatory. He spends significant time discounting the greater sense of what is considered popular culture, not just regarding music, but many different aspects. I get the feeling that T. David Gordon is a bit of a curmudgeon.

The failure here isn't that I feel personally insulted, but I am amazed at how Gordon almost insists that proper Christian worship across the entire sphere of geography and time conform to a very narrow view of Western Protestant hymns (in non fancy language-white baptist/presbyterian songs). Worship is a unifying event, breaking the human forms and barriers of time and place.There also is an underlying theme that contemporary worship is "low-brow" or doesn't hold the cultural weight of traditional hymns.

How I might worship might not be theologically appropriate for an African-American 60 years ago or for a Swede living 30 years in the future. Worship looks different across the globe. Worship is a contextual activity. The values of our own time give meaning to how we glorify God. The ecology of music interacts with our senses in time. Gordon argues the idea that anything contemporary isn't really worth his time (pg 113), but I wonder how are we able to be a church situated in the midst of a world if we are not able to engage in it? 

There is more that I can mention, but I really don't feel the need. I have read other reviews that describe the book as sloppy theology and I agree. What is sad, is Gordon had a great idea...one that could have been really good and helpful for those leading worship. Ultimately, he promised to show why people technically had a hard time singing hymns but broke from his thesis and instead attempted very weakly to theologically explain why we should worship traditionally. Yes-we should be thinking theologically about the role of contextual expressions of music in worship, but not with this tone.

I would recommend reading the book as a springboard into thinking about the role of culture and worship (in some places IT IS GREAT), but don't expect the rest of the content to be of much worth.

 

Worship Wednesdays: A bit of Old and a bit of New

I like to use plenty of scripture when I design worship. Years ago, a mentor suggested learning to weave the larger story of scripture in services. Instead of leaning on one longer reading, find several related pieces of scripture and use them throughout the service. This was great advice. I want to show you one of the ways that I do this.

One of my favorite academic resources is the Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament from Baker Academic Press. This book looks at the usage of Old Testament passages in the New Testament. It does so much more than simply list, but gets into the theological reasoning behind why these passages relate. The book shows the "quotations, allusions and echoes" that are found in the New Testament. One of my favorite writers, G.K. Beale, edited the book and it is a huge resource.

But we aren't writing an exegesis paper...we are designing worship. Here is how I used the book this week when planning worship for my community.

I am preaching from 1 Peter 2:2-5 on Sunday. I knew that I wanted to use more scripture to serve as the call to worship, an additional scripture reading during the praise set and perhaps even the benediction.

1Pet. 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—
1Pet. 2:3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1Pet. 2:4  Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and
1Pet. 2:5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NRSV)

D.A Carson (who wrote the section on 1st Peter) notes three main OT reflections for my scripture; Ps. 118:22-23, Is. 8:14-15 and 28:16. These images deal with the "stone" imagery found in verses 4-5.  Peter also utilizes Psalm 34 in the language of "calling, tasting and seeing." As you see, there are plenty great images already built in the main scripture for the sermon. I wanted to enrich those images.

Ultimately, I settled on Psalm 34:5-6 for my call to worship, and took it out of the NLT.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
         no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened;
         he saved me from all my troubles.

For the additional scripture reading I chose Psalm 118:22-24, also from the NLT.

The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I made these decisions after thinking how the specific language of these pieces fit in congregational worship. I decided to save the Isaiah passage (28) for the sermon. When it came time for the benediction, I ultimately decided to use another piece from 1 Peter 2 (2:9-10) that helps continue the scriptural path Peter has laid out.

Books like these are a great resource to worship designers who design services around a sermon title and text. For churches wanting plenty of scripture in the service, resources like this book help build a strong theological thread through worship. One of my main goals is getting people participate in the narrative of scripture. This service fit the bill!

Search for resoures that help you find these larger themes of scripture. It can be a wonderful addition to your toolbox.

3 things we want in Worship...or what Iron Maiden can teach us

Part of our new cable package in Monroe is a great channel that plays all live music. Music was a GIGANTIC part of my formative years, but we will come back to that at a later date. I really enjoy catching about 30min or so of this channel at night. You never know who is going to be on. Between concerts tonight, I caught this clip of Iron Maiden performing their classic "Run to the Hills" in Colombia.

At the least you can say I was transfixed. It wasn't the fact that they pulled it off perfect (Bruce Dickinson still has pipes), but the crowd amazed me. Oddly, we can learn about worship from this video.

3 Characteristics are found.

1. Worship should be filled with awe.
I imagine any headbanger worth his Advil would be pretty excited to see Iron Maiden. You can pretty much trace most of heavy metal to these guys and a few others. You are in the presence of someone truly great. If you are into sports, imagine what it is like when you happen to be in the same stadium with your hero.

Worship should be an event filled with awe. It is a meeting of the one true God. Inside it, the things of heaven are lifted up and the church is caught in a dramatic interchange with their Father, the creator and redeemer of this world. Someone big is in the room.

2. Worship should be filled with anticipation.
The beginning of this video is amazing. The crowd  chomps at its bits. The military is going through some serious checkpoints because they know what these people are capable of! The anticipation can cause an otherworldly experience, breaking any sense of ration or what might be safely appropriate.

In worship, the church rehearses the eternal actions of heaven. We anticipate what is promised. When the church acts like the church, it's capable of anything...things that might be considered dangerous to those who want to maintain a comfortable status quo away from the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Worship should be a shared activity.
The best part of this video is when the band gets to the first chorus. Songs like this are best sung with huge crowds, and you can tell these folks are enjoying participating. They now have a sense of a shared activity...they are part of something together, in participation that makes their anticipation worthwhile. They are part of the event that seems infinitely powerful to them at the moment.

Worship is not an isolated event. It transforms a group of people on a journey with Jesus into a powerful mass. No matter what idea of "lifestyle of worship" might make sense to us now, the people of God gathered together are a powerful bunch! Shared voice declares light defeating darkness and a Messiah who defeats death. It tells salvations story in the narration of those experiencing it.

hmm...run to the hills as an alternative translation of Psalm 121?

 

Re-Contemporary: The Worship Circle

The last two posts in this series focused on some pretty mainstream examples of contemporary music. But these aren't the only ones and as Julie led on her comment, different groups of people can really express themselves in worship using non-mainstream ideas that were never intended on being absorbed by the masses.

100 Portraits and Waterdeep gathered to make a simple record to hopefully encourage expressions of worship among youth and college students. If you remember contemporary worship in the late 90's...there really doesn't need to be any more information. For the folks tired of the rehashed Jesus Movement songs, Enter The Worship Circle was something completely new. The first Passion record rolled out around the same time...but it was glitzy and seemed dated. Those songs might have been new, but they didn't appeal to a generation that cut its teeth on MTV Unplugged.

This record took college campuses by storm and enabled a different style of worship that allowed folks to enage in smaller groups without the need for large amounts of production. These songs were simple, filled with scripture and easy to remember. You didn't need too many of vocalists, but if you had them they could fit in.

Now, several of these songs (most notably You Are So Good To Me) have become part of the contemporary hymnal. Your Mom knows these songs.......

Waterdeep and 100 Portraits quietly slipped off into the distance. For fans, their records still sell and the artists tour, but like a few other great worship songwriters obscurity is the reality. But I don't think they have a problem with that......

Worship needs to change people. It needs to put scripture in their heads. But it also needs to make sense inside the cultural space of the times. I remember listening to Live from the 268 Generation, and it didn't make that much sense. But I remember hearing "When the Cold Wind Blows" and having an intense spiritual experience that made sense. This music made sense for those that didn't make sense in the church.

In some ways, Enter the Worship Circle (circle 1), provided the best response of worship music to the post-grunge era. These were the youth and young adults that had been listening to Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains, and a host of other artists that were experimenting with an acoustic sound. Dave Matthews, Phish and other jam bands also promoted a similar aesthetic. Folks that were new to church didn't neccesarily jive with what was considered to be appropriate for contemporary worship.

How is our current worship affected by the cultural trends of those who are coming to Christ? Are we expecting people to be transformed into the new social space of "christian consumption" or are we designing and creating worship that speaks out of their cultural experience?