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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 4. (the freedom of order)

Throughout human history, give people the choice between order and freedom and they invariably choose order. It most often eventually leads to tyranny. (think about this the next time you go through security at an airport).

But order is good, isn't it? The problem really isn't with order is it? The problem is the way we misunderstand the notion of order. To pit order against freedom creates a false dichotomy. The problem isn't order; it's control. Control counterfeits order. That's why we resist order. We've seen too much control in the name of order (think legalism). We hate control because it means a progressive loss of freedom. When control absolutizes itself we get slavery. This is the nature of idolatry. Human beings set up systems to control or manipulate God toward the end of their own security and they wind up becoming slaves to the system they created.

I used to think the opposite of order was chaos. Now I think it's control. Chaos is the predictable outcome of control. Freedom is the surprising fruit of order.

However, there is one way to choose both order and freedom simultaneously: Worshipping the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

thoughts? comments? make sense?

Labels: order of worship

posted by John David Walt | at 3/31/2009 08:58:00 AM | 5 comments

FARMStrong On Location at Our Nation's Capitol

posted by John David Walt | at 3/31/2009 08:56:00 AM | 0 comments

Friday, March 27, 2009
READER gets out of the Shire.

Northland, A major Church in Orlando, joined with us this season in our Common Text Reader. They have worked some wonderful innovations with it. Check the reader out here in a magazine-pdf format.

Labels: common text project

posted by John David Walt | at 3/27/2009 03:01:00 AM | 2 comments

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Many Faces of Worship: Look what's sweeping the Church

Looks like this one is making the rounds. and spiraling downward.

see here

and here

and here

and here

and here

and here

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT . . . . . .

BUT THEN I FOUND THIS.

AND THIS.

AND THIS.

FINALLY SOMETHING ORIGINAL!

AND AFTER ALL THAT, I FOUND THIS:

I'M SPEECHLESS. WHICH IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING. ;-)

Labels: many faces of worship

posted by John David Walt | at 3/25/2009 03:01:00 AM | 5 comments

Monday, March 23, 2009
Common Text Journey: "Every Word that Comes from the Mouth of God"

We are doing some special features with our Spring Reader. I'm not sure who out there is following the features on the OnLine Reader. If so, disregard these posts. If not, find about ten minutes and check it out.

Labels: common text project, practicing the story

posted by John David Walt | at 3/23/2009 03:01:00 AM | 0 comments

Friday, March 20, 2009
THE GOVERNING DYNAMICS OF WORSHIP DESIGN

"I need to look through. . . . . to the governing dynamics." John Nash (no comparison intended. ;-) )

Labels: levite camp

posted by John David Walt | at 3/20/2009 09:29:00 AM | 3 comments

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Worship Quote of the Week: Marinating in the Story

I recently watched, Painting with Words, a short documentary on the celebrated historian and pulitzer prize winning author, David McCullough. When he writes the stories of famous historical figures (i.e. Andrew Jackson) you get the strong sense he actually knew them. The documentary explores his writing process. He said the first thing he does is to marinate his mind in the life of the person he's writing about through immersive reading. Interesting choice of words. Now consider this exhortation from Robert Weber along the same lines with respect to our work.

As pastors of the Word, there is a strong need to soak ourselves in the Triune story of God with its detailed exposition of the central role of Christ in the greatest drama of human history—the drama of God who becomes one of us to rescue the world. This theme of God's rescue of us all—not inspirational topics, motivational speakers, or massive therapy sermons—needs to be recovered as the central message of our church. Robert E. Webber, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God's Narrative. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008), 121.

I'd be interested to hear how you all go about this kind of marinating or soaking in the Story.

Labels: quotes, story

posted by John David Walt | at 3/19/2009 03:01:00 AM | 8 comments

Levite Camp Session 3 Tomorrow: u r invited

Labels: levite camp

posted by John David Walt | at 3/19/2009 03:00:00 AM | 1 comments

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 4

Here's a discussion question:

What is the opposite of order?

I'll ring in with my thoughts in the comment section or perhaps in the next post. Please share your thoughts and rationales.

Labels: order of worship

posted by John David Walt | at 3/17/2009 03:01:00 AM | 2 comments

The Feast of Saint Patrick

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Labels: passion year

posted by John David Walt | at 3/17/2009 03:00:00 AM | 1 comments

Monday, March 16, 2009
Common Text Journey: The Fasting that is Feasting

Labels: common text project, practicing the story

posted by John David Walt | at 3/16/2009 03:01:00 AM | 0 comments

Friday, March 13, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 3

I want to continue this conversation about worship and order. Questions abound on this issue. Why does worship need an order? Why not just open ended spontaneity? Doesn't order constrict the freedom of the Spirit? Isn't this just tradition? Where is it in the Bible? An Order of Worship is for more high formal liturgical churches isn't it; for people who have bulletins?

The bottom line: We all operate in worship out of some kind of order. Call it what you will, written down or not, pre-planned or off-the-cuff, over time some consistent pattern will emerge.

We've been talking about the four basic movements of worship: God gathers a people to himself. He speaks his Word to them. They respond in covenant obedience or disobedience. (most often in a covenant meal or ceremony) God sends them out into kingdom work or exile. The four movements of this order come from the storied way God works with people. Take a look at this chart. (click on it to enlarge)

Labels: order of worship, story

posted by John David Walt | at 3/13/2009 10:40:00 PM | 1 comments

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Many Faces of Worship

Hat tip to Rob Mehner.

Labels: many faces of worship

posted by John David Walt | at 3/10/2009 03:01:00 AM | 11 comments

Monday, March 09, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 2

After my last post, i realized I made some big assumptions that people already agreed that we needed a particular kind of order for worship. So do we? Why not just order it in a way that makes the most sense to twenty first century worshippers? Why not switch it up regularly?

So what do you think? What's the point of an order for worship and is this different than order in worship? How might a set order be a benefit? a liability? Why should it matter? What difference does it make? And if we agree on the need for an order of worship then how should we arrive at it? Where would we find it? What would guide us?

I've decided to spend a few posts discussing these questions and related issues. So for starters, I welcome you to inform the conversation with your own assessments and assertions.

Labels: order of worship

posted by John David Walt | at 3/09/2009 03:01:00 AM | 9 comments

Saturday, March 07, 2009
ON EARTH as it is in heaven: Practical Tip of the Week

We don't much print bulletins anymore in our worship at the seminary but we do pay close attention to the order or framework of the service. Good design requires careful stewardship of the movement and flow of the worship and how the various elements work together to focus intention and sharpen attention.

There is an ancient pattern or order to worship moving us through four large movements.

Here's how we frame it:

The Spirit gathers us.

The Word addresses us.

The Father welcomes our response. (or welcomes us to his Table)

The Son sends us out with commission.

Note who gets the verbs here. As you plan worship, think about it from this perspective. What kind of things does the Spirit do to gather us? How does God want to address us through the Word? What kind of response might the Father welcome in light of the Word? What would it look like in our service for the Son to commission us and send us out?

It might lead to a quite different plan than if we ask these questions: How do we want to begin the worship? What is the theme of the pastor's sermon? What do we want people to do or to walk away with or apply to their lives? How do we end the service and transition to the next thing?

We'll unpack these questions in more detail in coming posts. In the meantime, I welcome your thoughts.

Labels: Best Practices

posted by John David Walt | at 3/07/2009 03:01:00 AM | 6 comments

Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Learning More about the emerging Passion City Church

Here's an interesting interview in Christianity Today online about the new Passion City Church in Atlanta. The interview feels a bit antagonistic and yet I think Louie handles it well. It will be exciting to see how an itinerating worship ministry will settle in and make a home for itself in a particular place.

As you will see in the interview, there is a bit of a cynical edge out there about starting a "Super Star Church." Yes, there is something a bit oxy-moronic about the term "famous worship leader." But when you think about it-- the people they are really trying to reach will have no idea who they are. It's not as though Beyonce and Lil Wayne are planting a Church. (though that would be great) Knowing these guys, I can assure you they aren't working out of a celebrity mindset. This is about friendship. And for my money, that's how the Kingdom works.

Think I should send in my resume? I could definitely lower the fame quotient several notches. (i.e. "dork it down") ;-)

posted by John David Walt | at 3/04/2009 06:41:00 PM | 6 comments

Sunday, March 01, 2009
The Many Faces of Worship