The Shack by William P. Young

It is not often that a Christian book comes along that causes such a stir. Having sold over half a million copies in the US within 2 months of being published, what started as self published title originally written only for his children has became an international best seller. Currently at 25 in Amazon’s UK best sellers list this book has the ability to start conversations about the nature of God with those who don’t know Him.  During an ice storm a father receives a hand written invitation to meet Papa at the Shack. Papa is his wife’s favourite name for Father God but the Shack is the terrible place where their eight year old daughter was brutally murdered. By making the journey back to the Shack the father has to again face the pain and loss he had shut inside, but opens himself to God’s healing. The Shack is a book that seeks to provide answers to the question “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?”. It also provides a stunning picture of our God in 3 persons constantly at work to draw us back to Him. What others have said about The Shack:

• The Shack will leave you craving for the presence of God.' (Michael W. Smith, Recording Artist)

• 'Clearly the book is speaking loud and  clear to a lot of people' (The Independent) • This story has blown the door wide open to my soul.' (Wynonna Judd Recording Artist ) • “Never will I look at the Trinity in the same way again. … I have entered the shack and   I will never be the same.” (Amazon book reviewer) Read it and decide for yourself.

Good Friday 2008

On Good Friday 2008 at St Andrew's Edgware I was determined to  linger on the stark message of Friday without rushing into the  Third Day Hope.  This was our first Easter between vicars but last year laid the grounds for further experimenting. People were warned that the service would be aimed at adults.  Thanks to Sharon who provided activities for the few children who did turn up with parents.  Thanks to the many sources I drew together,  the cost of Christ's sacrifice was made very clear to us. A 2 metre crown of thorns made from barbed wire  was suspended from the ceiling . First seen at hold this space in dead man waiting .  A service that Cheryl Lewis and Mark Pierson lead in Oz on an Easter Saturday. This and some of the other elements of the service were further developed  by Thinkerlabs in Ontario in a service aimed more at younger people they called Blood on Our Hands. Plastic cups of ice coloured with red food dye were suspended from the crown of thorns and dripped from holes in the cups throughout the service onto a white sheet below.  A large wooden cross was placed on the white sheet supported by a chair at one end. The room was unlit except for one candle and moving images  and song words projected. Readings from Mark 15 told the story  without introduction followed by responses of silence,  song words or ritual. Most effective was a responsive reading of God on a Stick by Paul Hobbs from Alternative Worship by Jonny Baker and Doug Gay. Also at the end, introduced as a press release I read the powerful Communique by Godfrey Rust  from Welcome to the Real World. For the first time at our church people were invited to walk around and react to the various elements of the scene in response to the  beginning of the crucifixion read from Mark: 21 - 32 . Nails:  an act of confession - invited people to: drive a nail into the wood  to ask for forgiveness for someone they had wronged drive a another nail into the wood to forgive those who have sinned against us take a nail home as a reminder that we must forgive as we've been forgiven The Cup of Suffering was filled with red wine vinegar. The invitation was to take a sip from the cup  to express willingness to follow Christ wherever He may lead or read Mark 14: 32 – 42,  Luke 9: 22- 24 or Mark 15: 33 - 37 Placed below one of the dripping ice cones was a bucket collecting drips. The invitation was to place a thumb print on a piece of paper using a red stamp pad and place it in the filling bucket. As the service progressed the splashes stained the instruction sheet in a quite unplanned way. There were also various elements of the crucifiction story available as visual reminders. The purble robe was a mauve pashmina on which was placed a small crown of thorns that could be handled and two dice. ( Mark 15: 16-20 & John 19: 24 ) A sponge and vinegar ( Mark 15: 35 ). Comments are invited from those who attended and others who have used similar elements in Good Friday worship settings  

Jonny Baker on technology and church

Jonny Baker talks about how church can be collaborative. The way social interaction is being changed by Facebook and photo sharing websites like flikr will have an influence on the way we do church in the future because behaviour is changing. There are now church web sites like MyChurch that can be built using social networking templates so church members can comment and contribute. Early days yet when so many church websites are like flatfile databases  compared to relational databases. Creativity doesn't need to be limited to leadership roles. Let go leaders and see your congregation blossom.

WOM

Reading today's London Metro freebie on the Tube I can across an article about Energy Saving Week. That's great but what struck me was what it had to say about the way the message was to be spread. A report called " The Power of One" by marketing agency Wildfire claims we have on average 169 people in our social network and that an average of 3 conversations a month are being started about climate change. For those of us who believe in the Power of One Almighty God we can be sharing and influencing about an equally urgent issue. and it seems it is cool to be doing it as well. Word of Mouth marketing now seems to be the next most influential way that the advertising industry will be trying to get to us. Read more here. Working on the basis that people will naturally share  something they found interesting or exciting. Just like the Free Hugs guy got me blogging again after a long break.

Free Hugs

This guy has got me blogging again. If we want to be infectious about our faith we need to learn from those who are getting attention by whatever method it takes. That can only work if we are being genuine. Here is the video that started it all Also one of the web sites with lots of info.

'Anoint-ometer'

Our church are thinking of buying one these. It looks like an essential piece of kit for any worship centred congregation. But first we would like to hear from others as to how they have got on with theirs. I can see there might be unexpected side effects. Thanks to the Worship Oracle for bringing this important development to our attention.

Wired Church CD Rom On Line

Those nice people at Midnight Oil Productions have put the whole CD Rom of
the Wired Church on-line. It's a great training resource for those learning to develop a 
church multi-media team and resources.

 Len Wilson and Jason Moore like to call themselves the MO guys and the book gives illustrated examples of the development of their multi-media ministry at Ginghamsburg Church.

They are very strong on the use of metaphor when using film and digital media to to a story.

They developed these themes further in Digital Storytellers:
The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship (Abingdon, 2002) which I blogged here.

Space for the Cross

Today of all days being Good Friday was the day to wait at the cross and consider.

At the end of our Good Friday service this morning we were invited to spend more time in silence either watching the cruxifiction screen from the Jesus of Nazareth video in another room or spending quiet time in a room where  a large wooden cross was set 
up, at the foot of which were nails and a hammer.

Many churches may be used to this sort of opportunity for quiet reflection in worship.
Our church is new to this and several were very moved by the opportunity for silence.

Thanks to God for His immeasurable gift in Jesus.

24/7 Prayer at Beverley Minster

Just returned from celebrating a friend's birthday in Beverley.

Included a visit to Beverley Minster for the Palm Sunday service as our friends are the vicar and his wife. The service included a donkey derby with a live donkey crash.

The front legs were formed by a brownie blindfolded with a donkey mask and then steered by another youngster as the back legs. Two rival teams competed round the congregation but one set of back legs had defective steering and crashed the blindfolded brownie into a stone pillar. 
Only a bloody nose resulted.
(I thought there was only one donkey in the Palm Sunday story.)

I returned the following day to look at the examples of prayer stations set up for 24/7 prayer throughout the week leading up to Easter. Have a look at the photos on Flickr.

The Beverley Minster network of churches includes a 
fresh expression of church known as the Minster Way.
The work to build community in a recent housing develoment to the north
of the town includes a listening service based in a health centre.

10 Ways to keep me out of your church

OK so it's very late and I should be in bed but these two lists really rang true.

10 Ways to keep me from discovering your church

and the response

10 ways to draw me to your church

Found on Church Marketing sucks

Wearing nappies

Just as I seem to be making sense of What is Emerging Church? someone posts on an answer to this continuing question that makes me feel like I should still be in nappies.

Thanks Gavin for this video posted at Hit the Back Button to Move Forward




In search of the Church was made in Canada by 100 Huntley Street christian TV station

What is Emerging Church?

When I started coming across references to "Emerging Church" and "Alternative Worship", both these phrases were new to me. Having buried my head in an evangelical anglican church in a London suburb for many years, I had little idea what other styles of worship there were "out there".

After many hours internet searching and blog reading no one definition of either could be found that would satisfy most people. What became clear to me was the refreshing combination of the use of multimedia and rediscovery of silence, ritual and reflection was what I needed to bring back to our congregation who had lost some of the awe of a great God who requires our worship.

Here are a collection of suggested definitions that I found helpful.

Emerging Church a Beginners Guide : from EmergingChurchInf.com

What is 'emerging church : Introduction from open source theology

The Emerging Church: An article by D. A. Carson fromModern Reformation Magazine

Five Streams of the Emerging Church : An article from Christianity Today Magazine

Wikipedia : Alternative Worship

Alternative Worship is "what happens when people create worship for themselves," according to Steve Collins

3 Good Resource Books

Multi-sensory Prayer has stacks of ready to use ideas collected by Sue Wallace from 10 years with Visions in York. For people who want to do more in prayer than just talk.

The Book of Uncommon Prayer was intended for use with Youth Ministry but has lots of content that is thought provoking and adaptable for lots of settings. CD of ambient music setting with liturgy voice overs for "Eucharist".

Have just finished re-reading Alternative Worship by Jonny Baker and Doug Gay.
Lots of well organised and simple things that will work in many types of church. Other more advanced ideas for the adventurous and resourceful. DVD with good examples of music, liturgy, photos and videos.

Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world.
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.


- Franciscan Benediction found here.

Digital Storytellers

Nearly finished Digital Storytellers by Len Wilson and Jason Moore. A good book with a DVD of examples of how they have applied their message through film and other medium.

Not sure I understood it all but found an example of what I think they mean here.

Queen lovers look no further for updated bible story telling

More links on stations

I seem to be spending all my free time searching the internet for examples of liturgy, ideas and resources from “emerging church” sites.
Here are some more links relating to stations.

1. So many good examples from “hold this space” by Cheryl Lawrie
An Alternative Worship Project of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania.

•  Ash Wednesday
• Elijah
• Seeds of Worship
• Dead Man waiting

2. Two examples from the worship café in UK

• Stations
  
• A quieter example with liturgy
  

3. The future shape of church (FSOC) offer up their ideas freshly and simply
 

4. Abbotsford Parish Church, “ a wee congregation in Clydebank, Scotland” have pictures of      examples of stations during advent and other times
 

5. Most people think of stations of the cross when you mention stations.
     here are pictures and words from Franciscans in Jerusalem.
 

6. A starker multi-media approach using flash animation.
    Pinched from Jonny Baker’s worship tricks.

Lee Abbey and prayer stations

I recommend a week away at Lee Abbey in North Devon if you want peace and quiet and time to reflect. I know North Devon having visited many years with family living close by. In the summer of 2006 I was sitting in the car park to Lee Bay looking up at the Abbey enjoying the beautiful scenery with my wife and her parents. I had thought to myself that I would like to spend some time at Lee Abbey perhaps on my own. I had thought of it as a Christian retreat centre but wasn’t sure spending a week away in silence was what I needed. When I saw that Jonny Baker was due to lead a series on “Re-imagining Worship”, the combination of the beautiful surroundings and hearing directly from Jonny was irresistible. Having mis-read the title for the week as re-imaging worship I thought this would be more about using multi-media in church. What I soon discovered was that there was a lot more than that being opened up for me. The community have links with other communities like Iona and draw on the contemplative traditions of music and liturgy, much of which was taught aurally. One singing workshop was about the way other parts of the world do not rely on written forms to pass on their music and therefore pieces of music evolve as they are passed on. Jonny led morning sessions and there was free time in the afternoons to enjoy the beautiful scenery with guided walks available for those who wanted to enjoy them. Evenings were varied and included a great evening of story telling from a Birmingham based theatre company. We spent one evening developing themes for a service using the idea of “stations” t be used two evenings later. Using the inspiration of the Rembrandt’s painting of the “Return of the Prodigal”, 5 groups created parts of a worship space for others to explore. Read about a previous use of this idea in Jonny Bakers Worship tricks. Lee Abbey chapel was a quiet place available at the end each day for a short contemplation and simple prayers were led offered with quiet music playing and helpful projected images. They created prayer stations which were available to visit through the last day. Follow this link for more about their creative ideas for prayer stations.

My first Blog Entry - A Search for Real Church Worship

I started this blog to keep track of my search for new expressions of church and re-imagining church worship.

Not that my church is particularly boring or stereo typical of the way some churches are portrayed in the media. You might imagine five ladies in hats sitting at the back of a dusty old building singing hymns you might remember from school assembly to tunes squeezed out of a wheezy old organ.

No, we have about 80 come along most weeks and we sing modern worship songs played by our worship band, of which I am a member. The vicar is youngish and has a great sense of humour. No I like going to church and I love worshipping God.

But I do wish our worship was a bit more relevant to the 21st century.

My search started to find more interesting photographs or looping videos to use with the new church projector and song projection software. We don't sing from books any longer as so much new music is being written we would never be able to keep up with the number of books we
would need.

So I started searching the internet for free photo sites that I could legally copy. This led me to a number of church websites and into new expressions of church which I had first read about in a book, Changing World, Changing Church by Michael Moynagh.

I began to discover churches which were experimenting with new ways of expressing worship.

One of my most exiting finds was a blog by Jonny Baker. Jonny writes about his experiences leading a church community called Grace in Ealing, London.

He also has contacts and credits lots of friends around the world who are also using new expressions of worship.

In my next entry I will write about my week at Lee Abbey when Jonny Baker spoke about Re-Imagining Worship.