Why no young people at Holy Week services?

Not sure whether it is my imagination but in conversation with younger folk in the church there is an aversion in attending the services of Holy Week. One person was quite frank about the Good Friday service when he noticed we were using “Listening at Golgotha” by Peter Storey as the theme. He said: “Is that one of those heavy services again. I cannot attend those, they are too much for me.” There seems to be a trend in contemporary worship that denies grief, sorrow and mourning an expression in the liturgy of our worship. The Holy Week services intentionally examine the cost of unconditional love and the price of living in God’s will. It reminds us of God’s embrace of our common human suffering. It is invaluable that at times we examine the depths of our faith and what it really means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It is not a shining set of drums and how high we can raise our voices but how we intentionally wrestle through our Gethsemane and fulfill the love sacrifice despite of the loss incurred.

It's just a cap

A hat, its just a hat, a cap for that but so much more to some. On or off, off or on, that cap they wish would come. A young boy brave to church he comes a cap upon his head. Grateful our hearts should be, a young teenage boy to church he comes despite mocking from his peer. He stands to read his cap pulled low he calls us to our knees. They will not bow, they will not sing, they will not move - the cap is all they see. In higher judgment council meets the subject brought to dock. The cap must fall, the cap must fall, instead the sound of footsteps heard as cap walks out the door.

Symbols not Cymbals

We have enjoyed John Van der Laar's seminar up here in Pietermaritzburg. John's sensitivity to worship culture was most encouraging. The 'convert' factor is eliminated when we recognize the worth in other styles of Worship. The culture flux means that we need to be in flux with our worship style. The Church needs to be adapting its style (not principles) of worship in connection with the world it lives in. We may not have 'youth' in our church, but if we don't somewhere adapt our style of worship for youth we will never have youth finding our worship meaningful and the same applies with the elderly. It all depends on our context. At the same time we are not dictated too by the society we live in. Let us stick to the principles, be sensitive to the worshipers, and listen to the culture before choosing what symbol we choose.

A Quieter Response of "Praise"!

Standing at the door of a church we hear all kinds of feedback. That which we grin, bear and then forget. That which we know comes from a kind heart but is a blatant lie. That which annoys us profusely because they missed the point. That which is meant to be instruction but comes out as command. The well worded, thought through response from those who don't normally speak. The worst is silence! That quite acknowledgment of greeting with no words, no sign of thanks, no sign of appreciation, no sign of disappointments, no sign of "I didn't like!" I have said this countless times before that sometimes the most stressful part of Sunday mornings is the shaking of hands after the service as folk go home.

For those who have followed my blog over the last weeks will know I have been doing some changes to our Worship on Sunday. Last week there was a tangible acknowledgment by folk that this was a good thing. This week there was a quieter response of "Praise!" How does one read this? No news is good news? Should I bend somebodies arm to find out? Do I set up a survey? Get a good sample group and have a workshop?

No Longer Jew or Greek - Boomer or X

Yes, we are all one in Christ. Should that not reflect in our Worship on a Sunday? We have been 'called' out of a secular divided world to eat around the same table, mindful of our relationships one with another. I find it helpful to divide the generations into categories to understand their needs, issues and expectations. The Silent, Boomer, X, Millennial and all of that. However it can be another excuse to keep us separate and divided if it is not seen as a tool to keep us together because we understand each other. Are we really that different? And surely we have much to learn from other generations. A wasteful, spend thrift, globe burning Boomer generation need to learn from the Silent who know how to conserve, look after, and cherish their resources. We need each other.

Self Centred Worship in a Multi-Cultural Country

What kind of generation are we in? That is rather a broad question, but self centered ambition seems to rule in many areas including the Church and its Worship. Shoot me down if I am wrong but we are too quick to want 'my way' of doing things. We are too quick to assert our rights and our privileges and to blows with the rest who think differently, sing differently, pray differently as long as I get my own way. In South Africa our greatest threat is mistrust and segmented lifestyles that never mingle. Our Worship as the Church should be united in all possible ways to be the witnessing alternative community we ought to be. If music preference divides, then heaven help us when it comes to greater issues.

All together now... Intergenerational Worship Bliss!

We experienced our corporate worship as a whole family last Sunday. The congregation sacrificed their preferences to come together and find themselves in common unified worship. The tensions of music preference, worship patterns, young and old melted in the joy of being together again. The response from most parties was overwhelming. The lesson being learnt is that God’s way of life is more important than our songs. Our lives together in worship is more meaningful than whether we have the correct liturgy or the ‘authentic’ flow of worship. The sacrifice of Christ became central in our focus and we appreciated the heart of our worship that in the end had nothing to do with us, but everything to do with God in Christ through the Spirit.

Kingdom risks in worship

Reading a prayer by Andrew Wood, I identified with the words "Where can we join you, except in the taking of risks for the sake of the Kingdom?" Why this resonates is that I am doing something different in Lent that will shake up the lazy spiritual bones of the congregation. We are trying some intergenerational worship by bringing the evening worship service into the morning (more traditional) service and hopefully trying to experience the sense of being One in Christ. We are small enough to do it and hopefully we will perceive our worship together differently by the end of it all. It will no doubt ask the questions Jesus asked the first disciples "What are you looking for?" It is never easy stirring thing up like this. You sometimes wake up in a fright wondering if you are doing the right thing and then other times you are absolutely convinced it is what is needed. Oh, we only wish ministry was easy!!

Loving God, where can we find you, but in the lives of those in need? Where can we join you, except in the taking of risks for the sake of the Kingdom? And yet, God of grace, you find us, you join us. In our living and in our praying, you are there. May we keep alert to the possibilities brought to us by your son, Jesus, and ride the wave of your Spirit. Amen.

(Andrew Wood, Southampton District Chair)

Hilton College Chapel Service

Last night I preached at Hilton College. I was underdressed in my tweed jacket and green vestments. The attire of scholar and master was black as bats in robes reminiscent of years gone by. They filed in like robots programmed from burrows this way and that. The occasional hum of 'sir' was heard but little else as they turned left and right, filed up and down to their hard worn seats to sit another chapel service out. The hidden pulse propelled us forward, tradition, the clock that brought the zombies in. We raised our hymnals to chant not sing, the governmental rule. Up came one the prayer to recite, another the scriptures to announce. No telling who was next that queue invisibly pronounced. I moved in step, the high lectern to adorn with all my Methodist attire. Lets pray I said, and as if the roof fell down they collapsed on knee to pray. One small command the power was felt like turning the light switch ‘on’ then ‘off’ and ‘on’ again. There I stood suspended in hallowed air on stilts it felt before a passage of inward looking benches all squeezed with blazers black and white. My left and right two tiers on each the eyes around me bore. Round one, I thought I heard as I began to share, a message that would go out and find an ever hopeful ear. Like a green leaf I felt, blown in from somewhere else, I felt the eyes of centuries exchange. It was glorious, most glorious to stand within the futures powers and humbly blow the wind.

(Click here for the Hilton College web page)

Balance

The rush of life has overtaken the sensible, quieter path of balanced ministry. The old fears, selfish ambitions, and immature thoughts of the past creep in like cockroaches returning at night. The kitchen, scullery and dining room have been dark for a few weeks and the inevitable crawling pests return. The joy of switching on the light and seeing things run. The happiness of sitting with my God and declaring nothing else. The wonder and mystery of walking with Christ alone. Nothing seems to crawl when you are humbly at the feet of your Creator, expressing the need alone to follow your God who is all and sufficient enough for every need, for fellowship, for reward, and every ounce of approval. The 'ifs and buts' fade with the sound of a worshiping heart, the weakness of soul is swallowed up by the presence and consistent mothering of God. To be accepted by God is all in all.

Places of contact

Some days I sit outside and other days I sit indoors. There are times when I walk or run and other times when I am as still as a mouse. Sometimes I love the grandeur of stain-glass and iconography devotedly crafted in deep reverent cathedrals but other times the simplicity of a pine bench, bunch of daisy’s, and a faulty organ make my day. The prompts in the places of my worship are often different. Not one owns the seat of my praise or holds seasons tickets to box me in. It is the Spirit that enfolds them all dear to me. Using all of them to free me to be me in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4 “But the time is coming – it has, in fact, come – when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God.” E. Peterson )

Offering and receiving

It is strange how associations of thought come at certain times. I was reading about John the Baptist and his declaration that he was unfit to untie the shoes of the one who was coming after him when another thought came to mind. It was electric the picture a little later in the chronology of the God-man. The time when the spoken of knelt at the feet of a follower and said that if you are not willing to have me wash your feet then you can have nothing to do with me. Peter had to expose his feet to be washed by the very one John would not see himself worthy of being of service to. Peter allowed the God-man to untie his sandals and wash those dry cracked heels and dirty nails. It typifies the call for us to worship God with reverence and with embarrassing intimacy. It is the balance of worship it is. The coming together of holiness and receiving the gifts of grace. Offering and receiving we interact with the God above, below and everything in-between.