A believing family just moved to your town. They are praying and looking for the church the Lord is calling them to become a part of. Upon entering your worship space for the first time, even before the service begins, they can already see what your church values in worship. What do they see?
In our worship space, the first thing they notice is that there are no windows and it is quite dark. The walls, for the most part, are bare, and the air is cold. They also see an elevated stage, spanning the whole width of the auditorium and filled with musical instruments.
Then they notice that the removable seats are set up in a semicircle with a tall chair and table on a smaller stage that jets out from the main platform toward the center of the room. Surely, this is where the sermon will be delivered.
As they look around after seating themselves, they feel the ambience of candlelight, and notice the tables surrounding the jet stage. On the skinny, black tables rest gold colored trays containing the communion elements: tiny, individual cups of juice and broken pieces of matza.
It's also hard to miss the banners around the perimeter of the room explicitly indicating four of our main worship values: Communion, Offering, Prayer, and Song. Under each of the headers are Scripture passages supporting that act of worship. And beneath the text is an image of hands portraying the action. (Click here to see the banners.)
To be clear, I am not entirely satisfied with what our worship space communicates to worshipers. We have no desire to entertain, and yet our space screams, "Watch!" We desire to expand our worship expression beyond music, and yet our space exalts music far above all the other arts. We believe in the preeminence of the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, and yet a permanent baptistry would limit the versatile functionality of our stage.
If I were new, there would be enough value-revealing symbol and aesthetic to keep me from immediately walking out, but some of the most important values which should be visible (without words) are simply not. Which begs the question: Do we truly value what we say we value?
On a positive note, I do love our worship space. It has great potential. It's current condition does not impede the worship of God in any way. If anything, our worship environment invites many who would otherwise feel intimidated by "churchy" objects, pews, hymnals, or whatever. It's culturally inviting. However, it is important always to check our motives for doing things the way we do. Are we faithfully and responsibly creating our worship space, or are we sacrificing biblical priorities for the sake of appealing to people? We are, after all, presenting a radically different story in our worship than any story our popular culture is telling. Certainly the telling and enacting of God's story requires other-worldly object lessons.
We are in the process of putting together a worship space team, consisting of several artists (myself, an interior decorator, a school art teacher, a photographer, and hopefully some others), who will study the theology and history of sacred space and begin to employ our findings into our worship space. Not only will we seek to create permanent fixtures that will lead others into more effectively proclaiming, singing, and enacting the story of God, but we will use the Christian Year as a template for seasonal symbols and colors. We also have a desire to develop the skill of all of the artists in our church, praying for the Spirit to inspire their imagination, and encouraging them to create, create, create!
What worship values does your worship space communicate?
9 comments
Comment by Keith W on July 13, 2010 at 8:49 PM
Disclaimer - I'm a church planter fleshing out my theology of everything right now, so the glass is usually muddy for me (neither half empty or half full), and I'm usually a "write than think" kinda guy :-)
So...
before you ask the question "What worship values does your worship space communicate"... don't you think the precursor question needs to be:
What is the theology of "worship space"... should we have dedicated "worship space?" Is what you call "worship space" more sacred than the space in my 1995 chevy truck, is your dedicated space more "worshipful?"
There is no scripture in your post above either... We really don't see dedicated worship space in the NT (outside of preaching in the jewish temples... which didn't last)...
Should we have dedicated worship space that is expensive when it is used 4-6 hours a week?
Should our worship space be comfortable, filled with A/C and soft padded chairs, ....? does being comfortable and safe and secure (american values right?) keep us from the radical nature of the Gospel?
Should our worship space be set-up in a way where the "professionals" are on a stage and use these devices that make them the center of the attention (stage, lights, and microphones)... 1 Cor 14:26?
With all that said, I drive around once or twice a month looking for dedicated "worship space" so we can one day get a place of our own... so I'm not saying "dedicated worship space" is wrong... I just verbally vomiting on your blog and 5 kids are screaming and it's bed time...
:-)
Love you Ryan, you challenge me a ton!
Comment by Ryan on July 13, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Keith,
A buddy of mine from my Bob Webber days actually did his master's thesis on a theology of worship space. I'll pass it on to you.
In the meantime, Keith, what does your worship space communicate? If you'd rather to tell me what your cab space communicates, I'll listen. Heck I'll even do an evaluation of your cab when you give me a ride to the golf course tomorrow. But I'd prefer for you to wrestle through an actual formulation of thought about your worship space and then hear you articulate it to me...tomorrow in your truck...or in another comment.
Ryan
Comment by RTG on July 14, 2010 at 8:54 AM
A couple of questions/thoughts:
What method/source are your artists using to study the theology and history of sacred space? I just read an excerpt from a book discussing iconographers and how they worked. i would be interested in further study of this and how you are preparing your team.
I lilke your worship focus themes, but one thing I would like to include for our church would be "Scripture". That is such a foundational element to what we do - how we choose songs, what our focus is, our teaching and correction - it is where we find the reasons for Communion, Offering, Prayer, and Song.
Thanks for posting this. Interesting thought which I will be challenging our ministerial staff with.
Comment by Ryan on July 14, 2010 at 9:34 AM
Trey,
Thanks for chiming in. Off the bat, I want to confirm that Scripture is our ultimate source for doing anything we do in worship. I am a Sola Scriptura guy. Not only is the Bible itself one of the greatest symbols that should be very visible in our worship space, but God's Word is clear that we ought to be endlessly creative in our artistic expressions of worship.
I cannot set out on a full biblical theology of worship space in this reply to your comment, but here are just a few parts of Scripture to consider.
1) Genesis 1:26-28 - God created us in His image and likeness, so we are all little creators.
2) Exodus 25-31 - The first assignment to man for the corporate worship of God in Scripture is "to devise artistic design."
3) Romans 8:29 - Mark Batterson says, "If God is infinitely creative and we are not just created in HIs image but called to be conformed to His image, then creativity isn't optional. Creativity is a dimension of spiritual maturity. To become more like the creator is to become more creative. When we use our sanctified imagination to serve his purposes, we are doing what God does best and loves most. And the heavenly Father takes great pride and joy in it."
4) Revelation - Revelation is a liturgical book; it presents to us the kind of worship that has been happening for all eternity. Read Rev. 4-5, and notice the imagery in the throneroom of God. When we worship on earth, I believe, we are joining with heavenly worship. Look to the Orthodox Church for a full theology of iconography and space.
I am finding that the greatest concerns most Protestants have with the greater expression of the arts in worship are: 1) the risk of breaking the second commandment, and 2) the sinful, human tendency to supplement the Word of God with creative art; worshiping creation rather than Creator. These are issues that we need to approach with sensitivity, as there are certainly many people in our churches with such reservations.
The questions I will sensitively ask our resistant brothers are: 1) If we are all created in the image of God, aren't we all all graven images of God? Should we gouge our eyes out so as not look at another human for fear of breaking the second commandment? No, I think the second commandment is addressing the issue of idolatry, not art. 2) Our Scriptural and faithful use of art in worship is meant to complement, not supplement, the Word of God. We constantly need to keep ourselves accountable to God's Word and one another, so we don't fall into the common trap of worshiping creation rather than creator. But we don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. How irresponsible of us to completely remove the arts from worship for fear of sinning.
Anyway, hope this helps. I'm still fleshing this out myself, my brother.
Peace to You,
Ryan
Comment by Warren Anderson on July 15, 2010 at 1:17 AM
Good stuff, as always, Ryan. Your comments on your current worship space, in its "culturally inviting" state, reminded me of some thoughts I had a couple of years ago, when I did some writing on the issue of choirs and cultural relevancy:
"If unchurched people stumble into a building with the name 'Church' boldly proclaimed on the marquee, a building that, in many cases, sports a huge cross (that age-old symbol of Christianity) on its roof, is it at least remotely possible that those unbelievers expect there to be some things that are 'churchy' about what goes on inside? Is it possible that, in fact, those unbelievers want some things that are 'churchy' to go on inside, because they’ve seen what the world has to offer and are desperate—dying!—to find something that transcends (not caters to) what they know of their culture? I think the answer to those questions is 'yes,' and, if so, it augurs well for the choir, that most 'churchy' of all institutions."
I guess I wonder whether we sometimes overestimate how uncomfortable unbelievers will be when they attend one of our services, and underestimate their willingness to spend time sitting through a series of rituals that they don't understand or even enjoy . . . yet.
Keep up the good work. I am regularly blessed by your ministry with this blog.
Comment by Ryan on July 15, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Dr. Warren Anderson,
That has a nice ring to it. Congrats on your IWS completion. I hope to do the same someday myself.
Thank you for your thoughts and encouragement. What you wrote is so true. Let's hear it for churchy-ness. Seriously, by throwing out "churchy" things, we are often throwing out "gospel" things. Where, then, is the offense, the foolishness?
Comment by G.L.Dobbins on July 19, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Though I am unlearned in such things, I feel compelled to share my impressions upon first entering that particular space about 5 years ago. While the space itself said very little, what did strike me profoundly was what the people in it were saying and doing.
Years after that first visit I attended a "church business" meeting in that space (you were among the presenters) and while I was trying to take notes about the business, the only thing my hand would let me write was "God is here" (if my hand could have whispered out of reverence, it would've).
I've rarely noticed the walls. But, my ears and soul and Spirit are delighted by being there.
Comment by Ryan on July 19, 2010 at 10:20 PM
Gary,
You bring up a hugely important visible symbol of our worship--the assembly. The gathering of people in our space to worship God is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's welcoming presence. They are perhaps the most important visual display of our worship values of community and fellowship.
Thanks!
Comment by Dan on August 6, 2010 at 4:05 PM
This remains one of my favorite posts, from one of my favorite people, on the topic.
Thanks, Ryan, for a compelling vision of gathered worship - it is in the tension between satisfaction and dissatisfaction with our worship spaces that our God-given creativity begins to wander, to speak, and, breathed on by the Holy Spirit, to build spaces that are fresh and conducive to living worship.
Wonderful piece here.
Thanks for joining us and sharing your thoughts.