main cow pic

06.17.13

Bet Lehem Live

Filed under: God's movement,music,Palestine / Israel — 11:26 am
Church of the Nativity

The four of us

About six months ago, I was invited to perform at the first ever Bet Lehem Live festival. Pulling together three musicians who are way better than me (Troy Hatfield, David Gungor, and Brian Wurzell), we hopped on a flight to the Middle East with a few song ideas and, honestly, no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

Bethlehem has been a really rough place to live for many years now. And while some Palestinians don’t see much reason for hope, others are giving their lives to peace and possibility and joy in the middle of all the sorrow. Sami Awad is one of these visionaries. (Read my post about him.)
Sami created the Bet Lehem festival as a way for people to experience the warmth and excitement of Palestinian culture and hospitality…and it was an enormous success!

Since the guys and I arrived a couple days early, we got to wander the streets of Bethlehem and really explore the city. We met great people, visited the Church of the Nativity (the location where Jesus was born), found two works by Banksy, and ate a truckload of incredible street food. Palestinian generosity and hospitality is a beautiful thing. And so is fresh falafel!

Banksy art

Banksy

On Saturday night, we performed our 30 minute set at the festival. Song list: “Dust” (The Brilliance) / “Love Can Change the World” and “God’s Children” / “All Shall Be Well” (Troy Hatfield) / “The Sun Will Rise” and “Open Up” (The Brilliance). The music came together pretty well, and we were thrilled by their warm response. (I even tried to use an Arabic word in my introduction. The people laughed…which I thought meant they were impressed. But I found out later that I COMPLETELY messed the word up! Ha. Well, I tried.)

A handful of the lyrics exploded to life inside of us as we sang them in this particularly intense context. In tomorrow’s post, I’ll share two specific lyrics and stories that really wrecked me. But until then, here’s a short video of Troy singing “All Shall Be Well”. (It would have been longer, but I had to put my phone down and play!)

More coming tomorrow.

For peace,
Aaron

06.09.13

A glimpse of the church’s future (hopefully)

Filed under: A New Liturgy,church,God's movement — 10:59 am
PhoenixONE

PhoenixONE

Last Tuesday night, nearly a thousand 20 and 30-somethings from many church traditions and denominations packed in Historic First Pres Church in downtown Phoenix for a night of worship. And the God is Love liturgy came alive in a way I’ve never seen. (Check out the deeply compelling vision of Jeff Gokee for PhoenixONE here.)

I’m not exactly sure all the reasons why it was such a holy gathering, but here is one thing I can’t stop thinking about:

Ecumenicalism is the future.

Christianity has divided and specialized ourselves into a thousand small corners, and we’re all missing out on what the other has to bring. (It’s like every kid in a family deciding to only eat their favorite food…nothing else. They are happy for a while, but end up malnourished and sick.)

Tuesday night was a beautiful mingling of traditions. You could see the mainline folks digging deeply into the more liturgical elements. The evangelical folks lead the charge as we sang “One Thing Remains”. And thank God for our charismatic brothers and sisters – raising hands and dancing in the isles. We were all enriched by what the other had to bring.

And I guess this is the heart of what we’re trying to do with A New Liturgy.

Singing four worship songs and a hymn is a great way to worship God, but a little one-dimensional. A steady diet of only this could create malnourished worshipers. But as much as I idealize The Liturgy, many of my mainline friends are longing for more heart, life, and passion than the conventional liturgy. It seems that every tradition understands something profound about worshiping God, but we lack (1) A way to share this wisdom with other traditions who would benefit, and (2) A way to learn from other traditions who are strong in other areas. And so most of us end up spiritually isolated, one-dimentional, and malnourished.

Wow, I’m discovering (as I write this post!) how much this matters to me.

We Christians have become experts at defending our faith and sharing the truth. This is good in many ways. But I think we need to also recapture our ability to learn from those outside of our circle. Courage is a beautiful thing, but so is humility.

I suspect that the church of the future will be lead by people who know and admit what they don’t know…and then humbly partner with those who can teach them.

Can you imagine a church that said “Jesus is the center and focus of everything we do, but we acknowledge our limited vantage point. And so we will embrace and learn from any tradition or practice that elevates Christ and forms us into His likeness.” Reading ancient prayers? Yes. Singing pop songs with our hands in the air? Yes. Praying Jewish blessings from the Torah? Yes. Singing old spiritual laments? Yes.

As each member of a church is just one part of the body, I wonder if each church tradition needs to be understood as one part of the Bigger Body. Each is absolutely critical…but only one part of the Story.

Thank God for our fundamentalist brothers and sisters who remind us that God’s truth is profoundly important. Thank God for our Catholic brothers and sisters’ commitment to working for good in the world. Thank God for Evangelicals who remind us that we need to be saved. Thank God for the open hearts of our Episcopalian brothers and sisters.

Each one is a glorious part of the tangible Kingdom of God among us! And how can the foot say to the eye “I don’t need you!”… (1 Cor 12)

The big question is: How can we come together? Where are the safe places to lay down our tribal flags and learn from our “other” brothers and sisters? Who will create and protect more of these safe places?

We really need each other.

06.02.13

A crazy couple months

Filed under: A New Liturgy,church,God's movement,Palestine / Israel — 8:58 pm

Hey everyone.  There has been a ton going on lately, and I wanted to share a quick update.

We spent most of May tracking A New Liturgy No 5: Here Are My Hands.  Largely built around the piano, string quartet, and a pounding floor tom, this liturgy is all about our commute:  Part 1 is a 15 minute “on-the-way-to-work liturgy”, and part 2 is a 15 minute “on-the-way-home-from-work liturgy”.  Available July 8th. Here’s a clip from our string quartet recording session…

And now June is all about traveling.  After leading worship this weekend at Willow, on Tuesday night I get to be a part of PhoenixONE.  This really exciting worship gathering aims to unite 20 & 30 somethings from around Phoenix and get them connected to local churches.  What a beautiful vision!  They’ve asked me to lead through the “God is Love” liturgy, which I can’t wait to experience with them.  So if you live in the Phoenix area, please join us!

Next weekend, I get to join up with my friends at Granger Community Church to share the “Creation” liturgy. Their phenomenal team of musicians, pastors, and artists are coming together to turn the whole service into a celebration of God’s work in Creation.  Check out pastor Jason’s vision for the series HERE.  I love when a church gathering tells one cohesive, beautiful story – from music to message to announcements to visuals – and the Granger team is diving in with both feet.  Again, if you live near Granger, Indiana, please join us.

Finally, on the following Wednesday, I’m jumping on a plane for Bethlehem to be a part of the Bet Lehem Live Festival…and then go on a tour of Palestine and Israel.  I will share SO much more about this “alternative pilgrimage” over the next few weeks, so be looking for stories and pictures.

Last thing:  In all the busyness, the absolute best part of this season is Shauna, Henry, and Mac.  Life with them is so much fun, and I keep pinching myself with thankfulness.  So please indulge me as I end this post with a couple pictures.  (Yes, I have officially become that ridiculously proud dad with no shame or restraint!)

Shauna, Henry, and Mac

Shauna, Henry, and Mac

05.22.13

Announcing A New Liturgy No 5

Filed under: A New Liturgy — 8:33 pm

Hello friends!  I wanted to let you know that we’ve been hard at work over the last few weeks recording A New Liturgy No 5, which is called “Here Are My Hands”.  As you know, A New Liturgy exists to help us create holy space wherever we find ourselves, and this new one gets even more specific.  Let me explain.

For the first time, we have split the liturgy into two 15 minute parts…
Part one:  An on-the-way-to-work liturgy
Part two:  An on-the-way-home-from-work liturgy

While traveling to work, part one is a way that we can say “Here are my hands, God” on the way to our job.  An experience that helps us open ourselves to whatever God might want to do through us during the day.  The central prayer is “God, I am open.”

While traveling home from work, part two is a way that we can thank God for the day, ask forgiveness for sins, and forgive those who might have hurt us.  An experience that helps us let go, leave work at work, and fully engage the rest of our day.  The central prayer is “God, I am letting it go.”

Available on July 9th, 2013.

But that’s all I can tell you for now!  More details and specifics and surprises coming soon.

Let me just leave you with a few studio pictures (double click for full size)…

05.08.13

Dallas Willard and crying in the bathroom

Filed under: books,God's movement — 2:38 pm

Dallas Willard passed away today.  I can’t possibly over-state how important his books were to my life.  In many ways, his teaching about the Kingdom is the reason I’m still a Christian today.  A couple years ago, I had the chance to thank him…

“Crying in the Bathroom” (a post from 2011)

In one of Sufjan Steven’s greatest songs (Casimir Pulaski Day), he sings a haunting line admitting “I was crying in the bathroom.”  Well, I did that today.

This week, I’ve had the thrill of leading worship at the WCA’s Transformation Intensive conference.  In many ways, it’s been an un-conference….unplugged, understated, and all about the content.  I couldn’t love it more.

Dallas Willard

The first teacher was Dallas Willard, one of my heroes.  He gave a lecture about transformation that shook me to my core and reminded me again why the invitation of Jesus really is the greatest news on earth.

But this morning, I got to nervously share with him the 60 second version of my story:  “Dallas, I got cynical in college and my faith stopped working for me.  Christianity as “how to go to Heaven some day” was no longer compelling and I was thinking about leaving the whole thing.  But then someone recommended your book, The Divine Conspiracy, and while reading chapter 2, I was born again…again.”

He got a little embarrassed and looked down, but I kept going.  “Dallas, I’ve never met you, but you’ve been one of the primary voices for why I’m a Christian…and why I still want to be.  Thank you.” He sheepishly said thanks and I shuffled out the room.

But as I walked down the hall, I could feel something building inside me…and so I walked over to the downstairs bathroom, sat back by the empty showers, and bawled my eyes out.

I cried because I almost missed out on LIFE to the full.
I cried because I was so thankful that someone like Dallas could show the gospel to be as beautiful as it really is – when all I could see was ugliness.
I cried out of thankfulness that God didn’t leave me to wallow in my cynicism, but rescued me.

If you know me, you know how rare this kind of thing is.  My Scandinavian male ability to bury my emotions is usually spectacular.  But today, I’m just so thankful to be a part of such a great Story:  getting to join God in what God is doing to restore all things.

“When we are invited into life in Christ Jesus, we are offered the
greatest opportunity of our lives – the opportunity of a vivid companionship
with Him, in which we will learn to be like Him and live as He lived.”

-Dallas Willard

05.03.13

Four Free recordings of “God’s Children”

Filed under: A New Liturgy,willow,worship — 9:18 pm

Last weekend at Willow, in the spirit of Celebration of Hope, we sang ”God’s Children” together.
This song is a sweeping celebration of God’s immense love for every single person on earth.  Without exception. For God so loves the world…

Afterward, a friend mentioned that they have the ”New Liturgy” version of the song, but wanted a recording
of the more driving, rock version we did at Willow.  So I’ve decided to pull together every recorded version of
“God’s Children” and give them away on Noisetrade…

(1) ”God’s Children (New Liturgy version)” - from ANL No 1: God is Love
(2) ”God’s Children (Toms and Trombones Version)” - from Remix EP 1.  The story of it is HERE.
(3) ”God’s Children (Alberta Remix)” - the fun electronic remix by Alberta from Remix EP 2.
(4) ”God’s Children (live at Willow)” - this is the rough board mix from our last service.  It doesn’t
sound as full as it did in the room, but hopefully it captures some of the energy.

You can download the chord charts HERE.

Finally, if you’re interested, here is a video from the very first time we taught this song at Willow…

04.28.13

Clearing out the cobwebs

Filed under: A New Liturgy,church,worship — 4:58 pm
spider

-

There once was a man who came to church every Sunday to pray the exact same prayer.  Week and after week, he would stand and proclaim loudly “God, please clear out the cobwebs!”  Finally, after months of listening, a wise women stood after him and said “Why don’t you just kill the damn spider?”

And this is why I want to be a worship leader.

Let me explain…  Through the help of a handful of wise guides (listed below), I’m beginning to realize that worship is not only a way that we express ourselves to God, but it is also a practice that forms us into Christlikeness.  The way we worship shapes us into certain kinds of people.  And so my role as a worship leader is not simply to get people to raise their hands during church, but to help us become the kinds of people who use our hands for good all week long.  Our goal is not simply to create a worship service, but for our worship service to create a certain kind of church in the world.

I believe that the purpose of gathering together is the realization of God’s dream for reality:
the Restoration of All things.  Like Jesus, we want to see God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven,
and so we gather to focus on God and practice becoming the kinds of people who can join in this restoration. Through these prayers, songs, readings, and disciplines, we practice being people who can set our little kingdoms aside (if only for a moment, in the safety of a community) and seek God’s epic Kingdom…week after week…until we actually become the kinds of people who can join God’s redeeming work in our office cube on a Tuesday afternoon.

There is an important aspect of worship that helps clear out the cobwebs of the week.  Hallelujah!  We all desperately need the church to be a safe and gracious place.  I know I do.  But at a certain point, a truly safe community is only safe if it also teaches us how to kill the damn spider.

What does this look like in your church?  What could it look like?  What kind of worship liturgy/service/set have you found to be most helpful in forming your community toward Christlikeness?

If you’re interested, here are some wise guides who have much to teach us about all this:  Ian Morgan Cron, Dallas Willard, Glenn Packiam, Isaac Wardell, James K. A. Smith.

04.20.13

All my notes, slides, and resources about worship and liturgy

Filed under: A New Liturgy,church,God's movement,worship — 11:38 am
Pulse Conference

Pulse Conference

Today I had the privilege of sharing some thoughts about worship, liturgy, and moving beyond singing at the Pulse Conference in Madison, WI.  I really connect with and respect Paul and the Blackhawk team.  They are the real deal and doing fantastic work.  If you’ve never been to the Pulse Conference, get it on your calendar next year!  Here are my notes…

 

Workshop 1:  Moving Beyond Singing into something much more Mysterious, Subversive, and Beautiful.

Worship is this huge, beautiful, epic, mysterious, global, active, intimate human/divine interaction, but when someone says “Okay, it’s time to worship”, we all assume “It’s time to sing.”  This is not bad, of course.  Singing is a fantastic way to worship God.  But it’s only one part of the whole. This breakout will explore ways to move beyond our usual framework, and in doing so, help more and more people engage with more and more of The Almighty God.

Moving Beyond Singing Niequist notes

Moving Beyond Singing .ppt slides

 

Workshop 2:  Evangelical Worship Leading, The Liturgy, and me.

While leading worship in a mega-church for the last ten years (at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, MI and Willow Creek in Chicago, IL), I’ve been feeling more and more drawn to The Liturgy – both personally and as a worship pastor.  The depth, reverence, and historical grounding have been profoundly moving.  But how does this fit into an evangelical mega-church with big screens and moving lights?  Is there a way to bring these ancient practices into this modern context, or are they fundamentally incompatible?  In this breakout, I’ll share what I’m learning, what I’m wrestling with, and a few big mistakes I’ve made.  And then we’ll dream together about the future.

Worship, Liturgy and Me Niequist notes

Worship Liturgy and Me .ppt slides

 

Resources:

The Story of A New Liturgy (video)
Ian Cron: “Becoming the Liturgy” (video)
Glenn Packiam’s blog
“Church is Bigger Than the Church” (my article for Relevant)
“Common Prayer”, Clainborne, Wilson-Hartgrove
The Book of Common Prayer online
Brian Mclaren’s open letter to Worship Songwriters

Books:

“A Guide to the Sacraments” John Macquarrie
“The Immortal Diamond”, Fr. Richard Rohr
“Everything Belongs”, Fr Richard Rohr
“The Holy Longing”, Fr Ronald Rolheiser
“Start with Why?”, Simon Sinek 
“To Change the World”, James Hunter
“Finding Our Way”, Margaret Wheatley
“Honest to God”, John Robinson
“Liturgy For Living”, Weil, Price 
“The Wisdom Jesus”, Cynthia Bourgeault

Examples (video):

A New Liturgy No 4: Creation (live at Willow Creek)
A New Liturgy No 2: Blessed to Be a Blessing (live at Axis):   (password = liveliturgy)
Love Can Change the World / St Francis / Have Thine Own Way (live at Willow)
The Resistance Experience (live at Willow)
Worship band IN the room (live at Willow)

04.15.13

5 documentaries about music and art and crazy people

Filed under: creativity,music — 12:54 pm

For some reason, I’ve been watching and enjoying a ton of documentaries in the last couple months.  Here are my five favorites…

Sound City

Sound City

(1) Sound City (directed by Dave Grohl) – This is the story of Sound City Studios – where Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and MANY other legendary artists recorded their most important albums.  Dave Grohl narrates a fascinating journey from the studio’s earliest days until it’s closing in 2011, hearing from dozens of the artists who created history there.  I absolutely love learning the stories behind all this music, but for me, the performances are the highlights.  I won’t wreck all the surprises, but let me just say that Sir Paul shows up at the end and blows some minds (and eardrums).  Such a fun film.

 

Beware

Beware

(2) Beware of Mr Baker – Many consider Ginger Baker the greatest drummer of all time.  And although I had never heard of him, I absolutely loved the film.  The other thing you need to know about Ginger is that he’s insane.  Really.  An actual crazy person who has left a trail of destruction of broken bands, broken families, broken relationship for his whole life.  He is a tragic figure, to be sure, but somehow you end up being inspired by the story.  With insightful, heartbreaking, and hilarious interviews with Eric Clapton, Ginger’s family, and tons of musicians who knew him.  Highly recommended.

 

Searching for Sugarman

Searching

(3) Searching for Sugar Man – I still can’t believe that this documentary is for real. Wow. Rodriguez was a genius songwriter who recorded two brilliant albums in the late 60s that somehow never sold.  After the disappointment, rumors are that Rodriguez killed himself by setting his body on fire during his last concert. But decades later, his music managed to get to South Africa, where it became one of the most popular soundtracks to the anti-Apartheid movement.  This film is the journey of two men who are trying to find out what really happened to Rodriguez, and you won’t believe what they find.

 

Elmo

Elmo

(4) Being Elmo – My son Mac is 18 months old, so we already watch a TON of Elmo in our house.  But this film about Kevin Clash, who created and gives voice to Elmo, was wildly interesting.  I loved seeing the intense work, thought, heart, and sweat that goes into bringing a red piece of cloth to life and into the imaginations of millions of kids on earth.  Kevin and other puppeteers are not just “playing with puppets”…they are deeply committed to their craft in ways that would put many other artists to shame.  It certainly challenged me.  But on the other hand, it showed a bit of the toll that such single-minded devotion takes on the rest of a person’s life.  This film is both an inspiration and a warning.

 

Side by Side

Side

(5) Side by Side – This film wrestles with the emergence of digital technology in Hollywood.  Will the new digital process of making movies replace film altogether, or will they both remain?  What is gained and lost in each medium?  (We musicians are often wrestling with the same questions, although digital is more common in recording).  I found it fascinating to hear movie legends like James Cameron, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Noland, and many others debating, disagreeing, and passionately making a case for what they believe is the future of film.

 

What other documentaries would you recommend?

04.06.13

What I want to learn from Sigur Ros

Filed under: church,creativity,music,worship — 12:47 pm

On Tuesday night, a group of us went to the Sigur Ros show.  Even with ridiculously high hopes and expectations, they blew me away and have had my head spinning all week.  Yesterday, I sat down to reflect: “Why did the show move me so deeply?”  And more than that, “What can we in the church learn from Sigur Ros”?  A couple reflections…

(1) Beauty needs to retain a bit of darkness to keep it grounded and real.
In many ways, the music of Sigur Ros is wildly, gratuitously beautiful…with lush strings, epic soundscapes, and gorgeous melodies.  But if you listen closely, there is almost always something cracked or dark or dissonant in the mix.  Which is exactly like real life.  Sweetness without ugliness is only half the story.  It doesn’t ring true. It is mere sentimentalism.  And as my friend Ian says, there is nothing worse than sentimentalism pretending to be art…or sentimentalism pretending to be theology.

So how can our communities, churches, and worship experiences embrace and live in the tension of both realities?  This is an easy question to ask, but honestly, I’ve found it very difficult to live out in a church service.  Is there a way to whole-heartedly celebrate the beauty in this world and the hope we have in God without ignoring the very real darkness all around (and inside of) us?  Both are true.  And like so many of the Psalms do masterfully, both need to be reclaimed in worship.

(2) Amazing music (or art) does not require individual virtuosos.
Besides Jonsi’s superhuman singing, most of the parts being played Tuesday night were very very simple.  No individual musician did anything exceptionally impressive or complicated on their own.  However, they played the exact right parts at the exact right times and created something collectively brilliant.

Here’s what they remind me:  Amazing music does not require virtuoso players…but it does require an inspired and crystal clear vision.  As a band leader, do I help everyone understand exactly what the song is trying to be?  Can we create this together?  Do each of my bandmates know their exact role at each moment of the song?  Do I?

How do we all become musicians who would rather ask “what does this song need from me right now?” than “what are the most amount of notes I can fit into this measure?”….a band of simple players trying to realize a shared vision, rather than a collection of wildly talented soloists all playing at the same time?  That’s when the magic happens.

(3) Embrace the weirdness.
Admittedly, there were a number of moments in the Sigur Ros show that I didn’t understand, connect with, or even like.  Some of it was just plain weird.  But that’s part of what makes them so compelling.  If they sanded off all the “weird” edges, they might end up sanding off the “brilliant” edges also.

Which is probably what happens to some of the music/art in the church.

In an attempt to make what we do inviting and understandable and comfortable for the wide range of people coming to church, I’m afraid that we often end up neutering it.  So instead of offering art that is alive with passion, truth, and the messy glory of real life, we end up with safe, middle-of-the-road, predictable music that it perfectly innocuous.  The Christian radio in our town advertises that their music is “safe for the whole family”.  They take pride in this fact, but I think they should apologize.  Jesus was profoundly loving, but anything but safe.

So to my friends creating art, sermons, and music in the church:  Embrace the weirdness!  Explore the edges! Lean into your uniqueness!  Don’t try to be a short order cook for mass-consumption.  Instead, live a life of deep prayer, connection, and obedience…and then let it gush out of you in its purest form.  Not all of it will be appropriate for a Sunday gathering, of course, but I think we’d be surprised by how much might be.  And gloriously so.

——–

UPDATE (4/8):  I just added a fourth learning about Sigur Ros at the A New Liturgy worship blog.

——–

Does any of this resonate with you?  Any Sigur Ros fans out there?  What have you learned from them?

 

04.03.13

A few questions for Rob Bell about worship in the church (part 2)

Filed under: church,God's movement,worship — 10:12 am

Question three: What important worship practices are missing from our current church gatherings? What kind of liturgies do you believe we need in order to move into a more beautiful future?

I don’t know what people are doing in churches, but I do know that God
is found in suffering, and when people are given space to be human together -
whatever that looks like – it always helps. Jesus invites us into the full spectrum
of human experience – you don’t have to have answers, but joining each other
in the pain and brokenness of life – that’s divine. At the heart of the Christian
story is the open tomb – the conviction that no matter how hard or bad it gets,
the last word hasn’t been spoken. So we charge into doubt and cancer
and all the worst pain the world can hand us and we join each in it and we
shed tears and shake our fist and lament because we are free and we trust
that there is more to the story.

Final question: Free shot. What do you wish you could say to every worship leader on the planet?

I was chatting with Willie Williams who designs the U2 tours
and he said the only thing that matters in his job is the exchange
of energy between the band and the audience. That’s it. Worship
leading is about managing the energy of a room. If you are angry
or tense or scared or confused, it will get translated into the room.
So the interior life of a leader is incredibly important. In other
words, deal with your shit. Your body is the medium, your essence
the conduit, your flesh and blood the signal – the more clear and
whole and healthy and thriving you are – from nutrition to sleep to
brain waves to worry to bitterness to thriving marriages – the more
you will radiate the kind of love and energy and presence and grace
that people are needing. Who you are matters. What you see, how
deeply you are drinking from the well of life, how connected you
are with your depths – this all affects the shared worship experience.

————–

Rob’s comments raise two main questions for me today…

(1) What do you think of his suggestion that “Worship leading is about managing the energy of a room.” Why or why not do you agree? What can we learn from this perspective? How do you think it could be expanded?

(2) Rob’s comment that “God is found in suffering…. Jesus invites us into the full spectrum
of human experience” was deeply moving to me. And quite challenging, if I’m honest, because most worship experiences I lead are within a rather narrow spectrum. What about you?

Where does sorrow and mourning fit into the worship at your church? What about anger? Doubt? What about full on, dancing in the isles celebration? Does your community move outside of that expected “earnestly positive worship feeling?” How do you do it? What can it look like to invite worshipers into the full spectrum of human experience?

Thoughts?

04.01.13

A few questions for Rob Bell about worship in the church (part 1)

Filed under: church,God's movement,worship — 2:06 pm
Rob

Rob

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to partner with Rob most Sundays at Mars Hill between 2003 and 2007.  It was one of the most exciting seasons of my life, and I learned so much…both from Rob and from the Mars community.  So when Rob’s new book came out, I thought it’d be fascinating to ask him a few questions about worship leading and the kind of liturgy he believes we need for today…

———————

Hey Rob.  Thanks for being up for a conversation.

In your new book “What We Talk About When We Talk About God“, you suggest that our current understanding of God is much like an Oldsmobile – great for its time, but now becoming an unhelpful relic. And rather than just pitching the whole concept of God (like saying “this Oldsmobile sucks…I’m never driving a car again!”), you are appealing for a more compelling, inviting, immersive way to think and talk and engage with The Almighty.  Thank you.  I certainly need this.

Since I and many readers of this blog are worship leaders, can you dream a bit about how a new way of talking about God might affect the way we worship God?  And further, how might the way we worship God affect the way we talk about God?

Question one:  What are some of the current worship practices that keep us tethered to an Oldsmobile faith?  What do we need to let go of?

Rob:  The ancient Hebrews talked about the ruach of God – the spirit, the presence
of the divine here and now at all times with all people. As David prayed
“Where can i go from your presence?” so when Jesus talks about his
body and blood, he’s not talking about an abstraction, he’s talking about
our growing awareness of the presence of the divine in every moment.
This bread and wine is holy because ALL bread and wine are holy.
Worship, then, isn’t coming in out the world to a place where God uniquely
is, worship is our growing awareness of God’s presence in all of life.

I have no idea what practices people are doing or what people need to let go
of, but I do know that the more you see, the more you are aware, the slower
you’re moving, the more you walk instead of running, the more you see
that we don’t have to create or conjure up or fabricate anything – we open
our eyes to what already is. People need leaders who are holy people,
people who see. It’s one thing to run a pep rally for Jesus, it’s another
to see God in all things.

Question two:  What are some of the characteristics of God that most compel you to follow Christ, and how do you think those should form our communal worship?

Rob:  In the book I quote Jane Fonda who said her rebirth began because she
felt reverence humming in her. I love that. I have a sense that there’s more
going here, that a meal is more than just a meal, in the same way that a
song is a song but it’s also more. Things are crackling, electric, plugged in
to a higher source. What people are desperate for is connecting with God
in the course of average, normal days when things can easily become cut
off from their depths. So anything that helps sharpen the senses, that helps
people become more courageous, more at peace, less judgmental, that’s
all going to lead to more and more full and dynamic life. The power of following
Jesus is that this story is about word becoming flesh. It’s about this divine
life flowing in and to and through every single one of us, shaping us
into the kinds of people we long to be.

—————

Before moving on, let’s pause and ask a couple practical questions.

In what ways can our worship gatherings move beyond “a pep rally for Jesus” and help form our community into people who have eyes to see God in all things?  (Do you believe that this is the role of worship gatherings, or would you push back on Rob’s assessment?)  What are some practices that help your church create that holy awareness:  songs, prayers, readings, images, etc?

I believe that there is a place for a “pep rally for Jesus”, but a steady diet of pep rallies leads to malnutrition. How can we offer a “well balanced worship banquet” that helps us become people who are focused upward (toward God in praise), inward (honestly letting the Spirit redeem us), AND outward (to find God everywhere as we join God’s Movement of Restoring all things)?  What does this look like in your community?

Excited to hear your thoughts…

 

03.29.13

Seth Godin: awareness rather than journalism

Filed under: creativity,quotes — 11:34 am

Blaine Hogan – one of my good friends and favorite artistic collaborators – did a fascinating and insightful interview with Seth Godin.  If you haven’t seen Part One or Part Two, I highly recommend them.

Today, Blaine posted Part Three of the interview, which included a quote that really hit me.  Blaine asked “Seth, how do you capture ideas as they hit you throughout the day?”  And Seth replied,

“I don’t. Instead of writing things down, I immerse myself in what I notice…. I would rather develop a sort of soft-tissue of awareness, rather than a journalist constantly writing things down for future blog posts.”

How great is that?!?  What would it look like, in my life, to develop a soft-tissue of awareness?  What could it look like in yours?  Rather than furiously trying to clutch and capture every moment, what if we learned to simple be in that moment?  This is not easy for me, but it sure sounds compelling.

Part three of the interview…

03.23.13

Justice and Worship

Filed under: church,God's movement,worship — 8:01 am

Once again, Isaac Wardell and the Bifrost Arts team are asking big, deep, theologically important questions about the role worship plays…both in church and in the world…

 

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