Tuesday, December 2, 2008

up, out, on and in...

When you are planning a worship service/element that God probably planted that seed of an idea in your heart and thoughts for a reason.
Particularly if it is an interactive experiential element. Those moments really do impact people and helps them grow closer to God.
See, so many worship experiences are simply participatory. That’s not a bad thing.
But, one small issue that I have observed in American society, it that people have created a huge self-imposed bubble of personal space. That not only impacts their relationships with other people, but it also impacts their relationship with God.
But, when we create something that bursts that self-imposed bubble of space and allows people to step closely into God; that’s when they are able to truly encounter God.
May main “job” (calling) from God at church is to create those moments of experiential elements.
We try to involve all five senses in the worship experience like:
-putting on a band-aid with someone’s name written on it that you are praying for…
-the scent of bread wafting through out the auditorium to remind people of the Bread of Life…
-a call to action, such as bringing in items that are needed at the local homeless shelter…
-pulling the experience out into the entire worship space, like visual projections on the ceiling…

As long as the main goal is glorifying to God, it will impact people’s lives.

1 comment:

Beth said...

Doro,

The title of this post struck me as vaguely Dr. Seuss-ish. Of course, many of those early morning set-ups I've *felt* vaguely Dr. Seuss-ish (Oh, the places you'll go....) so I guess that's okay.

Very good to have you home....catch up with you soon.

word verification: emophal - a new type of Dr. Seuss creature!