Worship as Response, March 2008
How do we respond to God, or our concept of God? For this first 'Response' service, ten stations were designed based loosely on a theme of meditation and discovery, each station requiring a contemplative approach but with a strong interactive, tactile element. This gave the participants the opportunity to escape the chaos of everyday life and commune with God on a focussed, spiritual level.
Each of the ten stations are described below, along with their instructions. Click on the thumbnails at right to see photos of most of the installation. Please feel free to email us with your thoughts or ideas - contact details are below.
Shalom!
STATION 1 - PREPARATION
(Instructions) This is where we take a moment to meditate on the knowledge that
God will meet us anywhere, anytime. And so, even in this humble house, we ask
you to remove your shoes, switch off your phone and meditate for a minute in
preparation.
This station was in the entrance hall to the house, which proved ideal as participants were able to return here, away from the main area, for further meditation and reflection as they wished. We invited everyone to light a candle as they arrived as a mark of their spiritual and physical presence. A leaflet was also provided explaining each of the stations and a brief description of the idea behind the service.
STATION 2 - SHOCK
(Instructions) Put the headphones on and watch the screen. In the face of such shocking images, what is the inappropriateness of the music saying to you? Is society to blame? Is God?? Have people ever treated you similarly when you've been hurting?
This station was a simple PowerPoint slide show containing images of poverty, war, famine and bigotry. The soundtrack was a typical techno-dance track with general hedonistic, indulgent lyrics. Pen and paper was provided for people to write down their reaction to the contrast.
STATION 3 - BOX
(Instructions) What's in the box? Lift the curtain and have a look. Are we guilty of compartmentalising, and using tunnel vision to pigeon hole too quickly? Take a look then at the painting on the wall. How many objects can you identify in the painting? How does the artist's approach differ from the box installation? Which is better?
This was a simple cardboard box with a bobble-headed Jesus figurine at the far end, with a flood light underneath the box providing a simple spotlight effect (not apparent in the photo).
STATION 4 - M&Ms
(Instructions) In relationships of any kind it has been said that there is only "ministry or manipulation". That is, we either help people, or we use them. Take 5 minutes to read anything in front of you with this in mind. Eat a few M&Ms and consider how this knowledge could be useful to you tomorrow.
A simple station which again proved that chocolate is a powerful ministry tool.
STATION 5 - BURNING BUSH
(Instructions) Relax in the arm chair and meditate on the burning bush visualisation. Note how it responds to the music. Do you respond to God or do you wait for him to respond to you? Which way should it be? Why?
The ambient music for the service (a combination of Christian meditative and Celtic Christian music) was played from a laptop placed in front of an armchair. Windows Media Player was used to provide a suitable meditative visualisatIon.
STATION 6 - NOISE
(Instructions) Look at the TVs and slide show - it's just meaningless noise, but what grabs your attention and why? If you were God trying to get your attention in a chaotic world, how would you do it? If you like, write anything at all on the screen as a protest, plea or prayer.
Two TVs and a laptop were used for this station. One TV was tuned to snow and the screen covered in bubble wrap. The other was tuned to a station but the screen covered with kitchen paper. The laptop displayed an annoying, rapidly changing set of random images. A marker pen allowed people to write their thoughts on the TV screens.
STATION 7 - HOLY PLACE
(Instructions)Watch the slide show. Where do you feel closest to God? In church? At the beach? In the mountains? When have you felt closest to God in the past week? The past year? Ever?
Another simple PowerPoint presentation, this station displayed a slowly changing set of images depicting beautiful cathedrals, beach and mountain scenes. Pen and paper allowed everyone to write their thoughts.
STATION 8 - TREADMILL
(Instructions) Grab a piece of chalk and write a message to God on the treadmill. Not easy, is it? The need for stillness is paramount when it comes to effective communication. Now imagine God trying to talk to us amidst all the chaos of our lives!
The household treadmill was comandeered for this station. With the treadmill running (very slowly) the difficulty of communicating with a moving target was made clear!
STATION 9 - HATE
(Instructions) To be still enough to commune with God we must overcome hate, anger, frustration, impatience and other negative thoughts.Write down all your negative emotions at the moment and then burn them as a symbol of your readiness to calm down in the presence of God (at least for tonight)! You may like to go back and repeat some of the other stations now that you have taken control of your negative thoughts!
Pretty straight-forward. The kitchen wok was used to burn thoughts instead of stir-fry.
STATION 10 - COMMUNION
(Instructions) This station should be completed last of all, although it is quite OK if you then wish to re-visit other stations. The message of Jesus was that of love, and in taking communion, we recognise the love of Jesus that led him to sacrifice himself for us. The breaking of bread symbolises his broken body on the cross for us, and the wine represents his blood, shed for us. Take time as you eat the bread and drink the wine to meditate on what he actually went through, and how this incredible message of love can influence our daily lives. Think of this not just at church-based communion, but every time you eat and drink. We think that's what he intended us to do! Finally, consider which stations have impacted you the greatest. What have you learned that can help you maintain some spiritual communion in your everyday life? Share with the others!
