“How
shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” (Ps.137:4)
Dear
Fellow Members,
In
my previous letter I opened up the question - “Where is the Holy
Spirit leading us?” How is the Church to function in a time of
change? How is our worship, fellowship, pastoral care, outreach and
administration to adapt in a digital age?
Let
me begin with worship because worship is the USP (unique selling
point) of the Christian Church. We can find all these other things
elsewhere. We must immediately acknowledge that parish ministers all
over Scotland have been doing their very best in difficult and
unprecedented circumstances to provide worship in a novel format.
They are to be congratulated for their endeavours; and not
criticised.
It
must, however, become apparent at once that there is a significant
difference between public worship and private devotions. Public
Worship is not a spectator sport. It is not about watching someone
else worshipping. It calls for involvement and participation. In
the Book of the Acts of the Apostles we read: “they were altogether
in one place.” (Acts 2:1) The word CONGREGATION comes from the
Latin CON meaning together and GREX meaning a flock or herd. Public
Worship involves the People of God flocking together. In other words
– you have to be there! Unfortunately this tends unavoidably to
make recorded worship somewhat artificial.
Another
challenge and difficulty we have to face in a digital age is the fact
that over time we have been conditioned to think of film and
television as entertainment. Even serious news and current affairs
programmes are referred to as “SHOWS”. Good television calls for
action, drama, colour, and movement; (and as much excitement as
possible). We have to stop and remember that worship is not
entertainment; and it is not meant to be entertainment. We must not
allow the shallow and unthinking among us to turn it into
entertainment. It is, however, simply an inherent fact of the medium
that pointing a camera at a static talking head can make for bad and
boring television.
Just
look at the Credits at the end of an hour’s television programme
and note the vast numbers involved in such a production. There is
enormous input from a whole variety of different skills, talents and
professions. One solitary parish minister cannot compete with such
professionalism and expertise. This, however, is the quality of film
and television output that we are used to; and that we take for
granted. If the church is to do this well doesn’t this call for a
new and different kind of Training for our Worship leaders? Doesn’t
it call for a new and fresh way of thinking? Does it, indeed, call
for Worship Teams made up from a number of local congregations
co-operating and sharing and working together? In a digital and
co-operating age do we really need quite so many church buildings?
Please
let me hear your own thoughts and feelings on this matter. Lets
share our thinking on this.
Every
Blessing,
Alex.
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