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The Last Thirty Years: What We've Learned along the Way
Seminar at the Calvin Symposium on Worship
January 26, 2006
Host: John D. Witvliet
with Albert Aymer, Nancy Beach, Brian McLaren, Eugene Peterson, Larry Sibley, Joyce Zimmerman

We had a wonderfully stimulating discussion that was deeply theological, deeply spiritual, and meaningfully reflective on this intricate topic. In the coming weeks this web page will offer audio and transcripts of the presentations for this seminar, reflections submitted by attendees, and resource lists as discussed at the seminar. We are delighted to help keep this significant conversation going.

Resources from this Seminar
. Written Reports
. Audio Files and Transcripts
. Seminar Handbook
. Seminar Description
. Panel Participants
. Seminar Outline
. Recommended Resources
. Participant Feedback

Written Reports
Worship - What We've Learned
by Nathan Bierma
report at Books&Culture online

The Last Thirty Years
by Nathan Bierma
extended report in Reformed Worship

Audio Files
. Audio of all four sessions, with written transcripts. (More audio from Symposium)

Seminar Handbook
A 45-page handbook-containing an outline, companion resources, and further reading-was distributed at this seminar. Selected material from this handbook is now available.

Seminar Description
What a period of change we've all been living through! Arguably, Christian worship practices have changed more, and in more different directions, in the last forty years than in any single period, with the possible exception of the earliest days of the church. How we conceptualize this change-whether we see it as mostly good or mostly harmful-significantly affects the attitudes and trajectories of our ministries today. During the day, we will hear very different perspectives on the last forty years, with contributions from a post-Vatican II Roman Catholic liturgical reformer (Joyce Zimmerman), an influential writer on Christian spirituality (Eugene Peterson), an Orthodox Presbyterian pastor who has engaged in significant historical study (Larry Sibley), and a leading theologian in the Emergent church movement (Brian McLaren), a staff member at Willow Creek Community Church (Nancy Beach), and a seminary president and pastor (Albert Aymer). Beyond the descriptive history, the day's sessions will primarily seek to address the question of what we have learned and how we have been growing as disciples of Jesus along the way.

Panel

Albert J.D. Aymer, president of Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury, North Carolina, a native of Antigua, and pastor of churches in the Caribbean and New Jersey

Nancy Beach, programming director for Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Illinois

Brian D. McLaren, pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Maryland, and author of many books on the emerging church, including A Generous Orthodoxy (Zondervan, 2004)

Eugene Peterson, author of many books, including his widely acclaimed paraphrase of the Bible, The Message

Larry Sibley, lecturer in practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

John D. Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and author of Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice

Joyce Zimmerman, director of the Institute for Liturgical Ministry in Dayton, Ohio, and founding editor and columnist of Liturgical Ministry magazine

Seminar Outline

Goals for the day:

. to deepen appreciation for the breadth of worship experiences nationwide and across Christian traditions,
. to model a process of theological reflection,
. to expose and test attitudes toward recent changes in Christian expression,
. to offer a big (big!) picture of North American Christian in which each of us can sense our place,
. to point us to new sources of learning and growth

Morning: Introducing the Topic and Each Other

. How has worship changed:
a) for your congregation and denomination?
b) for congregations nationally and ecumenically?

. How has our North American cultural context provided the habitat for this change?
-How has worship changed to embrace dynamics of culture?
-How has worship changed to resist dynamics of culture?

Afternoon: Theological Insight and the Way Forward

Theological Insights:

What have we learned about biblical worship that we didn't see as clearly 30 years ago? What aspects of God's character have been re-emphasized in worship practices?

What aspects of biblical vision for worship have been obscured or grown more opaque? What aspects of God's character have been de-emphasized in worship practices?

As we prepare for the next 30 years:

. What virtues and attitudes are especially crucial?
. What theological convictions would you stress?
. What counter-cultural or cross-cultural insight or habit of mind or heart would you stress?
. What resources (books, websites) would you recommend?

Resources Cited During This Seminar

The Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (Vatican II)

Participation in Worship: More Than the Doing
by Joyce Ann Zimmerman

Silence's Scintillating Divine Speech
by Joyce Ann Zimmerman

Paschal Mystery: Heart of Liturgy, Pulse of Life
by Joyce Ann Zimmerman

The Legacy of the Geneva Liturgy
by Larry Sibley

Ministry Resource Center at Calvin College

Resources Recommended in this Seminar

             Recommended by Larry Sibley:

Borgmann, Albert, Power Failure: Christianity in the Culture of Technology (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2003), especially chapter 8, "The Power of the Word and the Power of the Table."

Calvin, John, Catechism of the Church in Geneva (1545). Pages 83-139 in Calvin: Theological Treatises
Library of Christian Classics 22 (ed. J.K.S. Reid, Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954). http://www.ondoctrine.com/2cal0504.htm

______,"Epistle to the reader" The Form of Church Prayers and Hymns (1542). Translated by Charles Garside, Jr. Pages 31-33 in The Origins of Calvin's Theology of Music: 1536-1543 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1979).

______, The Form of Church Prayers and Hymns (1542) Pages 197-208 in Liturgies of the Western Church (ed. Bard Thompson, Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003).

______, Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) Library of Christian Classics 20, 21 (2 vols., ed. John T. McNeill. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954). http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/

______, Short Treatise on the Lord's Supper (1541). Pages 140-166 in Calvin: Theological Treatises Library of Christian Classics 22 (ed. J.K.S. Reid, Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954). http://www.ondoctrine.com/2cal0505.htm

Dawn, Marva J., Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn-of-the-Century Culture (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995).

Lathrop, Gordon W., Holy Ground: A Liturgical Cosmology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003).
______, Holy People: A Liturgical Ecclesiology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999).
______, Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993).

Old, Hughes O., Worship: Reformed According to Scripture (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002).

Senn, Frank C., Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997).

             Recommended by Nancy Beach-especially for artists and creative contributors in the church:

Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life (Perseus, 2002). (A)

Gire, Ken. Windows of the Soul: Experiencing God in New Ways (Zondervan, 1996). (A)

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide for You and Your Ministry Team (Zondervan, 1999). (A)

______, Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help for You and Your Ministry Team (Zondervan, 2004). (A)

             Recommended by Nancy Beach-especially for worship planning teams:

Beach, Nancy. An Hour on Sunday: Creating Moments of Transformation and Wonder (Zondervan, 2004). (A)

             Recommended by Brian McLaren:

"An Open Letter to Songwriters" by Brian McLaren (at www.anewkindofchristian.com)

             Recommended by Brian McLaren-"to remind us what language can do":

[Good poetry such as that found in] Keillor, Garrison, ed. Good Poems (Viking, 2002). (A)

             Recommended by Brian McLaren-to express concerns about social justice in worship:

RitualSong Hymnal (GIA Publications); see "Social Concerns"

             Recommended by Joyce Ann Zimmerman:

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (Vatican II); especially: Decree on Ecumenism; Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People; Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

"Participation in Worship: More Than the Doing" by Joyce Ann Zimmerman (at www.calvin.edu/worship)

"Silence's Scintillating Divine Speech" by Joyce Ann Zimmerman (at www.calvin.edu/worship)

"Paschal Mystery: Heart of Liturgy, Pulse of Life" by Joyce Ann Zimmerman (at www.calvin.edu/worship)

Liturgical Ministry. Quarterly journal published by Liturgical Press (Joyce Ann Zimmerman; founding editor)

Living Liturgy. Annual publication by Liturgical Press.

Publications of the Institute for Liturgical Ministry.

Other Related Resources

Recent History of Christian Worship. John D. Witvliet. Course Syllabus, Calvin Theological Seminary.

"The Transformation of Christian Worship: Recent History of Protestant and Catholic Practices (1960-2000)" John D. Witvliet, Seminars in Christian Scholarship 2006

Witvliet, John D. Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice (Baker, 2004).

Sibley, Laurence. "Baptizing the Nations: Mission, Culture, and Liturgy in the Gospel of Matthew." Research project for 2003 Luce Seminar, Prospects of Historic Christian Liturgy in a Postmodern Age.

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