Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 24-26, 2008

Reflections on Symposium 2008

We asked all participants to reflect on their time at Symposium and how it will help shape the worship life of their churches and communities. We invite you to submit your further reflections. You can find many of the resources mentioned in these comments at our audio page.

What specific practical ideas from Symposium do you plan to implement in your church?

Selected Responses:

• Worrying less about style and focusing on being thematic.
• Work to transform our Christian Education Committee to a spiritual formation committee.
• Plan to use three of the songs/hymns used in the Friday morning service in the chapel.
• Paul Ryan’s services of confession centered on the Atonement.
• The importance of lament in the service.
• New way to read Scripture, thanks to John Ferguson and the choir at Thursday’s worship.
• Improved worshipful transitions.
• Preaching without notes.
• Realization that even though we are a small congregation we have wonderful musicians and a flow of worship that is just as good as a big church.
• Discipleship.
• Intergenerational and integrational worship.
• Worship as a model of Christian Education.
• Building a “prayer wall.”
• I’ll be introducing the “Vertical Habits” theme in an adult education course I lead.
• Looking forward to introducing songs from Singing the New Testament.
• Organization of a fine arts committee planning for art exhibits and their role.
• Using more Scripture in corporate worship.
• Have children make a banner to be used on Easter.
• Children’s artwork on Power Point.
• More theatre in services.
• Getting the youth to be more active with the church and get them to know their elders better.
• The “safe” physical movement/action for a healing service (from Doug Gay).
• Introduce global songs with a story about that culture or a prayer concern about that country.
• Revitalizing, rekindling worship between generations with the aid of Vertical Habits.
• The use of art – not simply as a road sign, but as a way to cast ideas in a new light and help you ponder the theological, biblical truth.
• Prayer for healing service (from the Iona Community), and integrate that in our pastoral care outreach.
• Integrate more reading of fiction into my schedule – to help cultivate my imagination and creativity for preaching.
• Iona healing service.
• Plan experiential worship.
• More lament in worship.
• Bring passion to worship.
• An ascension service.
• Change emphasis in Lent from Christ’s suffering to Christ’s ascension and lordship.
• The congregation must be taught about the Covenantal dialogue of the worship service.
• Improving flow and experimenting with hymn medleys.
• Engaging the struggle between the hope of God and the brokenness of the world.
• Doing hymns of lament, teaching them to congregation.
• Deeper, broader prayers. Better structure for “singing.”
• I would like to see hospitality integrated in all parts of the service. I also would like to see the culture of our religious community more apart from our service as a way to connect to people.
• Songs of confession a capella. Iona ritual of healing.
• Vocal exercises with worship team.
• Service of lament.

Add your response

What new question will you ask about worship as you return to your congregation?

Selected Responses:

• Are people hearing themselves in the prayers of the people?
• Should we have communion more often?
• Should we consider adding sacred dance?
• Does worship focus you toward eternity, a bigger picture than what makes you feel good today?
• How can we use more lament in out worship planning? What is its place?
• How can we make planning and practicing a higher priority among the lay participants in worship leadership?
• Who are we? What are our gifts and talents? How can our worship reflect that?
• Are we bringing our sufferings fully to the Lord in our worship?
• Can some people come beside me to plan worship together?
• How can the worship planning team work more closely and cooperatively together?
• How can worship become more transforming?
• How do you see or understand “liturgy” in worship? How do you understand your “participation” in worshiping God?
• In what ways can we embrace rituals to be more experiential and integrate into worship or other services?
• Do we see worship as a formative event?
• Is there a place for lament for those hurting from drugs, gang violence, and domestic disputes in our service and congregation?
• Do we think of worship as spiritual formation?
• When we lead worship, are we really worshiping God or is it entertainment? Is worship just a Sunday activity or is it a way of life?
• Are the songs we sing theologically sound?
• Are all generations involved?
• How can we expand roles for lay leaders/children in leading worship?
• How can we keep rich worship traditions and mesh them with the emphasis of the missional church?
• How can we get church away from the “it has to feel good” and “I liked” (or didn’t) that service?
• How are we building relationships within the congregation to build community – and disciple our kids – and keep our youth?
• How can we make our worship more intergenerational?
• How can we incorporate jazz in worship?
• How does my theology connect with the real world?
• What can I do to engage mind, heart, soul and body in worship?
• How can we better implement lament in worship?
• How can we involve more people in intentional worship planning and design?
• Why don’t we embrace global music as a regular practice?
• How can we write and implement a visual arts policy?
• How can we bring in more of the senses into our worship?
• Will the children consider the church/sanctuary as “their place” or will they see it as the “adult’s place"?
• What is worship?

Add your question

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