It was really fun but more tiring than I thought -- twice I lectured introducing the emerging church to people -- I have a 15 min. version, an hour version, and a two, three, and four versions.
Another time I actually taught on worship. I usually de-emphasize the worship aspect, because the biggest misunderstanding outside the movement is that it is all about a service. For example, at Biola, I felt like much of the conversation was about the service, tweaking it, making it more creative, narrative, multi-media, etc. So, I looked to bring out what I think are the primary elements in Emerging Churches, a life modeled on Jesus, the transformation of secular space, and community before 'church'...
But, once a community has things in proper perspective -- they are a true community pursuing Jesus in embodied forms within our various subcultures, then a discussion of worship can be appropriate. Usually I spend so much time taking about the missional aspect, I never get to the worship...
So, the unusual thing about yesterday is Roberta King, our resident ethnomusicologist, asked me to teach on worship specifically...
I discussed participation and creativity in worship --
Participation as Producers - that emerging church is not about style but about putting the tools in the worshippers hands - and giving the spectator virtually nothing to consume. My English Alt worship friends, such as Jonny Baker, Steve Collins, Kester and others at Vaux are my teachers here. Karen Ward has adopted their perspective on this side of the pond. I will go into more detail on the corporate production of worship in the days ahead -- but believe me it is an entirely different animal -- and deeply missiological...
I still think the focus even in Emergent is on worship as soemthing during the service. You're right, at Biola it was mostly about the event. Post-emergent worship is about missions, about the hungry and poor. It's also about counseling, about helping people through the issues that come up while lighting that candle or writing that post-it at a station. Otherwise we tease people, we stop at the event, we go back to a 2 on 1 style worship, Me, Station and God. What of community as worship. This is what we're looking into in our worship in Long Beach. Nice to see you blogging. Keep going. Let me know when you go to Nicaragua, I'll go with you and show you around.
Posted by: davidt | May 25, 2005 at 09:46 AM
ryan! welcome to the pool. the water of late is.... interesting..... warm in certain spots ;-)
anyway. 'ppreciate the link in your blogroll and your thoughts on worship. i think you nailed it. interesting journey for us at VC as we've had a long history of "worship" (ie music and that vineyard ethos) but we've moved away from that so much. we're kinda coming back to it in a fresh way. or atleast i hope we are.
Posted by: aaron | May 25, 2005 at 11:19 AM
Dude! Ryan Bolger looks like THAT! I am shocked. I clicked over here today and saw that photo and let me tell you this is in NO way how I pictured you. Pretty funny. Peace to you.
Posted by: + Alan | May 25, 2005 at 01:49 PM
David,
Thanks for your post.
I think what you are calling emergent is what I call Gen X or young adult services, i.e. making the show more trendy. Emerging Church, in my definition, is inherently missional -- going outside rather than seeking to draw a crowd. I think you are calling this post-emergent.
Wow, would love to meet up in Nicaraqua - may God make it so someday!!
Ryan
Posted by: Ryan Bolger | May 25, 2005 at 04:44 PM
Aaron,
Yes, I got that sense -- that VC has evolved in that way.
I think a necessary step for many communities is to deconstruct the service and de-emphasize worship, as you did when you went from the main service to house church back in the mid-nineties. Then, once the community understands that church is not a place and time but a 'sent' people, worship can be discussed again. I see VC doing just that. Cool.
Ryan
Posted by: Ryan Bolger | May 25, 2005 at 04:47 PM
Alan,
What were you thinking I looked like?
This could be interesting...
Ryan
Posted by: Ryan Bolger | May 25, 2005 at 04:48 PM
Dude, I had you with short hair, 40+, conservative, button-down shirt - you know that sort of Campus Crusade staffer look - ha! Pretty funny.
Posted by: + Alan | May 26, 2005 at 06:17 AM
Alan, I had that look a few years ago -- I'll have to post them when I get a hold of them! you would laugh at the contrast...
Peace,
Posted by: Ryan Bolger | May 26, 2005 at 01:25 PM
oh my!! i love you so much!!
Thank you so much.
Posted by: rosetta stone Review | April 08, 2011 at 11:53 PM