Dennis, our associate minister, walked back to the office a few minutes and asked Judy and I, "Do you want to see it?" By see it, he meant see the new worship projector.Judy and I walked in and saw the new projector, and we were blown away. We have suffered through a horribly poor projector for some time now. Our auditorium is flooded with ambient light, with the sun shining brightly through the glass that is behind the projector. It is difficult therefore to get a projector that is bright enough so that the image is not washed out. But this new projector does the trick.
For those of you who worship with us, you will be amazed on Sunday how good the images are. The colors are rich, the pictures are bright and crisp, and the slides for songs are very readable. Old and young alike are going to love this new projector.
In our image rich, postmodern society, having great, inspiring imagery is important. We have tried to really expand our outreach budgets in recent years, and rightly so. But this was an upgrade that was long overdue, and one that should help us connect better and worship more fully, being inspired. Trust me. You won't be disappointed on Sunday.
What kind of worship images inspire and touch you--creation? crosses and crowns? church community? abstract?
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9 comments:
Personally, I'm not really into the Cross. Growing up Mormon the cross was non-existent. It was a sign of the crucification, sure, but it wasn't in the church and wasn't something we looked up to. I think it takes away from the importance of Jesus if we put ourselves into the Cross, what we should be putting into the Lord.
I really like a good piece of Art, something like....
http://www.pacemstudio.com/img/prints/christ_full.jpg
I suppose that first paragraph came out wrong. The cross is very important.. I just think we should focus on the Lord, not on the cross. Without the cross there would be no salvation, yes, but bah.. there is no easy way to put it. I give up.
Hey Matt. Thanks for the thoughts. I get what you are saying. The cross should point us to Christ. He is the ultimate one in whom we glory.
I like the art piece you gave the address for. Jesus with the little children climbing all over him. Priceless.
One idea we used at a previous church during the Christmas season was setting up "stations of the cross." This is a Catholic idea where people spend a set a mount of time at each "station" or picture of Jesus from birth to death to rising from the dead.
You can spend 5 minutes meditating, praying and thinking at each station.
One cool idea I stole from a church was to have us write down a sin that we had repented of, but Satan had dug his claws into our heart on. A sin that we were havnig trouble lettting go of the guilt and experiencing true freedom from. A sin that we felt Jesus still shook his head at. We know that God forgives, but often guilt keeps us from truly forgiving ourselves and not focusing on past sins. We wrote the item(s) down on a piece of paper. During communion, we went up to a cross and hammered a nail into the paper.
We can use all the senses in worship- sight, hearing,tasting, touching and smelling.
James,
I just read Matt's description of how members of this other church wrote on a piece of paper a sin that they had repented of but hadn't quite been able to let go of. This sounds like it could be a very useful activity to take part in.
Kim
Matt and Kim,
I like the idea of writing out sins and nailing them to the cross. This is an effective way of visualizing the truth of God about forgiveness. A growing trend, particularly among younger people, is more active participation in worship and physical movement.
I'll be looking for an opportunity for this. Thanks for the thought!
James
Images in worship that inspire me are of individuals with hands lifted to the heavens. A nonverbal saying "Lord I surrender to you and am open to your majesty". I also am inspired by the cross. I appreciate Matt's words and perserverance in his explanation. I am always touched by the image of the cross. In my life I remind myself that "It" all goes back to the cross. (It being EVERYTHING). The cross is the symbol of God's plan becoming complete. It is a sign of not sadness, but of excitement and hope. If it was not for Christ on the cross, we would be full of sin without any way out. So the reason I am moved by the cross is not necessarily a sad one, yes I wish Christ did not have to have gone through the horrible physical pain, but the freedom that his sacrifice gave to his followers is enough joy to bring me to tears.
Great question from a new projector.
-James B.
James,
Yes, the cross is a symbol of hope. We tend to forget that Christ's death is spoken of as a triumph in Scripture, a conquering of death through the cross. The Lord's Supper, therefore, is not a funeral meal, but a victory celebration as we dine with our risen Savior.
Love it. Thanks.
-JB
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