Summary of May and June 2012 Worship Study
These are the 2 final sessions of our 3 years of worship study project. Over the years, we have covered quite a few aspects of our worship analysis. This concludes our topic on Worship and Culture.
This is a further analysis of how to make our worship more contextual. Basically, this church attempts to interact further with the society as a community within its locality. By visiting the farms and factories and using summer school programs, they trace how the church community is part of the wider community in the place. When issues surface, like when a farm closes down, it fosters communication between the society and the church community.
What we can learn from this is that the Church need community awareness of its locality. Jubilee Church needs to be aware of the community of the Tiong Bahru area, and perhaps become part of the voices of this place.
PeiSong: http://worship.
This article is about how mission can be part of the voices in our worship. Missionaries and those involved in mission can add context and content to our message of worship.
Linking this to the contextual message of the earlier discussion on community work, there needs to be a combined effort for mission, community work to be part of the content of our worship. let’s allow for more collaboration within our various ministries so that our worship can be enriched.
Weizhen’s sharing from this message is that “you can be yourself” when you worship. Everybody must feel free to contribute, and the key for such free contribution is that there must be intentional diversity in our worship form. Some ideas of diversity at work include:
1. Global music unites
2. Healing in the worship (large range of music and emotions)
3. Liveliness with easy to remember words
Cathy: http://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/response-to-inculturation-worship-and-dispositions-for-ministry-roberta-r-king
This is a response to John Witvliet’s Afterword in Christian Worship Worldwide: Expanding Horizons, Deepening Practices.
1. The first point is that when deciding what is essential and non-essential in our worship practice, we might cause the transcultural elements override the contextual elements of our worship.
2. In the enthusiasm to learn from other cultures and making our worship more global, we might fail to connect with out own community. Thus the key to teach contexts and background before applying the foreign practices is very important. Direct application: When we tried to do the responsorial psalm singing of Ps 113 and 114, it was perhaps better that we teach the meaning of its practice first.
This is a response to John Witvliet’s Afterword in Christian Worship Worldwide: Expanding Horizons, Deepening Practices.
1. The first point is that when deciding what is essential and non-essential in our worship practice, we might cause the transcultural elements override the contextual elements of our worship.
2. In the enthusiasm to learn from other cultures and making our worship more global, we might fail to connect with out own community. Thus the key to teach contexts and background before applying the foreign practices is very important. Direct application: When we tried to do the responsorial psalm singing of Ps 113 and 114, it was perhaps better that we teach the meaning of its practice first.
3. The final point is a caution against the shadow of cultural imperialism and that the work for contextualization is far from complete.
Celeste: http://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/spiritual-gifts-and-worship-christine-jerrett
Celeste shared on the work of spiritual gifts in our worship. When we change worship content, it is not just the style. Instead, we begin with our theological reflection. God is bigger than our consumeristic mind. our worship remains Christocentric, and our gifts is for witnessing. Our liturgy therefore must manifest this message. That the church is the creation of the Holy Spirit, and that it is a continuation of Christ’s victory. Ultimately, what draws more people to our service should be the people of God that reflects this belief.
Celeste shared on the work of spiritual gifts in our worship. When we change worship content, it is not just the style. Instead, we begin with our theological reflection. God is bigger than our consumeristic mind. our worship remains Christocentric, and our gifts is for witnessing. Our liturgy therefore must manifest this message. That the church is the creation of the Holy Spirit, and that it is a continuation of Christ’s victory. Ultimately, what draws more people to our service should be the people of God that reflects this belief.
WanLeng: http://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/new-ethnic-churches-visit-one-soon
WanLeng shared on this new phenonmenon with us. And a list of new immigrants churches is given. We took some time to reflect on the Singapore situation of new migrants and the various churches’ response.
WanLeng shared on this new phenonmenon with us. And a list of new immigrants churches is given. We took some time to reflect on the Singapore situation of new migrants and the various churches’ response.
We thank all for these years of participation. And this series of worship studies have come to a close.