MC/EM 668 The Practice of Worship: Advanced Studies in Worship Planning, Leading and Congregational Formation Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Spring 2017 Rev. Emmett G. Price III, Ph.D. Office: 349 Academic Center Phone: 978-646-4194 Email: eprice@gordonconwell.edu Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:00 AM 12:00 PM and by appointment Course Description This course is designed to challenge students to envision, plan, staff and lead a variety of worship experiences with special attention focused on congregational formation. Students will explore worship through biblical analysis and theological reflection while also engaging in conversations on the role and function of the church and culture relative to worship. Students will further be tasked to compose various elements used within communal worship such as Call to Worship, Invocation, Doxology, Benediction and more. Students will also be assigned to select appropriate repertoire for the pairing of liturgical artistic expression with sermonic topics/ themes/ series. When possible, students will actually incorporate their work into the spiritual life of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary through the weekly chapel program. Course Textbooks Dawn, Marva J. A Royal Waste of Time: The Splendor of Worshipping God and Being Church for the World. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999 ISBN: 080284586X Dyrness, William A. A Primer on Christian Worship: where We ve Been, Where We Are, Where We Can Go. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009 ISBN: 9780802860385 Parrett, Gary A. & S. Steve Kang. Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faith: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church. Downers Grove, IL, 2009 ISBN 9780830825875 The Worship Source Book (second edition). Grand Rapids, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2013 ISBN: 9781592557974 Van Opstal, Sandra Maria. The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016 ISBN 9780830841295 Webber, Robert E. Blended Worship: Achieving Substance and Relevance in Worship. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996 ISBN: 9781565632455 1
Course Objectives The student who successfully completes this course should be able: 1. To experience the application of the vital importance of a theological approach to worship. 2. To develop a working application of developing, staffing and leading worship in a multitude of settings and seasons. 3. To effectively put into practice what has been learned through reading, prayer and discernment. 4. To have a deeper appreciation for theology as it relates to preparation for ministry in the context of the local church, the global church, and the broader contemporary culture. Course Requirements Assigned Readings assigned readings are prerequisite for each lecture. Although not all of the reading will be covered in the lecture, our sessions will be based on the fact that students have already accomplished the assigned reading. Writing Assignments four writing assignments are mandatory to the success of the course. All papers will be submitted on time using 12 pt. font (Times New Roman) with 1 inch margins, double space and free of any glaring grammatical spelling errors. All papers will be 2-pages (minimum, not maximum). Personal Worship Reflection what is your regular personal worship regimen or protocol? Secondly, as a result of this course (to date) how has that regimen or protocol changed? Has anything shifted, intensified or diminished? Compose a 5-page (minimum, not maximum) essay/ personal log on your personal growth as a result of assigned readings, lectures, conversations and fellowship throughout your engagement with this course. This paper is due in class on April 20, 2017. Group Project students will self-assemble into groups of 2 or more in order to engage in the development of a congregational curriculum on Worship for a local parish (either real or fictional). Students will work together to diagnosis the core challenges; assess the potential learning objectives; and engage in developing a path towards effective worship. Each group will give a formal presentation during the final two days of the class and will compose a paper that shares the behind the scenes of their process of engagement with each other that might include personal narratives of challenge, learning and perhaps even moments of worship (personal and/ or within the group). The paper can take any shape but must be a minimum of 10 pages (inclusive of title page, bibliography, etc.). Tuesday Chapel Presentation Don t worry, you are going to love it!!! J Warning on Plagiarism: Helpful guidelines on plagiarism can be found here: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/hamilton/current/documents/hamreg_plagiarism.pdf. This document has the official recognition of the Gordon-Conwell faculty and provides very helpful tools to guide you as you prepare for your assignments. If a student is caught plagiarizing, the student will receive the consequences of this act according to the process established by the seminary. 2
The following letter grades and their achievement equivalents are used by the instructor to reflect a student s performance in the course: Grade Achievement Quality Points A 100-96 Work of exceptional quality 4.00 A- 95-93 3.70 B+ 92-90 3.30 B 89-86 Work of commendable quality 3.00 B- 85-83 2.70 C+ 82-80 2.30 C 79-76 Work of acceptable but minimal quality 2.00 C- 75-73 1.70 D+ 72-70 1.30 D 69-66 Substandard and barely passing work 1.00 D- 65-63 0.70 F 62-below Failure 0.00 After all the requirements of the course have been completed, the instructor will use the following rubric for the assignment of grades, based on the overall performance of the class. The grades assigned will represent the instructor s interpretation of the following standard: A = Outstanding mastery of the subject excellence is evident in preparation and participation in class sessions; unusual ability to retain, analyze and synthesize the material; a positive attitude; consistent productive contributions both within and beyond the classroom. B = Superior mastery of the subject sincere effort in preparation and participation in class sessions; mastery of the essential aspects of the material; a positive attitude; mostly consistent in making productive contributions both within and beyond the classroom. C = Basic mastery of the subject inconsistent effort in preparation and participation in class sessions; engagement with the material but difficulty in grasping some of its aspects; positive attitude; occasional contributions both within and beyond the classroom. D = Inadequate mastery of the subject. F = Failure course must be repeated. Grading Policy Student grades will be determined as follows: Attendance/ Class Participation 5 % Reading Report 10 % Tuesday Chapel Presentation 10 % Writing Assignments (4) 40 % Personal Worship Reflection 15 % Group Project 20 % 3
Course Schedule WEEK 1 (February 2, 2017) Is Communal Worship a Waste of Time? Dawn WEEK 2 (February 9, 2017) Dealing with the Worship Wars Writing Assignment #1 Due: Using your reading of Dawn as a launching pad, what might you suggest as the top three challenges that we, the Church, are wrestling with in the 21 st century relative to worship? Dawn WEEK 3 (February 16, 2017) Exploring Worship through a Biblical and Theological Lens Dyrness WEEK 4 (February 23, 2017) READING WEEK Please spend time resting, praying, reading and working on personal and/ or group projects. WEEK 5 (March 2, 2017) Exploring the Elements of Communal Worship Writing Assignment #2 Due: Based on your reading of Webber and your own experiences, what traditional aspect of communal worship should the Church attempt to reclaim? Why? Pick only one and extrapolate on why you made this selection. Webber WEEK 6 (March 9, 2017) Exploring the Beauty and Complexity of the Liturgical Calendar Webber WEEK 7 (March 16, 2017) Inclusive Worship Writing Assignment #3 Due: Based on your reading of Van Opstal and your own experience, what might inclusive worship look like and how would it be defined within your local church/ denomination? Van Opstal WEEK 8 (March 23, 2017) READING WEEK Please spend time resting, praying, reading and working on personal and/ or group projects. 4
WEEK 9 (March 30, 2017) Towards a Better Understanding of Congregational Formation Parrett & Kang WEEK 10 (April 6, 2017) Defining Worship for the Local Church Writing Assignment #4 Due: What one thing can you actively do right now (provided you have the space, time and power) in your local church to implement a congregational curriculum focused on worship? What would it look like? How would you accomplish it? Parrett & Kang WEEK 11 (April 13, 2017) Developing Supplements and other Resources for Worship TBA WEEK 12 (April 20, 2017) Developing a Personal Worship Plan Personal Worship Reflection Due TBA WEEK 13 (April 27, 2017) Group Presentations WEEK 14 (May 4, 2017) Group Presentations 5