strengthening worship (re)alignment just worship conference 2018 slides will be available at brianmclaren.net
this is a conference about public worship but what does it profit a church when it improves the quality and popularity of its gathered worship, if its worship perpetuates injustice and spiritually malforms its participants?
Spain & Portugal, 1492 ff Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Belgium Germany, 1930 s & 40 s South Africa, 1960 s - 80 s Rwanda, 1980 s & 90 s USA, yesterday, today, and tomorrow?
in vain do you worship me you honor me with your lips i detest your solemn assemblies the worship industrial complex thrives but people suffer, the earth suffers, God suffers.
hypothesis 1: For nearly 60 years, we have tweaked our worship styles: worship wars - guitar vs. organ? hymns vs. choruses? charismatic vs. non-charismatic? traditional vs. contemporary? formal vs. casual? sin & forgiveness vs. praise & worship? We have missed the point. Our worship experiences are not forming people in the way of Christ - the way of love, justice, compassion, and peace. Our worship expenditures have not formed people who love their neighbors (no exceptions) as themselves. Therefore, they have not formed people who love God appropriately. We have strained at gnats and swallowed camels, reducing worshipers to consumers of religious good and services. Now we must face a new challenge: discovering just worship.
hypothesis 2: We have faithfully followed our liturgical checklists prelude processional invocation opening set etc etc etc offering etc etc etc benediction postlude coffee and donuts but we have ignored the most important checklist. - are we forming people who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God? are we forming people who love neighbor, self, earth, and God? are we forming people who seek first the commonwealth and justice of God?
we need to enter a season of radical worship re-alignment
communications formation fundraising budget creeds talent scouts prayers compassion building multi-faith alliances pastoral care mentoring confessions of sin invocations readings benedictions eucharistic welcome liturgy governance training volunteer sermon justice vocation planning care mentoring/modeling announcements theology planning fellowship litanies songs professional recruitment spiritual eval/development experience recreation gospel instrumental music seminary/ education training mutual care
meaning theology gospel spiritual experience benedictions eucharistic liturgy announcements invocations celebration prayers confessions of sin creeds sermon songs instrumental music mutual care pastoral care fellowship recreation community formation formation leadership education mentoring training governance fundraising budget volunteer care planning communications administry professional eval/development mission compassion justice vocation seminary/ training
meaning (message) theology gospel spiritual experience
meaning which jesus? which values? which vision of future? theology gospel which sins? which god? spiritual experience which gospel? which mission?
meaning which values? hich vision of future? which god? which mission? the meaning/message of a religion that has consistently sanctioned injustice land theft, genocide, slavery, apartheid, mass incarceration, systemic racism, toxic masculinity, chauvinism, and environmental destruction needs some serious work. addressing our defective meaning/ message - and articulating a dynamic faithful alternative - is the single most urgent worship challenge we face. which jesus? which sins? which gospel?
meaning will we follow a gospel of evacuation or transformation of evading justice or seeking justice of supremacy or solidarity of nostalgia or hope of conformity or creativity of personal prosperity or global healing?
eucharistic liturgy creeds announcements confessions of sin celebration (worship) ritual/practice - bonding to meaning readings songs prayers litanies invocations sermon instrumental music benedictions
liturgy ritual practice celebration/worship ritual/practice - bonding to meaning
celebration bonding to which meaning? oh how he loves us he? us? loves?
welcome mutual care pastoral care community belonging to the community of meaning fellowship recreation
training mentoring formation more deeply embodying meaning education formation
formation more deeply embodying meaning turning formal liturgy into liturgy of daily life - daily bonding to our core meaning.
administry organizing to live the meaning volunteer care management communications fundraising budget planning job descriptions governance
mission the meaning bearing fruit recruitment justice compassion vocation
leadership equipped to build communities who embody the meaning mentoring/modeling building multi-faith alliances professional eval/development talent scouts seminary/ training
Every song Every sermon Every prayer Every class Every program Every mission trip Every architectural/design decision Every budget Every retreat re-alignment Every book recommendation Every outreach program Every alliance Every announcement Every class & small group Every award Every social media post Every staff hire Every staff development experience
communications formation fundraising budget creeds talent scouts prayers compassion building multi-faith alliances pastoral care mentoring confessions of sin invocations readings benedictions eucharistic welcome governance training liturgy volunteer sermon justice vocation planning care mentoring/modeling announcements theology planning fellowship litanies songs professional recruitment spiritual eval/development leadership experience in way of love recreation gospel instrumental music seminary/ education training mutual care meaning celebration community formation administry mission
meaning celebration community formation administry mission leadership in way of love & justice
beyond your congregation multi-congregational trans-denominational worship re-alignment creating a movement of aligned spiritual activism rooted in just worship
Working in our tribes PCUSA UCC UMC Episcopal Chris:an Church DoC ELCA Historic Black, Ethnic/ Immigrant, Progressive Roman Catholic, Progressive Evangelical, etc.
nostalgic PCUSA UCC UMC Episcopal eggshell Chris:an Church DoC ELCA Historic Black, Ethnic/ Immigrant, Progressive Roman Catholic, Progressive Evangelical, etc. holding tension jus,ce-(for-all)-seeking
A NOSTALGIC, REGRESSIVE MOVEMENT PCUSA UCC UMC Episcopal Chris:an Church DoC ELCA Historic Black, Ethnic/ Immigrant, Progressive Roman Catholic, Progressive Evangelical, etc.
Working across our tribes PCUSA UCC UMC Episcopal Chris:an Church DoC ELCA Historic Black, Ethnic/ Immigrant, Progressive Roman Catholic, Progressive Evangelical, etc. A VITAL SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT FOR JUST AND GENEROUS CHRISTIAN FAITH?
PCUSA UCC UMC Episcop al Chris:a n Church DoC A VITAL SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT ELCA Historic Black, Ethnic/ Immigrant, Progressiv How can we build trans-denomina:onal realignment rooted in just worship?
your face here
meaning celebration community formation administry mission leadership in way of love
strengthening worship (re)alignment slides will be available at brianmclaren.net