Something Beautiful
renewing and emergingArchive for Worship
Community Building Offline
George Oates from Flickr has an outstanding article about online community building over at A List Apart. What resonates with me most is the relevance of Oates’ thoughts for those of us building communities in the offline world. In particular, I wonder what the church might look like if we considered the fact that 95% of what people interact with online is generated by other users, not site administrators. We could hardly say the same thing of religious worship services, Bible studies, etc. Here’s a quick taste of what Oates has to say, I hope it wets your appetite:
People don’t like being told what to do. We like to explore, change things around, and make a place our own. Hefty design challenges await the makers of websites where people feel free to engage; both with the system itself and with each other. Embrace the idea that people will warp and stretch your site in ways you can’t predict—they’ll surprise you with their creativity and make something wonderful with what you provide.
–George Oates
Tall, Tall Trees
I’m going to be publishing the prayers, stories and sermons I’m using in worship at Christ Church. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to develop my liturgical creativity and practice liturgical arts.
I have already published my first sermon, and today I’m publishing a prayer I’m using this week in worship. Normally, instead of a traditional Prayers of the People formula, worshipers call out their specific joys and concerns during a time of prayer in worship. You’ll see where that moment occurs at the end of this prayer, and I invite you to issue your own prayers as well.
This prayer is based on the lectionary passage for November 4, Year C: Luke 19:1-10, the story of Zacchaeus. The middle passage of the prayer is taken from Augustine’s Confessions, Book 1, Confession 4.
Let us pray,
Persistent friend who calls from the bottom of our tall, tall trees for us to jump into extravagant grace,
You are the only security our hearts will ever know.
“What other refuge can there be, except our God?
You, our God, are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all-powerful, most merciful and most just.
You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present among us,
the most beautiful and yet the most strong,
ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend you.
You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you.
You are the unseen power that brings decline upon the proud.
You are always active, yet always at rest.
You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need.
You support, you fill, and you protect all things.
You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection.
You seek to make them your own, though you lack for nothing.
You love your Creation, but with a gentle love.
You treasure us without apprehension.
You grieve for wrong, can be angry and yet you are serene.
Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same.
You welcome all who to come to you, though you never lost them.
You are never in need yet are glad to gain,
never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts.
You are our God, our Life, our holy Delight,
but this is not enough to say of you.
Can anyone say enough about you?
Yet, woe to those who are silent about you.”
Persistent friend who calls from the bottom of our tall, tall trees,
these are our prayers:
My first sermon
I preached for the first time at Christ Church this Sunday. I feel like it went well. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be and the people were very encouraging with lots of positive feedback after the service.
I’d love some feedback from those of you who have time to listen. It’s about 13 minutes long (which is just the right length, if you ask me). Here’s a link. Enjoy!
Luke 17:11-19
I’m preaching at church for the first time this Sunday. Wow! When did I become a preacher? Again, I find myself somewhere I never planned to be. Nevertheless, I thought there might be one or two of you interested in reading my thoughts on the lectionary passage this week. I won’t claim any original insights, but I’m happy with the way this thing came out. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from various people and they all helped make this a better sermon and a more communal effort. I’m with Fred Craddock–give the people something to which they can truly say “Amen!”
