The
way we worship is often used by others to
define us. For example, people may call
us High Church or Low Church, evangelical
or catholic, prayer book catholic or middle
of the road, happy clappy or bells and smells!
Worship is everything we do and are. It’s
a natural human response to a God who has
lovingly made us all that we are. Worship,
in its broader and all encompassing sense,
is our response to God’s love. When
faced with the reality of God…we worship!
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Higher or Lower?!
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St
Clement of Alexandria said: "All our
life is a celebration for us; we are convinced,
in fact, that God is always everywhere.
We sing while we work, we sing hymns while
we sail, we pray while we carry out all
life's other occupations " and St Francis
said: ‘It is no use walking anywhere
to preach unless we preach as we walk."
So there are two aspects of worship. Each
feeds the other. Worship is everything we
do and are, and this is expressed through
and fed by the corporate offering of worship
that occurs when the church gathers. This
Session explores that corporate and public
offering of worship, particularly with regards
to worship by or for young people.
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Worship! |
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How do you define worship?
• How are you defined by your worship?
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How accepting or understanding
are you of other forms of worship? |
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It’s
a good question to ask. Shouldn’t
we all be worshipping together? Yes, of
course. However, the worship in many churches
either doesn’t appeal to young people,
or doesn’t include them or consider
them, it may be inaccessible to them, or
meaningless. |
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Organising
worship for young people:
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Enables us to develop the whole worship
of the church in our parish. Obviously,
when planning your regular Sunday worship
it’s important to be aware of all
the different kinds of people, children,
young people, hard of hearing, etc
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Gives young people the space to explore
the Christian Faith and express themselves
in worship, in a way that perhaps some people
may find difficult.
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Gives them an insight into worship, and
enables them to be able to worship with
the whole family of God.
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Can be evangelistic – reaching out
to them and providing an opportunity for
them to experience worship.
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Provides an opportunity for them to grow
closer to Christ and feel a part of the
church community.
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Shows the church values them by looking
for new ways to communicate the gospel to
them, and enable them to grow closer to
Christ and his Church. |
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There
are different kinds of Youth Worship:
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Occasional
times of worship organised for young people but
not necessarily by them.
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Youth
Congregations run for and by young people.
Initiatives
that are not necessarily youth initiatives but
appeal to young people, such as the so called
‘Alternative Worship’ experiences,
and things like Café Style worship. There
are also worship and out reach initiatives that
cater for ‘specific’ groups of young
people – for example: musical tastes, fashion,
personal circumstances, etc.
Check
out: www.freshexpressions.org.uk
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The
Worship in your church and Young People |
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Is it planned with certain people in mind?
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Do certain individuals determine what the worship
is like? For example, the parish priest, the organist,
the PCC, the stalwarts of the church?
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Who comes to different times of worship, both
on a Sunday and through the week?
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Is there already a group of young people in your
church you wish to work with?
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Are you starting from scratch?
• What do you think would work well in your
parish?
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So,
what about your situation?
You
want to do something – but where do
you start?
There
are several different easy options:
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Simply
considering the needs of young people when
planning the Sunday morning Eucharist. This
means involving them, too, and using their
gifts.
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Organising a separate time of worship, perhaps
on an occasional basis – maybe every
month.
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Organising worship every week at a youth
group or fellowship.
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Involving and enabling young people to organise
their own worship.
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Working with neighbouring parishes/churches.
You’ve
got Attitude!
Also, we need to have the right attitude:
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Talk to young people.
• Involve them.
• Use their gifts.
• Don’t patronise them.
• Empower them.
• Start where they are. |
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Your
Situation |
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What needs to be done in my church or area?
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What do I hope to accomplish?
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What are my motives?
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In
one way, worship with young people contains
all the elements that worship with people
of any age would have. However, it often
means ‘doing the same old thing in
a new way’ – to express it in
a fresh way! So, let’s look at some
basic ingredients.
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Drama
is a great way involving young people at many
different levels!
It
can help to explore issues, and can be used effectively
for teaching, prayer and worship.
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The
Scriptures are Dramatic
From the beginning of the church,
the Scriptures have been read out loud, listened
to, memorised, and repeated. St Paul says to Timothy:
‘Until I arrive devote yourself to the
public reading of scripture, to exhortation, and
to teaching.’ (1 Timothy 4:13)
‘The word of God is alive
and active,’ says the writer of the Letter
to the Hebrews. So, use the Scriptures creatively
so that it’s allowed to be alive and active!!
The Scriptures have an inherent dramatic quality
– harness it!
The Liturgy as Drama
St John Chrysostom talked about
‘the awe inspiring Rites of Christian Initiation.
The content of the liturgy and the way it was
celebrated was full of drama and movement, colour,
filling those who participated with awe
All Liturgy has the ability and
potential to be dramatic on many different levels.
There is movement, lines, colour, stage directions,
etc. However, the liturgy is not to be performed
as a performer to an audience but is to be celebrated
in such a way that the whole people are caught
up in it and participate effectively.
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Drama |
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How dramatic is the worship in your church?
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How can you use drama in worship?
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What prevents you from using drama?
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Ritual
means ‘doing’ things, and worshipping
God with our souls and bodies! Church Ritual can
so easily become dry, starchy, irrelevant, and
disconnected from everyday living. Ritual isn’t
just about doing the same things that we’ve
done for years for the sake of it. It enables
us to express things at a deep level.
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Ritual
also incorporates us into a larger body –
it’s something we do together – whilst
also having personal meaning for the individuals
involved. So, look for ways of ‘doing’
things in worship. |
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The
meaning of Ritual |
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Does the ritual you experience in your worship
mean anything to you?
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What does it mean?
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How could you express the same meaning in a different
way?
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A
traditional way of being taught to pray as children
is hands together and eyes closed. The reason
– a good one – is to encourage stillness,
body language, and to stop distractions. Yet it’s
only one way of praying. Worship is everything
we do and are, and so we can and need to use all
those God given senses, including our sight.
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We
live in a visual age: where TV is a central feature
in most living rooms, pubs and clubs, and the power
of visual imagery is used to sell and grab our attention.
Images are even used to express music – think
MTV!
The
Christian Faith has always been visual! It stems
from the beginnings of our Faith – ‘The
Word made Flesh’ (John 1) - but even before
that: ‘Ever since the world began his invisible
attributes, that is to say, his everlasting, power
and deity, have been visible to the eye of reason,
in the things he has made.’ (Romans 1:20).
And so we have Icons, statues, frescoes, painting,
mosaics, images, and Stained glass windows –
the fast fold screen of the Medieval Age –
that tell stories and teach the faith! The advent
of so-called ‘Alternative Worship’ has
brought with it the importance of visual imagery.
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Being
Visual |
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How visual is the worship in your church?
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Is there much to look at?
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What
are the focal points?
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Are
people encouraged to look at what’s happening?
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How
could they be further encouraged?
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Music
in worship can often be a point of division –
though less so these days, perhaps. Many parishes
are getting to grips with worship with no church
organist or musical accompaniment and have had
to look for alternatives.
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And
so we can have traditional hymns, modern hymns,
worship songs, choruses, chants, and also liturgical
music that is both traditional and modern! For ideas
using music, see the separate resource sheet Music
for the Mysteries.
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Music |
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Do you use music creatively in worship?
• How
can you develop the worship in your parish through
a more creative use of music?
• Is
the music you use accessible to all?
• Does
it do the job?
• What
musical gifts do the young people have?
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Music
is a powerful medium. It can lift us when we are
feeling down, and help us to express our deepest
feelings – no matter what age we are! Music
is particularly important to young people, and
so can be used effectively in Youth Worship.
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It
can be used, for example:
• As background music to create a certain
atmosphere.
• To explore themes.
• As a teaching tool – using the lyrics
as ways of exploring issues.
• Combined with images – using or reinterpreting
the lyrics to convey some Christian message or as
an aid to prayer.
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Your
Experience of Music |
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When has music been important in your life?
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Have there been important songs or tunes that
have spoken to you or expressed what you wanted
to say.
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How can you allow young people to have the same
experience in church worship?
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Some
people are under the impression that Youth Worship
always needs to be lively, jolly and fun. And
yes, it needs to have that element. However, young
people also need times to reflect and be still
– so don’t be afraid of exploring
this contemplative aspect of worship with them.
It can be done creatively. It doesn’t mean
simply ‘sitting still and meditating.’
It can also mean doing things.
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Obviously
the size of the group determines what and how
you do things. However, the quality should be
the same! Small numbers of young people can create
a more intimate gathering. Larger numbers can
enable you to do something more exciting or creative.
Consider the numbers of young people you are dealing
with and respond with something appropriate to
the numbers.
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The
Size of your Group |
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Who are you starting with?
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How can you use the space available in a creative
way and to cater for the size of the group?
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How
can you make the most of the number you are starting
with?
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Do
you know them? If not, how can you get to know
them better.
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In
addition to Resources available on this
web site and from the Youth Department,
check out:
www.cjmmusic.co.uk
www.freshexpressions.org.uk
www.thewordonthestreet.co.uk
Alternative Worship by
Jonny Bakler and Doug Gay with Jenny Brown.
SPCK 2003. Inc;ludes CD Rom
Multi
Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace (Scripture
Union, 2001)
Tune
in Chill Out - Using Contemplative
Prayer in Youth Work by Jenny Baker and
Moya Ratnayake ( Includes a CD Rom with
music, meditations and written material
) Christian Education Publications, 2004
Music
to Move the Soul - 100 Group Sessions
using today's music, by Steve and Ruth Adams.
(Authentic Lifestyle, 2003 )
Inspire
- Fresh ideas for creative youth work by
Nigel Pimott, Jo Pimlott, David Wiles (with
Interactive CD-Rom). Scripture Union, 2002
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