TED TALK 1: Grant Harris - Community Worship Beyond Singing Songs

Grant was our first speaker and was asked to present a perspective on a subject that perhaps receives the most complaints and criticism in all of church life. People like to have music the way they like it. But Grant challenged us to think beyond a consumer mentality, arguing that it isn’t all about singing songs led by a music team, and the concept of ‘worship’ should be expanded.

So what could it look like to do community worship differently? Well, Grant suggested that it can be seen as a curated experience, a multi-sensory event that invites everyone not to simply consume, but to participate. Worship could look like multi-media installations that are multi-sensory, incorporating participation across the community, eclecticism, simplicity and space, leaving no room for prima donnas, is experiential perhaps using visual architecture or the use of ancient liturgy with reflective chanting, labyrinths, a Gothic prayer chapel, poetry, or installations of fine art, the use of film and theatre that allows worshipers to create and observe the art of self-expression. All of this is valid and worthy and should be embraced within a modern evangelical church such as Windsor Park.

But the point is that this has to be a community driven idea. There is no way that those in leadership roles can do this all by themselves and so Grant ended with a challenge to the creative asking them to step up. He also challenged us to embrace true community by engaging in worship that perhaps doesn’t suit us, because we meet to bless each other.

Feedback 

It seems from the feedback that most people were pretty positive about this in our church. Some even suggested getting rid of the stage altogether due to what it says about who the focus is! People acknowledged that it would be hard work and would take more planning to curate services well in light of what the content is. Some would like to respond to pieces of music more, rather than just singing songs, and others suggested we could do collective fasting and spiritual retreats.

Most of this is already done at church, but the overarching message was that we need people to step up. It is a call to creatives in the community to get busy.

One strong question brought up by a few of the groups was “what about the non creatives?” How do we worship as a community together in other ways like service? Is it a trap that church has fallen into that worship is seen as a creative event?