interactive worship: awaken/see afresh/live the change/pass it on

last year i read a review of the book Spiritual Intelligence on Jonny Baker's blog that piqued my curiosity. once the book was available in the United States i ordered it and read it last fall. Brian Draper wrote the book that looks at spirituality from a Christian perspective - but written for a wider audience.


Draper uses 4 icons to help guide the reader though a process of deepening one's spiritual focus in life.


the alarm clock icon is Awaken.
the eye is See Afresh.
the paint brush and palette is Live the Change.
while the arrow is Pass It On.

The book follows a pattern of these four icons while Draper also lists on his website a clearer understanding of what each of these four icons represents.

i liked the ideas found within the book (see my brief review on GoodReads) and felt compelled to design an interactive worship service based around the 4 themes Awaken, See Afresh, Live the Change & Pass it On. This time of worship meshed well with the natural tendencies of setting new years resolutions and what not - but i think this kind of service could work at any time.

this experience was also designed for a youth worship service - but i think it applies to all ages.

here is what we did:

introduction: God is doing a new thing.

18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
~Isaiah 43:18-19

brief overview of 4 themes: AWAKEN / SEE AFRESH / LIVE THE CHANGE / PASS IT ON

awaken: what was the top song of 2010? Katy Perry ~ California Gurls
(i played a 10 second snipit of that song on repeat)
What if this song were played on repeat indefinitely? it wouldn't take long to grow tired of it (some may already be tired of hearing it.) Why? because it would get old, etc.

it's a new year - and it's time for a new song. What will your song be for 2011?
are you awake enough to see what new things God has in store for you this year?
sometimes we need to slow down, look and listen for the the simple things in life - trying to get our attention.

showed short video Gentle Falling Snow (a simple video i made and posted on Vimeo)

see afresh: showed some photos from Steve McCurry (including his famous 'Afghan Girl" photo). talked about how art and photography, if studied and investigated - can help us 'see afresh.'
Each picture has a story behind it. What is that story? where is God in the image?

I also showed a series of 'found' images (lost photographs that have been found in random places).

this image from ASBO Jesus animator Jon Birch seemed relevant to 'See Afresh' also.

i finished up this segment with a brief reference to the Apostle Paul's transformation (Acts 9) where he was blinded on the Damascus road - but when the scales fell of his eyes - he saw a fresh vision from God. It was Saul/Paul's journey that was transformational - and enabled him to see something he had been missing (i.e. the truth found in Christ alone).

Peter Rollins once shared a story about Two Chimney sweeps that proved the point "it's the journey that is most important - not the destination."

live the change: the Parable of the Sower was then shared (Matthew 13) in a modern way (a surfing story created by a co-leader, Bryan).

Christ's challenge to be 'salt + light' was added to this. (from Matthew 5). Draper talks about this in his book: "salt doesn't tell you what to do. it simply is." light is the same way. live the change means grabbing ahold of the story of Christ and His redemption and 'living it' with action and word.

pass it on: how can we/should we 'pass it on'? check out 1 Peter 3:15. check out Matthew 28 (the great commission).
one easy simple and easy beginning step is what Draper calls the 'Smile Project.' it's easy - when you walk into a room of people, smile. watch for the reactions of others. watch how a simple smile can bring change (both in you and in others). watch how it can be contagious.

after this - we finished the worship with a time of interactive worship - a time for students to connect with God.
here is a brief description of each station.

interactive worship stations:
collection of interactive stations images [1] [2] [3] [4]

awaken station (a new leaf): various leafs were cut out and placed on a table. students were invited to list the high and low points of 2010 on one side. then they were to 'turn over a new leaf' and write hopes and dreams and goals for 2011 on the flip side. then they tacked the 'new leaf' side to a bulletin board.














see afresh (every picture tells a story): this station featured 48 images from the Youth Specialties publication Every Picture Tells a Story. the instructions were as follows: look and examine the image. what stories do they tell? what are the stories of their past... their future? then 'if one were to take a snapshot of your life, what would people see when they looked at it?











live the change (salt and light): on one side of the table were some flashlights. students were to shine the flashlight around the room and take note of how the light illuminates the things it shines on. they were then asked to write on Post-it notes 'how can you shine the light of Christ this week?'

on the other side of the table were some salted and unsalted Saltine Crackers. Students were to try one of each and to note the difference in taste. Then they were to write on Post-it notes ' how can you add flavor to your life and to the lives of others?'











pass it on: 5 or six different pieces of card stock were laying on a table with words like Generosity, Kindness, Stillness, Genuineness at the top. Students were invited to write, in their own words - how living this out would be a benefit to their life and to others.










one final station had a printout of The Lords Prayer (in NIV and Message translation). along with the text i had images from the deluxe version of Derek Webb's Feedback album (an instumental album based on The Lords Prayer). the images were painted by Scott Erickson and photographed by Jeremy Cowart. (feedback video promo on vimeo)










we had a good response to the interactive stations. thanks to Brian Draper for the inspiration.
it is my prayer that all who participated and interacted will be compelled - God willing - to Awaken, See Afresh, Live the Change and Pass it On. may you be compelled, also.

collection of interactive stations images [1] [2] [3] [4]

Tim Beck
youth pastor
Christ UMC Louisville

Coldplay Eucharist (interactive worship)

here is a breakdown of an interactive youth worship service i designed based around the music (and video) of Coldplay.

(it was for a monthly youth worship service we call The Breakfast Club)

enjoy.



on march 14th for our Breakfast Club youth worship service, we took the music of Coldplay and designed a worship Eucharist around the songs.

here is the order of worship with descriptions about each segment.

(all music by Coldplay)

PRE WORSHIP

played Life in Technicolor ii video

WORSHIP

Played the song: Life in Technicolor (instrumental)

breakfast foods were available.

Scripture readings (with Life in Technicolor playing in background)

Psalm 63 (all 11 verses)


O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water...

John 1:3-5

The light shines in the darkness...

John 10:10

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full...

HUGS + HANDSHAKES


Played alternate video to Viva La Vida found on Prospekt's March EP (iTunes)

After a brief period of announcements, we moved on to...

VIDEO:

The Scientist video (from Rush of Blood to the Head)

after video - brief description/explanation of Logic vs. Emotion (the song has a lot to do with these two things).

took the line from the song I'M GOING BACK TO THE START and briefly talked about 'when God gives us second chances.' Examples sited: the story of the Gerasene Demoniac (found in Mark 5) and Saul's conversion to Paul. (found in Acts 9)

PRAYER

song: A Message played live by Bryan. (A Message is from the album X & Y)

Question for Prayer/Reflection: Who do you know is in need of a message of love? how might you bring them that message?

students were asked to reflect on these questions during the song.

SPEAK 2 ME

Katie chose the song Fix You to play. Lyrics were posted via Power Point.

after the song, Katie shared about what she felt the song was about and how God speaks to her through the lyrics.

THINK ABOUT IT: imagination


for this segment, we talked briefly about 'imagination'.

Questions posed:

can you draw?

how 'bout sing?

can you dance?

can you act in plays?

if i were to go and visit a kindergarten class and ask them those four questions, i would bet that every hand would go up for each question. you, on the other hand, probably would claim ability in one, maybe two of those areas.* (*idea taken from the books All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten by R. Fulghum and Awaken Your Creativity by Les Christie)

somehow, as we get older, we lose our sense of wonder... we lose our imagination and we seem to feel like we are lacking in creativity. perhaps we could blame this on the system... a system that has not given us the freedom to learn in a variety of ways... but regardless, the older we get, the more inhibited we become. we lose that inventive nature that is, i believe, a part of our DNA.

Quotes:

(The purpose of) education should be to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, rather than simply repeat what other generations have done.
~Jean Piaget

Knowledge is a child with a mind and a crayon.
~MC Serch of 3rd Bass

HOW TO JUMP START YOUR IMAGINATION:
inhale helium
climb a tree
hang by knees on monkey bars
swing as high as you can
roll down a hill
spin like crazy
take a different route...
do random things

(students were encouraged to add to this list...)

We then looked briefly at Genesis 1 - how we are all made in the image of God...

on the Power Point, various images that symbolize God's imagination and creativity were shown. (waterfalls, field of flowers, butterflies, sunsets, etc.)

Students were challenged to recapture our God-given creative, imaginative abilities - much like children, while the video for Coldplay's Strawberry Swing played. Strawberry Swing is a very creative, imaginative video, to say the least.

THINK ABOUT IT: past / present /future


played the song: Glass of Water (from Prospekt's March EP) (lyrics on Power Point)

some of the lyrics:

Scared of losin' all the time
He wrote it in a letter?
He was a friend of mine
He heard you could see your future
Inside a glass of water
With ripples and the rhymes
He asked 'Will I see heaven in mine?'

The song largely has to do with (as the lyrics go) how we can often Spend our whole life living in your past
Going nowhere fast.

We humans tend to stress about the past and worry about the future.

INTERACTIVE:

Students were given a piece of paper with the words "I WANT..." written at the top. Students were given a pencil and were asked to finish the sentence: "i want..." and to write about it on the page.

Jesus provided a way of life that is not filled with stress or worry (Proverbs 3:5-6). Jesus gives us life to the full. (John 10:10)

Participants were then given a glass of water (refer to lyrics of Glass of Water) and encouraged to 'drink up the present' and to not stress about the past and worry about the future.

REFLECTION: time

While the song Clocks played in the background we talked about time and urgency and busyness. urgency can often bring a sense of chaos or fear to one's life. Sometimes time (or lack there of) can lead to hectic lifestyles that prevent us from connecting with God or hearing from Him.

this transitioned into the song A Whisper (from A Rush of Blood to the Head)

sample lyrics:

I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Who remembers your face
Who remembers you when you are gone
I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Come back and look for me
Look for me when I am lost
And just a whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper

i briefly talked about 'The Story of Isaiah' found in 1 Kings 17-19 were Isaiah has a confrontation with the prophets of Baal and calls down fire from heaven... in the end, the false-prophets of Baal are annihilated, yet Isaiah gets a fearful sense of urgency and flees. He hides out in a cave and wonders if God has forgotten about him. (note lyric from A Whisper: come back and look for me when i am lost...) But God finally speaks to him, not in the wind or earthquake... but in a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

INTERACTIVE

paralleled that despite his fears, Isaiah had specific God-given gifts and abilities and was asked to use them to help connect people to God.

played the song Yellow (from Parachutes)

Scrabble boards were set up and students were invited to spell out one gift that they felt God had given them. these gifts inter-connect with other people's gifts. when we work together, we can accomplish much for the sake of Kingdom advancement and helping those in need.



CLOSING:

Referenced the song Lost! (from Viva la Vida) and shared a few examples of people who were 'down but not out.' Gideon. James J. Braddock. Rocky. Kurt Warner. (many examples could be referenced here)

Romans 5:1-5 Persevere! Hang in there.

2 Corinthians 4 "⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

If we remain focused on Christ - we will remain in His light and we will be assured that nothing can or will remove us from the Love of God.

I reminded students that the name of the latest Coldplay album is Viva la Vida... which means "live life!"

We have to remain focused - or we lose our imaginative ability... we forget that God is a God of grace and grants us a second chance at life... we aught not to mess it up.

i found this website: http://www.eyechartmaker.com/ where you can customize your own eye charts. i printed off a variety of charts with hidden messages in the charts (Y R U FOCUSING ON THE WRONG THINGS?; etc.) there were a variety of Eye focus charts under each chair.

i then closed by playing the song Death and All His Friends (lyrics) (song facts)

No I don't wanna battle from beginning to end;
I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge;
I don't wanna follow death and all his friends.

Living life means you can't follow death and his friends... the things that lead to destruction. God's plan is life. Live it! live life. Drink up the present. GEt busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

BENEDICTION

played song Now My Feet Wont Touch the Ground as the service concluded with prayer.

the service lasted about 70 minutes. it could be made longer or shorter very easily.

tim beck

director of youth ministries

christ united methodist church, louisville, ohio

Communion By Numbers

Communion By Numbers:

is a unique, interactive time to fellowship together, converse together, seek God together and experience the act of Communion in a new way together. We will remember Jesus and his time spent with the disciples during the Last Supper and we will remember the sacrifice He made, once and for all, so that we may live, and experience life to the full (John 10:10).

MAUNDY-THURSDAY SERVICE THURSDAY / APRIL 9TH / 7PM / Fellowship Hall

presented by the youth group

[a recap]

DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE BULLETIN HANDOUT WITH ALL OF THE COMMUNION BY NUMBERS ACTIVITIES LISTED: communion-by-numbers-bulletin [right click, save as, or click to print]

SET UP: We had 12 round tables with 7 chairs at each table. 75 people attended. Each table group could go through the Communion by Numbers handout with full instructions, at their own pace, pausing after #6, so as to do #7 & #8 with all tables together.
SUPPLIES: each table had enough of the following for each potential person (for us, 7 of each per table): rocks, nails, small black pieces of construction paper, tea light. Also needed: a box of matches per table, various images of Jesus and various markers.

We did this as part of a Maundy-Thursday service prior to Easter. Our youth group helped design the service. I got the idea from Jonny Baker & Grace Pocket Liturgies PDF download from Proost. (also avail. at Lulu.com)

It could be adapted and used at any time of year for any age group.



Come Thou Fount [worship led by Bryan & Robin Kandel/stool, acoustic guitar, microphone]

composed by the 18th century Methodist pastor Robert Robinson

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
Mount of thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I'm come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wondering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above

BEGIN Communion By Numbers [Introduction & Welcome, Corey + Tim]

1. Introduction and Memorable Meal
Go around table, introduce yourself. On a night like this, just a few days before Jesus would sacrifice himself on the Cross for all humanity, he gathered around a table in the Upper Room for what is known as the ‘Last Supper.’ This became a meal that the disciples would not soon forget.
QUESTION: Think of a memorable meal. Families and friends often gather around the table for a time of fellowship. Share with the group a time that was significant and memorable and meal that was shared with loved ones. What made it so special and memorable?

2. Ebenezer
The 2nd verse of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing mentions raising an Ebenezer.

1 Samuel 7:12-13 reads “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.“

Ebenezer literally translates as ‘stone of help’. Samuel built an altar after God had protected the Israelites in a battle against the Philistines.
With the rocks on the table, build an altar together. As you build share a moment in your life when you felt God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine protection.
May each and every one of us always be blessed by the grace and peace of Jesus Christ through the Ebenezers that God has placed in our lives!

3. Imago Christi (Image of Christ)
Look at the various pictures of Jesus on the table. Choose a favorite. Share why you chose the image you did.
Share what you want to remember about Jesus.

4. Confession
Think of something that has, at times, taken your attention away from God or has distracted you from God.
Focus, for a brief moment on that distraction.
Pray. Ask God to take away that distraction and to restore your connection to God.
Place an ‘X‘ on the piece of construction paper in front of you symbolizing the elimination of that which distracts us and takes us away from experiencing God.

5. Affirmation
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reads “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Go around the table and take turns affirming the person to your left. This is a time to lift each other up.
If you don’t know the person to your left very well, offer some encouragement.

6. Nail
Not long after Jesus would share the Last Supper with his disciples in the Upper Room, he would hang on a cross in the company of sinners. In the eyes of the people who wanted him to die, he was a sinner. He spoke the truth about love, relationships, the church, the world, God... and people weren’t willing to hear it.
Sometimes we’re not either.
Take a nail and hold it in your hand and reflect on why Jesus sacrificed himself for all mankind. Think about some of the things that Jesus taught us. Maybe love the Lord your God with all your heart, or maybe love your neighbor as yourself. Maybe you’re thinking about the Great Commission: go out into all the world and make disciples. Maybe you’re thinking of the Beatitudes where Jesus says blessed are the poor in Spirit, for there’s is the Kingdom of Heaven. Or maybe it’s another truth he taught...
Reflect as you hold the nail in your hand. Then share with your group if you feel compelled to.

------------------PAUSE-------------------

Show Safe Space Easter movie from Proost (i think that is where i got it) [1 min 30 sec]

7. Communion
After the short video clip and Communion prayer, uncover the bread and break it. We will take communion by intinction. Go around the table and serve each other. Take a piece of bread and dip it in the cup.
The Bread represents the body of Christ, broken for you.
The juice represents His blood, shed for you.
So that you may know and remember the sacrifice Jesus made for you, so that you may experience life and life to the full.

8. Light
Jesus Christ is the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. (John 1:9) He empowers with these words: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:14-15)
Light a candle and be challenged to let your light shine before all men.

Before you exit, come and place your nail at the foot of the cross on the stage. Give thanks to God.

“for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:49-50)

Go in peace.

show The Cross.mov on loop from Proost in background as people place nails at foot of cross.

table set up: pictures of Jesus, markers and pieces of black construction paper, bulletin, communion elements, tea light candles, matches, nail, rocks, etc.

nails placed at foot of cross at close of service

ebenezer altar (stone of help)

tea light candles were lit at the end of the service. "you are the light of the world, a city on a hill can not be hidden."
communion elements

youth helpers

www.alienuth.com
Communion By Numbers

The Late Breakfast

At our April 5th Sunday Night Youth Focus gathering, we participated in an interactive youth night called The Late Breakfast.

We used the breakfast theme throughout, with breakfast related food and snacks.

I also found some breakfast cereal related games to play. This online cereal quiz was a lot of fun:

http://food.aol.com/play-with-your-food/breakfast-cereal-id-quiz

Also, i found some vintage cereal commercials on YouTube and showed them.





Now for the spiritual side:

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. Don't believe me? read this nutrition guide. [about.com nutrition] Fro youth focus we looked at four different kinds of breakfast meals a person could eat and we paralleled that with one's spiritual life.

The four breakfasts were:

COFFEE. sort of the quick fix, boost of caffeine to get you going in the morning. usually one fades out soon after the fix is gone. Do you have a coffee-kind of faith? Is it more like a quick fix that fades quickly away?

FAST FOOD: for when you're on the go. we re so busy... our lives are filled with chaos... we don;t have time for a nutritious breakfast, so we go for the most unhealthy thing because it's quick and easy.

Do you have a fast food-kind of faith? are you too busy to invest the right amount of time to deepen your faith? do you want a faith that is fast and easy? if so, it probably wont be a very healthy faith.

CEREAL: for some, it's the morning ritual. same bowl of Cheerios and a glass of juice. you eat it because that is what you've always eaten. it's not bad. it might even be healthy. but is it just a ritual?

Do you have a cereal-kind of faith? just a ritual? no meaning behind it?

WATER: for those who want to skip breakfast. maybe you have no time. maybe you want to maintain your figure. maybe you just don't care or even think about eating breakfast. so a bottle of water will do.

Do you have a water-for breakfast-kind of faith? Do you neglect to realize the freedom you have to choose multiple options every day? Are you even thinking about your faith daily? maybe you see no harm in skipping breakfast. maybe you see no harm in skipping out on faith-building. what elements of our faith do we skip out on? how does that affect us?

---

The students split in to four groups and we rotated around to each station. During each station there was a time for students to reflect on a reading and each station had a small set up designed to add to the message of COFFEE, FAST FOOD, CEREAL & WATER.

If i had more time, I would have made the design of each station a little more in depth and would have further developed the atmosphere.

Here are some pictures of each station.

coffee

cereal

fast food

water

I printed off on card stock a Neon Yellow sheet that had a small reading for the group to look at. Also, I had a Neon Pink Small Group Leaders Guide with some follow up questions for each station.

You can download the PDF of the station information sheets and small group q & a here: late-breakfast-stations-yf-45
(right click, save as - or click and then print)

For an added bonus, Wikipedia has some neat information related to the typical breakfast meals for various countries around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast

---

I should note that i got this idea from Santus1 who came up with this idea at Greenbelt 2004. View how they did it HERE.

Also, Jonny Baker had made The Late Breakfast idea on of his 'worship tricks'. view his notes HERE.

You might see that i have made cultural adaptions from England and designed this mainly (but not exclusively) for youth. I wrote the small group questions.

One final note: at the conclusion of our Late Breakfast, i had a series of 40 images posted in the gym for youth to walk around and look at. The images were created by Si Smith, an illustrator from the UK. The series was titled: 40.



View the images HERE.

they are available for purchase at PROOST.

the images depict Jesus in the desert during his 40 days in the wilderness. They are moving images and there is a written piece that compliments each illustration.

You can watch the illustrations put to an Explosions in the Sky song on YouTube HERE.