Since our beginning Renovate has incorporated video in our worship gatherings. We have used video to project song lyrics, share short films that raise questions, and cast images that inspire. Video in our gatherings is as normal part of our liturgy.
I’m sure it came as a surprise to many that we took an intentional break from our video over 4 weeks ago. No lyrics projected, no images, and no short videos…we haven’t even set up the screens. Don’t get me wrong, there are many wonderful uses for video and projection within the context of worship however there are also times when technology has a way of creating distance between others and ourselves. At its best video has the capacity to paint vivid pictures for the mind body and soul however it also has the capacity to overload us to the point where we become desensitized to the world around us.
During our video break we’ve printed out lyrics to songs on sheets of paper to share and sing along with (there is something wonderful about holding a song sheet with another person and singing together). Also in conjunction with our video break Dave Nagel (our Worship Cultivator) has given his musicians a four-week “Sabbath” from playing on Sundays. The hope of this Sabbath for our musicians is to give them both rest from the need to “produce” and the opportunity to reflect on why we offer our gifts in this way.
These intentional breaks from our regular liturgical practice has created other opportunities within our worship like having selected people read Scripture from their seats for all to hear.
This video break has served to remind us that we are not measured by our level of production (as individuals and as a church), but rather through our identification as one of God’s children.
No comments:
Post a Comment