Books / Readings, Community, Decline/Growth, Leadership, Missional, Spiritual Formation, Worship
A Neat Experience….
Last night, I hosted a prayer/worship experience that I called “Passages: Conversations with God.” My thought was to offer somethinga that would help us connect with God in a variety of ways, using prayer, worship, and some spiritual disciplines. Last night we used the Jesus Prayer and a passage from Luke 10. The other thing I wanted to try was the 5 questions that I found in “Tangible Kingdom”… because I am thinking about using them as the framework for “the sermon time” in a new worship experience that I would like to launch this fall. I was not sure how the questions would go… but it was the best part!  I didn’t want to delve deep into historical analysis of the scripture, etc.  I wanted to engage the Scripture as the Living Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our conversation. It was totally awesome how rich and deep that time was.  Here are the questions that we used to guide our conversation.  1. What did you like about what you just read? 2. What didn’t you like? 3. Was there anything you didn’t understand? 4. What did you learn about God? 5. Regardless fo where your faith is at right now, if you were to apply what we learned about God to something in your life this week, what would that look like?
I can’t wait to see how using them goes several weeks running.
31 Jul 2008 Martin Hutchison
Hi Martin! Its been a while since you made this post. Have you started the new worship experience yet?
Last Sunday, I created experience stations once again at our church. I’m always amazed at how God works through the opportunities that we give people to experience God vs. telling others about God. Sometimes, it’s wise for us to get out of the way and allow God to reveal himself to others.
I hope your people experience lots of new blessings through this new approach to worship and ministry in your church. Please keep us informed as to how things are going!
Jeff
Hey Jeff! No, I haven’t jumped in yet… largley because I don’t have music leadership… been asking around and looking… told myself that I would NOT start it without the leadership in place. My current worship leader of our contemporary gathering would be willing… but I don’t want her to be spread too thin and don’t want to start with her and then switch mid-stream.
I love the process, though … the questions lead to awesome conversations. The 2nd question opens the biggest window for the Spirit to work in our time together. I am anxious to try the process in a large group and may do it on Sunday a.m. to see how it works there.
The Wednesday time really is going well and attendance is steady. It is attracting three people who are NOT active in our Sunday worship gatherings!