of Christ. If we create beautiful art but fail to love one another, we have simply failed. We are bound to one another by God‟s call into the community that carries Jesus‟ mission of reconciliation in its life together. (a) Communication is critical. A project such as this pulls people into proximity with others. GraceWorks is not looking for individual star performers. It is seeking to be a community of God‟s grace. That grace manifests itself in the relationships of complex human beings who bring with them varieties of gifts, styles, experiences and expectations. Misunderstandings can develop quickly when assumptions are made that may not be accurate. Pods are encouraged to work together so that there are no surprises at the end. (b)The process of creating art for Christian worship differs from the process for art that is created by individual artists. Individual artists are often quite sensitive about others wanting to change their art. GraceWorks is a collaborative process. It assumes that the members of the pod and the leadership will have input into the creative process. One of the artists in the group may offer an idea or a work of art (e.g. a song or poem); the artwork then is enriched as the others in the group provide feedback, ask questions, add their perspectives. Pod leaders are encouraged to present this assumption early on in the process so that those who offer their gifts may find it easier to accept changes to what they offer.
Advent Banners: (l-r) John the Baptist, the Angel Gabriel, The Christ Child, Mary, the Returning Christ.
Art Serving Worship: Grace at Work GraceWorks: A Project of Grace United Church Sarnia, Ontario. Co-directors: Christine Jerrett and Susan Woodhouse. “This programme is made possible through a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc.”
A. Introduction Art, in its many forms, touches the soul in powerful ways. It helps people bring their bodies and emotions into worship, as well as their minds. With more and more people being visual learners, the integration of the arts into worship becomes more and more important. The „pod process‟ is a process that brings together artists and theologians in groups called „pods‟ to create works of art that illuminate scripture and enrich worship. The task is to create a work of art that illumines the scripture text for a particular worship service. We call our pod process GraceWorks.
Communion Table Cloth -- Covenants Artist: Lynne Walkling
B. The pod process involves: Choosing leaders for each pod and inviting the congregation to participate in the project Pods are organized around a scripture text (lectionary, Christian calendar, biblical characters) and/or a theme. The director of the project chooses the scriptures the pods will engage, e.g. Season: Advent Theme: biblical character: Returning Christ; Text: Luke 21: 25-37 Holding an initial Resource Event where the theme, the scriptures, related music and art resources are introduced. Encouraging members participating in the resource event to discern the text to which they feel called and to join that pod. Sometimes pods can be formed around a On the Return of Christ particular art form. Meeting occasionally with the pod groups together to give support and guidance.
Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth As it is in heaven. What will it be like? We long to know After the day When Christ returns? When He will rule Everything we do, And everything we say, And everything we are.
Individual pods meeting on their own. The timing of the meetings is determined by the needs and the schedules of the Knowing not the time of His participants in the return pod. The meetings follow the ‘small Let us live within the mystery group’ format: Love, Learn, Do, Decide, i.e. Trust in God’s faithfulness… check in with each Excerpt of Poem by Marg other and pray Cudmore and Lorna Cooper together, study the scriptures, decide upon and create a work of art. Lectio divina is useful as the initial step towards the scripture. This method of praying scripture fosters creativity.
Struggling with the scripture together is a way to be faithful to the scripture. Pods are encouraged to ask lots of honest questions. The questions the pods need to ask of the scriptures have to do with God. Pod leaders are encouraged to put the emphasis more upon the nature and actions of God than on the nature and actions of human beings. This way grace is communicated and the artwork and pod work remain Godcentered. Pod groups ask, “Who is this God who is revealed through these texts?” Then, they asked about our response. They also ask: “To whom in our culture is this scripture good news?” and, “What do we need to do so that those people will hear it as good news?” The directors of the project nurture the participants by offering constant guidance and support and by praying for them. Offering the work of art during the designated worship service. Evaluating the process and the experience. Disseminating the process to the surrounding community, e.g. Open House Worship Service.
C. What we have learned 1. The works of art are in the service of worshipping God. Working on them can be so compelling and exciting that they easily become the focus. Worship is first and foremost about God and the adoration and praise the people bring. The pod members are priests- voicing the people‟s praise, lament, wonder, commitment. Some things make for good worship and some things make it difficult for the congregation to worship well. As pods decide how to illuminate the scripture texts, we strongly encourage them to be creative. Ultimately, though leadership with training and experience has to guide what will work and what will not. The congregation has responded enthusiastically to the different ways the pods have presented the scriptures. Part of the creative process involves trying new ideas that may or may not ultimately work. 2. The relationships that develop among the pod members are as important as the works of art that are created. We are the Body