South Site CU talk
Today I gave my first talk at the South Site CU. Mim, the sixth form organiser of the CU, was slightly disorganised about it and asked me almost exactly a week beforehand whether I’d do the talk. (Actually, she mentioned that next week’s talk was on worship, and I assumed she was telling me because I’d said I wanted to do that talk and so said I’d do it. She was slightly surprised but pleased – one less talk for her to do.)
So, worship. What first comes into your mind when you hear that word? If you’re not of the “Christian scene”, it might bring to mind tribespeople bowing to a totem pole/stone head/shaman (or that might just be me playing too much Populous in the past), or the Temple scene from the Indiana Jones film. Some might immediately think of singing in church. Some of the more enlightened among you might recognise that the name of this website comes from the biblical concept of worship.
What worship is will probably be elaborated on in a future entry. As for the talk, all the guys were intent and some surprised me with the perception of their answers. It made me realise how fast time actually passes when you’re talking – I thought I had at most ten minutes (and that was at the outside). I took about fifteen minutes, and that was with trying to wrap it up quickly because I knew I’d gone on for about as long as their attention spans could last.
I touched on what some see as a controversial issue by suggesting that calling singing in church worship was unhelpful. I was almost surprised when Mim congratulated me on an excellent talk afterwards. Either she was convinced (at least partially), was just ignoring that particular section, or she’s just a diplomatic leader who will never ask me to give a talk ever again due to abusing my authority to inject propaganda into young minds. I’ll probably have a chat to her about it at some point.
One of the things I noticed about the way I give talks is that I use the word “yeah” a lot and repeat myself.
So yeah, we worship God because of what he’s done for us on the cross; because Jesus died for us we respond by, yeah, worshiping God, and giving our lives for him; it’s our response to all the amazing things God’s done.
Okay, so it’s not quite repeating myself but I’ve said the same thing in three different ways. And there’s a lot more yeahs than there should be. But never mind.
All in all, it was quite enjoyable, both in preparing and giving the talk. It was also encouraging to be so well received. Hopefully I didn’t bore everyone and they were just being polite.
Currently listening to Saving – Thirteen Senses
Matthew @ 17:42, February 28, 2005 to Diary | Comments (6)
Comments:
ThreeDimen
Maybe you should go to seminary and become a music pastor. :-)
Julie B.
Comment added at 14:06, March 3, 2005
Matthew
I don’t think I’ve heard that term before – music pastor, hmm… Anyway, worship isn’t about music, though music is sometimes worship :)
Comment added at 17:21, March 3, 2005
Julie B.
A music pastor is the person who leads the singing, etc. We have (actually should have) two on staff. (We’re trying to hire a head music pastor.) It’s more than leading the singing, obviously. They would be in charge of that part of the service that is called (and should be) worship. You understand.
Here, you can go to seminary then apply to be ours. This position has been open for what…two years now? It’s definitely a case of “they wouldn’t hire Jesus if he applied.” But I’m sure they’d hire you. We would all find your accent charming. (Ooh, he sounds just like Mr. Darcy!) ;-) And at the rate we’re going, the position will be open after you’ve graduated from university and seminary—you could probably get hired straight from university, then do seminary later.
http://www.gccauburn.net/about/eemployment.aspx
The one worship guy we have on staff now leads worship for our two evening services—the more contemporary services aimed at twenty-somethings. He performs, writes and arranges too.
But all joking aside, if you have a passion for the Lord, worship and music…I can’t think of a better combination of skills and interests.
So, what do you call the pastor who leads the service up until the sermon? I suppose worship pastor and music pastor are used interchangably here.
Comment added at 20:59, March 3, 2005
Matthew
Called (and should be) worship? Do you mean it’s called worship and should be called worship, or that it’s called worship and should be worship? The whole service should be worship – singing is just as much worship as prayer or listening to a sermon (or doing the washing up or working hard – it’s all the attitude we have when we do it). I sometimes think I’m being picky about terminology, but then see how ingrained the wrong theology that goes along with it often is…
Here the guy who leads the service is just one of the ministers. (My church being Anglican, that’s usually the vicar or the curate. I dislike the names, but it’s not like I’ll change century’s old tradition…) Whoever does it hands over to the band (usually led by the music director, but occasionally others such as me) for the songs. Our music director has no theological training, and as far as I know that’s normal. It’s a bonus, of course (as it gives them the right theological ideas with which to lead the songs) but not strictly necessary (I mean, I lead the songs sometimes – luckily I don’t have to pick songs though otherwise there’d be complaints from the congregation).
I have thought of doing something similar as a job – but I’m really not sure about it. I’ll see in a few years time, but at the moment youth work seems more attractive. Partially I don’t feel I’m a good enough musician (certainly not yet) to do it for a job. Partially I think I’d be driven mad having to lead songs every week…
Comment added at 09:20, March 4, 2005
Julie B.
Called worship and should be worship. And I’m using worship a bit narrowly—maybe I mean a specific type of worship, as opposed to listening-to-a-sermon-type worship.
Our services are structured a bit differently. Our—well, we call him the senior pastor, your vicar/curate equivalent—doesn’t typically do anything in the service until the sermon. So the music pastor is responsible for the first thirty minutes of the service, and the senior pastor takes over for the last forty-five minutes for the sermon. Roughly speaking. If there is announcements that’s oftentimes done by someone else—another staff member.
The music pastor can marry and bury too.
Comment added at 14:05, March 4, 2005
Matthew
Yeah, it’s the narrower use of the word that I disagree with (as you’ve probably picked up by now :)). Our services do sound quite different to yours – we have songs, notices, prayers, announcements, communion and the sermon all mixed up in between each other (though the sermon always comes later, prayers are always after the sermon and communion always after that).
Comment added at 14:52, March 4, 2005
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