Story-Shaped Worship


Book Description

In Story-Shaped Worship Robbie Castleman attempts nothing less than to uncover the fundamental shape of worship. Right worship doesn't require a traditionalist return to earlier forms of church, she argues, but a fresh response to God in light of the revealed patterns of worship we find in the Bible and church history.




Drama Ministry


Book Description

Drama Ministry: A Guidebook is a one-stop manual for starting, directing, and managing a drama ministry. Lay leaders who have no formal drama training will glean from the authors 25+ years of drama training and experience. Even those leaders who are experienced in drama will benefit from the practical insights in managing and leading a team, including how to organize a practice and how to ensure team members regularly attend rehearsals and memorize their lines. In addition to drama technique, you will also gain valuable leadership tools for managing your ministry. Ten original sketches are also included to get you started.




Music and the Arts in Christian Worship


Book Description

"The opening section of "Music and the Arts in Christian Worship" offers an overview of the current worship practices of most of the major denominations in this country, each prepared by a person active in that particular church. Read individually, they furnish a wealth of fresh ideas; collectively, they give evidence that, while each denomination remains theologically focused on its tradition and centers its worship on the familiar, there is hardly one which is not actively re-examining its worship philosophy and experimenting with new forms, music, and visual art. Style is becoming more and more eclectic, and there is a healthy regard for the special contribution that every individual may make. Worship, once almost the property of the officiating clergyman rigorously hewing to a prescribed pattern, has rightly become the responsibility of every person." " Philip Beggrov Peters, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan




Worship by the Book


Book Description

“What is at stake is authenticity. . . . Sooner or later Christians tire of public meetings that are profoundly inauthentic, regardless of how well (or poorly) arranged, directed, performed. We long to meet, corporately, with the living and majestic God and to offer him the praise that is his due.”—D. A. CarsonWorship is a hot topic, but the ways that Christians from different traditions view it vary greatly. What is worship? More important, what does it look like in action, both in our corporate gatherings and in our daily lives? These concerns—the blending of principle and practice—are what Worship by the Book addresses.Cutting through cultural clichés, D. A. Carson, Mark Ashton, Kent Hughes, and Timothy Keller explore, respectively:· Worship Under the Word· Following in Cranmer’s Footsteps· Free Church Worship: The Challenge of Freedom· Reformed Worship in the Global City “This is not a comprehensive theology of worship,” writes Carson. “Still less is it a sociological analysis of current trends or a minister’s manual chockfull of ‘how to’ instructions.” Rather, this book offers pastors, other congregational leaders, and seminary students a thought-provoking biblical theology of worship, followed by a look at how three very different traditions of churchmanship might move from this theological base to a better understanding of corporate worship. Running the gamut from biblical theology to historical assessment all the way to sample service sheets, Worship by the Book shows how local churches in diverse traditions can foster corporate worship that is God-honoring, Word-revering, heartfelt, and historically and culturally informed.




Liturgical Drama and the Reimagining of Medieval Theater


Book Description

The expression "liturgical drama" was formulated in 1834 as a metaphor and hardened into formal category only later in the nineteenth century. Prior to this invention, the medieval rites and representations that would forge the category were understood as distinct and unrelated classes: as liturgical rites no longer celebrated or as theatrical works of dubious quality. This ground-breaking work examines "liturgical drama" according to the contexts of their presentations within the manuscripts and books that preserve them.




The ABCs of Worship


Book Description

Offers explanations and brief discussions of Lent, ecumenism, Maundy Thursday, Pentecost, Christian symbolism, baptism, and prayer




Worship as Community Drama


Book Description

Church weddings, funerals, and most Sunday services reflect the values and dramas of their communities, even when the ministers are the main or sole actors. This point is illustrated by examples ranging from American television masses to the Zairean three-hour services in the Congo. Of greatest interest to readers might be the Sunday services at ordinary parishes, which also range from friendly but uninspiring to innovative and inviting. There are also two exceptionally vital churches analyzed here: an evangelical church in the Pentecostal tradition and a social justice parish in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Today one can hardly buy an item in a store or on the Internet without being asked for an evaluation, yet church services are seldom evaluated. There can be no improvement without evaluation. This book proposes a method of evaluation in eight steps that must be rigorously scientific and at the same time offer a vision for spiritual growth. The prophet Elijah found God in earthquakes and fire, but most people find mystery through art, music, rhythm, chanting, expressive readings, evocative rituals, and enlightened homilies. Today people expect "mystagogy" rather than routine performances. Mystagogy can be learned and improved through evaluation, to which this book desires to make a major contribution.




A Better Way


Book Description

A challenging examination of the biblical and theological issues underlying a distinctively Christian view of worship.




Theatre: A Very Short Introduction


Book Description

From before history was recorded to the present day, theatre has been a major artistic form around the world. From puppetry to mimes and street theatre, this complex art has utilized all other art forms such as dance, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Every aspect of human activity and human culture can be, and has been, incorporated into the creation of theatre. In this Very Short Introduction Marvin Carlson takes us through Ancient Greece and Rome, to Medieval Japan and Europe, to America and beyond, and looks at how the various forms of theatre have been interpreted and enjoyed. Exploring the role that theatre artists play — from the actor and director to the designer and puppet-master, as well as the audience — this is an engaging exploration of what theatre has meant, and still means, to people of all ages at all times. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.




Slice of Life Worship Dramas Volume 1


Book Description

Slice of life dramas are a tool to capture the imagination of viewers and communicate good news by telling stories that mirror real life. Slice of Life Worship Dramas (Volume 1) contains fifteen short, ready-to-use drama scripts that focus on moments in time and emotions to which people can relate. Themes in volume 1 include second chances, courage, doing good, forgiveness, love, spiritual growth, anxiety, kindness, God’s provision, truth, and more. The DVD included in this book contains live performances of twelve of the dramas, as recorded by the Wooddale Church media staff. Slice of Life Worship Dramas also contains helpful hints to assist in launching a drama ministry, working with church leaders, building a team, choosing scripts, and running effective rehearsals. "Read these scripts, and you will be impressed. Hear these stories, and your heart will be touched. Experience these dramas on the stage, and you will be changed."Leith Anderson, PastorWooddale Church, Eden Prairie, MN "These dramas contain a rare combination of humor, reflection, insight, and development of theological thought that fit in almost any worship context."Dan Collison, Worship Arts PastorWooddale Church, Eden Prairie, MN"Great dramas for worship services are like appetizers before a special meal. Slice of Life Worship Dramas is filled with humorous, powerful, keen dramas that set the table for the main course. I have used many of these stories for my sermons."Joel K. Johnson, Senior PastorWestwood Community Church, Excelsior, MN"Touching our emotions in a short drama is difficult, but Shelly has mastered the art. Slice of life dramas help people feel the truths they long to understand. These short dramas are authentic and create beautiful pictures for the pastor to develop with the sermon."Mark Hostetler, Director of Crosswalk MinistriesCross of Glory Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Center, MN