God Speaks through...Performance Art?

Let's start this with a wikipedia quote so that we are clear on what I'm talking about:

"Performance art is art in which the actions of an individual or a group at
a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time. Performance art can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the performer's body and a relationship between performer and audience.

Although performance art could be said to include relatively mainstream activities such as theater, dance, music, and circus-related things like fire breathing, juggling, and gymnastics, these are normally instead known as the performing arts. Performance art is a term usually reserved to refer to a kind of usually avant-garde or conceptual art which grew out of the visual arts."

Ok, so, I have not really experienced much performance art. My exposure is generally limited to the guy that walks around Madison naming all the countries of the world wishing them peace. Of course I hear about more extreme forms of this (mostly on This American Life). One story is of a performance artist that tied a chicken to his leg and tried to chop it's head off, the other that set off 100 aerosol cans at once or the guy that shot himself in the arm--in the name of art and getting some [abstract] point across.

Often people in the church are afraid of art (except serene images of waterfalls backing bland and narcissitic worship music slides). I could imagine that even more Christians would be afraid of many of the people and performances that make up the performance art world. Even the performing arts are misunderstood if they are at all extreme or if there is any hint of abstraction.

I bet most would be apalled to know that there is a performance art in the Bible... Pretty wierd and extreme stuff, actually. Wierd, extreme, even scandalous stuff commissioned and created by God and performed by the prophets.

How about Hosea? God told him to marry a prostitue, have children and name them "No-mercy" and "Nobody" That's more extreme than tying a chicken to your leg.

Or how about Ezekiel? While laying on his side for a year, shaving with a sword, attacking a brick (named Jerusalem) and "burning it down" with his hair, all while cooking a predetermined amount of food on cow poop (which God originally said to use human poop). That is certainly more extreme, and gross, than setting off 100 aerosol cans in an enclosed room.

I think it is so cool how God uses and ordains art, even extreme, wierd and ugly forms of art. This stuff is far-cry from iWorship videos and prints of sunsets with Bible verses printed on them. How could God speak to us if we embraced even the most eccentric artists, loved them with Christ's love (instead of being afraid of them) and set them loose in the church? Oh and by setting them loose, I don't mean getting them to make the PowerPoint background.

Hmmmm.
Mike

Fair Weather Wisconsin

Gonna start this one out with a weather definition from http://www.weather.com/

FAIR: This is a subjective description. Considered as pleasant weather conditions with regard to the time of year and the physical location.

So I see this today on my browser's homepage:

I really love living in a place where -10 degrees is considered pleasant. Really, I do.

Mike

Some Solutions...

The solutions.

Ok, so there has finally been some traffic to my blog lately. I am happy when people come and question me on things that I've written. I'm working through this and don't have the answers. Maybe in a year I will go through and change my mind completely on the things I write lately.

Anyway, one of the pastors at my church, Ryan, made the comment that I didn't give any solutions. Being one that doesn't just want to complain and argue, I have thought of a few solutions (some are just ideas, but some I feel pretty strongly about--I'm not going to tell which) to some of the problems of worship that I have outlined in this blog. Oh Yeah, these aren't comprehensive or perfect, but they are ideas.

Solution #1: Don't assume that musicians are qualified worship leaders just because they are musicians. Somebody that is up front needs to truly be investigating and learning and deepening their understanding of worship. Just because you find out that they play piano, doesn't mean they can lead a group of people in worship.

Solution #2: Don't assume that the only people qualified to lead worship ministries are musicians. I really, truly, believe that we would have a much fuller view and practice of corporate worship if that aspect of our communities were overseen by someone outside of the musical world. That isn't to say that this would end music, this person would need to view the musicians and their craft as a way (perhaps a really good way) to worship. Having someone on the outside, though, would bring a perspective that defines good worship as that which glorifies God, rather than that which sounds good and flows well. This person would also be more able to look beyond music and see other possible ways that the church can be encouraged to praise their God.

Solution #3: If you have one worship team, include more than musicians on that team. At very least the technical people should be considered part of the worship team (with as much input as any musician on the worship team) But, more fully, the worship team should include all kinds of people. Musicians, artists, creative people, thinkers, feelers, pastors. Since worship is something that everyone does, then everyone probably has something to offer a corporate worship service. The thinkers will get the team to think about what they are doing. The creative people will stretch the boundaries. The musicians will think musically. The visual artists will think visually. The interior designers will think about the space and what that means for worship. The pastors will care for people on the team and keep the worship theologically centered. The technicians will also have ideas and will feel like they are a part of the team and not just supporting the team. I think I made the point.

Solution #4: Eventually turn one worship team into many worship teams. Consider having most people in the church be involved with one worship team. If our corporate worship is a celebration of what God is doing in our lives and as a community, then shouldn't we all have an opportunity to share that? When we expand our worship ministry beyond one or two teams of people that 'produce' worship for the church, we begin to own it, respect it and it allows the diversity of people and fullness of what God is doing come out in our worship service.

Ok, so I'm not necessarily saying that everyon has the gifts or desire of being up front and doing the actual leading (that would negate Solution #1). But I am talking about people learning and contributing together to create a worship gathering that is unique and owned by the community. At the same time, I'd still pick a whole bunch of imperfect worship leaders over one good worship leader...

Solution #5: Musicians, step out of the limelight. In order to value other people, styles and forms, you have to make room for those people. Just like people of a majority ethnicity need to put aside some of their rights to allow a minority ethnicity to flourish, musicians (because you are the norm) need to put aside your rights and preferences, even before you are asked to, so that the ones who are considered 'lesser' with regards to worship have a place to step into.

We promise to not kick you out of the church. We really do love you and what you do. We just want to be able to use our gifts to help others appreciate our God and Saviour too.

Solution #6: Read 'Emerging Worship' by Dan Kimball. I know that it seems that the notion of the Emerging Church has largely been pushed aside, but I think Dan really explores this topic well, with a sense of experience, reality and balance--more than anyone else I've seen. And yes, his church still uses music.

Solution #7: Read these articles:
http://www.reality.org.nz/articles/46/46-pierson.php
http://www.reality.org.nz/articles/48/48-pierson.php

I don't know that much about the author and he certainly is more of a radical than Kimball. But he also has some interesting ideas.

Solution #8: Read anything by Dr. Robert Webber. It will help you to appreciate the 2000 years of really deep, amazing stuff that we like to ignore in the young evangelical church in the name of being 'cool'. I'm not saying that it is all good, but more of it is good than is not.

Solution #9: Find an article about the Taize community in France and know that people (young people) journey from all over the world to worship with them. When was the last time someone made a pilgrimage across the world so that they could worship at your church? Something to think about…

I'm sure I'll think of more…
Mike