I must, for the love of what I do, post our next course here. Hope you can be a part of it!
Online Studies in Worship History and Creative Vocation
with Dan Wilt, M.Min. and St. Stephen’s University
- Integrate ancient worship ideas into your leading
- Gain fresh insights into communion and baptism
- Create new tools for Advent, Christmas and Easter
Course Tuition: $592 CAD (15% discount for groups of 3 or more!)
Next Online Course: Nov. 3 – Dec. 5
Apply by Oct. 20 and get a free N. T. Wright Reclaiming Worship CD!
Duration: 5 weeks
Approximate Weekly Effort: 6-8 hours (reading + media + assignments)
Who: Worship Leaders, Artists (Pastors and others will greatly benefit as well)
Led By: Director Dan Wilt, M.Min; Course Moderator Will Bernard, M.Min. with media
More Info: www.essentialscourse.com/red
ESSENTIALS RED explores thousands of years of worship history and the creative leader’s calling in worship! Study holidays (Advent, Christmas, Easter), sacraments (baptism, communion, confession), and the arts of worship (cathedrals, sculpture, painting). Red speaks of passion (zeal and sacrifice) and creativity (wild and powerful).Essentials Red will show us that history is filled with creative leaders who have been both passionate and creative, inviting us into new worlds of worship experience.
ESSENTIALS RED explores ideas in Christian worship history, specifically related to how Christians over the past 2000 years have used the languages of time (holidays, gatherings and services), space (architecture and environment), communal prayer, the public reading of Scripture, baptism, the eucharist, pastoral rites (weddings, confirmations, funerals), art and music to further the acts of living worship and mission in the Church.
As Evelyn Underhill once said, “Worship, in all its grades and kinds, is the response of the creature to the Eternal.” The creative vocation has historically been, in some way, to create spaces in which people could respond to God. Join us as we traverse history and the ways the Church has worshipped across the ages.
History is the work of listening closely to our past, to gain insight into the present and future. The languages of worship have been many for thousands of years, across the streams of the Church. These languages are rich with wisdom for our current and emerging worship experience. From symbolic actions such as the Eucharist (communion) and Baptism, to the historic power of music, the public reading of scripture, architecture and art in worship practice, the Story of the Kingdom and the worship of the King have been voiced by creative leaders in many cultures and contexts.
Join us for a five-week journey, utilizing iTunes U, Facebook, blogs, other web technology, and the books Ancient Future Time (Robert Webber) An Introduction To Christian Worship (James White). Participants will:
* integrate ancient worship ideas into daily routines and church influence
* share weekly reflections on the books and content of the week with other participants
* engage in an ongoing community conversation among our international student body – online!
At the conclusion of the course, participants will create a final project that will directly serve one’s local church and further the worship experience of one’s local community, based on the course material.
Other Resources
Download the PDF flyer.
COURSE GENERAL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
Essential Worship History: The Language Of Time And Space
How have Christians used the language of time (daily, weekly, yearly and lifetime) to order their worship over the millenia? What roles have life journeys and passages such as birth, death, marriage, adolescence and other common human experiences played in the historic worship of the Church? What roles have architecture, atmosphere and each age’s cultural experience played in cultivating a living worship expression in each age?
WEEK 2
Essential Worship History: The Language Of Prayer And Scripture
From the early Church through to the 21st century, the importance of God’s people praying together, and hearing the Scriptures read aloud have played an important role in engaging the Church in her mission with God in the world. What creative approaches to these forms of worship have graced the Church age?
WEEK 3
Essential Worship History: The Language Of Baptism And The Eucharist
The language of “sacraments” may be unusual for many contemporary Christians growing up outside of liturgical churches. What are the real meanings, biblically and historically, behind the worship acts of Baptism and the Eucharist (communion)? In what ways could we reclaim their vitality in our worship expression today?
WEEK 4
Essential Worship History: The Language Of Art And Music
The role of the creative leader expressing worship through the media of art and music has been diverse across the history of the Church – from early church symbols, to Michelangelo’s Pieta, to Isaac Watt’s hymns. Snapshots of worship history give us insight into how the Church has utilized art to further the worship story of each generation.
Week 5
Essential Worship History: Creative Projects
Our final week of the course will involve the creative distilling of our historical learning into a final project that will serve one’s local worshipping community. This is a favorite part of the course for all!
