Words and Pictures

What comes to mind when people talk about worship? Songs? Readings? Preaching? Words? Ever since the Reformation Christian worship in the west has become very text based. Everything seems to require words and understanding of words. In some churches the communion service is the only form of worship that goes beyond words to include actions and symbolism.

This has not always been the case, before people could read the stories of our faith were told through ceremony and art, icons and glass, by liturgical seasons and timings. Worship too was expressed visually as well as through music and voice. Of course some of those things may be quite familiar to you, they make up what some people call ‘High Church’ Worship and such worship can now be found in Anglican Churches, Methodist Churches, United Reform Churches, and of course Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The idea of using Items in worship rests in this long Christian Tradition that goes right back to the early church. However our aim is to use in worship Items that come out of our own experience and culture, discovering new ways of worshipping God. Such Items work well with a guide; I call it a Tag that has open questions to aid the worshiper in their exploration.

Because we are aiming to go beyond words in our worship it is a good idea to have a range of creative materials on hand.