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spirituality

Practicing Happiness Techniques in Worship: Part 4 of 5

he meditates day and nightMeditation

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

— Psalm 1

Meditation doesn’t come easily to me, but a few years ago I took a course in yoga.

I went to class and was politely dubious. The teachers were enthusiastic and likable. They had created a beautiful studio. But I felt so sorry for them. Next door there seemed to be a factory or a workshop and the noise of the machines was terribly distracting. I wondered why they had chosen such a loud location for their lovely studio.

It was a few sessions before I realized there was no factory or workshop next door. The noise was an “oooohhm” machine. The noise was intentional and it was meant to help us meditate. 

Mediation can be unsettling. A church leader routinely called for a moment of silence at meetings when someone in the congregation died. All heads would bow. After only a few seconds he would end the meditation with a brusk, “That’s enough!”

But apparently there is something to it. Here is a link to an ABC news report and video from about a year ago.

Shawn Acher claims that just a few minutes of meditation will increase happiness, by diverting attention from our tendency to multitask. Studies show that, as proud as we are of our ability to do many things at once, it isn’t really a good idea.

Meditation is used in some denominations more than others. Lutherans tend to abhor a vacuum in worship. We fill every moment with words or music. There is nothing more awkward than an organist losing the page in the hymnal and fumbling for endless moments of nothing.

Redeemer’s experience was tempered a bit. East Falls has a fine Quaker School, which many of our children attended. They experienced the meditative ways of the Quakers—a few minutes in  kindergarten to a full hour in high school. The children claimed to like it. It influenced our members’ tolerance for meditation. There is nothing wrong with a little empty space in a liturgy.

On a few of our Ambassador visits, there was time for mediation built into the service, usually after the sermon. Communion is also a time when members can meditate while waiting for others. Some people develop the habit of arriving early at church to enjoy a quiet moment.

While many churches open Easter worship with trumpet heralds or the organ equivalent, one small country church played a nature CD with the bird calls and gurgling brook garden sounds. It was very effective!

Like every other step in the Happiness Advantage. It’s a matter of creating a habit.

How can we encourage meditation. Here are some ideas.

  • Orthodox Christians use icons to focus their meditation. Use interesting art on your bulletins as a meditation tool. There is a wealth of images available on the internet. Many simply require a credit line as permission to use.
  • Find an inspirational quote. In worship, we focus naturally on scripture. There is a wealth of Christian thought expressed by theologians and poets that can fuel meditation.
  • Open the church for meditation during the week.
  • Teach simple meditation techniques. Concentrating on breathing is key. Here are some links that might help:http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/1856

    http://www.artofliving.org/teach-meditation

  • Slow the pace of worship. Build some quiet in between sections of the liturgy.
  • Use a meditation CD.

However you decide to introduce meditation into your worship, remember to give it three months before evaluating.

22 Aug 2012

Practicing Happiness Techniques in Worship: Part 3 of 5

Cat is stretching. Exercise!Exercise for Happiness

The third suggestion from Shawn Achor’s Happiness Advantage is EXERCISE.

That’s a tough one to apply to congregational life, but let’s not dismiss it too quickly.

We Lutherans are known for standing up and sitting down. Many churches kneel and there is meaning in the physical acts. We stand to address God and honor the Gospel. We kneel in penitence and contrition. But this hardly qualifies as exercise!

At summer church camp we recognize the importance of exercise, sort of! We gather in the morning at the flagpole or cross, greet one another with a joke, read a short scripture and say a prayer. But included in the mix we do a bit of calisthenics. They are silly versions of standard exercises. My favorite is “doing squat.” As effortless at these “exercises” are, they serve a purpose. They help the camp wake up, laugh together and bond for the day’s activities. There is power in just having fun together. Exercise is a good option for making that happen.

So how can congregations exercise? In the olden days (within memory), most congregations had group exercise — bowling, baseball or basketball. Churches banded together to form leagues, creating interdenominational fellowship. This idea could be revived. Redeemer sponsored a community morning walk which catered to the less able. It was held at the community park which covers the area of two or three blocks. Those who have difficulty getting outdoor exercise on their own, met, enjoyed one another’s company and did a few laps around the park with safety and support of numbers. Playground playdates for young families are another exercise option. Yoga classes might be popular. Or teach liturgical dance! What if your liturgical dancers invited the congregation to join them!? Assign them some movements they could do in place to add to the praise of dance.

Think of what exercise options might be helpful to your congregation. Your worship experience might change if people gather having been energized during the week through social and physical benefits of exercise.

If nothing else, you can always invite the congregation to give you one or two stretches before worship!

photo credit: Kong SG via photo pin cc
21 Aug 2012

Making Choices in the Church

There is new jargon in the world of parenting. When our children stray from the path we would hope they follow, we scold them for “making poor choices.”

Not “wrong” choices. “Poor” choices. That’s less judgmental.

Making choices is a big responsibility. It is something we are asked to do regularly in the Church.

  • We can choose to attend worship . . . or not.
  • We can choose to support the work of the Church with our offerings . . . or not.
  • We can choose to help . . . or not.
  • We can choose to stand up for an unpopular cause . . . or not.
  • We can choose to speak out for the oppressed . . . or not.

Children make choices. Parents make choices. Congregations and leaders make choices. Pastors make choices. Bishops make choices.

  • The Church can choose to invest in social change.
  • The Church can choose to be more welcoming.
  • The Church can choose to tolerate differences.
  • The Church can choose to give a voice to those who differ.
  • The Church can choose to resolve conflict.
  • The Church can choose to love, forgive and reconcile.
    Or not.

Sometimes the Church makes good choices. More often we make the choices that are less troublesome and require the least effort.

Sometimes the choices we make are more than poor. They are wrong.

That’s where the Church chooses to fail.

photo credit: Dr Case via photo pin cc (retouched)

03 Aug 2012

Why Creative People Don’t Go to Church

The Church has fostered some brilliant creative minds. Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach are ancient examples in the Lutheran tradition. Modern Lutherans even like to take credit for Steve Jobs. His boundless creativity outlived his association with the denomination.

He was probably not alone. The Church is starting to recognize that creativity might be needed to meet the challenges of mission in today’s world. But old habits die hard.

At the heart of creativity is the ability to solve problems. You’d think the Church would be clamoring for creative minds!

Churches like to talk about rebirth and transformation. These desirable qualities will only take root if creativity can blossom. Too often the lauded rebirths and transformations are short-lived. That’s probably because they were engineered for short-term success—an ephemeral way to meet old-fashioned goals—not the product of true creative thinking. “Look, we’ve done the same thing we’ve done for a hundred years one more time!”

Creative thinkers soak up ideas from anywhere and everywhere. They have to surround themselves with things, ideas and people who are different. It is as necessary to their existence as water.

Creative people juxtapose the eclectic. They find in the clash of differences the spark that launches the new. They are usually surprised that other people can’t see what they see — at least at first.

Creative people who insist on using their gifts are often a threat to the status quo and seen as unable to “get along.” Getting along is important to church leaders. Often the discomfort at the presence of friction is a startling revelation to the creative mind. They thrive on friction.

What does the Church do with creative minds? We tend to give them jobs that display talent but not creativity. They become, for example, pastors who do the pastor thing or the organists who do the organist thing. What the Church is looking for is people who can fill jobs they have already defined, sometimes with exceptional flair, but often, just so-so is just fine.

Revelation: some creative people can’t preach or play the organ! These are skills. Creativity is its own skill.

Consequently, change comes about very, very slowly. The temptation to revert to old ways at the first sign of creative discomfort is a magnet. Put a drum set next to the organ, but don’t get rid of the organ!

Creativity is always a bit discomforting!

That’s why creative people don’t go to church. What is most important to them as part of God’s creation is of little value.

06 Jul 2012

In Praise of Church Artists (and that includes you!)

Educators in the arts are trained to understand the development of the human mind. Every child is born an artist, a musician, an athlete or dancer. From the time a toddler can grasp a fat crayola, the need to express ourselves is part of our humanity. Every child pumping themselves into the air on a backyard swing while belting out a song of her own invention is a musician. Every boy with a new pair of sneakers knows he is an athlete. Every girl spinning before a full-length mirror is in touch with her inner dancer.

Something happens to the human spirit on the path that leads from kindergarten to college. The need to master math and reading leaves the artist in many of us behind.

Ever notice how most adults who haven’t pursued art in school still draw like a nine-year-old? That’s because that’s about when the American education system stops stressing the arts in favor of academics. Art and music teachers know that this is a critical age for stressing art and music skills. The ear and eye need to be exercised along with the muscles and brains.

There may be a similar atrophy in the Church. We encourage our littlest members to try everything. But as they approach adulthood, the rule books and traditions start to erode interests and abilities rather than building on them or exploring untapped talents.

  • Preaching? That’s the realm of theologians. Male thinkers only, some still argue.
  • Music? We have a music director and organist, thank you. You can join the choir, if you like.
  • Instrumental Music? Well, as we said, we have an organist.
  • Design? We buy templates from the national church.
  • Dance? We’re not sure God would approve.
  • Leadership? What do we pay the preacher for?
  • Service? There’s a list of ways you can serve on the back of the bulletin.
  • Prayer? Just read the one from the worship book.
  • Poetry? You can’t improve on the Psalms.

Pretty soon you have a church where people come, sit in the pew, praise the leaders for their talents and go home.

After a while, they just stay home.

Perhaps one approach to reversing religious apathy is to discover the artist in each of us. We are what we can become. Only God knows our limits.

photo credit: Jason Paluck via photo pin cc
18 Jun 2012

Telling Your Church’s Story — the Real Story

During a recent panel discussion, a reporter explained the process of ferreting out the news. She described the many story pitches that come to her every week from enthusiastic, community-minded groups that are doing “worthy” things — but not “newsworthy” things.

Your walk for charity is not “news.” Lots of people are doing this — every weekend.

She went on to say that when an interested party calls, she begins to engage the caller in conversation about the upcoming event. The caller, with great passion begins to talk about the people, and suddenly, the reporter senses there is something newsworthy in telling the story about the people involved — not the event itself.

Church communicators can learn from this. Our story is often best told through our people. When we tell our church story we should focus on our people and their faith stories. If church makes a difference in their lives, it may make a difference in someone else’s life. You don’t have to use names (although it’s nice when you can). Tell the story of your people on their faith journey and you will be teaching the Gospel.

Facebook is a good place to tell the people side of your story.

One Maryland church applauded a 12-year-old member who made and served the congregation lunch after church one Sunday. It’s Facebook page encourages the readers to press the “Like” button on the story to show the young man how much his work is appreciated. (It’s in the scroll bar on the left of the linked page.) Just that one short note on their web page tells any reader that their church values and encourages the contributions of their young people. It is likely to be far more effective than any newsletter or bulletin kudo.

You can use the same technique in focusing on your members’ faith stories.

Tell your story . . and make it personal!

“I love to tell the story, for those who know it best,
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.”

23 Apr 2012