Leading With Light

Leading With Light: Using Video Projectors Wisely Leading Worship with Light and Liturgy Steven Koster

1 Resources & Training *Find best tools *Create educational resources *Develop strategies 2 Consulting & Mini Grants *1-on-1 Planning *Customized strategy *Funding available for some outreach projects 3 Peer Learning & Community *Shared resources *Best Practices *Receive & share ideas nationwide

What goes on the screen?
Why?
What are we trying to do?
What are we trying to illustrate?
You have a screen. Now what?

WHAT IS THE SCREEN LIKE?
How does it function?
What job does it do?
To what do you compare it?

Other screens
Book-on-wall (lyrics, music)
Bulletin (announcements, order, litany)
Business Meeting (talking points, graphs)
TV/Movie Theater (watch me!)
What is the Screen Like?

What else is visual in worship?
Architecture (focus)
Liturgical Furniture (tasks, shape)
Stained Glass (enduring stories)
Banners (seasonal, tone)
Leaders/performers/instruments

The Pipe Organ?!
A big lump of expensive technology
Installed in worship space
Requires expertise
Technical (ability to use tools to create art?)
Aesthetic (poor, competent or good art?)
Theological (a body and history of church art?)
Liturgical (how does art contribute to today?)

The screen is like a visual musical instrument
Requires the same kinds of preparation
Who will help plan its use for a service?
What will we do with it? What parameters?
When will decisions be made?
How will ideas turn to plans to products?
Where will preparation happen?
Why do we need this anyway?

Like music, visual media guides the congregation in their worship tasks
Technology should fit worship, not the other way around
Just as a music ministry leads with sound, a visual ministry Leads with Light
What are the tasks in worship?
What questions are being answered ?
What acts are the congregation called to do?
How can the screen help them do it?
Goal: Leading Worship

FOUR USES FOR STILL IMAGERY
Increasing complexity and use of the medium
Increasing depth of Illustrating the core tasks of worship

Just Text and Color

Examples:
Text of Scripture Reading or Song
Plain Text and Color

Psalm 47:6-9 (NSRV)
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.

Examples:
Text and Music Notation

Examples:
Sermon Outline (revealed line by line)

Who Calms the Storm?
Jesus sets the stage to reveal himself (v35-36)
Disciples react in fear (vs. faith) (v37-38)
Jesus reveals himself as YHWH (v39)
Conclusion:
They answer their own question!
The real question is our response to the answer.
Jesus reveals himself to us as God of creation, supremely powerful!

Examples:
Sermon Outline
Artistic Rendering of Psalm 23

Psalm A psalm of David. 23

is my The LORD shepherd ,

I shall not be in want .

He makes down in green pastures, me lie

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

Images as Illustration

Examples:
Photograph of text (Calligraphy)
Images as Illustrations

Courtesy of Jan Roeda

Examples:
Backgrounds

As the Deer Pants for Water (Psalm 42)

So Rich A Crown

PH #438: When Morning Gilds the Sky

To the Hills I Lift My Eyes Psalm 121

Examples:
Backgrounds
Sermon Illustrations

Tower of Babel

Genesis 11: Let us build a Tower and a City…

… a Tower that reaches the Heavens

Storm in Galilee

Examples:
Backgrounds
Sermon Illustrations
Lord’s Prayer motions

Arr. George Black; 1998 English Language Liturgical Consultation CCLI #2440198 “ Our Father” (Sing 196)

Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Both Text/Color and Illustrations point to a single event during the service
Text & Lyrics ‘visualize’ the song
Motions lead the prayer
Illustrate an event in worship

Illustrate an event in worship
Limitations:
Limited use of the medium
Fragmented approach
Emphasizes the event , not worship flow
Can point to medium, not message

Thematic Metaphor

Thematic Metaphor
A visual analogy for the spiritual concept of the day

God the Artist

Thematic Metaphor
A visual analogy for a spiritual concept
It’s like a single-panel editorial cartoon : the whole idea is in one image

Thematic Scripture & Metaphor

Thematic Metaphor
A visual analogy for a spiritual concept
It’s like a single-panel editorial cartoon
Friendly to Pop-Culture references

Thematic Metaphor
Strengths
Drives home the point for the day
Can effectively translate to contemporary culture
Illustrates the entire service , not just one event
Limitations
It’s only one image
Encapsulates a single theme, but doesn’t change from beginning to end

Thematic Metaphor
Liturgical Sequence

Liturgical Sequence
First, some big questions:
What happens in Worship? How are we different at the end?
What is Liturgy made of?
What tasks does our congregation walk through during the whole service?
It has Structure!
It has Story!

Liturgical Sequence
Dialogue (up – down)
God Speaks
We Respond

Liturgical Sequence: Dialogue
Structure: Worship is dialogue
God calls (down arrow)
We respond (up arrow)
Our Task: Respond to God’s Call
How can we demonstrate dialogue ?
Contrasts!
color, font, position, style

Psalm 47:6-9 (NSRV)
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.

Liturgical Sequence
Dramatic Movement
Gathering
Renewal
Confession/Lament
Assurance
Word / Nourishment
Sending

Dramatic Movements of Liturgy Handout

Dramatic Movements of Liturgy
Handout: Grid of liturgy ideas
What are the basic tasks of Worship?
Liturgy has structure
Acts in worship are not in random order
Structure varies from church to church
Structure has purpose
Our acts in worship have a task or purpose
Purposes continue from week to week
These on-going purposes suggest parameters for visual choices!

Example: Gathering
We are called to Gather each week
Basic Theme:
God calls us to come together as His people and worship him
Key ideas:
Gathering, preparing, traveling, anticipating, entering, encountering God, responding, beginning a dialogue, setting the tone

Psalm of Ascent
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

Thematic Scripture

Thematic Metaphor

Questions Who Killed Christ?

Questions
`
Who Killed Christ? Why did he die? What difference does it make? Why should I care?

Countdown

Welcome

Mission Statement?

Corporate Logo?

Instructions?

Not Announcements

Example: The Response
Basic theme:
We actively respond in gratitude by offering our lives of service;
we prepare to enter the world and enact the kingdom
Basic ideas:
Offering ourselves, seek opportunities
Make the general concrete
Sending, commissioning

Announcements as Response

Discipleship Opportunities

Scripture on faith in action
From Timothy 6:11
But as for you, people of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Concrete Prayer Requests President Obama and other leaders

Concrete Prayer Requests
College Students and others away from us

Concrete Prayer Requests
Missionaries We Support

Dramatic Movements of Liturgy
The Dramatic Movements are the basic actions of the “story” we enact in worship
The Dramatic Movements should shape what happens on the screen
Enact and Tell the Story with the screen!

Liturgical Sequence
Dramatic Movements
Method 1: Generic Sequences

Build a library suitable for any week
Grounded in your regular pattern
Possible Basic elements
Gathering
Confession & Assurance
Word
Response
Sending

Example: Generic Sequence
Building a composite

Gathering

Confession

Assurance

Word/Nourishment

Sending

A developing metaphor

Our stance before God: Gathering

Our stance before God: Confession

Our stance before God: Assurance

Our stance before God: Word

Our stance before God: Sending

Stained Glass colors: Gathering

Stained Glass colors: Confession

Stained Glass colors: Assurance

Stained Glass colors: Word

Stained Glass colors: Sending

A developing metaphor
Found Art, in a consistent style

Gathering

Confession

Assurance

Communion

Dismissal

Gathering

Confession

Assurance

Word (Empty Tomb)

Response

Sending

Liturgical Sequence
Dramatic Movements
Gathering
Renewal
Word
Response
Sending
Method 2: Thematic Dramatic Sequences!

Method 2: Dramatic Thematic
Dramatic movements have general structure that continues week-to-week
But each week has a specific theme and/or metaphor
From scripture text
Church year
Current events
Sermon series
Controlling metaphor
Combines the ‘editorial cartoon’ with a sequence
This is GOLD if you have the resources!

Method 2: Thematic Dramatic

Handout: Blank Simple Grid
Simple approach for a specific week
First task: Fill in first column
Restate Dramatic purpose in light of this week’s theme
What does each movement look like in light of this theme ?
How does theme change through the service?

Second task: Fill in the grid
Express the theme in song, word, and visuals
Generate and Evaluate creative choices
Fill in other columns in light of each other

Example: Dramatic Thematic
“ Isaiah 60” themes:
Glory of God
Global Church
Parts
Gathering: Global church called in glory
Confession: But we are not global
Assurance: Our rifts are forgiven
Word: We receive God’s glory in our diversity
Response: We bring our diverse gifts
Sending: We are sent to reflect God everywhere

Gathering

Renewal: Confession

Renewal: Assurance

Response

Sending

Theme: Lament
Based on Psalm 130
Parts
Gathering (in the morning)
Confession (Out of the Depths I Cry)
Word & Assurance (I Wait)
Dismissal (For the Morning)
Example: Thematic Sequence

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

People on a Journey
Based on Phil 4
Note Dialogue
Parts:
Prelude: Theme of Journey
Gathering: Sojourners gathered
Word: Sojourners refreshed
Dismissal: Sojourners sent
Example: Dramatic Thematic

As people of faith on a journey, we come to be renewed in God's strength.

WE GATHER IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

The Call to Worship Let us worship God. The Lord is the everlasting God, The Creator of the ends of the earth.

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH PHILIPPIANS 4

O Spirit of God, you who have written this rich
fourth chapter of Philippians through your servant Paul,
now speak to us
through these same words, so that we may know your will, our hearts may be encouraged, and our fellowship be strengthened.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Our Prayer for Illumination

The Reading of Philippians 4:4-9 The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

WE DEPART WITH GOD'S BLESSING

*The Benediction
Congregational Amen!

Example: Thematic Sequence
“ Worship Arts Seminar” themes:
God the creator/artist
God’s children in His creative image
Parts
Gathering (Prelude & Call to Worship)
Confession in Word
Assurance in Word
Response
Sending

Gathering: Prelude

Gathering: Call to Worship

Confession:

Genesis 1:26-28
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Word: Made in the creator’s image

Exodus 35:30–34:1 The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Word: Using creative gifts to build temple

1 Corinthians 3:10-17 The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Word: Christ as the one sound foundation

Response: Our creative gifts offered

Sending: Creative in the creator’s image

Conclusions: The Organ-Screen
Think of the screen like a visual musical instrument
It has the role of a visual banner
With the control of a pipe organ
The same questions raised in music are raised for the screen
What creative choices will lead worship?
Who is best qualified to make decisions?

Conclusions: Illustrate Liturgy
Illustrate the congregation's task, not event
Visual planning is liturgy planning
It should happen early
It should be along side music and texts
Visual planners need liturgy training more than technology training

Conclusions: A Visual Arts Team
This is not an “AV” team
Three skill sets needed:
Liturgist: what’s our goal?
Artist: what’s our vision?
Technologist: make it happen
Like a Music Ministry Team, this is a Visual Ministry Team
Same questions, same goals

Conclusion
Acid test: What happens when the projector breaks?

Workshop: Music-Word-Image

Workshop: Generic templates
Storyboard Exercise
Givens:
a 4 x 3 space
Themes of generic liturgical sequence
Sketch:
Any style: photographs, line art, pen & ink, computer graphics,
Write in: colors, concepts, directions

Leading With Light

by Steven Koster on Feb 04, 2011

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Leading With Light — Presentation Transcript