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Worship in Worship in Lutheran Lutheran schoolsschools

1111thth February 2014 February 2014

Reflect on your own spirituality.

What has shaped it and helped it grow?

What part has worship played in your spiritual

journey?Join with a partner and share your thoughts.

Faith (or at least and interest in Faith (or at least and interest in matters of faith) can be matters of faith) can be legitimately presupposed for the majoritylegitimately presupposed for the majority

Most of the congregation is baptised Most of the congregation is baptised Previous involvement in Christian worshipPrevious involvement in Christian worship - -

congregational worship practices presupposed for the congregational worship practices presupposed for the majoritymajority

Some level of biblical literacy presupposed for the Some level of biblical literacy presupposed for the majoritymajority

Voluntary attendanceVoluntary attendance

Regular congregational worshipRegular congregational worship

Changing contextChanging context

Then…

Now…

God’s action and people’s responseGod’s action and people’s response ……God conveys love, grace and mercy to human beings God conveys love, grace and mercy to human beings

through readings from the Bible, forgiveness of sins, through readings from the Bible, forgiveness of sins, proclamation of the gospel, the enactment of Baptism, the proclamation of the gospel, the enactment of Baptism, the celebration of Holy Communion, and the performance of celebration of Holy Communion, and the performance of blessing. blessing. Statement on School worship BLEA GCC 2002Statement on School worship BLEA GCC 2002

Worship in Lutheran schoolsWorship in Lutheran schools

No presupposition of a participant’s faithNo presupposition of a participant’s faith No presupposition of baptismNo presupposition of baptism No presupposition of involvement in congregational No presupposition of involvement in congregational

worship practicesworship practices No presupposition of biblical literacyNo presupposition of biblical literacy Compulsory attendanceCompulsory attendance

School worshipSchool worship

‘‘Only those who believe in Only those who believe in God God

can worship God!’can worship God!’Marva DawnMarva Dawn

Discuss: What are the implications for schools?Discuss: What are the implications for schools?

Understanding the spirituality of children Understanding the spirituality of children

• holistic ways of seeing – capacity for mystical

• open and curious – capacity for wonder

• discover new things daily – capacity for thinking and inquiring

Children’s spiritualityChildren’s spirituality

• feelings matter – importance of relationships

• know that there is more than they know – capacity for awe and the desire to search for meaning

Young people long for:Young people long for:

1.1.Experiences of deep connection to Experiences of deep connection to themselves, others nature, a higher themselves, others nature, a higher power (relationships that are caring, power (relationships that are caring, resonant with meaning)resonant with meaning)

2.2.Longing for silence and solitude – Longing for silence and solitude – stillness, reflection, rest, prayer, stillness, reflection, rest, prayer, contemplationcontemplation

Understanding the spirituality of young peopleUnderstanding the spirituality of young people

Young people long for:Young people long for:

3.3.Exploration of big Exploration of big questions – questions – Why am I Why am I here? What is life for? here? What is life for? What does my future hold? What does my future hold? Is there a God?Is there a God?

4.4.Experiences of joy and Experiences of joy and delight throughdelight through play, play, celebration, gratitude, celebration, gratitude, beauty, power, brilliancebeauty, power, brilliance

Understanding the spirituality of young Understanding the spirituality of young peoplepeople

What implications does this have for:What implications does this have for:

the physical environment – spaces, furniture, materials, objects, the physical environment – spaces, furniture, materials, objects, other resources?other resources?social environment- involvement of community, family, diversity social environment- involvement of community, family, diversity of experiences?of experiences?nature of sensory , language experiences students are given?nature of sensory , language experiences students are given?

daily staff devotions, staff prayer, Bible study, staff retreats, daily staff devotions, staff prayer, Bible study, staff retreats, staff worshipstaff worship

classroom worship - class devotions, grace prior to lunch, classroom worship - class devotions, grace prior to lunch, blessing at the end of the school dayblessing at the end of the school day

school worshipschool worship school and congregational worship school and congregational worship

In Lutheran schools they set aside In Lutheran schools they set aside special times to worship through:special times to worship through:

Bible readingBible reading Telling Bible storiesTelling Bible stories Prayers of request and thanks – Prayers of request and thanks – for students, school and the worldfor students, school and the world BlessingBlessing Singing Singing Group silence for meditation and contemplationGroup silence for meditation and contemplation Appropriate ritual acts (eg candles, signing of the cross for Appropriate ritual acts (eg candles, signing of the cross for

blessing etc)blessing etc)

Appropriate Elements for School WorshipAppropriate Elements for School Worship

Confession of sinsConfession of sins Confession of faithConfession of faith Responsive prayersResponsive prayers Calls for commitmentCalls for commitment

Inappropriate elements may include:Inappropriate elements may include:

be accessible to studentsbe accessible to students be in language and style which witnesses to the be in language and style which witnesses to the

relevance of the gospel and the mystery of God.relevance of the gospel and the mystery of God. provide for a variety of expressions of worship as God provide for a variety of expressions of worship as God

works differently in different people at works differently in different people at different different times.times.

Worship and devotions in the Worship and devotions in the school context needs to:school context needs to:

What understandings are What understandings are important for our teachers?important for our teachers?

Our world is desperate for God. In the face of growing postmodern Our world is desperate for God. In the face of growing postmodern despair and chaos, the escalating gap between rich and poor, the despair and chaos, the escalating gap between rich and poor, the intensifying violence and global political and economic confusions, intensifying violence and global political and economic confusions,

our world desperately needs worship services where God is our world desperately needs worship services where God is encountered in as much as his fullness as possible. encountered in as much as his fullness as possible. [1999 M Dawn][1999 M Dawn]

Is God kept the subject? Is God kept the subject? Does worship nurture participant’s character? Does worship nurture participant’s character? Does it deepen the community? Does it deepen the community?

Criteria for planning worshipCriteria for planning worship

Bible verse or a Bible storyBible verse or a Bible story Stories and Christian StudiesStories and Christian Studies ReadRead TellTell DramatiseDramatise ViewView

Starting pointsStarting points

Ritual Ritual

• SightSight• SoundSound• FeelFeel• TasteTaste• SmellSmell

Multi sensoryMulti sensory

ARTWORK

Story: Story: secular and Christiansecular and Christian

Devotional booksDevotional books

MeditationMeditation