(Karin Simmons is a worship leader at St. Mary’s of Bethany, a newly formed Anglican fellowship in Nashville, TN.)
by Karin Simmons
I was not raised Anglican. I spent my most formative years in contemporary evangelical churches; years that cultivated my love for music that pointed me to God. Now for the past 10 years or so, I’ve found myself in churches with deep, liturgical roots and it speaks to me profoundly.
One part of the Anglican church I’ve thoroughly loved is the way it embraces its resident artists – visual, musical, culinary, and written word artists. I want to share a few examples of how our church embraces and celebrates the creatives within its community. I realize that not all elements of this will apply to all congregations, but if you can take away one or two ideas that work within the structure of your style of worship, I believe you’ll be blessed by it.
Visual Arts
Do you have any visual artists in your church? Painters, woodworkers, seamstresses, potters? Every week, our church utilizes items that have been hand-crafted by either a member of our church, or by someone who wished to share their gift with our body.
Paintings, oil and water-color, are displayed in an effort to point the viewer back to the Creator.
The linens on our Communion Table have been lovingly hand sewn and embroidered as a gift to the Lord.
The processional cross and candles, likewise have been fashioned out of wood and steel and created specifically for our congregation’s use.
The dishes used to serve The Lord’s Supper to our parishioners, and the baptismal font are hand-thrown pottery and gifted for our church’s use.
Tapping into the talents of your congregants is a very personal way of letting them know they are loved, supported and appreciated.
Music Arts
Musicians probably form the broadest subset of artists in your worship community. But are you using them to their fullest potential?
Have you ever asked a songwriter to set a Psalm to music? How about creating a new version of The Lord’s Prayer specifically for your church’s use. Or a worship song that speaks to what your congregation is learning?
It’s a practice that’s well documented over the centuries – musicians creating music for their own churches.
As a personal example, in our church we sing (or chant) a Psalm together each Sunday (as determined by the Book of Common Prayer). I often set each week’s Psalm to music, creating what I hope will be a memorable chorus that will stick with them through the week – working to help hide God’s Word in the hearts of His people.
Written Arts
Do you have talented writers in your church? Poets? Consider using a specially written Call To Worship that sets the tone for your church during specific seasons.
Consider writing a corporate prayer of confession for your congregation.
If you use dramatic arts in your worship, this is a great way to utilize the writing talents of those in your church for whatever you’re creating.
Culinary Arts
This is an area that is often overlooked as a viable art in the church and yet, how many of us remember fondly our all-church suppers, or dinner on the ground? Culinary artists need not be limited to the all-familiar potluck, however. Two other very specific ways that food can be used as a gift comes to mind.
Perhaps you have several people in your church that would like to contribute their time and resources to create a frozen pantry – freezer meals made in bulk that can be easily accessed to give to someone in need.
Culinary expertise can also be utilized in the making of communion bread. Leavened or unleavened, this can of course be reserved for special occasions. But what a tangible gift to receive the body of our Lord by the fruit of someone’s hands.
The Church has long been known to embrace the arts with open arms and open wallets. Many classical composers, most notably J.S. Bach, were on the payroll with their local parish, commissioned to create new music throughout the year.
Very few churches these days have budgets large enough to pay all of their artists. That doesn’t mean you can’t have good art. Know your congregation and the diverse talents they possess. Many artists will give of their talents if only they’re asked. Prayerfully consider this; do some reading; recognize when it’s appropriate to offer compensation and when it’s ok to ask for and receive a gift.
Enjoy the broad spectrum of the arts in your church. Since we know that God created the heavens and the earth, then how can we not believe that He is the penultimate Creative. And since we are created in His image, then we are also creative and have been made to use our various gifts to bring God glory.
worship views in the round 