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ART 352
Redeemer University College, Fall 2009
Prof. Christopher M. Cuthill
ext. 4523
How does our faith bear upon our understanding of art(s)? What is the significance of art(s) in our post-modern culture? How can the church become more in tune with the aesthetic dimension of life? What are the challenges facing Christian artists today? These and other questions will be explored in weekly seminars.
ccuthil@redeemer.on.ca
profcuthill@gmail.com
Office 239D
I have been emotionally moved in worship by aesthetic pleasure. Especially when singing, I have often been moved more by the style of the music, the beat and rhythm, than I have by the words I am singing and the meaning behind what I'm saying. We can easily become dependent in worship on personal style and on the excellence with which it is carried out. While these are not bad things, it is important to be able to worship our God whether or not we like how the worship is being carried out. Because of this, I think it is essential that before the music or prayer or other form of worship has even started, that Christians should come to worship with a grateful heart for what God has done and also with a willingness to let God use them in whatever way he wants.
ReplyDeleteI think it's helpful when we are feeling "at home" in a church, including the worship music style. Yet, you have to be careful with that, because in our "me" culture, we can easily go "shopping" for churches that make "me" feel good. And that's approaching church from a consumer point of view. I think we need to realize that going to church is about meeting with our family to worship together as one, and care for and encourage each other. It's active and involved, not a passive, entertaining, individualistic experience.
ReplyDeleteMy best and most sincere moments of worship have involved all three of those things kinda mushing into one or more grand and freeing experience(s). However its been quite rare for me to find those experiences in a regular institutional church setting. I think we worship best with things that we strongly identify with, we were made that way, so why not?
ReplyDeleteI feel my best worship experiences have been with more aesthetic worship. Some churches have no aesthetic appeal and you dwell more on the bad music than on worshiping. It is a little distracting. Some churches however have members who lead the worship and they are so talented that you know this is a gift of God and you appreciate it and worship better.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely been emotionally moved by nostalgia during a worship service. I grew up attending a fairly traditional church where we only sang hymns, accompanied by the organ and the trumpet. I love those hymns, and now many of them move me whenever I hear them. I enjoy singing them in old and new arrangements. However, the times in my own life that I consider true worship are when I have been just knocked out with wonder and awe at how incredible God is. This has happened to me in the grocery store, at the top of a mountain, even when I'm talking with the little boys I babysit. It seems to me that worship is more of an attitude of the heart and less of an activity, so I don't think that worship can ever become dependent on a "style."
ReplyDeleteI have most definitely been moved by aesthetics. The Lord asks for our best, but sometimes I take this a little further and want perfection because if the music is right, it is less of a distraction. Mistakes and uneasiness in the music can force the congregation to focus on the music rather than the worship experience between them and God.
ReplyDeleteI think many people, including myself depend on style to create comfort. It doesn't mean the other styles I'm not used to are wrong, but I find it more difficult to worship because I don't know what's going on. Comfort can allow us to focus on our conversation with God because we aren't necessarily focused on what is happening around us or what is coming up next or uneasiness. In a way, it's like when a friend comes over for a visit, if it's in a familiar setting, conversation flows easy and we have a good time. If it's in a different, uncomfortable place, instead of the company we're with, we're focused on our surroundings and genuine conversation is sometimes less likely. God wants genuine worship and communion with Him, which can mean that we need to have some level of comfort in worship.
Nostalgia and aesthetics enable me to become rooted and "lost" in some forms of worship. I know our every day lives should be worship but he form I connect with God in the most is via music. I find it much easier to become "lost" in worship when the music is well done ( I know, quite shallow), and I have some understanding of the music because I have heard it before or sung it before. One of my favourite hymns is "When Peace Like a River" which the author/composer wrote after his wife and four daughters died on a boat on their way to see him in Englad (I think). This then hold so much more emotion and allows me to see by others experiences what this holds and many of us become nostalgic about it. Every time I sing this hymn theres a huge connection because a) I know it well and It is a genuinley beautiful hymn, in a matter of opinion, and b) there is a sentimental nostalgia to it which then allows those worshiping together to deeply connect with each other and most significantly the one whom they worship.
ReplyDeleteI have often been moved in many ways during worship including the three ways stated above. I also think that we should live out in worship in our everyday lives but I do find it easier in certain circumstances. Although I try to be open minded in different forms of worship it is difficult to be open to new things right away. I find that the longer I take part in something ‘new’ the more I become able to openly worship. Unfortunately I would have to say that my ability to worship often depends on the style of worship but I am becoming more open to new things and am finding myself to worship in less familiar styles as well.
ReplyDeleteI feel that we tend to become very dependent on our familiar surroundings in regards to our ability to worship. Worship is such a community-based act that it seems, for me, to come easier when I am around people that I know and love. My home church remains fairly traditional, which I am not always fond of, but just being around people that I know has its own effect on me. I am often moved emotionally in my home church because I know everyone and I feel connected as one body thus provoking nostalgia within me. When I am away from my home church I often miss that sense of community as I tend to worship differently when I am surrounded by strangers. However, my home church lacks any aesthetic appeal so when I do go to a church that has more aesthetic pleasure I am moved emotionally in a different way. There are so many variables in regards to effects on worship because in some cases you could be in a very drab setting, but the music itself could be so conscience clearing. While being in a setting that is adorned in stained glass and colour that is accompanied with mediocre music could move me emotionally as well. But I do believe that our ability to worship is highly dependent on how familiar we are with the style and flavor of worship because we are humans who are deeply moved with familiarity in knowing that others worship in the same way that we do. As humans we yearn for this deep connection, but we are all different and we all find emotional movement in different ways.
ReplyDeleteAesthetics really draw me into worship. I have been in a few of the world's greatest cathedrals and the beautiful architecture and stained glass windows totally blow me away and help me to focus on the awesome magnificence of God. But I've also been in some 'un-aesthetically' pleasing churches but what's drawn me in there has been the music.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of familiarity in worship, the more familiar the better. When I'm introduced to a new song, especially if it's complicated, I have difficulty focusing on who the music is for. Also, in today's churches where we put the lyrics up on the projector, the melody is a mystery unless you already know the song. I often sing with my eyes shut as well so it really helps to know the songs:)
I also find that it doesn't matter if I know all the people around me or the space I'm in. God is constant and familiar so that's enough for me.
Since I moved out to university, I have had such an awesome time experiencing new styles and forms of worship. I have been so encouraged by people who welcome aesthetics into worship. I have definitely experienced consceince clearing and aesthetic pleasure in worship, especially music. I tend not to feel nostalgia because I am still really excited about breaking out of my past and experiencing new things. I have always been brought up in an atmosphere where the music is just an addition to the service, but never the most important part. Now I most look forward to worshiping God in song. However, I must admit I enjoy the singing a lot more when the songs are familiar and the style is according to my taste. I have a hard time really singing hymns to organ music because of the connections they bring up to my past. However, I also try really hard to remember that different people worship in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI have been emotionally moved in a worship service many times, and most experiences were moving in a different way.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i think that in this day and age, people have become very dependent on how comfortable they feel in a service, and I think that music has a lot to do with that - it does for me.
Music is something that is able to set people at ease or it can create discomfort. I find in services that discomfort will come with an unknown tune and people don't really know what to do. with a well known song, people have something to do - they can sing because they know the words and if they are really comfortable they feel the ability to move to a song.
The style of music has a lot to do with the way people worship. In my church we have both the organ and the praise team and depending on which Sunday, we will have either the organ or the praise team to 'try and keep every one happy'. This of course never happens because on any given Sunday there are people who are not happy. For the younger generation in my church the praise team with the contemporary songs create a comfort for them - it's music that they listen too all the time. For the older generation however, this music is more unknown to them and they prefer to have the organ. I'd say that we are very dependent on the familiarity of the style of woroship, but that it shouldn't inhibit our ability to worship.
I have absolutely felt moved by worship. Most often during times of trouble when I’ve needed Gods presents more then anything. I’m not completely convinced that it was because of its aesthetic appeal though but more because of its deep and moving words of forgiveness and love. Since I’m not a music major or very knowledgeable on the subject, I can’t really pin point marvellously made music, but I have seen the power of worship being sang, out of tune or tempo. I acknowledge that it is important that there be a level of fluidity so not to be distracting others from God. Worship is a time to exalt and connect with God, but it’s hard to do so if everyone has to plug their eyes. I don’t think it’s about a “me” attitude either. Finding a balance is very important and keeping the focus on God is number one, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI envy those who have posted above. I would say that I have been emotionally moved during a worship service, never by nostalgia that I can recall, by conscience clearing on at least one occasion, and by aesthetic appeal quite often. However, when my conscience was cleared in a worship service, when I left afterwards I did not feel like my conscience had been cleared. It was like hearing "your sins are forgiven" without God's authority in the words, just a real feeling of in-authenticity. As a result I've been cynical of similar worship services which are usually characterized by the aesthetic appeal, and from the other similar worship services I've gone to, I think my cynicism has been justified.
ReplyDeleteOn a separate note, I have been moved emotionally by the aesthetics of a worship service before, but I was negatively moved. I found myself distracted from the reality of God while being engrossed in interesting yet feeble representations.
To sum it all up, the times I am moved in worship are the times when I worship alone. I understand that that could be an unhealthy spiritual quality, but for now... that's how it is.