Evaluating Worship

 The following link is a helpful tool for evaluating worship:

http://www.clayfirecurator.org/2011/05/how-do-you-decide-if-worship-is-good-or-a-success-mark-pierson/

If you have not come across Mark's book "The art of curating worship"(once my assignment is back I will add my reflection on this book) then you are missing a treat, he and several others (Jonny Baker etc) have written several books looking at this concept. As a future Anglican Priest, I realise that "Common Worship" is not a 'ready meal' instead leading worship is bringing different resources together in a prayerful way and led by the Holy Spirit into bringing disparate components together that we might be encouraged to worship in spirit and truth.

Below I have listed his method for evaluating worship:

Giving it my best involves measuring myself against a number of elements:

1. Staying true to my working definition of worship.
2. Analysing the category of worship required (community, transitional, guerilla[see his chapter on it for an explanation and no it is spelt correctly])
3. Carefully answering the question, “What do I want to say?”
4. Collaborating with people I trust to reflect back to me criticism and affirmation.
5. Being still long enough and often enough to hear what God is saying to me about what I am doing as I do it.
6. Constantly imagining the “congregation” responding and how they will know what is expected of them at any point. This helps me remember the range of “ages and stages” present and to clarify my instructions.
7. Praying and imagining through the whole event on paper. This helps me see segues and transitions that are needed, as well as how the elements flow or not.
8. Doing the work of exegesis and understanding well any biblical text involved.

(Pierson, 04th May 2011)

Please read his article, as it is not an arrogant attempt to pat himself on his back for what he thinks is good as he says it needs to be God breathed.

I am adding this to my SALT tool (see post), as I attempt to come to a way to discern and reflect on my life and service to God. Though I want to hold on to "When two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them" (Matt. 18.20).

Often in theology we are faced with paradox's  leading worship is one of these (the Holy Spirit is the worship leader etc). To my mind anyway I cannot be slap dash and have an 'any old thing will do' attitude and rely on God to multiply the loaves and fish (though I do rely on him in his grace to do just this) each time we meet but neither can I script the life out of our gathered times together. It is both, I need to prepare in prayer listening for his leading but also learning to bring together what he has already given.