Worship Without Words

Explaination & Reflection

Tonight we did something at The Rhythm called “Worship Without Words”.  The night was originally inspired by Louie Giglio.  I first experienced it many years ago at a conference at North Point Church in Atlanta called Thirsty.  Since then I took what God inspired Louie to do and brought it to my own Singles Ministry.  The first time I did it was in Tampa at 97 WEST.  Tonight was the second time at The Rhythm in Chandler, AZ.

I spent the last eight weeks teaching about the critical elements we each need in our lives in order to live a life worthy of being called a Christ follower.  Tonight was the capstone to the series.  Almost no one I spoke to had ever heard of the concept and that made many people curious and some even a bit skeptical.  I didn’t let anyone in on what the night would entail; I let the title speak for itself.  I merely told them to be prepared to be possibly uncomfortable but challenged and ready for something completely different.  Here is what we posted about the evening before hand:

This will be a night you will not soon forget! We ask that when you arrive in the parking lot you begin to clear your mind of everything.  Then as you enter the building we ask that you come directly into the auditorium as quickly as possible without saying a word.  As you wait for the night to begin, please sit quietly and reflect on what we have learned over the last 8 weeks (especially those things that meant the most to you personally).  Also this experience will begin this Thursday at 7:30 PM so please arrive early! This is NOT the night to show up even 5 minutes late as it will disrupt the evening for the rest of those in the room. As for the rest of the details… you will have to simply wait and see!

The whole concept is to slow people down long enough that they have almost no choice but to engage in the silence.  One can go years without ever stopping to hear the beauty and simplicity of nothingness.  There was background relaxation music by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson.  The music was a mix of ambient tones and the sounds of nature (much like what you might hear when getting a massage!).  The music provided just enough to keep little distractions at bay and enable people to focus on the words on the screens.

There were also a couple of hundred or more candles placed randomly on black cloth covering a multilevel display across 5 tables in front of the stage.  A few candles were already lit but the majority had never been burned.  They were waiting for someone in the room to light them as a symbol of a new covenant with God (I provided small skinny candles in baskets that people could use to transfer the flame from one votive candle to the other). Lastly we had the elements for communion laid out on two separate tables for people as they saw fit to partake.

For thirty-five minutes, people sat quietly in a very dimly lit room and read what I had prepared on the screens.  The text came up one letter at a time thanks to Apple’s Key Note program with its “typewriter” transition in, followed by a “dissolve” transition out.  This gave those in the room a more personal impression as it appeared somewhat like I was typing the words at that moment.  They contemplated the challenges I laid before them while engaging their hearts in silence.  The presence of the Holy Spirit was unmistakable as it moved through the room.  Towards the end of the silence I walked them through the true meaning and challenge of taking communion.  I then gave them the freedom to get out of their seats and follow their hearts. 

There are really no additional descriptions I can provide about the evening other than the occasional sound of weeping during the night and overwhelmingly positive comments afterwards.  It is simply something that you must experience to fully understand.

~ by jpatters13 on September 4, 2009.