While not precisely on the topic of visuals in worship, I recently published a reflection on the intentional emptiness of Advent as a counter to our cultural expectations of increasing revelry through December, only to crash on the 26th.
In the old days, when the pastor alone led worship, the furniture up front never moved, except maybe for the Christmas pageant or something unusual. But now, with great variety in worship styles. we have to think about the furniture again. Maybe there's a team of singers and readers, maybe there's rock band with drum kit, maybe there's still just the pastor. Maybe it changes each week. So, what do we do with the stuff up front? Where should the Pulpit go when the band sings and the pastor wanders up and down the steps? What about the Baptismal Font and Communion Table? Can we just put them away when they're not needed?
Everyone calls it PowerPoint (a trademark of Microsoft), but there is much better software for displaying images in a worship setting. These tools allow more flexibility for the live-action environment, particularly the ability to preview what you're going to display next.
Your options include:
The fellas over at Midnight Oil productions have written up a handy guide to the 2007 offerings in worship software for "Technologies for Worship" magazine. Take a look:
"Come in!"
"It's good to see you!"
"I'm glad you're here with me"
"I'm sorry we've been gone. It's been hard."
"It’s OK. I know it hurts, but I can make it better."
"Thanks for caring so much!"
"I've got some things to tell you."
"Thanks for helping us understand! It will make a difference for us"
"May I offer you a bite to eat?"
"Thanks! You have given us so much. What can I do in return?"
"Use my gifts. Go with my blessing!"
"Thanks again! You're awesome!"
What is the screen like? How do we think about a projection screen in worship? What does it do? What models do we use to filter our thinking? Is it a song book? Movie theater? What is it like?
In the early days of movies, many directors simply put the camera in front of a stage. The camera didn't move around, but sat like an audience member at the theater watching play. All the action happened in one place in front of one camera that didn't move, turn, or zoom. It was Theater in Pictures. It took some time before people started moving the camera into the action itself, or editing different shots together.
Combining the best of text, illustration, and thematic metaphor, Liturgical sequences capture both the flexibility of the technology and the drama inherent in worship.
In a sense, all slides are illustrations of something going on in worship. They always point to something. The key question is what. To what does the slide point?
Continue reading "Four Ways to Use a Slide: Liturgical Sequence" »
Many churches that began with simple text and graphic backgrounds have begun thinking about the worship service as a whole. They're asking, 'How can we visually support the point of the whole service?' Thematic metphor images do just that. Thematic metaphor graphics capture the theme of a given worship service and expresses it visually, often in a contemporary way. You might think of them as editorial cartoons for worship.
Continue reading "Four Ways to Use a Slide: Thematic Metaphor" »
Of the four ways to use a slide, illustration is probably what most people think of. Illustration is using a graphic, photo, or other art work to enhance some other component of worship. Illustration uses graphics to "give visual punch" to a song, reading or sermon.
There are roughly four ways to use still imagery in worship: (1) Text, (2) Illustration, (3) Thematic Metaphor, and (4) Liturgical Sequence. There are also some video applications, like live video magnification, recorded segments, film excerpts, etc., but I'm talking about still images. In short, How do you use a PowerPoint slide in worship?
So let's take a look at using text to lead the act of worship.
For the 2005 Symposium, we planned a simple service based on a lament psalm.
Given the mournful tone of the psalm, the pallette used was largely shades of gray, with hints of lenten colors of red and purple. More colors were added toward the end.
This Gathering image uses the beginning words of the psalm, showing wind/breath/smoke crossing on a pair of lips. It's ambiguous if these lips are breathing words or receiving smoke, or singing a song that rises.
