1、1Worship for Multi-cultural, Inclusive CongregationsGary Rand 708-386-6370Course DescriptionIs the inclusiveness of our theology reflected in our services of worship?This course will explore the theological issues and the practical challengesof giving each member of our diverse worshipping communit
2、ies theopportunity to meaningfully and comfortably participate in services ofworship. The course will survey an eclectic mix of relevant scholarshipand consider practical strategies, case studies, and resources. The class begins first with an exploration of cultural theories of hegemony,struggle and
3、 resistance and the formative shaping power of ritual inregards to values, belief and identity. Various processes and areas of exclusion are then considered each in turn eg. class, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and age. These topics are considered from both a cultural and a theologicalfr
4、amework and with consideration of the realities of exclusion in worshipand possible strategies for inclusion. Finally, a vision of inclusive worship is developed, supported with both atheological rationale and practical ideas and resources forimplementation.The workload consists of several reading/r
5、esponse papers, a finalsummary statement of learnings from the class cast as a vision statementfor multi-cultural/inclusive worship and a semester long project oforiginal research, profiling a congregation known for inclusive worshipand doing analysis of the subject congregation in relation to class
6、discussions. This student research is an important component of classdiscussions throughout the semester.TextsMaking Room at the Table, edited by Brian Blount and Leonora TubbsTisdale. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001White Soul. Tex Sample. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.Culturally Con
7、scious Worship. Kathy Black. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2000.Multicultural Ministry. David A. Anderson. Grand Rapids, MI:Zondervan, 2004.2Tentative Class Schedule9/9Introductions, definitions and cultural theory9/16Unity and Uniqueness: Accepting difference in the house of prayer.Experiences of inclu
8、sion and exclusion. Beliefs, values and socialclass. Reading and Writing AssignmentBlount and Tubbs, Making Room at the Table, Chapter 2, “TheApocalypse of Worship” by Brian Blount and chapter 4,“Multicultural Worship: A Pauline Perspective” by Donald Juel.Write 3 5 pages in which you consider issue
9、s of age, gender, classand ethnicity. Speak of your personal experience within a localcongregation. Have you had personal feelings around these issues?Are you comfortable or uncomfortable at times? Do you fit in ornot? Have you unconsciously or consciously participated insystems of exclusion or been
10、 the victim of such systems? In light ofyour experience and the assigned readings, what does Galatians 3:26 28 mean to you.9/23Issues of class. Is the Church a captive of the professional class? Canyou be a Christian and like country music? ReadingSample, Tex. White Soul. Nashville: Abingdon Press,
11、1996.Chapter 1: Rowdy and Loud at the Twist and Shout WorkingClass TasteChapter 2: Elitist Taste and the Politics of AestheticsChapter 4: You Wrote My Life: The Goods of Country Music Inclusive Churches ProjectPart 1: Story telling. What is congregations story?9/30Class Issues (continued) ReadingSam
12、ple, White SoulChapter 6: Defiance, Love, Gender and RaceChapter 9: The Church as a Community of ResistanceFenn, Richard K., “Diversity and Power: Cracking the Code,”Chapter 5 in Making Room at the Table.310/7Race and Ethnicity ReadingMulticultural Ministry. David A. Anderson. Grand Rapids, MI:Zonde
13、rvan, 2004. Pages 1 - 85Black, Kathy. Culturally Conscious Worship. St. Louis: ChalicePress, 2000.Introduction: Dreams, Definitions and DemographicsChapter 1: Motivations and Models Inclusive Churches ProjectPart 2: Description of Corporate Worship10/14Race and Ethnicity (Continued) ReadingMulticult
14、ural Ministry. David A. Anderson. Grand Rapids, MI:Zondervan, 2004. Pages 89 - 168Black, Kathy. Culturally Conscious Worship.Chapter 3: Cultural Complexities10/28Race and Ethnicity (Continued) ReadingHyun Lee, Sang, “Worship on the Edge: Liminality and the KoreanAmerican Context,” Chapter 7 in Makin
15、g Room at the Table.11/4Gender and Sexuality ReadingsLapsley, Jacqueline E. “Pouring Out Her Soul Before the Lord:Women and Worship in the Old Testament” in Making Room at theTable, pp. 3 15.Ruether, Rosemary Radford. “Ministry and Community for aPeople Liberated from Sexism” in Sexism and God-talk:
16、 toward afeminist theology. Boston: Beacon Press, 1983, pp. 193 213.4McFague, Sallie. “God the Father: Model or Icon - Patriarchy inPerspective” in Metaphorical Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress Press,1982, pp. 145 152.Ramshaw, Gail. Liturgical Language: Keeping It Metaphoric, Makingit Inclusive. Col
17、legeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1996, pp. 13 24.11/11Gender and Sexuality(continued) ReadingHanson, Geddes W., “Multicultural Worship: A CarefulConsideration,” Chapter 10 in Making Room at the Table. Inclusive Churches Project Part 3: Analysis11/18Generations ReadingMyers, Barbara Kimes and Wil
18、liam R., “On the Baking of Good,Warm Bread,” Chapter 6 in Engaging in Transcendence, Cleveland,OH: The Pilgrim Press, 1992.Dean, Kenda Creasy, “Moshing for Jesus: Adolescence as aCultural Context for Worship,” Chapter 9.12/2Visions of Inclusive Worship Reading and writingBlack, Kathy. Culturally Con
19、scious Worship.Chapter 4: Shared Stories, Shared StoryChapter 5: Culturally Conscious Worship Balancing andBlendingMaking Room at the TableTaylor, Mark, “Polyrhythm in Worship: Caribbean Keys to anEffective Word of God,” Chapter 8. Inclusive Churches Project Part 4: LearningsRespond to the readings
20、and to your experience in this class withan eight page paper on the topic of inclusive worship how do youdo it? Briefly build a theological context for your ideas, but also bespecific, with practical strategies for creating inclusive, multi-cultural worship. Acknowledge key obstacles and consider5po
21、ssible solutions. Demonstrate familiarity with the materials andideas considered in the course. Include footnotes.12/9 Visions of Inclusive Worship Inclusive Churches Project Part 5: Class Presentation.12/16Inclusive Churches Project : Written document due by Noon.Semester Research ProjectInclusive
22、Multicultural Worship in PracticeEach student will study a different congregation.The Assignment is in Five Parts:1. Story telling. What is the story of this congregation? Due September 23Who are the people in this congregation? What is their mission? What drawsthem together and keeps them together?
23、 What is their history? What is thecommunity like in which the church is located? Describe the space where thecongregation worships. Vital statistics: How many people attend worship on anaverage Sunday? What is the total budget for a year? What are the primaryactivities of the church? How many paid
24、staff are there and what are their jobdescriptions?2. Description of Corporate Worship. Due October 7What is worship like? a.) People: Who is in leadership and how do they lead?What is the relationship of leaders and congregation? Consider issues of gender,sexual orientation, age, race, nationality
25、and class in relationship to the makeupof the congregation and the leadership. Are children present in worship and ifso, what is their involvement in the service? b.) Liturgy: What happens in atypical worship service and in what order? Is there a bulletin? Whatinformation is in the bulletin? When is
26、 communion celebrated? Is the service“formal” or “informal?” Are prayers improvised or written out? Is the languagegender inclusive? c.) Music: What is the style of music? Are there paidmusicians? How many volunteers are in the music program and how do theyserve? Is there an organ, a choir or a band
27、? What is the function of the organ,choir or band in the service? d.) Hospitality: How are guests welcomed to theservice? How intentional is the congregation in seeking new members? e.)Theology: What does the congregation understand is the purpose of worship?Why do they gather together? What does it
28、 mean to them? How strong isinclusivity or multi-culturalism as an aspect of their worship vision?63. Analysis. Due November 11How is this congregation diverse and how is it unified? Is power equally orunequally shared? Analyze this congregations culture in terms of Hofstedesfour cultural benchmarks
29、 (as described in Hanson, Making Room at the Table).These benchmarks are power distance, tolerance for ambiguity, “masculine” and“feminine” characteristics, and individualism vs collectivism. Are alternatives tothe dominant cultural perspective present? Are these alternatives identifiedpositively or
30、 negatively and in what ways are they encouraged or discouraged?4. Learning. Due December 2Summarize what you have learned about inclusive worship from thiscongregation. What have you learned about leadership, about changemanagement, about the possibilities for diversity within worship? Have youlear
31、ned anything by engaging the theology of worship present in thiscongregation?As you see it, what are the strengths and the weaknesses in this congregation interms of “inclusive worship?” From your reading, your experience, and thediscussions in this class, what would you say to this church if you ha
32、d the chanceto make suggestions to them about what issues and concerns they might studyand engage in the future?5. Rewrite and Final Presentation.Class presentation due December 9. Paper due December 16 by Noon.Compile and rewrite as necessary your previous work into a single presentationabout this congregation. Rewrite in light of the class discussion and otherfeedback you have received, along with new information, resources or insightsyou now have.
