Worship with Raymond (Essentials Blue)

"For: The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen's University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt"

The Institute
SSU
Dan Wilt
Essentials Blue

About a week ago, I had a very memorable experience with a man named Raymond. A few years ago, Raymond was walking in the North End of Winnipeg, when he was clubbed on the head by what I believe was similar to a lead pipe. Someone mistook him for someone else. Raymond was in a coma for several months. I only met him a few months ago when I moved to Winnipeg and in the first conversation I had with him, he got angry at me and started saying things in a very hurried and strange fashion (which has since become normal). At the time, I felt a bit afraid and didn't know how to respond.

Last week, I saw Raymond at our drop-in lunch and he seemed rather agitated and was beginning an excursion into his rants of anger. I have since been able to handle these things a bit better and so on this occasion, I asked him if I could pray for him. I laid hands on him and prayed that God's love would take away his fear. And a minute later, he told me that his "scaredness was completely gone, God took it away!" I was very excited and felt a great love for him in that moment. We went out to eat some lunch and then I got my guitar and went to his little apartment to sing for him.

Raymond loves worship and tells me how much God loves it when I sing. So I thought I would worship in his apartment and prayed that God would be present. I sang a few songs and then began to sing the chorus of Brenton Brown's song "All Who are Thirsty," repeating the line "Come Lord Jesus Come" over and over again. And in between this phrase, I started to sing things that I thought would bless Raymond. Things like "Jesus, I need you" or "I want you." Much to my surprise, Raymond began to sing along with me, repeating everything I was singing.

In that moment, I began to think about what I could initiate for Raymond to sing. What could I sing, that he would repeat, that would be meaningful for him? And as I have gone through this first week of essentials blue, I realized, in retrospect, that my moment of worship with Raymond was a very theological one. I had to think about what I was singing spontaneously, with the knowledge that Raymond was going to echo it. I had to decide what would be best for Raymond to sing to God. And that decision was an extremely theological one because it shaped his own view of God and perhaps even his expectations of what God would do.

We sang together for about ten to fifteen minutes, and God's presence was surely there. I very much liked what Brenton Brown had to say about people remembering the songs they sing in Church more than the sermons they hear. Not only do I believe this is true, I think he rightly points out what a sobering realization this is for anyone who wishes to be a "worship artisan." Having said that, I LOVED what Dan Wilt said in response to my question about whether deliberative theology is the product of intellectual and educational resources. He said that theology is expressed in ALL things - in the way we treat one another, in the things we create. It made me feel a little more important, to be honest! What I mean is that I realized that, in all things, I am communicating something about God, either for better or worse.

Although Raymond and I had a lovely time singing, I believe that my willingness to go to his apartment in the first place communicated something to him. Even something theological. I suppose one "struggle" that I have is often times it doesn't feel like I am doing something theological. If I write an instrumental song, for example, how does this communicate something about God, and how do people recognize this something?

I shall end this post by referencing Dan Wilt's excellent article on Sacred Creativity. As human beings created in the image of God, creativity in and of itself attests to the Creator. I have sometimes narrowed and limited the spirituality of my creativity to the small parameters of "worship songs," forgetting that creativity itself expresses something godly. In the beginning, God created. Week 1 has elevated my view of creativity, as well as how theology is expressed and communicated. And I hope that if I am to sing once again with Raymond, that we shall both leave having an even bigger and more accurate picture of the God to whom all praise is due.