The IWS community offers our
prayers and sympathy to Jeff Barker in the homegoing of his father, Art,
on February 4. Jeff has co-taught DWS 702 with Connie Cherry the last two
sessions.
Ancient-Future
Worship Chapel Series
Hear Darrell Harris' talks
on the 5 dyads from the June 2008 chapel series.
Click here to view the download links.
10th Anniversary
Events
Click on the thumbnail below
for an overview of the events planned during our 10th anniversary year of
celebration
Onthe Great
Emergence
"The only way to
understand what is currently happening to us as twenty-first-century
Christians in North America is first to understand that about every five
hundred years the Church feels compelled to hold a giant rummage sale. . .
We are now living in and through one of those five-hundred-year sales."
(Phyllis Tickle, The
Great Emergence, 16).
IWS: "A highlight of my year"
What a joy it is to teach
eager students able to take new insights and apply them immediately,
usually in their own ministries but sometimes as professors in other
schools. To step into an IWS class, see students ready to learn, and know
that the liturgical history I share will rock their worship worlds is a
highlight of my year.
Pictures from the recent January Session
have been posted online.
Audio files are being edited and will be
posted in the coming weeks.
IWS on the road
Initial plans are being made
for the first IWS regional seminar--a one-day event of worship, teaching
and fellowship featuring an IWS faculty member. Watch for more details
soon to be announced.
Additional locations are
being targeted where alumni may be available to help with logistics.
Interested in having an IWS seminar near you?
Contact Kent Walters.
Have you visited
Reggie Kidd's blog lately? He recently
posted Part 3 of his musings inspired, in part, by TV doctor, Gregory
House, whom Reggie describes as "an über-competent, but
über-über-narcissistic surgeon."
IWS at Calvin
Worship Symposium
We were visible at one of
the most resourceful and well-attended worship conferences in in U.S. this
past January. People from over 40 countries attended.
Check out their site.
From the Editor: Comments at the
Table
In January,
I manned an IWS display table at the
Calvin Worship Symposium at Calvin
College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. What fun to meet and talk with people about
worship, Bob Webber, and IWS! It was great to connect with several
alumni who were there, some of whom came from other countries for the
event (Teresa Ho, Hong Kong; Kara Mandryk, Canada; Nancy Nethercott,
Japan).
Here are a
few of the interesting comments I received or overheard:
"Ah, this is the school that does the ancient-future stuff!"
"I have never heard of a school that teaches only worship. That is
incredible!"
"My
life has been changed through reading Bob Webber's books."
"I want to go to this school so badly. Hopefully, it will be possible for
me to do that soon."
"I'm so happy to meet you. I've been praying about applying to IWS."
"I miss Bob Webber."
Those who
knew about the school spoke well of us. Those who knew Bob Webber or were
acquainted with his writings spoke well of him. I was reminded of Proverbs
22:1--"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is
better than silver or gold" (NIV).
As
students, alumni, faculty, and staff, we extend the vision of IWS and
perpetuate the heritage of our founder in churches, colleges, and
seminaries across the country and around the world. Each time we pour our
lives into others to the end that they may be transformed in the presence
of Jesus, the legacy is renewed and disseminated.
10th
Anniversary Events
Why not
make this the
year for your return visit home to IWS? You've been thinking about it; now it's
time to reconnect. Read about the June 2009 events below, and make your
plans now. Also, a trip to the Holy Land is a once-in-a-lifetime dream for
many. Can you join the IWS tour scheduled for early 2010 with tour expert
Jerry Borchert? I need to hear from you right away. Read more below.
In the
planning stages: one-day regional seminars around the country.
We are targeting the West Coast as the first location. I'll keep you
posted as plans develop.
What about
you?
Please
send me
news about your life and work. Keeping in touch is what members in
community do. Thanks.
Kent Walters, D.W.S. (Alpha, 2002)
Editor
Ancient-Future Worship:
Always Both-and, Never Either-or
by Darrell A. Harris
“What has been before will be again,” my paternal grandmother said. She often saw the events of the past not only recurring in the present, but giving shape to the future as well.
While the term “ancient-future” appears at first glance to be a construct
comprised of mutually exclusive ideas, my grandmother’s wisdom may offer
some insight.
After nearly twenty years of friendship with Bob Webber and
then having read his Ancient-Future Worship, I am overwhelmed at
the scope, the sweep and the comprehensive richness of his concept. As
contemporary worshippers hunger for the authenticity of the worship of
ancient Israel and the early church, we may be catching glimpses of the
eternal future of worship.
It occurs to me that there are five paradoxical dyads
always in play in ancient-future worship. Ancient-future worship
is always
·both
Trinitarian and Christocentric
·both word
and symbol
·both
declarative and dialogical
·both
communal and missional
·both
remembering and anticipating
Ancient-future worship
is always both Trinitarian and Christocentric.
Consider these examples of Trinitarian emphasis: the mingling of both
singular and plural in the phrases “Let us make” and “in our image,”
Abraham’s three visitors addressed as the singular Lord, the wording of
the shema (saying that Elohim, a name that suggests plurality, is
one), the Father’s vocal blessing and the appearance of the Spirit like a
dove at Christ’s baptism, and the triune benediction of 2 Corinthians
13:13.
We can also observe a nascent Christo-centricity in the
Hebrew Scriptures. Remember God’s Genesis prophecy that the woman’s seed
would crush the serpent’s head, the prophetic Christ-prefiguring
appearance of Melchizedek, and the mystery of the fourth person in the
fiery furnace. Plus the New Testament references to the Lord Jesus having
the preeminence in all things are in abundance.
Ancient-future worship
always engages both word and symbol. Most evangelicals don’t need to be convinced of the
priority of word. After all, we claim to be people of the book. But we can
easily forget the centrality of the word’s counterpart, symbol.
When God promised never to destroy the world by water
again, he gave a symbol of his promise, the rainbow. Ancient Israel
engaged symbols for all their feasts and observances (blood on doorposts,
ritual Passover meal of lamb, building shelters or booths for the Feast of
Tabernacles campout, bread, wine, sacrificial offerings, etc.). Jesus
constantly engaged symbol for teaching purposes (mustard seed, coin,
etc.). And he gave us only one way to remember his death until his
return—the sharing of the bread and cup.
Our emphasis on word is well placed. It is by the word that
all creation was spoken into existence. We are washed with the water of
the word. The word will never pass away. But it is symbol that helps us
envision, enact and enflesh the word. It is the bread and cup that are a
koinonia (or participation) in the very event and the very one
being remembered.
[Read more . . .]
The following excerpts are from the Introduction to Jerry Borchert's
latest book,
Worship in the New Testament: Divine Mystery and Human Response
(St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2008). The dedication reads: "In
gratitude to the Triune God for my colleague and friend the late Robert E.
Webber and his dynamic dreams of "Ancient Future Worship" and the
Institute for Worship Studies.
Responding to Mystery
The purpose of this book
is to detail the New Testament's response to mystery in the coming of
Jesus by reflecting on the lessons in the Gospels, the worship and life of
the early church, and the expectations that have enlivened worship down
through the ages from our inspired tests. . . .
I am not simply writing a theology of worship based on New Testament
texts. . . . Instead, I turn in the direction of writing a different kind
of introduction: an interpretation of each book of the New Testament with
a distinct focus on the contribution that each makes to our understanding
of worship. . . .
The service of God
involves one's entire life of responding to God and divine mystery. When I
read Bob Webber's book on Worship is a Verb, and when I reached his
final chapter, "Worship as a Way of Life," my mind responded with an
excited "Amen!" For me, Bob's concluding thoughts summarized what
"responding to mystery" involves--it is the way one lives the whole of
one's life. True worship can never be pigeonholed as a segment of life. It
is not merely liturgical activity in a building. Of course, our liturgies
and congregational actions can reflect authentic worship, but worship
demands one's life involvement. Otherwise, such actions are simply
elements of busyness. . . . Our work and service for God is absolutely
essential, but it must represent a genuine spirit of self-giving for
God and not for our own advancement or benefit. The point is that is
must be a response to God! . . .
With this understanding
in mind, I have linked worship and life constantly together in this study
of responding to God. . . . Unity of a person's words and actions is
essential in the true worship of God.
Ten years ago this June, twenty students made their way to the facilities
of Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park to study worship. IWS, Bob
Webber's vision, was born. Now, a decade later, some 200 graduates
are working to bring worship renewal in churches and institutions across
the world.
With profound thanks to God, we will
commemorate our founding in the Opening Convocation on Wednesday, June 10,
and in the Commencement Service on Sunday, June 14. Then, our sixth
annual Alumni Seminar on Monday and Tuesday, June 15-16 will feature our
special guest,
Phyllis
Tickle. Her seminar is titled:
21st
Century Christianity:
What It Is, How It Got Here, and Where It Is Going
The
seminar, based on Phyllis' latest book, The Great Emergence:
How Christianity is Changing and Why,
will occur on Monday and Tuesday, June 15-16. Follow the link below to see the schedule and
an overview of the seminar sessions.
Phyllis is founding editor of the religion department at Publishers
Weekly and one of the most highly respected authorities and popular
speakers on religion in America today. Learn more about her
here. For an overview of her books, click
here.
The seminar registration fee
is $100.00, excluding meals and lodging. Online
registration begins March 1. Go to the
Seminar page on the Web site to register.
And get this!! NEW this year: you may bring your pastor or worship pastor/director
for half the registration price! This is not a ploy to boost
attendance. Rather, we want your pastor to be able to experience worship
at IWS, catch a deeper vision for worship renewal, and meaningfully
dialogue about worship and related issues with you and others in
vocational church ministry. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to
introduce your co-laborer to the uniqueness of the IWS community.
As a brief introduction to the seminar, check out this
short video (2:26) (different from the video in the last edition of
Anamnesis) in
which Phyllis describes emerging Christianity as a "gathering center."
To view more short videos on The Great Emergence,
click here.
Larry Ellis, M.W.S. (Beth 2005), D.W.S. (Nu 2008) served as our first
classroom mentor during the January 2009 session, sitting in on MWS 501, “The Biblical Foundations of
Worship,” taught by Eric Bolger. (Click on the picture below to
enlarge. Larry is seated second from the left). The following is Larry's
reflection on the experience.
My
plan was to get to know the students and offer them any help they desired.
I participated in the introduction process in Moodle during the month of
December and enjoyed reading and responding to many of the pre-session
postings, and I will continue to interact through the post-session posts.
Once
on campus, I made a point of finding and introducing myself to the new
students before orientation. During the class discussions, I restrained my
enthusiasm for the content in order to leave room for the students’ full
engagement. Sitting with the students during meals and the traditional
Sunday evening dinner at Clark’s Fish Camp afforded relaxed times to
discuss the topics they wished to pursue. And there were many, ranging
from personal to ministry and theological in nature. I was readily
accepted as a friend whose opinion they seemed to respect and with whom
they could bounce ideas off.
I
observed again the common thread among students at IWS—the desire to
better understand and lead our churches in the worship of God. It seems
the members of this class came with the same hope and expectations that I
had upon beginning the MWS program a few years ago. I suspect that they,
too, had their world turned upside down about what worship is to be. With
Eric’s guidance we drilled down into the Scriptures to see what God
reveals about worship, taking our understanding to a new level. One
student uncontrollably spilled out: “I have been a Christian for over 20
years and have never heard teaching like this from the Scriptures. You
have really jacked up my world!” The class also enjoyed the teaching of
Jerry Borchert for a couple days during the session.
Being
a mentor is a blessing that has given me the opportunity to stay at the
heart of IWS, meet new friends, and pass along the enthusiasm I have for
learning about the true meaning of Christian worship. I would encourage
all our graduates to consider coming back and being a part of a class in
this way. You will be inspired and enriched as you were when you attended
your first class. I certainly plan to be a mentor again!
For more information, or to
apply to be a mentor, please contact Registrar Laura Ritter (registrar@iwsfla.org).
You should specify if you would like to request a particular class.
Applications must be renewed each semester.
The following clip
features the artistry of Ron Richardson (D.W.S. candidate in the Tau
class) as he completes his performance art during the closing minutes of
chapel and the January 2009 session. Brian McLaren's song of
sending, With Kindness, is being sung. Ron is the Director of Worship
and Music at
First Presbyterian Church in Roseville, CA.
Lester Ruth (DWS 701 professor) queries the incoming DWS
students each session to learn how they found out about IWS.
Recommendations by our alumni is at the top of the list. Way to go, grads!
The data below represents the cumulative responses of the
last five classes to begin doctoral studies at IWS, a total of 78 students
(Pi, 16 students; Rho, 15 students; Sigma, 21 students; Tau, 11 students;
Upsilon, 15 students). Here are the top six means of introduction to IWS
that were given by the students:
Recommendation of alumni:
33 (42%)
Familiarity with Bob’s writings:
19 (24%)
Heard/met Bob (conference/seminar):
16 (21%)
IWS Web site:
14 (18%)
MWS grads continuing in DWS program: 12
(15%)
IWS
advertisements/articles 8 (10%)
The recommendation of
faculty members was another important influence.
A couple of
observations can be made from these numbers. First, combining the
second and third reasons, Bob Webber and his writings were the strongest
influence on these incoming students (a total of 45% of the responses
given). But, our alumni are exerting an almost equally strong influence (a
total of 42% of the responses given). Additionally, the influence of alumni
has been steadily increasing. Just two
years ago, when the Pi class began their studies, the influence of alumni
and Bob Webber were about the same. This is a significant piece of data.
Before he died, Bob said that his legacy would be found in his writings
and IWS. Bob has effectively passed the torch. Let us continue to do the
same.
About half of the minimum number of
travelers needed for our Holy Land tour have expressed interest at this
point. But Jerry Borchert, our seasoned tour host and teacher,
remains optimistic that it can still come together in the next couple months.
We are looking at late February
or early March 2010 for a 10-day IWS Holy Land Tour. (There is
also the possibility of a 3-day extension to Greece for those interested). Click here
to see the brochure of Jerry's recent and comparable trip.
Please email
Kent Walters as soon as possible--NOW--if
you are interested in being a part of this IWS trip.
As many of you know, Jerry Borchert has been
leading tours and teaching on the biblical, historical and archeological
significance of the ancient sites for many years. In fact, he came
straight from Tel Aviv to Florida for the January Session last month. Alan
Cooper, DWS candidate, was on this trip with
Jerry. Read his testimony below.
If You Can Go,
You Must!
by Alan Cooper, D.W.S.
student (Nu)
Something compels those who have visited
Israel to say, “If you can go, you must!” What is so fascinating, so
valuable, about seeing the Holy Land firsthand?
First, being there changes your
understanding of the region. We often imagine the geography of our own
home as we read Scripture. It’s amazing to experience the size of the area
and realize Israel is almost the same size as New Jersey. Second, it is
life changing to visit the sites where the Bible stories took place.
Imagine seeing the actual city gate that Abraham saw when he rescued Lot
in Dan (Genesis 14:14), the stream where Gideon separated out the three
hundred soldiers to fight Midian (Judges 7:1-6), the cave in En Gedi where
David cut the corner from King Saul’s robe (1 Samuel 24:1-7). My heart was
touched to visit the traditional sites of Jesus’ birth, ministry,
crucifixion, tomb and resurrection. How remarkable to walk down the steps
where Jesus walked as He was taken to the house of Caiaphas, the High
Priest before His crucifixion.
Jerry Borchert helped plant the Holy Land in
our hearts on this life changing trip. His knowledge of the region,
biblical insight, and unique wit were great assets on the tour. At each
site he shared information that took us deeper than the well-trained tour
guide on our bus was able to, revealing biblical connections and applying
the Scriptures to our walk with Christ. Each evening we enjoyed an
entertaining session in which Jerry, with a characteristic twinkle in his
eye, shared additional insights from that day's journey.
This trip significantly impacted my life and ministry. It strengthened my faith as well
as my understanding of the biblical story. On the second Sunday back from
my trip, I was humbled when one of the ladies in the church where I serve
said, “Please, don’t misunderstand this. You have always been a good
preacher, but since your trip to the Holy Land your preaching is even
better.”
Some question the safety of travelling in
the Holy Land, but I felt completely safe during the entire trip. This is significant
since our tour took place during the recent Israel-Gaza conflict. Tourism is
Israel’s number one industry and they make safety a top priority. Along
with that we were welcomed, pampered, and respected.
Are you able to go to Israel? Then go! You will
treasure the experience.
Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see
the full size version of these photos Alan took in Israel. Alan is in
the first picture by the Jordan River.
Ivory
and Brass is the name of the multifaceted ministry that Jim and his wife,
Mary Kay, maintain, which includes concerts, worship seminars, pastors and
couples conferences, worship leading and consulting. You'll be intrigued
by the title of their latest CD, Anamnesis: Remember2Relive. The
cover explains, "This offering is not so much about Ivory & Brass as it is
about unflinching lyrics, evocative melodies, benchmark arrangements, and
the synergy of gifted musicians."
Check out
their website. Jim also directs and teaches the Master of Arts in
Worship Leadership degree at
Azusa Pacific University near Los Angeles.
Dale Dirksen, D.W.S. (Gamma, 2003)
I
had the privilege of teaching at the
International College of Cultural Studies in Hyderabad, India in
January 2009. I taught the course “Coaching and Mentoring Strategies”
in the M.A. Leadership Degree Program. There were 15 students in my
class--eight women and seven men--who came from several countries and four
different continents.
Teaching about mentoring requires that a person actually does
mentoring. So, for two weeks, I tried to come alongside my students to
help them on their paths, both academic and professional. It astounds
me that it is possible to connect with people from so many cultures.
What a privilege!
My
wife, Rebecca, and I were able to see quite a bit of the area. Most
profound was visiting a school for
Dalit children, the victims of centuries-long social oppression.
It was truly amazing and life changing for us to witness the
transformation taking place in their lives. I
also had the privilege of speaking and singing in an indigenous Telugu
church. I sang a setting of Jer. 29:11 that I had recorded a while
back. Hope and promise are exciting messages in India. We were humbled by
the gracious hospitality and eager faith of our brothers and sisters
in India and from around the world.
Dinelle Frankland, D.W.S. (Delta, 2004)
With 23 years
experience teaching on the college level, Dinelle was asked
by
College Press Publishing, one of the publishers for the independent
Christian Churches, to write a book on worship for their "What the Bible
Says About" series. Dinelle credits the influence of Bob Webber and IWS
even in the title:
What the Bible Says about Worship: His Story, Our Response.
Written for a college readership, Dinelle hopes the book is also useful
for church groups and those who plan and lead worship.
Dinelle is currently on
a short sabbatical from
Lincoln Christian
Seminary (Lincoln, IL) where she is Associate Dean of Student
Formation and Professor of Worship. Check out this
audio link to
hear Dinelle talk about Bob Webber, the Worship Studies Program at LCCS,
and her new book.
Director
of Alumni Activities and Editor of Anamnesis
Kent Walters
7323 Westlane Ave.
Jenison, MI 49428
H: 616.457.5234
M: 616.304.9363 alumni@iwsfla.org
The
seminar, based on Phyllis' latest book,
We are looking at late February
or early March 2010 for a 10-day IWS Holy Land Tour. (There is
also the possibility of a 3-day extension to Greece for those interested). 
Ivory
and Brass is the name of the multifaceted ministry that Jim and his wife,
Mary Kay, maintain, which includes concerts, worship seminars, pastors and
couples conferences, worship leading and consulting. You'll be intrigued
by the title of their latest CD, Anamnesis: Remember2Relive. The
cover explains, "This offering is not so much about Ivory & Brass as it is
about unflinching lyrics, evocative melodies, benchmark arrangements, and
the synergy of gifted musicians."
by
College Press Publishing, one of the publishers for the independent
Christian Churches, to write a book on worship for their "What the Bible
Says About" series. Dinelle credits the influence of Bob Webber and IWS
even in the title: