Implication for congregation of Light imagery and words.

"Techniques used in advertising, public relations, and journalism help explain how light can so effectively attract and persuade."
The implication for congregation is first,images are here to stay and need to be taken seriously when conveying any messages inside and outside the worship community. Images are powerful tools of manupulation and persuasion when used in specific and calculated contexts. Also they can be computer manipulated to suit the desired message the communicator wants to get across. For the congregation it is important that when images are used to attract and persuade, it opens them up to an authentic encounter of Jesus in their midst and not to some distorted worldly view of what is valuable. The example of this that struck me was the point made about how do we advertise our Church on the Web-site. Do we put a picture of a beautiful women on the Home-page depicting that this is us; or do we put some ordinary looking people on the home-page; or do we not use any images of people at all. Words chosen need to work in tandum with carefully crafted images that add meaning to the message that is being conveyed to, and by, our congregations.

The role of public, communal and personal narratives in evangelism.

As a Catholic Christian I find that in my childhood the Public and communal narratives were the ones that were emphasised in our church community. There was an emphasis on the Church had the bragging rights (rites) to all the narratives, eg. the saints stories,how we were to interpret scripture stories and to understand the Church historical journey story. The magisterium interpreted what way the narratives were meant to be taken. The personal narratives were below the radar of public offering. In a way, the private narratives were largely ignored. The over-emphasis of the public and communal narratives led to a highly ritualistic communal expression of faith that emphasised follow the rubrics rather than personal commitment to following Jesus. The deminished personal narratives meant that people were less likely to be aware of their personal call to follow Jesus. Effective and long lasting evangelism needs a commitment to holding all 3 narratives as equally important. Depending on the time, there is the need to use one form of narrative more than the others. This is only done to serve what is best needed for evangelism to succeed at that moment. On another occasion, a different narrative may be better.

Personal stories in sermons present challenges.

I deliberately used personal stories today to help integrate the thoughts presented in topic 3 with steve-taylor blog noted. I used family stories but kept them at a distance. The theme was being lost (The widow's mite) and being found(The lost sheep). The angle I wanted to note was that of the quality and talents of the lost or loser of coins in both stories was not important in Jesus eyes. The widow was without status in Jewish society and the lost sheep was lost and in real danger. The stories I used were those of my brother who is severely intellectually handicapped. In the 3 stories involving him being lost and our immediate reaction to find him, I drew people into identifying that everyone is of immense value in a family, and it is not based on their emotional or mental capacities. Family usually go great lengths to "find" the lost among them. Likewise Jesus is stressing the same in these stories. We do not earn being found, it is out of the Sheperd's love for us that he heads out to "find" us. Because I kept the stories at a safe distance I could hear "the penny drop" among the congregation. Their "yes" to being "found" by a loving God was tangible in the air as I spoke. I found it easier to draw the congregation into the personal stories by keeping at a distance. It works!

Stories can mean different things to different people.

I see this as true. For it to be not true is to deny people their unique experiances and different personalities that go into interpreting a story. It would be a tragic squashing of the story that every person has within their experiance to hold and to tell. Telling stories can be healing too. A friend of mine from England told me of the different situation regarding returned soldiers from world war 2. In England tody, there are very few RSA type organisations. In NZ and Australia their are many. She had done some research into this phenomenon and came up with this view; In England after the war, everybody was effected by the experiance, so the soldiers could tell their stories everywhere, in their families, down the street, in the local pub. Their story was freely spoken, heard and understood by everyone. Through telling their story healing came naturally as much as could be expected.
In contrast, the NZ soldiers that came home were unable to freely tell their story to a public that was quite distant from the action. So where could they tell their story, in the RSA and RSL associations. They could sit with people that would listen and could also tell a similar story. The RSA provided a place for the soldiers to tell their story and be heard.
Stories need to be heard, our stories need to be told. The answer to such stories need not be given, because an answer is not often needed. Some stories just need to be heard and respected.
The place for a preacher telling a story and then explaining the intended meaning is alluded to by Jesus through the parables he told. For example, the parable of the person sowing the seed, and Jesus explaining what it meant later. Such parable telling can be used to help us reflect on where we lie in the story and how we can move on in being open more deeply and richly to the Word of God.

Creativity... Be inspired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Do schools kill creativity... Sir Ken Robinson.

Be inspired about creativity. 20 minutes long.

Get Creative... an inspiring You tube link...20 mins.

You Tube...Sir Ken Robinson... "Do schools kill creativity".

Creativity is In.

Kindest Regards,

Joe Hogan.

21/08/10....Get Creative.

As a preaching idea I find this both challenging and yet freeing. I am happy that I do not have to control the outcome. What a relief. I like working with others. Already I have deliberately pulled back on having the final say in organising the next service for the Anglicans. I am going with their ideas for the 'back to church' Sunday on September 12th. I just keep encouraging them to give things a go. So far we have tea/coffee before the service and will only start when all have had a chance to chat and greet any new people on that day. They also want to have a shared bowl of soup and scone brunch afterwards. They also want to have a communion time so we are getting a minister in to do that part in a brief form after the Liturgy of the Word. We will have a formal planning meeting next week in which i hope to get them to be involved in a kids dramatising the scripture reading. Also want them to have a go at a dialogue teaching time, 'radical'.
Getting creative has freed me up inside to give things a go. I have been inspired about being creative by finding this inspirational speaker on You Tube. If you have a spare 20 minutes, sit and listen to this person. My wife, Robyn, and I did this and found what he said on many levels, inspiring. He used Humour, Stories, Knowledge,to get his message across.
Sir Ken Robinson...'Do schools kill creativity'.