Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Video clips in Worship or have the fourth day adventists join the flat screen society... or not.

In trying to develop a more multi media approach to church services for studentsoul Auckland's Worship on Wednesday, Which means I am a fourth day adventist)  I have found myself enjoying and appreciating the use of small videos that people have produced as calls to worship or reflections and posted free for use on the web.

I have found peoples creative  blending of evocative images and music, their explicit or inferred use of scripture, and ability to visually portray theological ideas invite me and the other folk who come on Wednesday into a space where we encounter God in worship.

Yes they can be overdone, yes they take time to search (like all art forms there are good and bad, well constructed and poorly executed, fluff and depth) download,m edit and even mix such video clips... but the effort is worth it.  I am even trying in my own small way to create my own.

I do wonder if drawing people together by watching a screen is rather counter productive and anti communal: watching videos together or TV gives people a false sense of community, they think they are doing something together but unless they actively interact they are actually doing something individually together.  Short clips with opportunities for interactivity through the rest of the service seem to work.

 I guess it is  a rediscovery of the ancient preliterate use of such things as passion plays and icons to help us focus on Christ and his word. Most people today are immersed in our digital culture enough to be at home with how to connect with a screen and also to detach with what they see. We are not simply joining the flat screen society, you can't go int a tore or takeaway or anywhere in the Uni these days without interacting with image laden flat screens, rather using that technology as a portal for people to settle down and prepare themselves for worship.

Anyway thank you to all the people who create these clips and put them on the web for people to use to the glory of God.

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