Friday, November 02, 2012
throwing things at Jesus: Messy church worship at Adelaide Mission shaped ministry course
Messy church worship at Adelaide Mission shaped ministry course. Each week at the 2012 Adelaide Mission shaped ministry course, a different form of worship is introduced. As much as possible the team has been inviting local fresh expressions to share with us something of their worshipping life.
A few weeks ago, a local messy church group presented. They finished by inviting us to “throw” stuff at Jesus! On each table had been placed some wrapped up objects, newspaper held by tape. People were invited to take a ball and to imagine all their “stuff” – all their burdens and fears – were being placed in that ball. When they were ready, all the balls were placed in a central cloth. On the count of 1-2-3, these were thrown at the cross, with the shout “Thankyou Jesus.”
In some ways it was quite childish.
Yet I found it quite personally moving.
I realised I did have some stuff I was carrying. So to channel that into the paper, to have it move from internalised to externalised, and then have it released, thrown, at the cross of Jesus, was quite releasing.
And it is a way of understanding the atonement, the cross of Christ. As the One who catches all our stuff, takes all our sh*t, releases us, to be thankfully grateful.
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Hey Steve, I like this. I’m planning on a colourful advent version – throwing waterballoons filled with paint at the hand of God, praying something like “God surprise us/ let us see more joy, love, peace… this advent” It’ll be part of an Advent fellowship series: Pausing through Advent. Thanks for the post.
Comment by Adrian — November 23, 2012 @ 12:51 pm