Last November, Bill Swaringim came to me with an idea: to create a gathering, a space to facilitate community and dialogue surround the topic of “visual worship”. Months later, we gathered in St. Louis. We had no expectations and braced ourselves for what might take place. And people came…hungry for community and for challenging dialogue. Not only did 20+ people attend, but 60+ people tuned in online for the majority of the day’s conversations.  The day seemed like a success, and we left with that “cloud 9″ kind of feeling. We knew this had to be the beginning of something exciting.

Only two months later, we decided to host a similar gathering in the Nashville area. The approach was the same, but the content of the day’s discussions was different than that of St. Louis. The online community forged over twitter and blogs went offline and grew even deeper over philosophical discussions on worship, new expressions of art, cutting edge technology & many bowls of chips & salsa. For it’s one thing for a “tribe” to connect online, but if you ever take your community “offline”, then you will quickly form a belief that social media is simply a means to an end.

For a while, we created a make-shift website that served as a home for information & registration for these first few gatherings. But this week, I’m excited to announce that we have a new online home @ VisualWorshipRoundtable.com! And for the sake of blog post titles, I’m calling it “VWRT 2.0″! A big shout-out to Katie Strandlund for coming on board and designing the new site! Thanks Katie!!

Visual Worship Roundtable gatherings (VWRT for short) were launched to challenge visual worshipers and the Church to use visual media to help others experience God and be transformed into who He has called us to be. Each VWRT is designed to be a space for intentional dialogue and relationship building among the visual worship tribe, which includes anyone who believes that visual media has the potential to add depth and meaning to our corporate worship gatherings.

These are not times to find out what the latest, greatest methods & tools are…nor are these times to be trained or learn how to do our jobs better. Instead, we dedicate the day’s discussions to why we do what we do and to dig deeper into the purpose of corporate worship and how the visual plays a role in that. By taking this approach, we believe we will develop into better visual worship leaders & curators.

On the new site, you will find out what to expect at a VWRT, a little about who’s leading these conversations, ways to continue the dialogue beyond the roundtable events, and information on upcoming gatherings.

Speaking of upcoming gatherings, I’ve got two to tell you about today!

1) ECHO – if you are registered for ECHO (taking place in Dallas next week!!!), then you will be able to attend our late night VWRT hang out on Thursday night! There will probably be an announcement made during the event sometime, but if not, just pay attention to the official @VisualWorship twitter feed for more details. The after-hours session will probably only last an hour, but it will be a good time to connect with each other and maybe dive into a discussion or two. And there just might be an announcement made about an after-ECHO lunch on Friday, but you’ll have to come to find out more. :)

2) STORY – for those of you attending Ben Arment’s STORY conference in Chicago, we are working on a lunch for those interested in visual worship for one of those days. More information will be given at the conference. But we are also hosting a post-STORY VWRT that Friday night and Saturday. If you aren’t able to come to STORY (which is a tragedy), you can still come to VWRT. We will have registration available for those dates soon.

Be sure and follow @VWRT for all the latest information and announcements as we continue to unfold this dream and facilitate future gatherings for our tribe!

“Worship” is a term thrown around a lot these days. Vicky Beeching recently wrote about how the usage of this term (as our culture uses it) might even do more damage than good, as it can be “misleading & theologically unhelpful”. Worship is a LIFESTYLE…it’s much more than singing songs & meeting together once a week. We worship in so many ways…from singing songs, to being obedient, to loving others, to enjoying a majestic cloud formation & sunset. But for the majority of the “worshipVJ audience” (or “visual worship tribe”), we are in charge of designing, facilitating, curating & leading corporate worship on a consistent basis. I could flesh out “3D Worship” in many ways, but for now, I’m going to focus on the Sunday morning/corporate gathering aspect of our worship. And not just “worship” in general, but specifically the visual layer of leading worship (media/lighting/art/etc.)

I believe in stepping into “the box” and meeting our people where they are at. Only then can we lead them “out of the box”. Standing outside of the box and being frustrated with people “stuck” in the box does no one any good. That’s not how you affect change. So then, how can we meet our people “in the box” where their eyes are drawn? And how can we lead them further and deeper into worship through the use of visuals?

Let’s think about the 3 dimensions: up, across & out. I believe our worship services should contain moments of each…some days might emphasize one more than the other. It doesn’t have to look the same or have an equal portion of each every single time. Let’s think about our songs; you could probably categorize each of the songs being sung: “Here I Am to Worship” is UP… “Made to Worship” (”you & I were made to worship”) would be ACROSS… “God of This City” would be OUT. Our singing is the audible amplification of our worship. The main point I’m trying to make here could be stated in a question:

Are you visually amplifying your worship in the same direction that you are amplifying audibly?

Pause & think about it.

Another way to put it is simply making sure your visual content matches (or at least doesn’t compete with) your context.

I see & hear about lots of moments when people are audibly worshiping up, however, the visual is amplifying across. A good example that might help you better understand this would be iMAG (live video) during worship. (yes, i’m going there!) If we are singing of the great and glorious splendors of God, we are audibly amplifying God vertically (up). However, if all we do visually is project the face of the worship leader & band, we are visually amplifying each other horizontally (across). The two dimensions aren’t lining up…and that’s why so many of us struggle with this. (Now don’t get lost on the “iMAG during worship” debate…hang with me here. I’m not saying it’s bad all the time. It’s different for everyone…but it’s something we all need to consider & wrestle with.)

Worship leaders are more guides than anything. To me, leading visual worship is like shining a flashlight while giving a tour of a cavern. I’m shining light on different aspects of the cave while I’m telling you about it. I wouldn’t be very effective if I only lit myself while I described the jaw-dropping beauty & story of a 2000-year old stalagmite formation.

Here are a few applicable examples:

UP – images of creation (both earth and the heavens), writing out prayers on art walls, names of God, the Cross, the empty tomb, broken bread & wine. The same approach can be taken when choosing colors that correspond to the emotion of the message.

ACROSS – iMAG, testimonies, baptism videos, stories from the Body. The same can be applied to levels of lighting, even the direction & brightness of the lights. Who are we drawing attention to? Someone on stage, the baptismal, the congregation?

OUT – images of your city, hurting people, the homeless, different tribes & nations, those suffering b/c of poverty & injustice. Even THIS. It might even be expressed by stories of serving (whether across the ocean or across the street). Instead of a picture this time, I want to lead you through an experiment: 1) download the song “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes. 2) Watch this video while listening to the song (be sure to mute the volume of the video itself.)

My friend Paul Briney told a beautiful story at one of our Visual Worship Roundtable events where the middle school kids of his church went around and collected pocket change for victims of a recent natural disaster…and at the end of the worship service, they came and dumped all their buckets of change all over the altar….which turned out to be hundreds of dollars. They totally showed up the adults! What an “out” moment of visual worship!

Wow.

But what about abstract visuals?

If you haven’t already noticed, most of my examples have been very literal & direct (real, focused imagery, film content, etc). When I VJ, I lean much more towards literal than abstract. Using literal imagery is harder to “pull off”; it requires a lot of experience, practice & balance. And if timing is off, it’s a huge distraction. I don’t recommend going literal with your visuals on every song on every Sunday…use literal imagery sparingly! It’s very easy for it to come across as cheese-ball, & when it’s too redundant, then future moments become very predictable and not very special. If “Names of God” was used all the time, it would become the new waterfall or girl-with-the-hands-raised-on-the-mountaintop that we’ve seen 100 times. The more you use a certain piece of media, the more you devalue it.

Abstract imagery is powerful in that it gives your congregation a break (visually); they don’t have to think about what they are seeing and can concentrate more on the emotion, mood & lyrics of the song. Abstract visuals help to reinforce the moment in an aesthetically pleasing way. They can also carry meaning in the tone, movement, color & design…and sometimes, your visually-wired people might see something specific that aids them in worship that no ones else sees!

And check this out: one of the most powerful abstract images of all is black! Why else do people close their eyes during worship? I guess you could say that “visual silence” in golden. (translation: don’t be afraid to let your screens or lights go to black…and stay black.)

It’s ok to be visually neutral. Just b/c the moment is “up” doesn’t mean the visual has to be overtly “up”, too. But I encourage you to try both approaches…mix it up…change is good…step out of the box a little and see if your people will follow! And have fun while you’re at it! Enjoy God to the fullest while preparing, practicing & leading. Love your team well. Speak encouragement and life to everyone around you. And remember that all this “worship” isn’t for people..it’s for GOD. Make much of God…even visually! And when we make much of Him, it’s the most satisfying thing in the world!

So there it is. Pretty long blog post…sorry. :) And this even doesn’t really sum it all up for me…but my hopes are that these posts serve as a catalyst & a conversation starter. This is only the beginning. Let’s dig deeper!

Do you have any stories or examples you’d like to share involving any aspect of 3D Worship?

I’m not going to pretend that I know what “worship” truly means. There seem to be many definitions out there, but I don’t think any of us ever fully “get it”. However, that doesn’t stop me from learning, exploring & wrestling with what worship looks like…for both my daily, personal life as well as the corporate gathering of the Church. At the end of the day, it’s all about amplifying God with our lives.

3D is all the craze right now; thank you, James Cameron! I’m sure one day 3D technology will be as accessible as an iPod, and it’s inevitable that a church somehow somewhere will implement 3D technology for worship. Maybe it will come via 3D glasses, Hologram, or some other technology invented just yesterday that we have yet to learn about. Who knows.

But as this new technology makes itself attractively accessible to us all, let’s make sure that WE are shaping the Church, instead of letting technology shape it. Let’s also remember that worship is for God…and not for us. So slippery a slope it is to lead worship…if we aren’t careful, we can start to “worship the worship” and even the leading of it. I struggle with this on a regular basis.

So if it’s really for God, what does 3-Dimensional worship look like through God’s Eyes? I stumbled across something that might help us better understand this. There are three dimensions to worship. Check this little graph out. (I’ll try not to go all “math” on ya.)

UP

“Up” is the vertical dimension of our worship. It’s a direct dialogue between God & His Church. It’s amplifying Him by declaring Who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s yet to do. There is revelation, and there is response. Corporate moments like this might include songs about God, prayer, & communion. This is the main dimension most of us think of when we talk about “worship.”

ACROSS

“Across” is the horizontal dimension of our worship. Yes, our worship is directed towards God, but there is an element of community & togetherness involved. These are those “one anothers” we hear about in the Scriptures. “Across” moments bring ourselves into the light, whether it’s through times of encouragement, edification, confession, forgiveness, celebration, healing, baptism or simply sharing someone’s story/testimony.

OUT

“Out” is the action part of our worship. This is where we put it all into motion & BE the Church. These are the moments of compassion, mercy, justice & mission. Sometimes it’s as simple as engaging in someone’s story with no agenda other than loving them or doing something for them and expecting nothing in return. It’s being the hands and feet of Christ. As it says in James, it’s going to the widows & the orphans…this is pleasing & acceptable worship to God. This is what makes our worship 3D! Without the “out” dimension, our worship is 2-dimensional and flat. Sure, we declare regularly Who God is and what He’s done, and we may get “community” like nobody’s business…but if we don’t do anything about it and love the world around us like Christ calls us to love, then we become stale, lukewarm & stagnant…and God will spit us out of His mouth eventually. Worship not in motion is a nasty, foul stench to God. We must be salt & light. Faith without deeds is dead.

Sometimes I wonder if our “out” is actually “in”. To be missional means to step out of your own context and into someone else’s, meeting them at their point of need. I’m not against inviting people to our churches & events, but if that’s the all-end of our efforts to “reach them”, I think we are missing it.

The great tension that I live with is trying to get all this with my own life, when I spend most of my days designing worship events & using new, cutting-edge technology. I see so much need out there…so many injustices…people who have never heard the name of Jesus… and yet I come home to help those of us (who have already heard) use motion backgrounds, triplewide screens & do worship “better”.

But I cannot discount the power of sacred times set aside for the Church to worship together…and I love to create environments where we can gather and meet with God. I see these times as exclamation points to our week of worship…and a launching pad for the next week. So I believe our content should be as 3D as possible! I’m all about leveraging technology & imagery to express in new, creative ways the things that are close to the heart of God.

The content of our gatherings usually falls into one of these dimensions. Even if there’s a moment that contains an aspect of each, there’s still a dimension that’s dominating the moment.  I look at the context I’m leading in, and I do all I can do make sure the visual content I’m choosing aligns with the focus/dimension of the moment.

Think about your worship services…the songs, the visuals, everything. What moments could you categorize as “up”, “across” & “out”?

More to come.

———————————

Here is the continuation.

The first time I met Anthony Lee was in May/June of 2009 on my first trip ever to Hong Kong. I was VJ-ing the opening of a missions conference called “Call2All” as well as presenting a workshop on visual worship. Through the magical power of social media, Anthony reached out to me via Twitter and the rest was history.

At first, I thought, “Cool, a Chinese guy who’s into PowerPoint and things of that nature!” Little did I know, my world was about to be rocked. His entire community and network of VJs assembled; I was overwhelmed. Not only were they talking about technology, but they were concerned with the heart of visual worship….focusing on the “why” and the philosophies of using visual media and imagery during worship. They were saying verbatim the same words that only a few of us had uttered in conversations back home!

As I travel the globe, it becomes very evident to me that God is speaking to the whole Body…not just a select few. Very rarely am I “informing” anybody of anything; I am just sitting back and watching it all play out. Such is the case in Hong Kong. To me, this is evidence that “visual worship” is a work of the Holy Spirit and not a few guys who know how to run a laptop & projector.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview I had with Anthony while I was there last Summer. To see the full unedited (30 minute) version, click here. His English is great but his accent is thick. But I love the way he & his friends word things; it’s very refreshing to hear.

When I returned to Hong Kong in February (bringing Camron Ware with me this time), we made it a priority to meet up with Anthony and his friends. Anthony had organized a “VWRT” Roundtable-style dinner and hang time with a dozen other visual worship leaders all from different Chinese-speaking churches. We worshiped together, shared all of our stories, and ate some amazing food. The owner of the restaurant is also a pastor, and he makes his restaurant available as a place of worship each night after the kitchen closes.

Anthony began the evening by sharing his heart for visual worship. He said, “We can worship & glorify God with our eyes. If we were not able to do that, He would not have created us with eyes in the first place.” This has been one of the best descriptions I have heard in my entire life.

It was really cool seeing how they all responded to different things. They invited us to “show and tell” what we’ve been doing back in the States, and so we whipped out our VJ techniques and pictures of Environmental Projection. They were mostly wide-eyed and mystified, but they quickly guided the topic of conversation straight to the relationship aspect and the heart behind all of this…not the tools themselves. That goes to show you what is foremost on their hearts!

Anthony also cast vision for seeing visual artists rise up in the Chinese church…to start developing and creating their own visual content. He said that the American websites are great and all, and that he was very thankful for them, but that for China, they must find their own way of expressing visual worship. My heart just about beat out of my chest!

He also cast vision for going into Mainland China and helping the churches there by training them on the proper use of technology and imagery for worship. He created a flier to pass out at various events, and he gave it to me to give to you. Download here!

So keep a close watch on Anthony and his community. They may not be speaking at any of the cool conferences or showing up on any of the popular blogs in America, but I have a strong sense that God has chosen these guys as a royal priesthood to lead the Chinese church in worship in the days to come. And I want to do all that I can to get behind them and support them.

Anthony’s blog is called “Media4Christ”, and ironically, his domain is worshipVJ.hk!

- There is something powerful when people come together to create.

- Both of those guys (Camron & Nate) rank at the top of my list of creative people I know. … But as we focused on communication and our friendship, we all learned to die to our preferences and serve a greater cause.

- What happened in Thailand was probably one of the most creative worship experiences I have ever had.

- They wanted each of these nights to be set apart…very unique and special. So Saturday & Tuesday nights were our two main opportunities to bring all we had.

- Both nights incorporated Nate painting live during a segment of the worship while Camron and I took turns VJ-ing & running lyrics. As we dreamed together, we stumbled onto a few simple and innovative things that none of us had tried before. But what sent this experience over the edge was the participation of everyone else in the room…all contributing and leading through their own acts of visual worship. It was “co-creation” like I had never seen before.

- It’s all about relationships.

The Setup:

Saturday Night: Entering into Sabbath rest.

We wanted the worship space to be a sanctuary when people walked in. Lights dimmed, quiet & reflective music playing, and images/text on the screens that focused their hearts on God. People entered quietly and reverently.

The worship songs that night were played in a softer manner, and during a few of the songs, we didn’t even project lyrics. Instead, we projected various scriptures that focused on the Cross. The songs were well-known, so the need for lyrics wasn’t even there to begin with.

During this time of projecting scriptures, I felt the need (in the moment) to VJ scenes from “The Passion of the Christ”…slowed down to half-speed, saturation very low, and barely blended in with the scriptures. Then two people from the congregation got up and started reading scriptures while the worship leader lightly played his guitar. (For us, the scripture reading was a last minute add-on and someone else’s idea… a “curve ball” for us production guys…but we went with it.) It was POWERFUL. And the “Passion” scenes mysteriously lined up with what they were reading aloud. I love it when that happens.

Nate stepped on stage and started painting. No one could really tell what he was painting though…but we all sensed it was something profound. We continued to sing and hear scriptures. After a while, Nate turns the painting upside down and walks away. We were stunned as we made out the image…and overwhelmed given the powerful, scripture-filled worship moment we were in the midst of having.

Nate had also written out a beautiful treatment that I took and made into a video (all this was written and edited on the afternoon of). We also wanted to bring the experience back home for ELIC, and so Camron took his “Names of God” template and created a video of all the city names that ELIC is currently working in.

As you saw in the “setup” video, Camron had figured out in PVP (ProVideoPlayer) how to pixel-map the double-wide projection to fit exactly where the painting was hanging. This is an advanced setting in PVP and fairly easy to setup if you know what you’re doing.

And all at once, the elements came together. We captured this experience so that we could bring it back home and remember it, and we wanted to share it with you. (on the left, you’ll see the painting and what happened live, and on the right you’ll see what we projected on the side screens.)

And then we partook in communion.

Tuesday Night: The Sending Out.

This night was similar to Saturday night in that we had people enter quietly and reverently. However, this night was focused on the “sending out” of ELIC back to their cities.  This time, I VJ’d scenes of creation and people groups from all over the world. The music was less contemplative and more “other worldly” and “epic”…lots of movie soundtracks with a haunting yet inspirational rhythm.

Nate had painted a map of Asia earlier in the week and hung it on display in the back of the room. On Saturday night, people were invited to take sharpies and write prayers for their cities and friends over the regions where they were teaching. Some of the things that were written would break your heart.

We rearranged the chairs into a “U” shape, creating more of an “in the round” effect. I love doing this because it reinforces the community aspect of worship. (Nothing screams “community” like seeing the backs of people’s heads…just sayin’.) The band and speaker never stepped foot on the stage, but led from the floor down front. Many people could not see the worship leader, but this was kind of the whole point.

At the end of the night, after communion, Nate stepped back on stage and completed the painting of Asia. The first painting (from “Agnus Dei”) was hanging next to it. Nate finished painting, and what we were left seeing was the Hand of God holding Asia…prayers and all.

Then the worship leader led us in “God of This City”. In between the two paintings we projected faces of Asian people and then brought back the “Names of Asian Cities” that Camron had created for Saturday night.

Next came the last song of the night: “Mighty to Save”. Earlier in the day, Camron had taken his Canon 5D Mark II and took pictures of all the prayers that had been written throughout the week. After a little Photoshop magic, he opened up his editing program and created a double-wide video of all the actual handwritten prayers.

The people’s visual worship became our motion background! And it was the most powerful visual I could ever imagine while singing “Savior, He can move the mountains!” Spiritual mountains, one right after another, filled the wall. It was too much to handle. People were crying, raising their hands, and yelling “Yes, Lord! Do it!”

The last prayer came across the screen as we ended the song. In one person’s own handwriting, it read…

The president of ELIC got up, spoke a blessing over us, and prayed a benediction. The room continued to be a sanctuary. Most people just sat there in silence. Filled to the brim and ready to get back to the Work.

We had dreamed of merging live art and media all at the same time, but this was the first time we all worked together to make it happen. Even though the content was unique & creative, what made this experience so special was the context we were working with… 500 amazing individuals that make up ELIC. There’s no way we could replicate what happened that night…nor should we try…it was special for that time and for those amazing people. Again, it was co-creation like I had never seen before. What’s even better is that it took zero dollars to pull this off. Just a little time, creativity, a few of our own resources, unity and love for each other is all that we needed. I will never forget it.

It wasn’t the cool experience or our creativity that made the “worship” happen…it was the offering and surrender of people’s hearts…all of our hearts. That is what was pleasing and acceptable to God. It’s amazing when He chooses to use our talents in the midst of worship. He can do great things through us when we get out of the way, die to our preferences, and make ourselves available to Him.

There is something powerful when people come together to create. You see, when it comes to playing videos, I’m pretty much by myself, choosing the videos I want and doing it my way. Sure, there’s community with the band, leader and production guys, and a hope for some sense of “community” with the people in the pews…but let’s face it, when I sit down at my laptop, it’s pretty much whatever I decide. And very quickly, it can become all about me and my own artistic preferences.

In Thailand, I ran smack dab into a wall of frustration, tension and confusion over what needed to happen visually. Nate & I experience this tension frequently in our projects, and we’ve learned over the years to embrace and wield this tension to our benefit. Add the fact that Camron and I teach together a lot but rarely VJ together. Now put all three of us in a room together; it was the making of something very interesting.

Both of those guys rank at the top of my list of creative people I know. But working together in a close environment brought out some crazy things. I realized very quickly that we have different creative/artistic preferences. We each gravitate to different types of images & styles of VJ-ing; there were even moments when I thought, “I would never use that picture!” But as we focused on communication and our friendship, we all learned to die to our preferences and serve a greater cause.

You see, it’s all about relationships! This applies to all of us. I don’t care how big or little your budget is, how cool that video effect is, how many projectors and screens you have, or what version of ProPresenter you’re running…if you don’t have love, game over. It’s probably the single most important & foundational element for an effective ministry. I cannot stress this enough!

What happened in Thailand was probably one of the most creative worship experiences I have ever had. It involved all of us working together…as a team…loving each other and encouraging each other along the way. I failed many times at this during the process, but God trumped all that in the end and decided to accept our offering and do something great with it.

The conference went from a Wednesday thru Tuesday. For ELIC, Sabbath rest was ushered in Saturday night and ended Tuesday night with a sending out. They wanted each of these nights to be set apart…very unique and special. So Saturday & Tuesday nights were our two main opportunities to bring all we had. We still VJ’d the rest of the time, but it was much more simplified & stripped down.

Both nights incorporated Nate painting live during a segment of the worship while Camron and I took turns VJ-ing & running lyrics. As we dreamed together, we stumbled onto a few simple and innovative things that none of us had tried before. But what sent this experience over the edge was the participation of everyone else in the room…all contributing and leading the rest of us through their own acts of visual worship. It was “co-creation” like I had never seen before.

To be continued…

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 (NIV)

The last thing we want to do is badger or guilt people into giving us money. I hope you know our hearts. We want you to know what God is doing in other parts of the world…we want to tell that story well…we are still learning how to be good storytellers as well as live good stories. We want you to be a part of what God is doing in Asia…. so that when you hear about the amazing things He is doing in other parts of the world, you can say “Sweet! I got to have a hand in that!”

To be honest, financial support has been trickling in, and we are nowhere near the goal we need to meet. So I thought about making this a little more interesting. It’s time to up the ante.

The reality is…we need some dough to go. And your reality is…you need some fresh new loops for Sunday. So, here’s the deal. You give …and we’ll give back! Whether you have been inspired, challenged, encouraged, frustrated, or bored-to-tears by our blogs/tweets/sessions/content/conversations/friendship/etc, we are asking that you give at least $20 towards our trip. And if you can give more, we won’t complain! ;) If you can do this, I will send you a link to some new, free visual media!

The media bundle will include:

- three brand new loops created from our past trip to Thailand (edited by the amazing Nick Rivero) … they are part of an new media product that we’re releasing this year.

- three Names of God loops by Visual Worshiper – one is his most popular title, and the others are two triple-wide formats of his Names of God loops, which have never been released other than personally thru his consulting gigs.

- there might be a few other surprises in there, too…but you’ll have to pay up to find out. :)

*they are in a QuickTime format (no MPEGs rendered yet) but please don’t let that be a reason not to go through with this.

Here’s how to give:

1) go to ELIC’s website (elic.org/orgdonate)

2) fill out the form & put “ATC” at the bottom where it says “Any additional notes regarding the processing of this gift.” YOU HAVE TO PUT “ATC” in the additional notes…DON’T FORGET!!!

We have about $1700 each to raise. The way ELIC has it set up, when you give, it goes into one bucket for the three of us going. And yes, your gift is tax-deductible!

After you have given, email me at proctor@worshipVJ.com & I will send you a link for the media loops. If you don’t have the dough personally, then technically you can make this a church/media deal since you’ll be getting content that your whole church will benefit from! :)

again, at least $20… and more if you can swing it. You guys rock!

Here are thumbnails of some of the media included:

I wish I could fast forward 2010 and see how it all turns out…I’m sure if I knew the outcomes of certain things, I might choose to live my story differently…maybe some things I wouldn’t place so much importance on, and some things & people I might pay attention to a little more. Who knows… but I DO know this: I want to live a good story this year.

Donald Miller wrote an amazing post about resolutions vs living good stories. His main points boil down to 1) wanting something, 2) envisioning a climatic scene, & 3) creating an inciting incident. I recommend reading it for yourself.

Originally, this blog post was going to be about what I plan to accomplish, the places I’m going to, the people I can’t wait to meet or reconnect with, goals I have, yada yada… instead, I want to write about a few stories I hope to live well this year:

STORY ONE: To See Visual Worship Have a More Missional/Global Perspective

I desire to produce, create & VJ more missional media that brings God’s global story into focus during times of corporate and personal worship. I hope I’m not the only one; I want to be a part of a revolution that changes the face of visual media as we know it today. And I hope this cause isn’t self-serving (or perceived as) but overflows with the spirit of giving back and serving those who suffer.

I’m sitting on a plethora of beautiful HD footage that we’ve shot around the world and it’s just waiting to be edited and mastered into a format suitable for VJ-ing and storytelling. I’m praying for the right individuals to come alongside us and help us in the production and release of that content. Like I said, I hope we’re not the only ones doing this. I want to spend 2010 encouraging other creatives to do the same. Worship is a response to the revelation of Who God is and what He’s done/doing; we’ve done a good job at projecting Who He is…but I feel that much of the available media out there lacks in the areas of Who He is & what He’s doing outside the four walls of the church building (which to me is the majority of His Kingdom…I dunno…just sayin’.) I want to see this change.

The Church as a whole (at least at the forefront) is definitely shifting its focus to more missional ways of worshiping. It’s happening everywhere, and it’s exciting. And our culture (including our churches) are becoming more globally aware and connected, which has never happened before (at least on this scale). I’m having more and more conversations about visual worship outside of America than inside. How is our visual storytelling & VJ-ing supporting/responding/leading these shifts?

STORY TWO: To Tell the Story of Visual Worship in New Ways

I have many dreams, ideas & goals for this year. Some, I believe will be carried out by others…and some, I believe, have been placed in my heart by God…entrusted to me to see it through. Some people would shy away from announcing things without having it “all together” and ready for “release”. To that, I say, “whatever!”. So I’m saying it now…publicly…and I’m involving other people with it. This very act forces me to move. As Donald Miller points out, saying things publicly and not following through creates a “social consequence”. I will let those I’ve involved down, and I’ll look stupid in front of everyone i’ve told (aka YOU). (maybe that’s the whole point for some of these things…but again, i can’t fast forward and find out.)

God has clearly spoken to me about a few specific things. One is software development. Another is for inspirational/educational media about visual worship. And the last is about writing a few books. I have a pretty good idea of what all these could look like, and have been carrying these ideas for some time now. But 2010, i’m hoping, is the year that I get to flesh some of these out. All, I hope, end up being for the edification of His Church.

I want so badly for everyone to experience the glory, splendor, awe, wonder, majesty, creativity & mystery of God in the midst of worship (whether corporate or personal). I believe the visual arts (media, environment, story, etc) have a huge role to play in this. And I don’t believe we are in a place where we are experiencing this as God has intended here on the earth. And I believe with all my heart that there needs to be a return to simplicity and authenticity in our worship (especially in the production of our worship experiences)…this to, we are lacking on a major scale. This is why you here me talk about “visual silence” so much…i really think there is something there, for all of us, on a corporate and personal level, from God.

I’m hoping through the small postage-stamp-sized platform that God has given me I will tell His story to the best of my abilities. Maybe through some new refreshing media, films, books, events, blog posts, conversations, worship gatherings, etc, I will be able to echo this well.

STORY THREE: Facilitating Relationships & Ways to Give Back

I desire to be a part of a nameless, faceless movement of the Church that gives back to those who are in need. More specifically, I want to be a part of a movement within the realm of “church creatives” that give back to other “creatives” who are in need. I don’t know exactly what this looks like yet, but I’m wondering if there are ways to facilitate some opportunities that we all get to play a part in.

Not all churches in the world can benefit from visual media in their services or in the daily life of their Church. Believe me, there are some indigenous churches that are doing JUST FINE without technology. In fact, it would cause more harm than good; it’s just not their culture. However, there are MANY churches around the world that could benefit from technology and visual media. But, for whatever reason, they can’t afford it or easily obtain it. What if those of us with resources stepped in and helped them?

What if the media/worship ministry of your church sponsored a church in Indonesia…giving them new computers, software, media, cameras, projectors, editing software, website, or ________??? But what’s more exciting is that this sponsorship would facilitate relationships! Imagine getting your head unburied from the laptop and going on a trip to this 3rd world church and engaging for a week or two in their creative leaders’ lives? Teaching and training them, yes…but what about praying for them and simply hearing their story? Priorities will resurface, and perspectives will change. And the way you lead worship (musically/technically/visually) will change… TRUST ME.

This is one reason I’m going back to Asia (and to other countries soon)… I want to figure this out and see what God has for us. His global story is epic… like, Lord of the Rings epic…and even more so, I’m sure. There is a place for all of us… and “visual worship” is just a small part of the bigger story taking place. How will we engage & fit our lives into His story?

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So, to heck with “resolutions” and goals. Yes, I have many of them…but when I look at them through the lens of a narrative, I’m much more motivated to go after them. And I may fail miserably at all of this. Or maybe it’s not until 2020 when some of these things I’ve mentioned finally come to fruition. And I pray that none of these are self-serving or build up any earthly empire that I might call my own. I guess we’ll both have to wait and find out.

Yes, I wish I could fast forward this year and see how everything turns out. But I can’t…for this is the essence of faith. Moving forward and believing in something I can’t see. Faith, by nature, is “visually-silent”.

So here’s to 2010. I’ve never been more excited about a new year before. Let’s journey well together.

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“I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” ~ Jeremiah 10:23

“A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” ~ Proverbs 20:24

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prospers you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:34

In just a month, Nate, Camron & I set out for Asia. We’re going to lead visual worship & encourage those who have been serving long-term throughout the year. But instead of writing a long letter about it all, and since this is a blog about video, I decided flex some editing muscle and tell you face-to-face:

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Information about giving:

-go to ELIC’s website

- fill out the form & put “ATC” at the bottom where it says “Any additional notes regarding the processing of this gift.”

We have about $1700 each to raise. The way ELIC has it set up, when you give, it goes into one bucket for the three of us. And yes, your gift is tax-deductible!

Thank you so much for supporting us in prayer and for considering a financial gift to support our trip!

~ proctor, nate & camron

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Community in Asia:

Biscuet (+ check out “Visual Worship in China” w/ Biscuet)

Anthony Lee

Grace Campus Ministries

Lois Choy/Door Ministries

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check out this sweet video of the opening for the Passion World Tour in Hong Kong. (by the way, this event was a huge catalyst for Anthony & his friends in getting them interested in visual worship.)

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to read Camron’s letter about this trip, click here.

There are many factors that contribute to this journey of “visual worship” i’m on. New software versions, cool loops with that latest edgy effect, creative “out of the box” (or “in the box“…haha) projection techniques, etc… these are all good and noteworthy things. But one thing contributes more than any of those combined, and that is community.

Thankfully, in this day we have social media that easily and freely connects us all, and if you know what you’re doing, you can quickly find your way into a tribe of like-minded people who share the same passion. In the past few years, i have met some of the most creative, passionate people ever through social media. But when it goes beyond 140 characters or the occasional blog comment, that’s where the real conversations start to take place.

That’s why i love events like Echo, Gurus & Dirt. Because these are gatherings that are designed to connect creative leaders passionate about media & worship in the Church. Any given day at one of these events is jam-packed with mind-blowing seminars, inspiring keynotes & eye-opening resources that will make your head spin. At one of these events, I met Bill Swaringim, a church tech director from St. Louis and a fellow twitter follower. He proposed an interesting idea to Camron Ware & me:  a whole event dedicated to “visual worship”.

This being a dream of ours for a year now, we jumped onboard immediately. Bill took the initiative and ran with the idea! So here are a few details for what i hope to be the first of many “Visual Worship Roundtables”.

- When is it? //  January 14th, 2010

- Where is it? //  St. Louis, MO @ Windsor Crossing Community Church

- Does it cost anything? //  Yes. And only $25.

- Where can I register & get more information? //   VisualWorship2010.com

- What can I expect to get out of this event? //   This is not a “conference”, so it won’t follow any format like one. Most of the day will be an open dialogue where all are invited to participate. There will be structure, but it will be informal and designed to flow freely. With a bunch of creative-techs in the room, i’m sure we’ll cover topics on technology and gear. But this isn’t a “tech” event…there aren’t going to be any training sessions on software (though we might be using/demonstrating certain softwares throughout the day). We will definitely talk about ways that all of us have implemented technology throughout the year, such as VJ-ing, Environmental Projection, creating atmosphere, new content ideas, etc. But in the midst of touching on the “whats” & “hows”, our priority will be the “why“. We hope to get into some deep & possibly controversial conversations on our philosophies of visual worship, theology, current Church culture, building stronger relationships, and ways to be more effective visual worship leaders. Hopefully through this experience we will draw closer to each other & to Jesus, to whom this is all for in the first place.

Some other questions you might ask:

- Q. I love a philosophical discussion just like the next guy, but I still have some questions about “gear”. Will there be any time or place to have my questions answered? //  A. Yes! While we don’t claim to have all the answers, we most definitely want to help you along your journey. Since everyone’s questions & situations are unique, we probably won’t address these in the large group setting. But there will be time during the day for individual conversations, no matter the topic. And if that’s not enough, then you’ll leave with everyone’s contact info.

- Q. Whoa! This event is just around the corner! I would love to come but it’s too short of a notice. Will there be more gatherings like this in the future? //  A. Yes. But we don’t know when yet. Hopefully a few of these will take place in 2010, and not just in the St. Louis area either. Watch this blog & the Events page for upcoming Roundtables.

- Q. Will this be a large event? //  A. My guess is no. And we’re fine with that. In fact, a smaller, more intimate setting will allow for more voices to be heard and for more flexibility in our conversations. But the more, the merrier, too! Numbers aren’t our focus…growing deeper in our understanding of visual worship IS. This will be an epic day, even if there’s 8 of us (and there will be at least that many!)

- Q. I’d like to host a Visual Worship Roundtable in my city. Is this possible? //  A. You bet your bottom dollar it is. Just e-mail me  ( proctor@worshipVJ.com )  and let’s talk.

- Q. Will this event be live-streamed? //  A. Despite our failed attempts in the past, yes, we are going to try our best to live-stream this event …and do it right this time!  :)   So on that day, tune in to live.worshipVJ.com.  (but we may have to call in Brad Zimmerman for this!)

- Q. I have another question that you haven’t covered. //  A. That’s not a question…it’s a statement. But i know what you mean. ;-) Just ask your question in the comments section.

thanks!

“Then something happened, and the visual layer of worship was stripped out of the Church.” (excerpt from the “Story” page.)

Understanding the history of visual worship is a vital piece in forming one’s philosophy. Honestly, this is an area of discussion that intimidates me, but when i dive in, i find it fascinating! The other day, i stumbled upon an interesting article on the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Ironic since it was Calvin who played a major role taking the arts out of the Church. It’s long (for an online article) but it’s worth the read.

here’s an intriguing section from the article:

“Opening yourself to new experiences of art in worship starts with questioning two assumptions.

First, many Christians value the verbal over the visual. We understand how the Holy Spirit uses the Bible, inspired preaching, and music to connect us with God. But linking art with worship stirs worries about idolatry, distraction, and poor stewardship.

Second, many of us think of art as something to look at in museums and galleries—something different than craft, which is beautiful and useful.

God’s people have not always looked on art as an inferior (or impossible) way for the Holy Spirit to mediate God’s love to us. Nor have God’s people always seen art as disconnected from real life, which includes true worship.”

I think it’s really important to know where we’ve come from and to study the decisions of the visual worshipers of old… to know WHY they made certain decisions and to see how, generations later, it has made an impact on how we worship. And if we don’t know our history, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

i’m not very far on the journey of discovering our past. i hope you’ll join me. b/c i have a lot to learn.

If you’re wanting to explore further, i recommend reading these books. If you know of any other resources, please share them in the comment section.

Sally Morgenthaler is one of my heroes. She’s been challenging the status quo and dreaming about the future of worship for as long as I’ve known her. I met her in my early years of VJ-ing and got to reconnect with her at a few recent events. I wanted to get on iChat to pick her brain about a few things and to share with you her thoughts. Prepare to have your mind blown. Sally’s not kidding around.

*warning: this video is fairly lengthy (about 50 min), so you’ll have to carve out some time to watch it. I know it’ll be worth it…wouldn’t want to waste your time. If you don’t have time to watch, then you can download the MP3 of the chat, sync it to the iPod, & listen to it on your way to work. Enjoy!

“We are not producing worshipers in this country. Rather, we are producing a generation of spectators, religious onlookers lacking, in many cases, a true encounter with God, deprived of both the tangible sense of God’s presence and the supernatural relationship their inmost spirits crave.” - Sally Morgenthaler, Worship Evangelism

(to read a really great article on Worship & Entertainment, click here.)

As I’ve been on the road having conversations with pastors, worship leaders & techies who are all trying to figure out how creativity works in worship, I have had a growing burden to gain a clearer understanding of what true, biblical worship is. i have much to learn and more scripture to dig into than i can comprehend. Here are some of the main things that have stuck with me, and here are some questions I’m asking myself in hopes of finding the answer to “What is Visual Worship?”.

• Worship is our response to a revelation from God…specifically, Who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s yet to do. // So how can visual media/art facilitate a revelation from God (just as text on paper can), and how can we use visual media as a way of leading our response to God?

• “We breathe in the wonders of God, and we breathe out our response.” – paraphrasing Matt Redman // Can we “breathe” in/out using our eyes and what we see?

• Worship, by nature, is 3-dimentional (picture an X, Y, Z axis): UP (Godward/Intimacy), ACROSS (Communal/Relationships), and OUT (missional/Kingdom)…all three working in motion & together..never independently. God is everywhere. // How can our visual media support each dimension? Can our screens and walls be windows into the world around us, bringing everything from the wonders of God’s creation to the hurting and oppressed into the church building, where we tend to confine our worship?

• ” ‘Missions’ exists because worship doesn’t.” – John Piper //  How does “missions” play a role in the visual content we are choosing?

• Worship stems from the heart…it’s not what we do, but how we live. // How are we using visual media/art to connect the dots… that worship is not the songs we sing nor the experience we have during an event, but a lifestyle of authentic relationships, loving others, and adoring God in everything?

• “Religion (worship) that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit widows and orphans in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” – James 1:27 (ESV) // Again, how does this relate to “visual worship”? What priorities do we have when it comes to worshiping ourselves and leading others to worship?

• “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” – Romans 12:1 (ESV) // If we are using this phrase “visual worship”, how does it apply to this passage of scripture?

• I once heard a friend in Hong Kong say that we can glorify/worship God by what we see, that if we weren’t able to do that, God wouldn’t have created us with eyes. // How can I see Jesus in everyday life? How can I use images and art to help others see Jesus in the midst of singing worship songs and hearing a sermon?

So, with all of this said, what would you say is the definition of “visual worship”, and how does it relate to leading your congregation?

Share your voice.

this seems to be the train of thought amongst a few of us in this “visual worship conversation”. However, could simple loops with nothing but textures, colors and particles ever have a home in our churches? Does your visual media ALWAYS have to have a clear meaning & message? Does the visual impact always have to be an obvious revelation of theological truth?

I have the privilege of attending the Dirt Conference this week, and i’ve been meeting some of the coolest people who are also asking the question “why?” & pressing in to find out how to be better visual worship leaders. One of them is Katie Strandlund. Check out this blog post she wrote today, where she breaks down our conversation about the proper place of “simple colored loops”.

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I have been living in the world of visual worship for six years now. God has taught me a thing or two along the way. I’ve used a variety of tools, changed my “best practices” countless times, and my philosophy probably as many. But through all of that I had one question I couldn’t get a good answer for: why use simple colored backgrounds, backgrounds that are visually less saturated?

I mean, I have visited several churches and by far the majority of them use colors 90% of the time. Sure, they look neat and can be all flashy, but for me they do very little to enhance worship. Not only do churches use them but video companies have produced them in mass and continue to do so. I couldn’t help but think there was something magical abut these backgrounds that I was missing.

Well today, I had a brief conversation with Stephen Proctor and the lightbulb came on. His answer to that question made complete sense and made me think “aha, I get it!” In short, his answer was not only can we use colors to create certain moods, but perhaps more importantly we can use less visually saturated backgrounds to great an ebb an flow that is necessary in visual worship. You see we need highs and lows in order to have either. You can’t get to the mountaintop unless you start from the bottom. And the mountaintop isn’t nearly as sweet if you stay there all of the time. In visual worship terms: you use visual simplicity to create space where you prepare people for something more. But if it’s more all of the time it becomes too much. The opposite is also true however. If it’s all colors all of the time you are missing out on the essence and power of visual worship.

Seems so simple, doesn’t it? But then, I guess most “lightbulb moments” do. What was the last “lightbulb moment” you had?

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Check out Katie’s blog here.

Thanks, Katie, for asking me a question that no one’s ever asked me before…our conversation led me to a deeper understanding of the impact visual media can have during worship, even in the abstaining of “high impact” visual moments. wow.

($50 each. To order one, send an e-mail to store@gi-inc.org.)

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i’m not one to commercialize worship & to sell a bunch of products, but i do believe in the importance of resources and effective tools…and even more than that, i believe in the importance of teaching HOW and WHY we should be using those tools. so why not teach & resource in creative, out-of-the-box ways!

i was impressed by the idea Integrity Live had, to produce USB Wristbands for the Hillsong United conferences… 4GB loaded with audio, video & online content from each event…and presented in a really cool way! They said it was a popular item, and also said they had a few leftover. At seminars4worship, the resource staff also said that people have been asking for the videos and backgrounds they saw on the screens throughout the week. the wheels started turning, and we came up with an idea.

the worshipVJ USB Wristband – a visual worship starter kit

as you can see, there’s lots of content and resources loaded on it… no, not ALL the backgrounds from the conferences are on it, but there is a small little bundle (formatted for both PC & Mac and in SD & HD resolutions). But the power of the content is not in the media itself but in the teaching resources & links to the main places hosting the Visual Worship conversation. Consider it a launch pad for leaders starting their journey into visual worship…and for those already on the journey, it serves as great fuel.

we’re selling them at the conference for $50 each, but i wanted to extend the offer to the online community.

To order one, send an e-mail to store@gi-inc.org. PayPal only.