Why a Spiritual, Visual Space

This book is an ideas book, a helps book, a springboard, and a place to begin. It can help you tap into the creative nature that God gave each of us. This book can be used by pastors, worship leaders and teams, retreat leaders, and teachers, and for personal use in creating a worship or devotion space in a home.

We compiled this book for leaders and readers interested in following the liturgical year and its readings; however, you do not have to follow it using the lectionary. The scripture and topical indexes at the back will help you use the suggestions at any time. We offer suggestions and ideas for bringing a visual dimension into the worship experience.

The primary purpose of this book is to lift up the following ways of augmenting worship:

• Using the visual to enhance the experience of God's presence, worship, and prayer;

• Adding a multifaceted dimension to the worship time;

• Helping guide people on the focus of the message, scripture, or theme;

• Connecting devotion to words, music, prayer, and Eucharistic times; and

• Helping everyone worship God in a more intentional way.

Liturgy means the work of the people. And as Thomas Aquinas stated, liturgy is for the people, not for God. Worship is like a drama: the leaders are the prompters, the people are the actors, and God is the audience. We want to make the best effort of our work and time as we prepare to come together to worship and praise God. The visual arts can be just as helpful as the music we use and the songs we sing. Visual arts deepen our experiences and understandings. Visuals bring forth our cultures, time, and elements of tradition. From the very beginning, Christians used the visual to tell the stories, share the heart, and express the connections we have with God and with each other. In fact, churches originally installed stained-glass windows to help those who could not read or remember the stories. Liturgical space theology is the use of space for transformation and for the growth in relationship with God that can happen in that space.

Personalities and Worship

We now realize that our personalities make a difference in the acts and procedures that enhance our worship. We find that some older adults prefer a service with more energy and physical expression, what we now call contemporary worship. We also see some teens and young adults who prefer a more liturgical service. We often overlook a third type of worship, a contemplative worship that has periods of silence and reflection. We all need, at times, to experience all three styles of worship, but our personalities lead us to one more than another.

In exploring some of the Myers-Briggs personality types, we find that visuals help us, no matter our personality. We give you some suggestions for this below. For more information on spirituality and personality types, we suggest two books: Knowing Me, Knowing God by Malcolm Goldsmith and Discover Your Spiritual Type by Corinne Ware.

Introverts and Extroverts

We gain energy in different ways. Extroverts gain energy from people and activity, and introverts gain energy from quiet, reflective times. Visuals can appeal to both introverts and extroverts. The extrovert will see the visual as an exciting way to understand the theme or message. The introvert will take the visual into his or her heart and mull it over throughout the worship time.

Sensers and Intuitives

Sensers take in information through the senses, and the visual images bring the theme home to them. They also benefit from touch, smell, and taste. Even when those senses are not used, the visual can help them imagine the roughness of a rugged cross or the smell of a bottle of perfumed oil or the taste of a fruit.

Intuitives take in information through imagination. They will use the visual as a stepping stone into imagining the theme or understanding the passage of scripture. Since intuitives quickly become bored with repetition, the freshness of a new visual for each service will enhance their worship. They find that words cannot describe God, and so the visuals add a dimension to their experience.

Thinkers and Feelers

We all are thinkers and feelers to some degree, but some personalities thrive more on thinking and others more on expressing their feelings. Thinkers enjoy an order in their worship experience. Since the very process of thinking can be a form of spiritual exercise to them, a visual in worship gives them opportunity to think about the theme or scripture. These thoughts can be an actual offering to God for thinkers.

Feelers place themselves in other people's shoes. Visuals help them identify with situations and circumstances. A hammer and three nails can help them understand the pain and agony of the crucifixion. They also like peace and harmony, and will often avoid conflict. Sometimes a visual can help them face facts about our world and bring them to action.

Learning Preferences and Worship

Just as we have different personalities, we have different ways of learning. In Matthew 22:7, we hear Jesus telling us to love God with our heart, soul, and mind. Jesus did not separate the mind from worshiping God, and we must take the different ways of learning into account as we prepare worship experiences.

Some of us are more oriented to what we hear, while others are more oriented to what we see. Today's churches lean heavily on the audio, focusing on music and the spoken word. We have a mission to help people who learn more through visuals. For a visual person, a service that has no visual connection can be as meaningless as a service without words or music would be to a person primarily focused on hearing.

Howard Gardner, an authority in brain research, identified eight intelligences that God gave each of us. We all use these intelligences, but each one of us will favor some more than others. Recognizing these intelligences can help enhance our worship time.

• Jesus approached his verbal/linguistic followers with the use of stories and scripture. Visuals can act as a bridge between the words and the listener.

• Jesus often used questions and answers to provoke the logical/mathematical follower into thinking and reasoning. A visual can trigger questioning thoughts for this type of learner.

• Jesus used common objects as he explained his meanings to the visual/spatial follower. In the following pages we offer a rich supply of suggestions for such common objects. The way that you set up your focal center makes a difference here too.

• Jesus involved his body/kinesthetic learners by taking them fishing and washing their feet. Although visuals do not always involve movement, they can often trigger thoughts of movement for worshipers.

• Jesus and his disciples often sang hymns. Other types of music were common in the worship of that day. We usually involve some form of music in our worship experiences, and simply placing musical instruments or musical notes in the worship space can often connect the musical/rhythmic learner to the message.

• Jesus developed small groups and other opportunities for his interpersonal followers. When we all view the same visual, we can feel connected to others in our worshiping community.

• Jesus drew himself and his disciples aside for intrapersonal reflection. Visuals in the worship time draw us to reflect within ourselves, an experience that people today have very little opportunity to explore.

• Jesus used nature as illustrations and even taught outside. When we bring nature into the worship area, we help each person worship through God's world.

The Lectionary and Christian Seasons

What is the lectionary? The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of scripture readings used as a worship guide by more than twenty denominations. One great advantage to using the lectionary is the way it brings a comprehensive scope, an interesting variety, and an overview of the Bible coordinated to the seasons of the church. It also gives a balance of different Scriptures such as the Hebrew texts, the Psalms, the Gospels, the Letters, and other good news books. Without such a guide, we could easily fall into a rut of using our own favorite Scriptures and miss the richness that other readings bring to the worship experience.

The seasons of the Christian year create a rhythm that helps us remember the life of Christ. Instead of looking at the seasons as repetitive events that occur year after year, we must begin seeing the year as a flow through our contemporary lives, a living out of the faith story each year. Built into these seasons are special things that we do and see and hear, even things that we smell and touch that awaken our senses to seeing Christ anew all around us.

(Some churches choose to extend the Pentecost Season, celebrating outreach to people of all nations as they remember the gift of languages at Pentecost. See Acts 2.)

You will find more suggestions for traditional symbols and props in the appendix on pages 159-63. The book Teaching & Celebrating the Christian Seasons, by Delia Halverson, will give you more background on the particular seasons.

Helps in Creating a Visual Space

Let's get started! Creating a visual space involves more than just throwing some objects on a table. Recognize that you are prompting others to carry out their actions as they actively worship our awesome God. You are an agent of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you. We find it helpful to bless the space. A blessing comes about in prayers of thanksgiving for God's presence and prayers for God's guidance as we plan the creation and setup. There is no mistake in the construction that God brings about. The time we have with God in making the display is co-creation. The insights that we receive are wonderful gifts. What others do or do not receive in the vignette is not our responsibility. Any holy and spiritual space is an experience between the Creator of all and the one who waits and watches. The messages and insights are their own. The Spirit moves as it may. Be open in your creating and in your observation.

Creating a Visual Display

We suggest that displays in a sanctuary change weekly, centering on a theme or the liturgical readings. But also consider seasons or groups of worship experiences that have a theme running through them. During Lent or Advent, you may create a display as the basic prop for all the Sundays of that season. Then the only changes made each individual day or Sunday would be the adornments or smaller symbols on it. During Advent, for example, an evergreen bough might be placed on a display, and each week you would simply add different symbols representing the shepherds, angels, and so forth.

For a retreat, the focus display table might have the overall visual based on the theme and purpose of the retreat. Then at each session, add something to represent the focus of that session. We have used bare tree branches on a table and hung representative symbols and items throughout a retreat weekend. We have also asked participants to bring or collect and display their own symbols and items as part of the opening and closing moments of a retreat. Personal symbols can be very effective.

In the home, create a prayer corner to display items that change monthly or seasonally depending on the time of year. In this worship space, you might also focus on where you are in your journey or time in your life. Use visuals in your worship as moving devotional tools.

The display area can be symbolic and directive. It can also be interactive. You may use the items on the table as part of the message. For example, if the message includes reference to God's word being as sweet as honey, the display might have pieces of honey candy on it that can later be taken by the congregation and enjoyed. Having a display each week can help the person giving the children's sermon. The items on the table can also serve as the visuals and props that not only keep children's attention but also connect the children's message to the greater theme and scripture of the day.

The display often becomes as exciting as a game. Expectant worshipers come to church in anticipation of what will be displayed this day. And the attention is not lost as people try to recognize the connection between the visual and the message that unfolds. This brings joy for all ages.

The display brings the greatest gift in the way it ties the parts to the whole. Base the work on the Scriptures, tie everything into the greater theme of the day, and be intentional about articulating themes to observers of all ages. And, finally, be part of the creative process yourself. On page 157 of the appendix, you will find a page you can copy and use for your own ideas and notes. A sample of the note card appears on the page opposite this one.

Materials

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a studio full of all the materials you need to create spiritual displays? Some of us are so lucky. There may be spaces, closets, or unoccupied rooms where we can organize and save items that can be used each week. Some of us may resort to an old trunk, cellar, or attic. Some of us may have multiple places where items can be collected and saved. The key is to have an organized way of listing what you want to use, where it is, and how to get it.

Start with a basic collection of arts and crafts supplies. Most items we can readily find around us. Some may be borrowed or just moved from one place to another. Keep a running list of wonderful pieces you know about, the person who owns them, and the way to reach that person. If you anticipate needing an object, send out a message to persons in your congregation ahead of time, asking them if they have such an object. Having their personal item used in the display will bring even more meaning to their worship experience. Take care and return the item promptly. Also keep a record so that you know where to find it should you want to use it again. Of course, you may need to buy other materials. Anything from a beautiful prop or statue to basic paper, fabrics, or markers will come in handy. Look around. You will find so much right in your midst that can be used. Keep good records of their whereabouts. On page 158 of the appendix you will find a form to copy and use. Or you can set up such a form on your computer.

Collect items and symbols as you come across them. Objects have meaning beyond themselves. Jesus emphasized his message with the use of parables each time using ordinary stories of people and situations to tell his own story and teach a message. We, like Jesus, can use ordinary symbols and objects to express "the more."

We have included a list of some items on pages 159-63 in the appendix for starters. These suggestions are just a beginning to the multitude of ideas you will come up with on your own. Make use of what you find in your midst. Also consider recycling and reusing materials. It is a great, green thing to do.

Help from the Village

You do not have to create displays all by yourself. You may want to organize a team of people to help. Artistic, creative friends can help in the most amazing ways. The fun and fellowship that comes when working together is a testament to the energy that community fosters. Impress on your team that you are not just creating a display but a means to lead worshipers to a richer relationship with God. When you begin to create your visual, take a moment for prayer and ask God to guide you as you plan and work.

Other suggestions include asking a class of children to make something that can be displayed. One year we asked the children to create bells out of different colors of construction paper. We suspended them from the sanctuary ceiling with names of church members who had passed away the previous year printed on them. They floated gently in the air on All Saints Sunday in memory of our departed loved ones. And the children were so happy to have their creations used in church. (If your ceilings are too high, you might hang them from a cross bar on standards that are brought to the front and placed in holders.)

And, of course, there are the artists in our midst. Use their God-given talents in a multitude of ways. Quilters, sewers, painters, calligraphers, photographers, and sculptors are usually happy to lend their creations on any given day. Again the key is to keep a descriptive list of items and artists to call at the right time. If you ask them to create something special, be sure to give them plenty of time to do so. You might also give them credit for their creation in the bulletin—not in the order of worship but in another spot in the bulletin.

Centering

A visual space not only helps direct and focus our thoughts but also clears and opens the mind. When we arrive at church on Sunday morning, at a retreat place, or at a time of devotion in our own homes, our minds are filled with distractions. Just when we want to quiet ourselves to God, we wander off to past reflections, plans of future responsibilities, and present concerns.