Introduction To The Worship Environment

Since the arts in worship serve as vehicles of communication, the architectural space in which worship takes place is a matter of primary importance. Space speaks. It is a voice that says something about the action of worship. The symbolic objects of worship assist in communicating Christ's presence and ministry.

Christian Assumptions about Worship Space Because space speaks, it is important to know what kind of biblical assumptions regarding the church and its worship should inform the Christian approach to worship space. Those involved in contemporary worship renewal agree on three biblical teachings about the church and worship that informs all thought about worship space. 1. The church is people. The church is not a building, a denomination, a judicatory, but the people who assemble to worship. 2. The building in which worship takes place is the house of the people. It is not the house of God, as though it were where God dwells. God dwells in the people and is present in their assembly. 3. Worship is the action of the entire people of God. It is not something done to the people or for the people by a special class of ordained clergy. Worship is the work of the people. These three assumptions point to a specific problem in the worship space of many existing churches that were not informed by these principles. Consequently, that space is not conducive to the type of worship advocated by those leading renewal. A brief overview of how space for worship was arranged through the centuries points out the problem. Early Christianity. The use of space in the church's first three centuries was shaped by the three principles outlined above. For the most part Christians worshiped in homes that were renovated into worship spaces. Worship was people oriented in such spaces. The Constantinian Era. After the conversion of Constantine and the Edict of Toleration (a.d. 313), the church was given huge Roman basilicas, which were turned into worship space for large gatherings. In these spaces the clergy was separated from the people, and worship was increasingly seen as the action of the clergy. Meanwhile, the participation of the entire body of worshipers went into decline. The Medieval Era. By the thirteenth century the three biblical principles regarding the church and worship became obscured. The church was identified with the building, which was seen as the "house of God." The people became spectators to the action of worship conducted by the clergy. In Roman Catholicism, this view of space was retained until Vatican II (1963–1965). Protestant Christianity. While Protestantism attempted to return worship to the people, it gradually turned the worship space into an educational space or an evangelistic space. Today many new Protestant churches, especially the megachurches, have created an entertainment space with a stage, stage lighting, and theater seats. Contemporary Renewal. Twentieth-century advocates of renewal are returning to the biblical principles of church and worship. They want to end the spectator mentality of worshipers and return to the concept of the church as a people who assemble in a particular space to do the action of worship together. Since the use of space in the past has both reflected a misunderstanding of worship and therefore an unbiblical design of space for worship, we must ask, "What are the characteristics of a space that indicate what we do when we worship?" These characteristics are three: 1. Mystery. Worship speaks the mystery of redemption through Jesus, the Christ who becomes present in worship to do for us what he did historically. A worship environment should speak this mystery, both the mystery of God's transcendence and the mystery of Christ's presence. 2. Hospitality. The environment of worship should express a feeling of warmth and congeniality, putting the people of the assembly at ease and making them feel welcome. 3. Participation. The environment should aid the participation of the people and should not hinder their actions in speech and movement. The goal of an environment which speaks of mystery, hospitality, and participation is achieved through a careful consideration of both the primary and secondary aspects of the worship environment. Primary Symbols of the Worship Environment The primary symbols of the worship environment, which speak of the meaning of the action taking place, are the configuration of the assembly space and of the furniture of worship. A summary of the salient features of these two aspects of the worship environment follows. 1. The Assembly Space of the People. Since worship has to do with experiencing the saving presence of Christ, the people assembled should sit in a configuration that allows them to see each other and to participate with each other as they worship. Consequently, the abilities to see, to hear, and to move must be primary concerns of the seating arrangement. 2. The Furniture of Worship. The furniture of worship speaks to the presence of Christ in the assembled body. This furniture should be placed within the worshiping assembly in such a way that the action symbolized by each piece is allowed to speak the presence and work of Christ it represents. There are four pieces of furniture:

"¢ The baptismal font or pool. Since this piece of furniture represents entry into the church, its most favored location is near the entrance door.

"¢ The pulpit. A free-standing pulpit near the Table and in a place where everyone can see it reflects the revelation of God's Word. "¢ The Table. A free-standing table placed in a location near the pulpit and visible to all speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. "¢ The presider's chair. A free-standing chair placed behind the pulpit and Table speaks to the position of Christ who presides over the assembly through the one who delivers the Word, celebrates the Table, and baptizes in his name. Secondary Symbols of the Worship Environment The secondary symbols of the presence of Christ in worship are the objects that speak of redemption. They are secondary, because they do not hold the same necessity for worship signified by the primary symbols. Nevertheless, these objects must be chosen with care and should reflect a concern for authentic workmanship. These objects include books, such as the gospel book or lectionary books, candles, crosses, Communion vessels, banners, linens, vestments, flowers. The Worship Environment during Various Seasons of the Christian Year In addition to the primary and secondary symbols of the presence of Christ, it has become customary to create an environment that speaks the particular biblical mood of each season of the Christian year. Here is a brief summary of the essential feature for each mood: Advent. At one time Advent was seen as a penitential season. While penitence in preparation for the coming of Christ is still a part of Advent, Advent should be seen as a season of joyous anticipation. The Advent wreath with its five candles is the most obvious object to be placed in the environment for this season. Christmas. The festivity of the birth of Christ is expressed by flowers—poinsettias and greenery. While the Christmas crib and manger scenes depict Jesus' birth, they should be placed in a place where they can be seen, but not before the Table or pulpit where they distract from the major symbols of worship. Epiphany. The manifestation of Jesus to the world on January 6 ends the Christmas season. As such, January 6 employs the same environmental motif of Christmas. The season after Epiphany is ordinary or nonfestive time and should conform to the environment of that time. Lent. Lent prepares worshipers for the events of Holy Week and is an austere season reflecting the sobriety of repentance. Holy Week. The celebration of the triduum (the three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Great Paschal, Vigil of Easter) should be seen as a single continuous event. This event is dominated by the special symbols of these liturgies—bread, wine, the washing of feet, stripping of the church, solemn processions, light, fire, water, and the cross. Easter (Paschal). The joyful season of Easter is symbolized through floral art, celebrative vestments, and the use of the finest secondary symbols (see above) the church has in its possession. Ordinary Time. The time after Epiphany and the time after Pentecost is characterized by an emphasis on Sunday as the original feast day of the Resurrection. This time is an especially appropriate time for artists within the church to express their creative talents for the ongoing celebration of the Resurrection. Conclusion Finally, it always needs to be kept in mind that worship is the ministry of Christ in his body. He is there to touch people, to heal them, and to make them whole. Everything in the environment of worship is the servant of Christ's action; the environment serves the ministry of Christ, as it serves the people. Anything that takes its place, interferes with, or hinders the ministry of Christ, is out of place.