Planning And Leading Mime In Worship

Mimetic gestures have been increasingly used in worship in recent years, especially among charismatics. This article describes ways in which mime has been used in worship and gives suggestions for developing a mime ministry.

Mime is not new to worship, although it is not as common as dance. Mimetic movements have been done for years in songs like "Father Abraham," "This Little Light of Mine," and "His Banner over Me Is Love." In the 1980s mimes began to enjoy greater expression in the church's worship, expressing songs like "As the Deer Panteth for the Water," and "Glory to the Lamb." It has also been used to interpret the song of the Lord. This shows an advancement of mime from children's church into the main sanctuary. The idea of using mime interpretation during worship has been introduced at conferences such as the International Worship Symposium. When mime is used to interpret the song of the Lord, it usually occurs with visually oriented songs. The difficulty the mime faces is clearly hearing the words of the new song. It is better when the singer works with the mime as he/she interprets. The singer does this by watching the mime and giving him or her time to express each phrase and by repeating the phrase if necessary. The interpretation of the song of the Lord works especially well with antiphonal songs (songs that have repeating lines), and songs being translated into other languages. This gives the mime time to compose an interpretation to perform during the translation. Since the meaning of movement does not change, the mime can add interest for all watching. If a mime is to be used in a worship service, it should be used only with permission of the worship leader or pastor. Mime is done as an extension of the people and not as a personal expression, which would only distract from worship. The possibility to mime a song does not qualify it as a good time to mime. It must flow with the service overall and be understood as an expression of the people. If it does not express the praise of the people, it does not belong in the service as an expression of worship. Mime in Preaching Mimes' most encouraged role is in the function and expression of preaching ministry. Mime can be used to support the message of the pastor as "pulpit support" or in what has been called "illustrated sermons." A full mime presentation can be used to bring the full message of the Word into a living context. It is best presented in the time used for preaching. Mime can also be used in the support of or presentation of prophecy. In all of these ways mime can say what cannot be said in the spoken word, or what will not be heard as a spoken word. Its ministry potential lies in the fact that it reaches beyond the intellect and touches the heart, soul, and spirit of people where God can do His work. Pulpit Support. The illustrated sermon has been used since leaders began to preach. Gestures give words emphasis and added strength to their meanings. Stories can be used to communicate the idea or applied thought behind the message being preached. Both seeing and hearing the word creates a stronger form of communication. For all these reasons mime is a good form of pulpit support. When is pulpit support best used? When the subject matter is a story; when the subject matter is better approached by comedy than dissertation; when the subject needs to be applied and seen in everyday life to be fully understood; when the illustration adds emphasis; when the people will not hear the truth; when the people need to experience the truth—all of these are appropriate occasions for mime. Where pulpit support is placed in the service depends upon its purpose. At the beginning of the sermon a mime can be used to introduce its subject. In this case, the sermon can refer to the mime as a point of reference. A mime can also be used at the beginning of an event, to break the ice, or to warm up the public at the beginning. An unresolved mime may be used as the spring board for ministry, being presented before the sermon and allowing the preacher to resolve the issue in the sermon. In this way the mime becomes a cliffhanger, or the hook for the sermon. Pulpit support may also be used in the middle of a sermon when it is necessary to illustrate a specific point. The mime does not need to have a conclusive thought; its focus is to emphasize the complete thought of the preacher. For example, if the sermon is on the process of conquering the Promised Land, the mimes might illustrate the isolated story of Jericho. The mime can also be used to complete the preacher's thought or statement.Pulpit support used at the end of a sermon usually creates a summary of what has been preached by capturing the main theme. This supports the message visually and leaves a lasting reinforcement of the sermon. A fitting example of this is the song and mime "Moses" by Ken Medema, which was originally created for this purpose. The song/mime not only summarized the sermon, but left the congregation with the need to respond to the call of God. Various types of ministry or altar calls are appropriate after this type of pulpit support. Creating a Pulpit Support The following worksheet may be helpful in preparing a pulpit support mime. Each of the questions that follow call attention to an important consideration in the development of a pulpit support. 1. What is the subject matter? 2. Who is the crowd? a. the church b. the youth c. the saved or unsaved d. secular venue 3. Determine the placement of the mime. Does the mime: a. introduce the sermon? 1. as a reference point for the sermon 2. as a spring board for the sermon b. illustrate a point in the middle of the sermon? 1. the mime doesn't have to be complete of itself 2. the mime might complete the thought 3. the mime might illustrate the whole isolated thought c. conclude the sermon? 1. by summarizing the whole sermon or the theme 2. by setting up the altar call or ministry time 4. Is it comic or tragic? 5. What are the specifications for the use of space, props, and technical backup (sound and lights, etc.)? 6. Should it be done as a mime, dance, drama, song, etc., or a mixture of arts? 7. Examine the text to be illustrated. A mime may be delivered in three manners: a. actions without words b. actions with words before or after c. actions with narrative at the same time(All of these ways can be presented with or without music.) 8. Is the preacher going to participate in the illustration? 9. How many people are to be in the piece and how much time do you have to prepare? (This might alter who is in the piece or the piece itself.) 10. Mimography (mime choreography). This step involves writing out the gestures of the mime. The following are an example of answers to each of these questions. 1. Subject: giving God your ministry and letting him be in control of and empower it. 2. For whom: the church 3. Placement: at the end of the sermon, to prepare the people for an altar call given by the pastor. 4. Comic or tragic: should be comic with a serious end (comedy loosens people up and opens them up to become serious). 5. Conditions: support song, MOSES (PA needed). 10 x 10 stage area clear, red lights and general lighting 6. Art form: mime with music 7. Delivered: music and song tell the story enacted by the mime (actions with narration [the song]). 8. Preacher participation: The preacher will introduce and have the altar call after the piece. 9. Number of players: one; preparation time: one day 10. Mimography: Moses with mimed rod before the burning bush. (Moses looks toward down center stage and up to identify the burning bush before him.) Moses responds to the statement made by God. Moses throws down the rod and jumps when the rod becomes a snake. He does a comic mime run around the stage to escape. He stops and picks up the snake (after arguing with God), the snake changes into a rod. He manipulates the mime rod while God demonstrates his power through it. Then the mime becomes the narrator and mimes "what do you hold in your hands … throw it down!" (For the full mimography, consult the mime video Quiet on the Set! by Todd and Marilyn Farley.) Mime Prophecy Mime prophecy uses advanced techniques of improvisation and the principles of pulpit support. The term mime prophecy refers to a mime inspired for a specific ministry to a specific audience. A prophetic mime can be the spontaneous interpretation of a prophetic word, or a pre-mimographed piece that becomes a rhema or word to the observer. Biblical prophets learned their mimes and then performed them (Ezek. 4–7), unless the mime was very basic (Acts 21:11), or verbally instructed and done by another person (2 Kings 13:14–19). The difficulty of spontaneously interpreting a prophetic word in mime concerns the clarity of the words spoken and the predictability of the prophecy. The argument is that if the mime is to interpret the words of the speaker, then he or she needs to receive the prophecy visually and then mime it as the speaker utters what he has heard in his spirit. If a mime enacts a prophecy, it is to be judged as prophecy, just like a spoken prophecy. It must be a clear and understandable expression, and it must be in agreement with the infallible Word of God. If it cannot be understood, it fails as a prophetic word. The purpose of mimed prophecies is to clarify and illustrate the word, not to confuse and obscure it. Generally speaking, the mime receives images which in turn he or she translates into mime movements. Therefore, the mime will be limited to the vocabulary of movements which he or she knows. Skilled mimes communicate more clearly because they have a richer mime vocabulary to do so. This skill, however, does not replace the anointing of the Spirit. Without anointing, a mime is only so much movement or at best a good story with no heart or spirit. Before a mime ministers prophetically, he or she must have the mime approved by the leadership, thus demonstrating a submissive spirit. Since this style of spontaneous mime is less frequently used, it is better for it to be explained to and understood by the leadership and congregation before it is introduced as a ministry style, thus avoiding the danger of alienating people with something that is designed to minister to them. If people will not receive the spontaneously mimed prophecy, then both the prophecy and the mime have failed. Prophetic mime has a power that goes beyond the traditional worship service, as the following two accounts indicate. The first describes a prophetic mime used in a political arena:

During a visit to … New York, [Todd] Farley was called upon to deliver his "Sheep and Goats" message. The city's pastors and elected officials were divided over whether or not to support a Christian halfway house for the city's homeless. Farley's message not only brought unity among the pastors and favor for the project, but moved the secular city commissioners as well.… (from Charisma, March 1989)

The fact of the matter was that a church, pastoral council, and city was moved by a prophetic mime—not by the skill of the performer who had mimed the "Sheep and the Goats" for over three years, but by the power of God touching and ministering through the mime. The mime delivered a rhema, a word to the city. A second example describes the use of prophetic mime in the context of worship. In 1991, during the Worship Symposium held at Living Waters Christian Fellowship in Pasadena, California, Rev. Charlotte Baker delivered a prophetic word which was spontaneously mimed by Todd Farley:

She prophesied of being before the Throne of God: the mime showed being in awe of God. The prophecy spoke of the person asking God for various gifts to minister with such as song, music, and dance: the mime acted out receiving each of these gifts from God. The person spoke of ministering to the masses yet only some of them came to know God: the mime danced, sang, and played instruments before the crowd and was sad as only few responded to God. The person went back to the throne and asked God why it was that the people didn't come: the mime re-established being before the Throne and mimed the question with sorrow-ridden movements. God responded that the Gift was to be used to worship God, not entertain man: the mime danced, sang, and played instruments to worship God. Then as He played the people came, and came, and came. He mimed, she spoke "learn to sing and to play and to dance before your King. When you have learned this, then you will touch the World." (Psalmist, June/July 1991)

That is the ministry of mime.