Week 5:

•  Week 5: Worshipping in  Many Communities: Psalms and Lament

August 31 through 11:59 pm Sept 7

(weekly orientation and devotional video coming..watch this spot)

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WeIcome to Week 5!  To start off the week, can you possibly guess what this sign below is or says? Have fun thinking about it and guessing.  The answer is

quite stunning and shockingl It's literally a historic sign!  The answer is given in forum 5c below, but I would  recommend resisting the temptation to peek until you complete 5a and 5b, just so the radicalness of the answer fully hits (:

It's fascinating how different people, cultures and ages/stages  (especially children!) define and experience "worship." All people (including children/adolescents) “bow down” to something. That "something" is in a superior position in their lives (Superheroes, athletes, teams, parents, etc.) 

The word worship (Greek proskuneo) means “to bow down,” which is essentially recognizing the superior position of another.  Placing oneself under the power/authority of another provides a centering or unifying effect.  To "bow down” is also an act indicating willingness to serve the other.  Hence, worship and service provide both coherence and direction for a life of community.  In this respect, the term worship is not reserved only for religious institutions, but may also be used in any setting in which a group places itself under a common mission, leadership, goal, etc. 

This week's guiding sign/community  theme represents the unifying effect of a common center.  The texts under examination point out the centrality of commitment to God (Kings), and the dislocation of that center from temple (place) to Jesus (person).
The Hebrews had a prayer/songbook for collective worship as a "cohort"...and for times when all cohorts gathered together.  The range of human emotion expressed in the psalms is astounding..even shocking!! All of life is brought into worship.
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To begin the week's work. watch this multipart  lesson (7 parts, but only a half-hour total! Watch it in order) by Dave Wainscott (and a few friends) on Psalms and Lament.  Watch carefully and take notes, as you will be responding in Forum 1.
Part 1 is below  Listen to the song which is part 1.  Open the lyrics here, and read  along as it plays.  In a way, treat it like other songs  (and Scriptures) we have used in this class: as a text which calls for context and  your Three Worlds skills of interpretation.  Do your best to discern  the main characters , genre, backstory, storyline etc.  (It's easier than Philemon!).  But also be prepared to process how it made you feel.
part 1:


part 2:
 
part 3:
 
part 4:
 
part 5:
 
part 6

part 7: Finish with this song, which Dave prepared you for in part 6: