layers
Gary Kurtz is our good friend and resident photographer (as well as expert on everything from tree herding to tree camping... yes, tree camping... as in sleeping in a tree).
With a theologian's eye, Gary captured this shot of Jason Tuggle leading Worship at the Well this weekend. What thoughts about worship does this image evoke? What story is it telling? What message is it crafting?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Labels: chapel hill, Jason Tuggle, love chapel hill, worship, worship at the well
posted by The LeRoys @ 5:14 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
The automatic upward look from a Christian to our Precious God... as a child looks to the parent, we look up to God...
The relaxed atmosphere, everyday clothing, caps, etc. none of the "you can't wear THAT to church" attitudes...
Love it.. will catch the next one.
but did you notice the bride in the background?
That is the bride whose mom came up to us afterwards saying that her daughter's face totally lit up and changed for the photographer when she heard us singing "Mighty to Save" which is her favorite song.
God can work and touch even those that we are not focused on through our actions and our worship.
Great photo
here are my thoughts:
1. I love the demonstration of the public nature of worship. Breaks down the sacred-secular/ sanctuary-streets dichotomy that is so strong in the Western worldview. E. Stanley Jones says the Kingdom of Heaven is secular--meaning that it can't be compartmentalized and that it must impact every aspect of life. Pentecost liberated worship from the building.
2. I think of Jacob's well when I see the well in the background. Again, this is a place of public movement-- a place where everyone comes and not just those who are part of a group. EVERYONE IS THIRSTY. EVERYONE NEEDS WATER. Jesus hangs out at the well and says, "If you had asked me I would have given you living water." Your gathering is a sign of his presence there at the well.
3. Set apart from within. your group looks just like everyone else who might walk past. you are blending into the culture. and yet you are set apart within it. you aren't leaving the culture as the mark of your set-apartness. you are, in fact, more deeply immersing yourselves in the culture. (i suspect you could walk another mile and see 8 more guitars being engaged in a different fashion altogether. you are set apart within it because you are doing something distinctively different in the midst of your everyday looking selves. you are being defined by and defining yourselves by Love. They will know we are Christians by our SONGS? no by our LOVE. Songs can have something to do with it--- but LOVE is of a character not of this world-- that is dying to get in. that's what you are about and sign-ing there.
4. Bride--total bonus. eschatological preview. one of those serendipitous gifts of God there for anyone who has eyes to see.
keep up the good work. love the "layers." May God bless your seeing.
with joy you will draw water from the well of salvation." (isaiah somewhere)
Maybe it's just me, but I see a little tiny bottle of water when there's a whole well available.
-- Dad
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