In the last two months I've led worship in two places that i never thought that i would. One was the main communion service at GB, i never thought that I'd be leading worship for 15,000. I quite enjoyed it and think that perhaps i may be called to a ministry in a mega church. ;-).
The second place was at Lambeth Palace. Today I led a service based on 'hope' in the crypt chapel of Lambeth. It was a strange experience, partly because of the history of the place and partly because of all that it represents. I think that i was more intimidated by Lambeth, partly because i was looking out on a sea of contemporaries and people i have a great deal of respect for, but I also wonder if i felt more of an inability to fail in the context of lambeth.
Just thoughts, nothing coherent yet...
Technorati Tags: Fresh Expressions, Greenbelt, worship
Strange sense of deja-vu about this one Ben. In September 1994, a team of us from Visions, Third Sunday Service, Joy, and Abundant led a mass in that very space, together with the technology of the day: wired-up TVs, slide projectors, sculpture by Jonny McEwan (now one of the Ikon creatives - him what did the puppetry at GB), me presiding, Sue and me singing, rest of Visions on sound and vision.
The whole event was planned, as events turned out, two weeks after the messy end of NOS hit the headlines. It was nearly cancelled, but George Carey decided to go ahead with it.
Hoards of national newspaper reporters outside afterwards, wanting to interview more cult leaders. We turned out not to be, so the reporting was somewhat muted.
Posted by: Paul Roberts | October 12, 2007 at 07:31 AM
... come to think of it, that occasion was when we also used a video projector for the first time. Huge thing, built by General Electric. Weighed about a tonne. Almost needed steamed-up before it would work. Took up about half of the space in my car. Ah, nostalgia.
Posted by: Paul Roberts | October 12, 2007 at 07:36 AM
Ben
I found the worship excellent - especially the way you told the Pandoras Box story and wove in te theme of Hope through the bread and wine - it was a great and striking moment.
Thankyou
I have looked online for the Howies Hope is somewhere between take-off and landing postcard so that I can make use of the image but not been able to find it - do you have a link please?
Posted by: Rob | October 13, 2007 at 12:49 AM
Hi Rob, I'm pLease that you found the worship engaging - The howies postcards are here: http://www.howies.co.uk/content.php?xId=129
cheers
ben
Posted by: Ben Edson | October 15, 2007 at 01:54 PM
thanks
Posted by: Rob | October 16, 2007 at 12:12 AM