A Darkness Pregnant with Hope(1570 -1593)
Title: A Darkness Pregnant with Hope (1571) Origin: Cityside Quiet Service, Winter 2001 Theme: Turning points. Finding the light of hope in the cold of night. Relishing the dark and the cold…
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Advent
Introduction Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year. It was introduced as a Christian season in the sixth century. It is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ – which can…
Advent Art 2001
Some thoughts about ‘The Three Wise Men (Halt of the Wise Men)’ by John La Farge. Origin: Advent in Art service, 9 December 2001, curated by Arthur Amon Theme: Art as above. Mood: Noisy Setu…
A Fishy Tale
Origin: Curated Ambient Art-Based Prayer Services for Self Denial Missions Appeal in NZ Baptist Churches, 2002 Theme: Reflection on fishing stories in the Bible. Mood: Setup: Gear: . Concept…
All Saints All Souls
Introduction All Saints Day is traditionally celebrated on 1 November. Initiated in the eighth century by the Catholic Church as a day to commemorate all the ‘official’ Saints or martyrs who…
Ancient Future Perspective
So the BBC is bringing Bill and Ben the flower pot men back to our television screens after 3 decades away! Those of us old enough to remember the pre-digital animation of the talking flower…
An Encounter With Jesus
Origin: Carey Baptist College Opening Devotions. September, 2003 Based on service ‘When Your Past Overtakes You’ (see this section) Theme: To use the story of the Woman at the Well and an ar…
An Insiders Perspective
I go to a church called Cityside Baptist, known to Reality readers through our pastor Mark Pierson’s columns during the last two years. Cityside is difficult to describe, and his columns did…
An Interview
Church life in the Non Mainstream NZ Baptist editor Duncan Pardon talked to Mark Pierson about non-mainstream or alternative worship, and how it works in practice… A few Sundays ago Mark Pie…
An Ordinary Sunday
Origin: Cityside Sunday 9 November, 2003. Curated by Brenda Stone. Theme: Mood: Setup: Gear: On this Sunday morning the situation arose where the person who was meant to be doing the sermon…
Anti Excellence
I’m anti excellence. I’m anti excellence in church life and I’m particularly anti excellence in worship. It’s not a popular opinion to express in some churches today. In fact excellence has…
Anzac Day
Anzac Day is April 25. It is a New Zealand and Australian day of remembering those who died fighting in wars . Imagery of the ANZACs (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) as voluntary sacri…
Arguing with God
Origin: Quiet Service Sunday 17 November 2002 Theme: Reflection on Moses’ interactions with God Mood: Setup: : Sandtrays + candles : Paint, paper, pencils… : Burning bush – steel leaves & pu…
Ascension
Introduction Celebrated on Thursday, forty days after the resurrection (Easter Sunday), the feast of Ascension remembers that, after appearing several times to the disciples, Jesus was taken…
A Service of Welcoming
Origin: Carey College Youth Intensive, Monday 21 April, 1996. Designed and curated by Mike Riddell and Mark Pierson Theme: To introduce participants to each other and to focus on the purpose…
Ash Wednesday and Lent
Introduction Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, which is a season of preparation for Easter. Lent runs for 40 days and six Sundays up to Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday gets its name from…
Audio and Music Tracks
Sources for contemporary ambient and other alternative music by Christian artists www.proost.co.uk www.visions.org.uk www.osbd.co.uk meditations on the seven last words from the cross, by Ma…
Benediction
The final words in the service have two main functions. Firstly, to encourage people to continue following Jesus in the world throughout the week, and secondly, to bless one another in God’s…
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Origin: Black Stump Festival, 7.30pm start and open ended. Saturday 5 October, 2002. Repeated with variations at Cityside Quiet Service 15 November 2002. Theme: Woman Caught in Adultery. Jes…
Books and Articles
(Useful resources for worship, plus full details for sources referred to or quoted from in worship segments) The Prodigal Project: journey into the emerging church, (Riddell, Pierson, Kirkpa…
Call To Worship
In her book Finding Words for Worship ( Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.), Ruth Duck writes: “instrumental music, visual art, and the architectural space create expectations fo…
Christmas
Introduction Christmas is a season not a day. In fact it is twelve days. The Christ Mass (a Twelfth Century English term) was probably first celebrated in Rome about 300 AD. The traditional…
Christmas Eve 1998
Origin: Cityside, Christmas Eve, 1998. 11pm. Theme: Reflecting on the Christmas story, with emphasis on Mary’s perspective. Mood: Reflective ambient, chilled out. Setup: CD/Mixer, candles/fa…
Christmas Eve 1999
Origin: Cityside, Christmas Eve 1999. Theme: Reflecting on the Christmas story, with an emphasis on Mary’s perspective. Mood: Reflective ambient, chilled out. Setup: CD/Mixer, candles/fairy…
Christmas Eve 2001
Origin: Cityside, Christmas Eve 2001. 11pm. Theme: Up beat yet reflective celebration of Christmas. Mood: Reflective, ambient, chilled out. Setup: 4 x tall candles, blackout, fader on video…
Christmas Eve 2002
Origin: Christmas Eve 2002, Cityside. 11pm. Theme: Celebration of the Christmas Event Mood: Reflective, ambient, chilled out. Setup: 4 x 200 hour candles, fader on video player, full PA, CDJ…
Christmas Eve 2003
Origin: Christmas Eve 2003, Cityside. 11pm. Theme: Celebration of the Christmas Event Mood: Reflective, ambient, chilled out. Setup: Full blackout, 4 x 200 hour candles, fader on video playe…
Christ the King
Introduction This is the last Sunday of the Christian year (i.e. the Sunday before the first Sunday in Advent). It is a celebration that looks forward to when Christ will return and establis…
Church Year Introduction
Observing the Church Year : What is it and why would you want to use it? This section has some explanation of what the Church Year is, followed by some of the ways we have recognised the eve…
Citysiders Songs
þÿ i m a g e n o = 2 & v i d e o 1 s r c = S o m e t h i n g I B e l i e v e & v i d e o 2 s r c = T h a n k y o u & t i t l e = C i t y s i d e r s S o n g s ( 1 7 0 6 ) & c o n…
Communion
Celebrating Communion needs a lot more thought and work than it gets in most non-liturgical churches: we do it so poorly. New Zealand Baptist churches have emphasised so strongly the symboli…
Concerns of the Church
This is a time where anyone can bring a notice to the attention of the congregation –about a party they’re having, a household item they’re giving away, a meeting that is coming up, and so o…
Contemplative Services
These notes were written by Andrew Rockell, who initiated and developed the contemplative services at Cityside. The contemplative services took three different formats: a) Micro-Pause/Nano-r…
Contributors
Mike Reeves-McMillan Gabrielle McClean Mark Laurent Brenda Liddiard Jolinda Milbank Fergus McKinlay Kirsten Malcolm Derek McCormack Marion Deeble Gwen Strickland Colin Wood Adee Wood Dave Cu…
Creationtide
A season in the Church year recently adopted by Cityside and some other churches to break up the otherwise long run from Pentecost to Advent. At Cityside (we’re in the southern hemisphere) i…
Curating Worship
I believe the Church is desperately in need of a different model for putting worship together, regardless of the style of worship being pursued. It is time for worship leaders to undergo a r…
Curators Introduction
The basic format of worship using stations is to have an overall theme, and then some designated points of activity around the worship space. Each of these offers stimulus and directions for…
Epiphany
Introduction The season of Epiphany celebrates moments of revelation of Christ’s glory. It begins with reflection on the story of the Magi following the star, which points towards the revela…
Ethos Introduction
Cityside Baptist Church, generally referred to simply as Cityside, is a church on the edge of inner-city Auckland, New Zealand. It has been built from the ground up on a series of evolving p…
Evening Worship Introduction
At Cityside our usual palette of services includes a monthly cycle of events on Sunday evenings and the occasional Saturday morning. Our philosophy is that not everyone can (or should) be ca…
Fathers Day
1. Prayer This prayer was used in our ‘Prayers for Others’ section on one Father’s Day Sunday. God, this Father’s Day, we pray for those among us who are fathers. We celebrate and affirm thi…
Fire in the Dark
Origin: Parallel Universe June 30, 1996 Theme: Fire – some of its symbolism in the Bible. An encounter with God through the symbolism of fire. Mood: Slow moving, lots of silence and space. S…
For God So Loved
Origin: Curtainraiser Ministers Conference Evening Worship. 15 November, 1996 Theme: Refreshment/Recreation/Renewal Mood: Setup: Banner (Mt 11, Message, ‘Are you tired, worn out…’), candles…
For God So Loved the World
Origin: Curtainraiser Ministers Conference Evening Worship. 16 November 1996 Theme: Affirmation of the world as the place where God is Mood: Setup: Banners, candles, communion gear, 4-5 ‘res…
Forward to Basics
I’m a U2 fan. I love their music, their style, their involvement in the culture and causes, their ability to not believe their own publicity, that they’re reinventing themselves as they get…
Grieshog Celtic Ritual
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service. 20 May 2001. Theme: Using the ancient Celtic ritual of grieshog – keeping of embers through the night – to reflect on God’s keeping of us through the dark tim…
Holocaust Memorial Day
This is held around the world on the 27 January each year, which is the day that Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet armies in 1945. One year when this date fell on a Sunday, we observed H…
Holy Week
Introduction Holy week includes the events from Palm Sunday through to the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. “Keeping Holy Week” is much more than marking off the events that form the…
Hot Text
This is a brief slot (2-3 minutes) where someone reads a favourite piece of preferably, but not necessarily, biblical text. It could also be a piece of fiction or non-fiction, poetry, or ext…
Integrity in Worship
Today I attended a Memorial service for a young woman recently murdered. The service in the hot open sunshine of the Domain drew several hundred people, mostly her friends or acquaintances…
Intrinsic Extrinsic Motivations
How was Christmas for you? More specifically how was church for you this Christmas? What did you think of the services you attended? Would you have been happy taking friends who weren’t part…
Intrinsic Extrinsic Motivations
How was Christmas for you? More specifically how was church for you this Christmas? What did you think of the services you attended? Would you have been happy taking friends who weren’t part…
Introduction
Following the publication of ‘The Prodigal Project: journey into the emerging church’ in 2000 (Riddell, Pierson, Kirkpatrick, London: SPCK) I have received a steady flow of requests for reso…
Journey Toward Easter(1510-1521)
Title: On the Road Again – Journey Toward Easter (1511) Origin: Cityside: Quiet Service, Sunday 18 March, 2001. Third Sunday in Lent. This service is rerun most years in a similar form early…
Kingdomtide
A recent addition to the Christian calendar, proposed in 1937. It begins on the last Sunday of August and continues until the first Sunday in Advent. Focus points are: The love of Christ tra…
Labyrinth
A labyrinth is a pattern marked on the ground or floor that is walked as an aid to reflection and meditation. While not specifically Christian in origin or in contemporary use, it has ancien…
Miscellaneous
When a member of the congregation leaves – to go overseas, or to another city, or another church, we use a liturgy to send them on their way with our blessing. We like to take the time to re…
Morning Worship Introduction
Participatory Worship At Cityside, the morning worship is normally structured by means of an order of service. This order of service is basically the same each week, and comprises a call to…
Mothers Day
I try to always acknowledge this occasion in some way in the service. Some ideas and examples of ways to celebrate mothers in the context of a worship service follow: 1. In 2001, I had the f…
Moving Images
1. Flash animations created by Rick Bull on various biblical themes, are available for download by donation at www.cafechurch.org.au 2. www.proost.co.uk 3. www.osbd.org Images for Worship se…
New Year
The first Cityside morning service for 2003 was on the 19th January. (We don’t meet formally from after the Christmas Eve service until about the third Sunday in January.) We had a ‘New Year…
Notes Introduction
I have had several bad experiences of alternative worship in the UK and Australia where I couldn’t even find the door to get into the building, and when I persisted (I wasn’t going to travel…
Offering
This is usually collected after the sermon. Normally, the person who greeted people at the door will also hand round the offering ‘bags’, which in our case are individual socks fixed onto wi…
On the Way
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service Sunday 17 March, 2002. 5th Sunday in Lent. Based on a previous year’s service. Theme: To read the Easter story in a large chunk. Mood: Sombre Setup: 20 metres(…
Our Groans Ascend to God
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service 23 May 1999 (Pentecost Sunday) Theme: Text Romans 8: 22-27 The Message. An opportunity to pray and reflect. Mood: Quiet, meditative. Setup: Hang white screens/…
Pentecost
Introduction This day celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit in a particularly spectacular way on a group of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem. It is often acknowledged as the day of the ‘bir…
Pentecost Service
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service, 19 May 2002 Theme: The fire of the Holy Spirit as Revealer Mood: Reflective, noisy, upbeat. Setup: Campfire circle stack of 8 TV’s – 2 high. Running fire vide…
Prayer of Confession
It is rare to hear a prayer of confession in a New Zealand Baptist church. Moving from the safety of some well chosen and tried words such as those of the New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book ne…
Prayers for Others
Prayers for Others runs on from the previous segment, Concerns of the Church. Although led by a different person, the concerns often overlap. We engage in prayers for others with the assumpt…
Quiet Services
These usually operate on the third Sunday of each month at 7pm. They are multi-media, multi-sensory, reflective services built around a specific theme. They generally involve communion. They…
Reframing
Reframing is a counselling term used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It relies on the idea that the meaning of an event, and our emotional response to it, depends on the context in which it…
Return of the Prodigal 2
Origin: Cityside Baptist/Parallel Universe, Sunday 17 September 2000 Theme: To provide space and a setting in which punters can listen to and respond to God as they reflect on Rembrandt’s pa…
Ripples Through Time 1
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service 17 December, 2000. Based on a seed idea of ripples in a pond from a service by Stuart McGregor and Peter Olds. Theme: Reflecting on Christmas. An opportunity t…
Ripples Through Time 2
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service, 16 December, 2001. A remediation of Ripples Through Time 1. Theme: Reflecting on Christmas Mood: Reflective, upbeat. Setup: 3m diameter pool (polythene, plast…
Ripples Through Time 3
Origin: Parallel Universe Worship, Cityside 15 December 2002. A remediation of Ripples Through Time 1 and 2. Theme: To read through the full Christmas story and provide opportunity to reflec…
Seasonal Events
Spring Spring Equinox service – See Curator’s Notes, ‘Stations’ Winter Solstice (Matariki) In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Maori traditional New Year falls close to the Winter Solstice. It is m…
Sermon
At Cityside, sermons tend to be shorter rather than longer (usually around 20 minutes). Not all services have a sermon, although most do. Sometimes, the sermon slot will be used for a more i…
Slides and Still Images
www.pauline-uk.org St. Pauls Multimedia centre. Useful slide sets eg Return of the Prodigal, slides of details from Rembrandt’s painting of the same name. www.textweek.com/images www.google…
Soap Box
Soap-box grew out of the desire of a couple of Citysiders (Stu McGregor and Adee Wood) to explore an issue that was bothering them. We have only had one soap-box service so far, but hope the…
Sonar
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service 21/09/03. Curated by Campbell Hooper- Johnson, Andrew Rockell and Stu McGregor. Theme: Depth – encountering God in the depth of our normal experience. Mood: Re…
Songs and Meditations
This part of the service is for deepening the worship of God through singing, through ritual actions or through reflection on music, images, or texts. The aim is to create the opportunity fo…
Sounds of Silence
Origin: Quiet Service 18 October 1998 Theme: Silence Mood: Silent! Lots of silence between readings. Setup: Communion, red floods up walls — on dimmer. Gear: Henri Nouwen’s With Open Hands…
Space
‘Space’, as well as being an archetypically Cityside-ish kind of word in its own right (we use it a lot), was named as such because it emerged from the ashes of another evening service: Spir…
Spring Equinox Stations
Origin: Cityside Baptist, 22 September 2002, designed and curated by Brenda Stone Theme: Reflection on the end of winter and the starting of spring. Mood: Hopeful, meditative, chatty/interac…
Stations at Cityside
Cityside has offered a series of contemporary remediations of the traditional Stations of the Cross at each Easter since 1997. These are installed in our small worship space and open to the…
Stations Introduction
Stations of the Cross, also known as via crucis or via dolorosa is an ancient form of pilgrimage through ‘stations’ or places designed to mark each of the events of the last week of Jesus’ l…
Stations List
This is the sort of list we put out each year to garner responses and interest. STATIONS OF THE CROSS — Contemporary Icons to Meditate on at Easter. 2003 Cityside Baptist Church, 8a Mt Eden…
Stations Media Kit
Stations of the Cross An Easter Art event transforming an inner city Church into an interior garden and art gallery. New Stations of the Cross: Alternative twist on ancient Easter tradition…
Storytelling
The Storytelling service recognises the profound importance of stories to our individual and shared identity, as a way of processing our culture, learning wisdom, and shaping our own life st…
Sukkot Jewish Festival
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service. Sunday October 21, 2001 Theme: God’s presence is our security. Mood: Setup: Fabric ‘tent’ hanging limp from ceiling centre, communion elements set up within f…
Thanksgiving
While not a New Zealand festival day we have been introduced to it by several Americans in our congregation. If we do anything in our service around this date it focuses on remembering what…
The Long Now
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service Sunday 15 July, 2001. This service is based on material and ideas from two websites, www.longnow.com and www.slowfood.com Theme: Slowing our lives down. Mood…
The Mothering God
Origin: Quiet Service, Cityside 17 May 1998 (Near Mothers Day) Theme: God as Mother Mood: Setup: Large screen forms one end OHP + Slide projector rear projected 3 clusters of 6 large candles…
The Return of the Prodigal 1
Origin: Cityside Quiet Service 19 September 1999 Theme: God welcomes us all back at any time and regardless of our circumstances. Mood: Reflective Setup: Full width screen at one end, 3 slid…
The White Stone
Origin: Curtainraiser Conference Worship Wednesday 10 Nov 1999. Inspired by a service curated by Dave Tomlinson, Greenbelt Festival, August 1999. Theme: Rev 2/17 – “To those who win the vict…
Trinity Sunday
Introduction Trinity Sunday affirms the imagery of threefold unity that was formulated and developed by early Christian thinkers, who determined from the biblical text that the nature and pe…
Valentines Day
Valentine’s Day — 14 February. There are several St.Valentines, but earlier than any of them is an Early Church priest, introduced to us with the following text by Andrew Rockell Valentinus…
Waitangi Day
Introduction: This is New Zealand’s national day of recognising the signing of a treaty between the first people of the land and the immigrant colonisers. It has many current and ongoing imp…
Water Stones Fire
Origin: End of Black Stump Festival, 9-10.15am. Sunday 30 September, 2001 Adapted from Ripples Through Time services concept. Theme: Ripples from the story of God affect us Ripples from what…
Websites
General 1. An inspiring resource for creative ideas for topics and titles for worship is the Sydney Cafe Church’s weekly themes. These can be found at <a href=“http://www.cafechurch.org.au”>…
When the Fit hits the Sham
Origin: Greenbelt Festival Worship.. Curated by Mark Pierson and Andy Harrington (UK) Note: this is an incomplete planning version of this service. Theme: Ultimately God is in control of the…
When Your Past Overtakes You
Origin: Chapel Service. Carey College, Wednesday 15 May, 2002 Theme: To use slides of art based on the woman at the well story to reflect on what Jesus knows about me and what he wants from…
Wheres Wally
Origin: Blackstump Festival, 2003. Sunday 5 October 9-10.30am Theme: God is active and present in all places at all times, we need to look Mood: Reflective Setup: Carpet and walls of newspap…
White Stones Secret Names
Origin: Black Stump Festival, 9-10.15am. Sunday 06 October, 2002 This follows closely the previous service but has some significant differences. Theme: Revelation 2/17 – “To those who win th…
Why Worry
Origin: Parallel Universe, October 1994. Theme: A fairly chaotic collage of video/audio/etc presenting the kind of stuff we worry about, intermingled with what God says about worry…ie not a…
Wilderness
Origin: Quiet Service, Sunday 19 October, 2003 Theme: To remind ourselves that the wilderness can be the place God leads us into and isn’t necessarily a bad place to be. Based on the words…
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