Words, Words, Words

At first glance, this resource from Common Worship may seem to be just a collection of words. It certainly is a collection of words because words are important in worship. Historically words are of particular significance in the worship of the Church of England, primarily because the Church of England was established at the Reformation, when anyone who could read suddenly had available to them the possibility of reading a bible in their own language and following the words of the church service which were printed in a book. The words which were said in worship thus became one of the battlegrounds of the Reformation, and so the significance of words in worship in the Church of England has been profound. How can schools use these same words in a way that is meaningful to the next generation?

Movement and shape

But worship is more than words. If we think of the traditional style of most of our local churches, with pillars and passages and cross-shaped ground plans, and their carefully placed significant symbols, we immediately realise the building was designed with movement in mind. It was only after the Reformation that churches were filled with benches and people sat still and faced the front. So worship is not just words, it is also about movement and direction. It is also about shape and action (just think of the Holy Communion service). One of the most significant developments in the reform of worship which has been taking place over the last eighty years is a rediscovery of this importance of movement, shape and action. Can schools also appreciate the dramatic potential of action in their worship?