Does that really match?
4 Comments Published by Camron Ware - Visual Worshiper January 31st, 2009 in Visual WorshipSo I’m here in Houston running lights for a D-Now, and just have to verbalize my frustration. Because it literally bothered me.
Last night during the last response song talking about falling on our knees at the cross, there was this pink and purple swirling loop of goo on the screens under the words. It was out of place in every sense. I couldn’t help but just be so moved to want to change it. Our production crew wasn’t in charge of making the worship backgrounds or lyrics, just operating them. I still don’t know who made them. I think the loop was Digital Juice, just to give you an idea. Now, I have nothing against Digital Juice (or any loops that look similar), and think the loops they put out are great quality stuff. But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE know when to use them…
Just because it moves and it ‘cool’ or ‘pretty’ doesn’t mean it fits the story being told through song.
This morning when I saw the worship set and the backgrounds used behind them, I couldn’t take it. I popped in my external drive and changed all but one of the 6 backgrounds/loops. Now the software wasn’t setup to do multiple backgrounds per song, and so I just picked a general good one that fit the message of the song. It was great because we sang the same song as the night before as the closing of the worship set, and a nice still image of a red organic-textured cross fit pretty nice…
So refreshing!!! There was theme, there was heart…there was connection with the lyrics and the background, which, I believe is key to people remembering the words they are singing.
That’s what I help churches do…along with the events they put on! It’s something I am so passionate about I feel like I can’t get out there fast enough to serve.
I know exactly how you feel. I am praying for someone as passionate as you are to come and be part of our team @ Lake Hills. I met you at the conference in Dallas on Tue. Great stuff. Pastor Jack
and i couldn’t agree more with you. If it’s a rockin’ crazy song with moving lights and cool video staging (multiple screens) then sure, use some Digital Juice (sparingly, mind you).
I have almost every volume of D.J. and i hardly ever use them.
Only in one of the beginning more exciting songs will i use something like that.
im not against motion graphic loops that have no “image” in them per say, but i’ll use them as textures at the appropriate moments and blended with other loops that DO have images in them. then of course, it becomes about the software you are using (cough, PVP!! cough cough).
I think worship leaders in general need to start taking a little less time worrying about their own songs or introducing new songs to the congregation and more time on the environment and the visual worship….whether they tackle it themselves or truly assist the media pastor/volunteers. Not telling them what to do, but truly helping them brainstorm and “get there” and allowing the team or the media director to take ownership. i hate it when church staff members are just TOLD WHAT TO DO instead of being ENABLED TO LEAD and INNOVATE and TRY NEW THINGS.
It can’t be dumped on one person….it has to be a team effort.
and yes, it’s going to be difficult and there’s going to be tension and it will probably be a mess on the first sunday you do something ‘out of the box’ but that is where God meets you…in the tension!!! that is where He reveals Himself in a new and fresh way. and I don’t think God has called us to comfortable lives or tasks….so worship leaders and pastors just need to suck it up and lead and embrace some freaking tension and get out of their leadership comfort zones and quit worrying if the “big givers” of the Church are going to be offended.
Paul would be furious with the Western Church (as a whole) and we need to be taken out to the woodshed.
If local churches are going to truly change and decide to step into (or be involved in the…) evolution of visual worship and creative arts then it’s going to be a muddy and painful journey but what a beautiful mess it is going to be….and the other side of the tunnel is absolutely breath-taking. and MAYBE…JUST MAYBE…Jesus will be worshiped. and if you lose sight of Him in the midst of all this visual junk then you need to take a time out, not come to church the following sunday, go feed a homeless person and invest some time into hearing their story…and then book a ticket to a third-world country and serve some missionaries for a week or two…then you can come back to your Church and worry about what motion background and lighting scheme you should use.
at least that’s what i do when I lose sight…but it’s usually God that lets me know when that happens.
so yeah…. no more pink loops for response songs. good one camron.
@Pastor Jack; thanks, and I pray for the same. I want to help serve you in that way if I can.
@Proctor; dude…when are we going to write a book? I’ll write the opening for each chapter, and you can finish it; because you NAILED IT. (as always) So true. I don’t know what else to say. I’m frustrated and excited and ready to ask the questions and try new things, and hopefully bring the right change to the local church in regards to visual worship.
Whoa! Proctor!
I’m putting up a copy of your post on my wall. I’m with Camron- that sounds so true to life and inspiring to me.