The festival music drama as described here is a type of drama in which the entire congregation plays a role. It involves many of the traditional elements in a worship service, reordered so that their dramatic quality is realized. The central theme is always that of the life of Jesus Christ, which is presented in dramatic fashion to give believers an opportunity to celebrate Christ’s victory and to present the gospel narrative to unbelievers.
Drama is an extremely powerful means of communication, able to depict a narrative from many points of view and to portray the cosmic themes in situations that touch everyday life. The planning and execution of drama is also beneficial in that it can use the gifts of a variety of people of all ages in a congregation. While not addressing drama in worship directly, the following article raises important issues that should be considered regarding every dramatic moment in worship.
One creative approach in integrating the visual arts into the life of the local congregation involves employing an artist-in-residence. In return for studio space and appropriate monetary remuneration, the artist-in-residence is available to create visual arts for worship, to instruct worshipers about the nature of the visual arts in worship, and to involve members of the congregation in the design and fabrication of the arts in worship.
Visual art is made for communication and expression, and thus must be evaluated for how it accomplishes these tasks in a liturgical context. The evaluation process must be sensitive to be theological and aesthetic considerations. In particular, arts for liturgical use are best presented and evaluated in the context of the Christian year or the particular Sunday for which it is created.
This article gives practical advice for planning art for worship, focusing particularly on temporary art. It argues for the importance of planning art that coordinates with other aspects of the worship service and that is characterized by simplicity.
Many artistic works are created for a specific time or purpose; the artist does not intend for such temporary art to exist beyond the limits of the temporal space. The primary images and symbols of the Christian faith are important sources for these works whose purpose is to unlock their hidden meanings or to reveal new ones.