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BY CATHY VITEK

The Cross. The dove. Tongues of fire. The Ichthus. Light. Water. These symbols of our faith have served for centuries as visual means to connect us with the Gospel. Stained glass, sculpture, mosaics and paintings illustrate the Word and allow us to connect in powerful ways to the story of our God, God?s Son and the Holy Spirit.

 We can add banners, paraments and altar arrangements as the modern church?s contribution to the fine arts used in worship to enhance the message. And now in this Digital Age, the church has an opportunity to add another dimension to the use of visual arts in worship with technology.

Not so long ago, it was hard to imagine a life with digital 'stuff' surrounding us. And now, it is difficult to find a part of life that isn?t somehow controlled or affected by it. Great-grandmothers are e-mailing pictures of their grandchildren and carry cell phones (that their grand-children have programmed for them).

Today?s children, youth and young adults don?t know life without 24-hour television programming. We live in a culture that is fast paced and where instant communication by the television, computer or cell phone is the norm. And we as the church body are struggling to keep up.

Many of our churches, in an effort to keep current, have invested in computers, projection software, projection systems and screens for use in worship.

But for many of us it is difficult to merge our ideas of what a worship service should be with all that technology, so we don?t use them to their fullest capabilities.

We project the song lyrics and the Scripture and make it easier to follow the service with words on the screen instead of the words on paper, but many of us underestimate the value of the technology as a means of visual art; it can be an additional way to focus on the message, connect the message and the music, and to provide a visual image for the congregation to carry with them through the week.

If your church is using visual technologies, are you using them to their fullest potential? What images does the congregation take away each week that allow them to re-connect with the message each time they encounter the images?

Perhaps the most effective presentations begin with planning. The visual tech ministry members should be included in the worship planning process each week. The people involved in this ministry should be aware of the importance of communicating the written word in terms of song lyrics and Scripture, as well as the powerful impact an appropriate image can have in connecting the message to our everyday lives. They should be involved not just in the logistical process of the service, but also in the creative process that considers all the ways the message might be communicated. Is there one image that clearly speaks or connects to the message?

For many of us, this is a new way to think about worship planning as well as a new way to think about our use of visual technologies.

There are a variety of resources available to help. We are fortunate that Len Wilson and Jason Moore, co-authors of 'Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship,' will be conducting a workshop in our area Nov. 4.

Wilson and Moore began their partnership at Ginghamsburg UMC, continued with Lumicon and have recently formed their own corporation, Midnight Oil Productions (www.midnightoilproductions.com).

Their passion is using screens (projection systems and software) to communicate the message of the Gospel, and their workshop will focus on teaching us how to use 'the screen as part of the canvas of the art of digital age worship.'

Other resources include 'Worship Leader Magazine' (www.worshipleader.com) which includes a strong focus on visual technologies in each issue, 'Vision Magazine' (www.vision-mag.com ) 'Religious Product News' magazine (www.rpnmag.com), 'Handbook for Multi-Sensory Worship' by Kim Miller, and 'The Spectacle of Worship in a Wired World' by Tex Sample.

Cathy Vitek is director of worship design at Bethany UMC in Ellicott City.

SIDEBAR:
Visual technologies enliven worship

Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m at Bethany UMC in Ellicott City.

Whether your church is just now considering the investment in visual technologies or has had one for years, this seminar will meet you where you are in the learning process and take you to the next level.