ENGAGING THE SENSES TO OCCASION THIN SPACE AND TRANSFORMATION

by

REV. KIMBERLYNN MCNABB

B.A., Wilfrid Laurier University, 1994

M.Div., Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, 1998

A Thesis

submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia Divinity College,

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the degree of Doctor of Ministry

Acadia Divinity College,

Acadia University

Spring Convocation 2014

© by KIMBERLYNN MCNABB, 2014

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This thesis by KIMBERLYNN MCNABB was defended successfully in an oral examination on 3rd April 2014.

The examining committee for the thesis was:

Dr. Glenn Wooden, Chair

Dr. Bruce Matthews, External Examiner

Dr. Carol Anne Janzen, Thesis Supervisor

Dr. William Brackney, Internal Examiner

This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity College, the Faculty of Theology of Acadia University, as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry.

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I, KIMBERLYNN MCNABB hereby grant permission to the Head Librarian at Acadia University to provide copies of this thesis, on request, on a non-profit basis.

Kimberlynn McNabb

Author

Dr. Carol Anne Janzen

Supervisor

3 April 2014

Date

(This page is blank and unnumbered on purpose) iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract vii

Chapter Index viii

Acknowledgements x

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Betwixt and Between 1

Chapter 2 As Heard in Scripture 11

Hebrew Scripture 11

Genesis 11

Exodus – The Experience of Moses 12

The Prophets 17

Greek Scripture 18

Acts – The Experience of Saul 18

Sensate Senses - A Word Study 22

Experiencing Jesus 24

Chapter 3 Seen in History 29

Senses - Changing Attitudes in the Common Era 30

Sense, Knowledge, and Mysticism 37

Senses in Christian Practice 41

Hearing the Word 44

The Rising Importance of Sensory Experience 51

Present Context 54

Sense in the Present 60 v

Accompanying Thought 64

Chapter 4 Ingested in Theology 66

Mystery 68

Incarnational Theology 76

Theolgica Crucis 79

The Boundary 85

Relational Theology 88

Theology Digested 95

Chapter 5 Touched Through Method 97

Rationale for the Two Components 100

Engagement of the Sensate Senses 100

Theological Reflection 105

Research Project and Methodology 110

Chapter 6 Tasted in Experience 117

The Experiences as a Whole 118

Structured Experiences Described Individually 122

Thin Space Via Sound 122

Thin Space Via Smell 124

Thin Space Via Touch 128

Thin Space Via Taste 132

Thin Space Via Sight 135

Themes for Reflection 137

Considerations 137

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Closing Reflections 142 Tasted in Experience 145

Touched in Method 147

Ingested in Theology 148

Seen in History 151

As Heard in Scripture 153

Betwixt and Between 158

Appendix I Application to Acadia Research Ethics Board: 158

Ethical Review of Research Involving Humans 158

Reflection of Experiential Event - Survey 163

Theological Reflection Facilitation Guide 164

Announcements 165

Consent Form 166

Appendix II Ready to Use Church Resources: 168

Sensing Advent 168

Mid-Week Lent Service 177

Quint-I-Sensual God Space Workshop 179

Appendix III Additional Resources 192

Reference List 194

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ABSTRACT

Congregational life in mainline worshiping communities could be described as comfortable, as worship space is crafted in favoured architecture styles, with likeable decor, liturgies, and hymns. Particularly in Western culture, the thrust of church services is geared to thinking, not feeling or the participation of one’s senses. This paper explores engaging the sensate senses to create moments where barriers are dropped and people can open themselves to an encounter with God. The hope is that the encounter fosters a new way of living and precipitates transformation. Through five sensory events executed during worship, followed up by theological reflection circles, a congregation bears witness to the role that sense and reflection play in encountering thin space and the transformation of one’s perceived thoughts. One will notice that elements of surprise and actions of discomfort led to deeper struggle in meaning-making and reflection -- producing profound ‘Aha’ moments. The experience has left the congregation with a desire to participate in sensory events and reflection circles on a regular basis -- realizing that encountering God is a lifelong affair. Leaders who apply this work will focus on creating space wherein boundaries are broken and individuals or whole communities are presented with the uncomfortable so as to encounter the Holy.

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CHAPTER INDEX

CHAPTER 1

This chapter sets the stage for the premise of the paper. It explores and defines the idea of thin space and “the where” of encountering God. It also describes approaches to open one to the discovery of thin space.

CHAPTER 2

This chapter engages the biblical narrative, investigating thin-space-God- encounters that led to transformation in the lives of those experiencing them. Particular attention is given to the experiences of Moses and Paul.

CHAPTER 3

This chapter discusses the concept of sensory knowing from an historical and scientific perspective. The discussion includes references to Lutheran Reformation documents.

CHAPTER 4

This chapter creatively weaves together theological ideas of space/place and God encounter. It explores Mystery, grace, and the theology of art via discussion of cosmology, sin, theology of the cross, Christ on the boundary, and relationship.

CHAPTER 5

This chapter presents the rationale for the method and approach applied in the research project. It focuses on two key components: engaging sensate senses and theological reflection. The chapter concludes with how the project research was implemented and data collected.

CHAPTER 6

This chapter presents the results of the sensory events of the research project. It paints a picture of each event individually and addresses issues and discoveries shared across the events. It concludes with limitations of the research and further areas of study.

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CLOSING REFLECTIONS

The final chapter revisits each chapter moving from research discoveries back to chapter one’s definition of thin space. It names specific responsibilities for worship and church leaders, with ideas for application of the concepts within their own communities. The conclusion gives concrete ways that congregations can engage the senses and integrate thinking and feeling, to offer the possibility of deepened faith, practice, and relationship.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I

This appendix is the application made to Acadia’s research ethics board which includes the survey distributed to the congregation for each sensory event and the theological reflection circle questions used to gather reflections.

APPENDIX II

Appendix II is a collection of resources used in a church setting for engaging senses and connecting this to theological reflection. These resources were created as the thesis project was in development. Resources include: an Advent quiet day, a mid-week Lent program, and a workshop with Bible Study focusing on the Burning Bush + a group of quotes for added discussion during the retreat.

APPENIDX III

The appendices conclude with a few selected resources for further study and practical use within a parish setting.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Hugs are given to my husband Tim who was the impetus to have me complete a

Doctor of Ministry program -- knowing that this is what my spirit and essence was craving. Thanks is given to my children who needed me around and allowed me to mentor a joy of study. Appreciation is extended to the people of the

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection who played with me, opened themselves to new experiences, and through an honesty in theological reflection deepened community.

Thanks also to Acadia Divinity College, classmates, and my supervisor Dr. Carol

Anne Janzen for welcoming a Lutheran into their fold and gracing me with glimpses of the Holy.

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INTRODUCTION

Since birth, life has been lived in a sacramental theology where God is incarnate -- present through experience if one should choose to open their senses with curiosity and wonder. Thin space (to be defined in Chapter 1) was not so much believed in but intuitively known to be already present. Life is lived in the presence of God, in a world full of vibrant colours, stimulating smells, tantalizing tastes, sensuous textures, and titillating sounds.

Experiential knowing and living has been balanced by living an unapologetically Lutheran way -- with an understanding that ritual and liturgy are embraced in spiritual practices and piety, and that reformation disciplines of asking questions, entering dialogue, and intellectual vigor are of importance. To ask questions is a Lutheran way of following that includes and encourages teaching with theological reflection. As Paul Tillich once said, “I am Lutheran by birth, education, religious experience, and theological reflection (Tillich 1966,

74).”

Growing up in the home of artists, both of whom were also teachers, the family observed and interacted with the world differently than some others.

Time was spent in art galleries or on nature trails exploring and examining the hope that might be found therein. Time at home was spent reading - touching, seeing, hearing, playing with anything and everything -- then reading more to stay grounded. It was sad to learn that others were unable to intuit the world xii around them, wonder at mysteries, be excited by the smallest discovery, or have the desire to ask questions and search for answers.

As a teenager, going to church was living out the drama of God’s story of grace each week. The words of American author, Annie Dillard, captured this teen’s imagination because it rang true to experience,

On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the conditions. Does any-one have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return (Dillard 1982).

Why didn’t everyone feel it?

These years, and those following into university life, broadened the connection between the senses and head knowledge. Academia provided a place where one could be fascinated with obscure items, play with heavy duty philosophy, and create a million more questions. There came a day when the sober reality hit that one could never read enough, see enough, hear enough, touch enough, taste or smell enough, to know or be whelmed by everything.

There was simply not enough time. xiii

Fifteen years of ordained ministry has led to the observation that congregations have become communities of thinkers and hearers, where members for the most part no longer embody or experience the Gospel. “Feeling the story” by entering, digesting, reflecting, and reinterpreting it to life –- this experience -- is often missing, so too then is the story’s power to transform

Gospel into action.

The hope is that the meanderings of this research paper creatively inspire people to wonder, play, ask questions, engage their senses in the realm of faith, and introduce body and head knowledge to each other in theological reflection.

The grand vision is that church communities embrace imagination, trying innumerable methods to remove veils and break boundaries that keep humans from experiencing God in thin space, such that individuals and communities are thus transformed bearers of Mystery -- for the healing of the world.

Readers of this work are encouraged to contemplate and play with their senses and head knowledge such that the Gospel story becomes embodied in a way that is transforming.

The paper begins in prayer:

Grant Lord, that I see you in the beauty of creation, hear you in the sounds of the forest, touch you in the texture of the earth, smell you in the fragrance of the flowers, taste you in the fruit of the fields. But grant also Lord, that I may see you in the faces of the helpless, xiv

hear you in the cries of the weak, touch you in the hands of the dispossessed, smell you in the sourness of poverty, taste you in the bitterness of defeat. Lord, help me to sense you in all of these, and may I also be present there for you. Amen. (Fitzpatrick O.M.I., 2008, 63) 1

CHAPTER 1 BETWIXT and BETWEEN

Ah, there are so many things betwixt heaven and earth of which only the poets have dreamed! -Friedrich Nietzche

The purpose of this chapter is to enter into an understanding and working definition of “thin space.” This thesis rests on the belief that there are moments when human beings encounter God in oft-unexpected places and ways, times when the ordinary shifts to a luminous or transformational experience. A wealth of sources suggests that the senses, at such times, are heightened. With this in mind, is it possible for worship leaders to incorporate activities using the five senses, such that thin space can be accessed through the experience? Once encountering thin space, will worshipers gain a glimpse of the holy, and be transformed in some way by the experience? Investigating the idea of “betwixt and between” is important, in that the promise of the Gospel is wrapped in the transcendence of the boundaries of what is presently deemed realistic and possible -- resurrection being the prime example. Transcendent place is the heart of hope (DeGruchy 2001, 212). In order to ground the direction of this thesis’ research, which will explore how the natural senses may engage the Holy, leading to transformation, conversation begins with exploring various notions of thin space. 2

Holy Scripture begins with a description of space, “In the beginning when

God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters (Gen. 1: 1).”1 Images and elements presented in the creation story in Genesis grounded the discussion of space and are included in the following definitions. Space is a formless void with the potential for transformation through the movement of the Spirit; as the void is imbued with

God’s presence it becomes holy. From the first words of scripture, place is set and defined with relational components, an idea that will be further developed in theological conversation in chapter four. For now, note the relationship between space and God. As Hebrew Scripture continues, the theology of place presented is relational in three parts: God, people, and place (Inge 2003, 46).

“Thin space” is a phrase found in Contemporary Celtic tradition and is of particular importance to the Iona Community. Thin space is described as the place where the membrane between the natural and spiritual world is permeable

(Inge 2003, 79). References often refer to the membrane as being accessed and experienced outdoors in creation (in a sunset, sunrise, or a forest of large trees); however, this is not always the case. It is also noted that thin spaces will open up outside of spaces, places, and moments, which human beings would typically describe as beautiful or lovely.

1 All scripture references in this paper are from the NRSV.

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Thin space is not only a transparent place but also a transparent moment when the veil is lifted between this world and “the other,” where the moment is set apart from apparent reality to one that is deeper. The opening of the veil allows for an encounter where one world is whelmed by the other without either world beginning or ending (Taylor 2011/12). In this space luminosity exists where colours appear more vibrant, sounds (or lack thereof) are enhanced, all senses are more attuned, God seems nearer, and a fuller awareness of all time occurs (Shockley 2009, 95). In the thin space moment time may stand still just as an artist describes losing track of time, or time is ever present as a runner describes being in the zone, or as a pilgrim to a sacred sight describes being drawn back in time (Taylor 2011/12). The experience of time is transformed by the heightened engagement of the senses in that moment.

The notion of thin space has been experienced, studied, and discussed for centuries providing a rich body of history, language, and philosophical thought.

Over time, places of repeated encounter of humanity with the Holy, like the island of Iona, have become fixed places of pilgrimage. These sites of remembrance are not unlike standing stones mentioned in Hebrew Scriptures -- stones that were used to mark encounters with God.2 Standing stones demarcated a holy place invested with meaning and imbued with a sense of place where communion with the transcendent power of God was possible (Giles

2004, 12). Ancient dindsechos, “place-lore” sites, reflect the desire to ascribe

2 Examples include: Genesis 12: 7; 28: 18-22, Exodus 24: 2-4, Joshua 4: 2-3, 8-9; 24: 27. 4 divinity to place in order to capture a moment of transformation for succeeding generations -- hoping that future devotion or ascetic practice can access the same experienced sacramentality3 of the physical and material of that particular place

(Davies 1999, 11-13). Anthropologists, like Victor and Edith Turner, have named thin spaces that have become sacred landscape thresholds or limen to the Divine

(Inge 2003, 101-2).

Christianity has had a history of honouring and naming space as sacred, with many sites being demarcated by, and enveloped with, grand cathedrals and other church structures. Some of these sites grew over marked sacred landscapes. Others followed the Greek practice of creating sacred space by providing a ritually outlined space called a templum, from the gk. temnein, “to cut”-- meaning the Temple was built within the boundaries of a sacred area, cut- off from the surrounding area. The word “sacred” comes from the Latin root, sacer, meaning not only sacred but that which violates sacred is accursed

(Partridge 1966). Margaret Visser4 translates sacer as that which is to be respected

- set apart from what is polluted or desecrated (Visser 2000, 33). A distinction

3 Sacrament, sacramentum, was used in the Vulgate, at times, to translate the Greek word mysterium. In the Third Century CE, the rites of Baptism and Eucharist were referred to as sacraments. As sacramental theology developed, sacraments were demarcated as rituals that consisted of a biblical mandate, the Word, and an earthly element. God was present and acted through sacrament inferring grace on the participant. Modern theology moved to describing sacrament as a place where one encounters God and God encounters humans - a means of receiving grace (Suggit 1993, 666). To refer to the sacramentality of something, or sacramental nature, carries the idea that the reader is to ponder the Sacred’s presence, the Mystery encountered, grace imparted, and the receptivity to this grace; Lutheran expression is that Christ is “in, with, and under” (Real Presence). Sacramentalism is “the view that all nature and all life are full of spiritual meaning and symbolic of the unseen and eternal (Gove 1967, 1996).” 4 Visser (b.1940) is a writer, broadcaster, and professor at York University in Toronto, ON. 5 between the sacred and profane has been perpetuated throughout the centuries.5

Sacred space, as defined by the erection of structures, has both reflected and shaped the Christian story. The sacred space of church architecture has described theological beliefs - for instance, spires that point to the heavens suggest where it is that God resides, in the clouds. As Richard Giles6 wrote:

Through Christian history, every fresh insight into nature and love of God, every reform or revival, has been worked out in bricks and mortar as well as in tracts and texts. What kind of building we meet in, and how it is arranged and decorated for worship, will tell anyone who is interested everything they need to know about us (Giles 2004, 79).

Troubling for the church today is that traditional sacred spaces are not always reflective of current ideologies or conducive to creative uses of space, and are disappearing or being repurposed as congregations become smaller. New worship spaces are vastly different, meeting in movie theatres, store fronts, at hospital bedsides, or in homes. Encountering the Holy, and creating space within which to do so, has become ever more challenging and separated from the awe-inspired artifices of the past. Sacred spaces, such as churches, are deemed holy places and places of sanctuary, but in recent years a distinction is arising separating sacred space (as in consecrated area) and places where liturgy happens (often times spontaneously). This idea returns to an ancient idea, as

5 The phrase “sacred and profane” was coined by Emile Durkheim. For further reading on “sacred and profane” see his “The Elementary Forms of Religious Life” (1912), or Mircea Eliade’s, “The Sacred and Profane” (1961). 6 Giles is an Episcopal priest and Dean of the Philadelphia Cathedral, as well as, the Canon Theologian of Wakefield Cathedral. 6 seen in the example of the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple, where the “Holy of

Holies” is set aside as the seat of God (the Ark of the Covenant).7 The “Holy of

Holies” is sacred space entered only by God and the priests, whereas liturgy (the work of the people (Erlander 1981, 14)) happens outside of the most sacred space.

Church architecture and its appointments illustrate how a community embodies their faith. Recently, churches have become comfortable and comfort has caused a disconnect where designers and decorators have failed to understand that what makes sacred space sacred, is the action of the people who go there to “wrestle with God (Hoffman 1991, 3).”

Paul Tillich8 wrote that sacred space was about holy emptiness as illustrated in modernist church structures, contending that traditional church architecture defined a singular purpose and thus, inhibited the irrational imagination which is the impetus of movement from present to infinite (God) space (Tillich 1987, 192-3). The environment within traditional buildings produced a theological disconnect with the spiritual since the space was fostering conformity, not community. Conformity, which Tillich understood as a symbol of loneliness, is in direct conflict with embracing thin space. Conformity in structure compels a person to be “de-humanized in patternized security” and does not invite spiritual transformation (Tillich 1987, 202). This thesis seeks to discover whether or not intentional acts to engage a particular sense during

7 Information about the “Holy of Holies” can be found in Exodus 40. 8 Tillich (1886-1965) was a German Lutheran pastor and academic who moved to America. He is known for being an existentialist philosopher and a theologian connected to Union Theological Seminary. 7 worship, will occasion individuals to experience thin space. Does the stimulation of a sensate sense and theological reflection on the event, foster spiritual transformation in the individual and community?

Current schools of thought are re-defining sacred space from a Celtic

Revivalism understanding of “thin place” with an additional incorporation of relational values.9 Regardless of the surrounding architecture, Christian space becomes sacred space (dynamic and powerful in nature) when the Divine, social, and personal realms overlap and influence each other. The sacred space created articulates an understanding of God and the coming together of God and humanity (Kilde 2008, 199-200). When the sacramental nature of Christian sacred space is embraced, one is led to ponder “the Mystery,” allowing for God’s revelation in a set time and place; this is pure gift (a thin place) -- a “conversion place (Inge 2003, 67).”

Sacred space, as understood as a place outside of buildings proper, has led others besides Tillich, to consider thin space as holy emptiness. Canadian theologian and former Deputy Warden of Iona Abbey, Nancy Cocks, sees the emptiness of desert, the barrenness of hills, the empty wild, as the entrance to the

9 This statement is qualified in Chapter 4 through dialogue with theologians (particularly from feminist and ecological perspectives) and Chapter 5 with a focus on inter-disciplinary sources related to sacred space and the senses, including work from geographers, biologists, anthropologists, and architects. Celtic Revivalism is explored in books like: Castle, Gregory. 2001. Modernism and Celtic Revival. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 8 fullness of God and what she terms, “amazing space.”10 Amazing space is full of wonder and a sense that there is more than can be seen -- God-space being empty and full at the same time (Cocks 2006, 263). An example is the prophet Isaiah, who in emptiness, encounters God in a holy place within a vision (Is. 6: 1ff).

God’s place is full of the beauty of holiness yet despite the fullness, an emptiness is present as the experience is incomplete until connected to social justice – here,

Isaiah’s experience of God sends him out with prophetic word for action to a people. Similarly, Robert Fuller11 talks of the “occasion of wonder,” an emotional state of cognition that pulls a person from self-interest to a broadened or wider circle of concern. Occasions of wonder give meaning and purpose to space or place, making the ordinary holy (Fuller 2008, 22, 70). Such experiences are transformative and carried into everyday living.

Artists describe “thin space” with phrases such as, beyond the lines that we see – Leonardo Da Vinci (Boulogne 1953, 13) and a type of magic which stands between the hostile universe and us, a way of seizing power, by giving shape to fears and desires – Picasso (DeGruchy 2001, 193). The “boredom theory of art” states that when the conscious mind is distracted or off-guard, a potential is created for a

“dropping through,” which implies getting inside an experience. The place through which one drops is a space that integrates the unique moment of inspiration with the possibility of engaged creativity and action (Olsen 2012, 41).

10 “Amazing spaces” she notes from scripture include: the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years, Jesus’ temptation (Lk.4: 1-14), John on the Isle of Patmos. 11 Fuller is professor of philosophy and religious studies at Bradley University. 9

Incorporating sensory experience may just catch participants off-guard enough that thin space becomes visible.

Defining thin space is enhanced by the secular concept of “Third Space.”

Neo-Marxist, Edward Soja, suggests a necessity for public space to be transformed by the creation of “Third Space” -- a place that encourages society to think differently on the meaning of space and concepts of life together. It is in the sense-making of spatial elements of the contemporary and global world that the world will be able to thrive (Inge 2003, 23). Architects of the present are venturing into “Third Space” discussions that include: the ethical function of architecture, aesthetic transcendence, characteristics of high quality architecture

(intellect, emotions, spirit, and sensuousness), the geography of faith, and how space changes with the movement of the human body (Bergmann 2005, 8).

Sigurd Bergmann, Professor of Religious Studies at the Norwegian

University of Science and Technology writes:

The Christian God is the God of the Here and Now. Today, the task of interpreting God is inextricably linked to the task of interpreting the space wherein, whereby, and whereupon God acts. To say that God only acts within religious institutions or within the inner most heart of believers is hardly in accordance with a classical understanding of Creation, which maintains that God is “the creator of everything visible and invisible”, and thus can and should be sought everywhere between heaven and earth, in constructed as well as natural places. Faith has to maintain an openness to spatial surprises by means of which God can manifest His/Her presence (Bergmann 2005, 62).

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Bergmann’s poignant definition and understanding of thin space enhances the basic essence of this thesis.

In this paper, thin space is described as a moment of “betwixt and between” where the veil between the material world and a deeper reality becomes transparent, such that a holy encounter occurs. This space is far from being a fixed place, oft times surprising in its nature and place. It is a moment marked by a whelming of the spirit, the enhancement of the senses, and transformational in nature. It is an experience that envelops deeper relationship and is rooted in community. As the paper continues, readers will become aware of recurring themes of relationship, transformation through the encounter of thin space, a movement away from the comfortable, and the importance of sensory experience and theological reflection.

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CHAPTER 2 AS HEARD IN SCRIPTURE

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. –Psalm 90: 1-2

The biblical narrative expresses a multiplicity of views and descriptions of the concept of space in which human beings encounter God. This chapter delves into the biblical accounts of scared space touching on moments in Genesis and

Exodus, the movement from a Tent of Meeting to a Temple, specific incidents of thin space moments experienced by Moses and Saul, Jesus’ ministry, and holy places in the Epistles. The chapter incorporates examples of the five sensate senses engaging people in encounters with the Holy. The connection between thin space and sensory experience is discussed at further length in following chapters. By no means is this an exhaustive collection of ‘God encounters’ or thin space experiences mentioned in scripture; rather, the chosen passages are highlights that have captured this author’s imagination.

HEBREW SCRIPTURE

GENESIS

In Genesis, human beings ordered space by defining creation. Through

Genesis, readers encounter faithful people who set up places of holy remembrance as they journeyed through the land. At places of holy 12 remembrance, impromptu offerings were made on immediately constructed altars (Gen. 8: 20, 20:7). Recorded holy encounters were rife with sensory engagement: the rainbow as a sign of God’s covenant (Gen. 9: 13), the tower of

Babel and confusion of language (Gen. 11: 7), Abram was to go to a land that I will show you (Gen. 12: 1) and encountered the Lord God in visions and dreams (Gen.

15: 1, 12ff), Hagar’s eyes were opened in the wilderness by God’s voice (Gen. 21:

14 ff), intimate interaction in Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Gen. 22: 1ff), Jacob’s ladder experience (Gen. 28: 11ff) and wrestling to a new name (Gen. 32: 22ff),

Joseph, the Pharaohs’ dreams, and their interpretations (Gen. 37: 5ff, Gen. 41: 1ff), are but a few examples.

EXODUS – THE EXPERIENCE OF MOSES

The Exodus narrative wrestled with the tension of sacred space, Moses’ encounter of God, and the peoples’ ability or willingness to enter into thin space.

Thin space as encountered by Moses (presented in Exodus 3) describes an example of thin space that engaged the senses and led to transformation in the individual who experienced the Holy. In the passage, Moses was performing ordinary tasks and duties of everyday life -- he was keeping sheep -- a job that required traversing through the wilderness. 13

Scholars disagree as to the place of Moses’ encounter of God. It is suggested that Mount Horeb, the mountain of God as described in the passage,12 was a Midianite sacred place (Anderson 2001, 86), or a place where the membrane was thin - for God to appear in this place would be natural for it was deemed a sacred place. Mosheh Lichenstein,13 applying midrashic methodology, suggests that Moses purposefully sojourned to the mountain as a contemplative act and religious devotion to seek God through creation (Lichtenstein 2008, 28).14

Thomas Dozeman15 highlights the unusual usage of the Hebrew preposition ‘ahar translated “beyond” -- the construction of the phrase expresses a notion of toward an object. The syntax in MT and LXX texts indicate the idea of

“fantastical geography” -- a location of mystery at the edge of everyday human experience, a place where unexpected events occur. “Beyond (or toward) Horeb” conjures the image of wilderness and a divine mountain (Dozeman 2009, 117).

Terence Fretheim’s16 commentary describes Horeb as a wasteland -- pointing to the place of the bush as being outside of religious community and away from sites where divine appearance would be expected. Fretheim suggests that no sign

12 The mountain of God has been identified by various names. Mount Horeb was used by E (Elohist) and D (Deuteronomic) sources and Mount Sinai by J (Yawhewistic) and P (Priestly) sources. It is not certain whether different mountains are referred to (Smalley 1993, 696). J, E, P, D source criticism is explained with references to academics and refinements to scholarship in an essay by: Viviano, Pauline A. 1993. “Source Criticism,” To Each its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticism. Edited by Steven McKenzie and Stephen Haynes, 29-51. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press. 13 Lichenstein (b. 1961) is a co-Rosh Yeshiva of a school in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. 14 Rabbi Mosheh posits that Moses left Egypt for the wilderness in an act of withdrawal from the suffering of the Israelites who will not act for themselves. Moses’ pessimism was turned to living as a hermit in the desert, self-absorbed in private contemplation and devotion (Lichtenstein 2008, 17). 15 Dozeman is professor of Hebrew Scriptures at United Theological Seminary (United Methodist), OH. 16 Fretheim is a Lutheran pastor and professor emeritus of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. 14 is given that this place is holy; rather, holiness is applied after Moses’ experience because God has drawn this particular plot of ground into a new sphere of relationship (Fretheim 1991, 53, 56).

Applying a hermeneutic that engages the senses, to the story of the burning bush leads to questions -- what does Moses see, hear, taste, smell, and touch? -- a bright bush burning but not consumed, the crackle of flame, a voice, the smell of smoke, a mouth of dryness, a warmth of skin, sandy ground, et cetera. Exodus 3: 1-9 placed primary importance to the sense of sight - words related to seeing occur ten times. The sense of sight led to the hearing of the voice. It was Moses’ curiosity, his turning aside, and noticing the uniqueness of the bush (as brush fires in the desert were not uncommon) that opened a space for God to speak to Moses. Moses’ attention to the surrounding wilderness was an openness on his part and an invitation to holy encounter -- for supernatural invasion of the material world is not obvious to all (Walsh 2012, 58-59).

Biblical narratives should be considered within the texts and tradition as a whole. The thrust of the story was not to rationalize away the mystery of Moses’ experience but rather, to grasp Moses’ encounter as described. The event had him believe that he was in the presence of God and on holy ground. The thin space exuded God’s specific identity showing that holiness was the divine power, and that it had the capacity to break into the human world with the purpose of transformation (in this case to upset the oppressive regime of Pharaoh) 15

(Anderson 1986, 59). Through sensory language such as I have observed their misery, heard their cry, and know their sufferings (Ex. 3: 7-8), God illustrated a sensitivity to the human condition and comes down to deliver -- God came down to touch the people with a freeing power (Anderson 1986, 59).

As the Hebrew people fled from Egypt Moses led them to the foot of the mountain of God. The people were invited to come to the foot of the mountain and encounter God (Ex. 19: 16-23). Communally a thin space was experienced.

Thunder was heard along with loud trumpet blasts, lightening and fire was seen, thick smoke was smelled, bodies trembled as the mountain shook, and the experience led the people to request that Moses become an intermediary (Ex. 20:

18-20). The experience of encountering God was terrifying and people sensed a threat to their very lives. Moses, at the behest of the people, became a boundary to inhibit encountering the Holy thus, closing a door for the moment on a corporate willingness to encounter (or allow for) God experience. Moses became a mediator between God and God’s people, where Moses presented to the people

God’s words, the meaning of their deeds, and hope of future promises

(Westermann 1962, 75).

This moment in history facilitated a theophanic shift where a downshift of divine potency was expressed which resulted in less of an interest in “who” God was, to a focus on the “how” and “where” of God (Walsh 2012, 65-66). Divine presence once experienced as miraculous potency was relegated to the movement 16 of God in cloud and fire. Divine revelation was now experienced and understood in the stability of the movement that compartmentalized God to a column that offered nudging guidance of the people through the wilderness

(Walsh 2012, 67). Experiencing the Holy in cloud and fire served to mystify the

Mystery in a safe manner. After the Sinai encounter people’s receptivity to and perception of God shifted so that during worship “cloud” -- as witnessed in incense and sacrifice -- became the conduit to contact and relate to God (Walsh

2012, 69).

In the Exodus narrative the people created a space for the Holy as prescribed by the Holy. It was not a static holy space but rather a Tent that journeyed with the people in the wilderness (Ex. 26) - altars were made to be moved (Giles 2004, 14). The Tabernacle was designed and constructed with a

Holy of Holies (the most sacred space) separated from the sanctuary (where people came for ritual) by a heavy crimson curtain. The Tabernacle engaged the senses: touch through textures like wool, acacia wood, gold, and ivory; smell of the incense offerings and animal sacrifice; taste of the showbread; sound of the bells on the priests’ garments and the singing of Psalms; sight of the colours like crimson, blue, purple, jewels of all varieties, and polished bronze. In the Holy of

Holies resided the Ark of the Covenant, the seat of the Divine (Ex. 25: 10-22) --

God had a continued presence with a people on the move (Giles 2004, 15). The items in the Ark were given by the Lord and each was connected to sensory 17 experience: manna to taste, the covenant tablets to read and hear, and Aaron’s fragrant flowering almond staff (Heb. 9:4) that engaged sight and smell. The Ark had a prescribed distance (2000 cubits), a buffer zone to the Holy to prevent death from direct contact (touch) of the Holy (Jos. 3: 4). The Tabernacle was replaced by a permanent Temple in Jerusalem when the Israelites settled in the land and King Solomon was on the throne.

THE PROPHETS

In Hebrew and Jewish tradition, ‘call stories’17 are consistent in method; the call of Moses, the prophets, and Saul are similar in description. The prophet

Jeremiah encountered God in a voice, the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth, and a vision of an almond tree and boiling pot occurred -- an experience that engaged the sensate senses (Jer. 1: 4-14). The encounter transformed Jeremiah to speak and proclaim, to pluck up and pull down, to plant and build. Likewise Isaiah’s call was wrapped with sensory images: the Lord spoke, incense was burned, eyes were hidden, hearts washed, and colours of crimson and white are mentioned (Is.

1: 12-17). The experience transformed Isaiah’s life such that he was compelled to learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, and defend the orphan and widow (Is. 1:18). The character involved in a biblical call narrative was generally

17 The term ‘call’ is used to describe an experience (God-encounter) where the individual has a new understanding of his/her mission. The emphasis is placed on the future assignment, as given by the Divine. The experience is rooted in, and interpreted through, the individual’s participation in a faith community (Stendahl 1976, 7, 11). 18 performing ordinary daily activities, when for a moment their senses were acutely attuned to a sacred dimension that drew them to a deeper understanding and experience of God -- it was in this space that the call was spoken. The biblical record illustrates an expectation that the encounter with the Holy transforms one such that not only is there a receiving of new character traits, but, as a result of the encounter the individual is sent on a specific mission that has an opportunity to change the entire community (Westermann 1962, 76).

GREEK SCRIPTURES

ACTS - THE EXPERIENCE OF SAUL

The Israelites at the mountain of God had a corporate encounter of God.

Greek Scripture recalls a corporate experience of the people gathered in

Jerusalem (First Century CE). In the Book of Acts, a thin space opened on

Pentecost to the community of disciples and others gathered in the city for the

Jewish festival (Acts 2: 1-21). Together in one place the people experienced a sound like the rush of a violent wind, divided tongues of fire, and spoke and heard the

Gospel in languages both known and unknown to them. The crowd was bewildered, amazed, and astonished at this kairos18 moment. Through this sensory-

18 Kairos is a Greek word coming from a root meaning “an opportunity”, “a time”, perhaps related to the verb “to cut, to shear”: “a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment (Gove 1967, 1230)” 19 filled experience the disciples were transformed to be Apostles of the Gospel.

The Apostles immediately performed baptisms and preached the Word. Luke’s

Acts narrative shifts the story from post-resurrection encounters of Jesus in bodily form (at the end of Luke’s Gospel) to that of pneumatic experience (Becker

1993, 59). In Acts 9 one reads of Saul’s encounter with the Resurrected One.

Applying a hermeneutic of sense to Acts 9: 1-22 leads one to see what Saul saw, hear what Saul heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. The same hermeneutic can be applied to Ananias’ experience told in conjunction with Saul’s story. Saul breathed threats against Jesus followers, saw lights and flashes from heaven, heard a voice, fell to (touched) the ground, was blinded, ate (tasted) nothing for three days - while the men with him stood speechless, heard the voice, saw no one, and led (touched) Saul to Damascus. Ananias saw a vision, heard the Lord speak, laid hands on (touched) Saul, at which point scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he regained sight. Saul was baptized (touched by water) and ate food. The experience transformed Saul such that he became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts

9: 22).19 Sadami Takayama20 regarded the hermeneutical principle of symbolism to be important to this passage by suggesting that symbol was the primary function of human knowledge and expression. Saul’s significant experience was

19 Luke continues the Saul narrative in Acts 13: 9ff. It begins, “But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit.” 20 The purpose of Sadami’s thesis was to find structural similarities in the conversion stories of Shinran and Paul. The work reflects his own conversion from Buddhism to Christianity. Takayama, currently teaching in the department of anthropology at Sophia University in Tokyo, was a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and is ordained. He studied spirituality and received a doctorate at the Gregorian University. 20 an instrument of communication -- the experience was symbol in that it had a real sensory quality with an empirical element through which significance was manifest, and secondly transcendence was revealed in that the unknowable was expressed and Saul was whelmed by the Holy (Takayama 2000, 32). Sensory engagement produces an inclusive attitude where symbol has a place to erupt - this occurs at the point where body and spirit are not yet divided into body/spirit (Takayama 2000, 33).

Saul’s encounter with God occurred on the road to Damascus, a liminal space between the Pharisaic headquarters of Jerusalem and the target of persecution. This space placed Saul metaphorically between roles as persecutor and proclaimer (Spencer 2004, 107).21 Early church narratives, like that of Paul from the tradition of the Damascene community, reflected personal legend and conversion stories, and were not interested in the characters’ self-understanding but rather placing examples of conversion as a continuation of Easter events, with the purpose of providing a way to build the church (Becker 1993, 61). Note that the narratives are sensory experiences and not recorded as theological understandings of the event.22 The author Luke, whose hallmark was brevity, highlighted Saul’s experience by mentioning it three times (Acts 9; 22; 26)

(Willimon 1988, 74).

21 Liminal space can be described as a boundary or threshold - a moment where the choice made by the participant can ultimately change the direction of their life. Another example of liminal encounter moving to transformation is the Ethiopian eunich on a desert road, a space between Jerusalem and home (Acts 8: 26-39) (Becker 1993, 61). 22 Paul’s description of the Damascus Road experience is his interpretation of the event and can be read in Gal. 1: 11-17; 1 Cor. 15: 8; 1 Tim. 1: 12-16. 21

This narrative has been interpreted as a conversion implying a change of belief or a change of religion on Paul’s part. Krister Stendahl,23 in the 1970s, proposed a new understanding in addressing Saul’s encounter. He noted that the encounter blossomed from Saul’s deep faith, practice of tradition, and understanding of scripture. Experiencing thin space transformed Saul to act on the call - a mission of spreading the Word of God and the fulfilment of God’s promises (Stendahl 1976, 7). Stendahl’s premise was that Reformers, like Luther and Calvin, did a disservice to Protestant scholars because they continued to interpret Paul through Western introspective thinking -- where Paul is psychologically wrapt with guilt (Stendahl 1976, 12). Luther and Calvin built on

Augustine’s thought, who three hundred years after Paul, wrote that

“justification” was the centre of Pauline theology -- before this the early church read Paul as focusing on relationships. At this point theology and understanding become self-serving and focused on the individual conscience, not the community -- introspective practice begins in Western thought (Stendahl 1976,

84). The interpretation of Paul’s conversion story was understood from an intellectual perspective and Luke’s emphasis on the sensory aspects of the narrative disappeared. It is also worth noting that after his conversion experience, Augustine came to fear the power of the senses (DeGruchy 2001, 16).

Saul’s experience had limited value as it was not complete in and of itself.

Healing and inclusion through baptism was made possible through connection to

23 Stendahl (1921-2008) was a Swedish Lutheran theologian and Bishop. He was instrumental in the re- interpretation of Paul (the forerunner of the ‘New Perspective on Paul’). 22 the community represented by the participation of Ananias (Becker 1993, 59).

Transformation was completed through baptism and food (perhaps suggesting the Eucharist) (Willimon 1988, 77) -- Saul’s eyes were touched by Ananias so that he could see, Saul was touched by water, and food was tasted. Saul’s experience like that of Moses and the prophets was not an individualistic attainment of a personal possession but rather a transformation to action. Transformation was facilitated by addressing the human being as a sensory being.

Saul’s transformation continued through conversation with Ananias as a conversation partner. Numerous references are given in scripture of conversations (theological reflection): Jesus in the Temple at the age of twelve

(Lk. 2: 46), interaction with the Pharisees and Jesus throughout the Gospels, the friends talking on the road to Emmaus following the resurrection (Lk. 24: 14), and conversations between Paul and the Apostles as the Gospel spread to the Gentiles

(Gal. 2). Although whole conversations are not recorded, theological reflection has participants growing in faith, understanding, and action.

SENSATE SENSES - A WORD STUDY

A biblical word study of the verbs -- see, hear, touch, smell, taste -- illustrate the hierarchy human beings have placed on the senses.24 To SEE

24 Note that the word study is only for the present tense of each verb, and that other tenses of the verbs illustrate the same point. 23 appears 580 times (378 Hebrew Scripture, 202 Greek Scripture), and to HEAR,

524 times (392 Hebrew Scripture, 132 Greek Scripture). Note the marked change in the definition of to see as one progresses through the biblical narrative. The usage of the verb to see takes on a definition not of physical sight but rather to know and to understand which increases through Greek Scripture. To TOUCH appears 48 times (32 Hebrew Scripture, 16 Greek Scripture), to TASTE is used 21 times (14, 7), and to SMELL occurs 19 times (18, 1).25

The passage of Hebrew Scripture mentioning the senses explicitly is Deut. 4: 28:

There you will serve other gods made by human hands that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search with all your heart and soul.

Two points to mention: If false gods do not have sensory abilities, logically the reverse is true of the Lord God who is illustrated as employing senses. Secondly, a responsibility is given to the reader to search for God engaging heart and soul -- it could be argued that this includes one’s senses along with one’s intellect. In

Greek Scripture few verses are as explicit in mentioning the senses as Colossians

2: 20-21:

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch?’ All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility,

25 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance on the Bible was used to produce the numbers in this word study. 24

and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.

Notice the debasement of sensory experience suggesting that no wisdom can be gained through them. The movement of the importance of sensory experience to that focused on intellectual knowing is discussed further in Chapter 4.

EXPERIENCING JESUS

Discussion of thin space within the biblical narrative is not complete without perusing Jesus’ ministry and the worship practice within the early church. Jesus participated in the ritual of baptism (Mt. 3: 13-17)26 and commanded the disciples to baptize (Mt. 28: 19). Employing a sensory hermeneutic Jesus’ baptism included a touching of the water, hearing the words of John and the voice from the cloud, smelling wet camel’s hair of John’s garment, and seeing the cloud. After baptism Jesus retreated to the desert where he experienced thirst, hunger, and other sensory deprivations. Through this experience Jesus encountered thin space and was transformed for the purpose of ministry. The Gospel of Luke says, Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee (Lk. 4: 14). In Galilee Jesus’ relationship with people involved the engagement of the human senses: a woman touched Jesus’ robe, Jesus’ spit and mud were used to heal a blind man, Jesus’ words were heard -- get up and

26 Also found in Mk. 1: 9-11; Lk. 3: 21-22; Jn. 1: 29-34. 25 walk, your sins are forgiven, large numbers of people were fed with bread and fish, et cetera. These moments were moments of thin space -- God encounter.

Much time could be spent investigating the tangible connections Jesus made with the people to whom he ministered. For the purpose of current discussion, attention is drawn to Jesus’ last hours with the disciples. Jesus spent these hours teaching while sharing a meal,27 washing feet,28 singing,29 praying and watching - activities that incorporated the senses by embodying words in action. Barbara Brown Taylor30 reflects:

With all the conceptual truths in the universe at his disposal, he did not give them something to think about when he was gone. Instead, he gave them concrete things to do – specific ways of being together in their bodies – that would go on teaching them what they needed to know when he was no longer around to teach them himself (Taylor 2010, 43).

The Word31 needed new flesh that was living and thus tangible, otherwise it might have been intellectualized to the exclusion of the Word that can draw humans into connected community. The “essentially untidy” reality of the rituals experienced (eating and washing together) protected them from the

27 Mt. 26; Mk 14; Lk. 22 28 Jn. 13 29 Mt. 26: 30 30 Taylor (b. 1951) is an Episcopal priest known for her preaching and is a professor of Religion at Peidmont College. 31 Within Lutheranism, the Living Word is described as “truth manifest in an event, a story or an encounter through which God addresses us and calls for repentance, revolution, a redirection of life ... The Word of God is living address ‘which enters ours hearts’ calling for radical change (Erlander 1981, 10). This understanding follows a Hebrew way of thought and affirms the goodness of creation and an earth filled with the glory of God. Greek thought differed in that truth was presented as propositions to be accepted or rejected: material matter seen as evil, separated God from creation and the spiritual from the physical (Erlander 1981, 10). 26 disciples gaining control over them (Taylor 2010, 44). After Jesus’ ascension and the Day of Pentecost, the Apostles and the early church practiced the tangible rites mandated by Jesus for use within the community, baptism32 and communion.33 The Word made living through action was expressed and reflected upon throughout the writings of the early church -- for example the words of institution in 1 Cor. 11: 24-25 are followed by theological interpretation of the experience.

The Apostolic tradition, as seen in the Epistles, encountered and addressed heterodox claims drawing hearers to return to the fundamental elements of the Gospel. The Letters of John, addressed to a community in the last decade of the First Century, confronted early Gnosticism by reiterating that Jesus was the Christ and the real incarnation of God. The Johannine community understood Christ as John the Evangelist described, both one with humankind and one with God (Smalley 1993, 377-8). The writer of 1 John expressed an understanding of the community’s theology through a remembrance of human experience,

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us — we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the

32 Acts 2: 41 33 1 Cor. 11: 23-26 27

Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1: 1-4)

As non-Hebrew people entered into the community of the early church and as the Gospel spread to the diaspora, the understanding of the three-way relationship in Hebrew Scriptures between God, people, and place (land) was transformed (Inge 2003, 48). Writings of the early church, reflecting on Christ, moved the place of God from Jerusalem -- away from the Temple -- to an understanding and experience of God free from land. John’s Gospel presents a cosmic Christ who was in the beginning and became incarnate.34 Col. 2: 9 described Christ as, in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him embracing human creatureliness.35 The Apostle Paul spoke of being in Christ.36 These are examples of the “Christification” of space (Inge 2003,

52) - a thought to be developed more fully in Chapter 4. Greek Scripture not only holds the idea of sacred place as being in Christ but also includes a description of a place and a hope for a new Jerusalem (eternal place of God).37

This chapter has reflected on the various understandings of sacred space and thin places -- in creation, on or near a mountain, housed in a Tabernacle or

34 Jn. 1 35 Rodney Clapp in his book, Tortured Wonders: Christianity for People, Not Angels, cites Col. 2 to describe what he terms “the grammar of Christian Spirituality” which stresses that in the very act of creation the soul and the body are shown to be of inestimable worth (Clapp 2004, 38, 40). The first chapter of the book affirms human flesh and the necessity of the body within Christian spirituality. 36 Gal. 2: 20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”; 2 Cor. 5: 17, “For anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” 37 The Book of Revelation describes a new heaven and new earth, along with a new Jerusalem in Rev. 21. 28

Temple, experienced in a bush, seen through vision, encountered on a road and in a desert, being touched by the Incarnate, embodied in the sharing of a meal or community ritual, becoming in Christ, and in hopes for the new Jerusalem. Each space and place included an engagement of the senses - a tangibility God offers so that Living Word remains living.

Readers are encouraged to approach scripture attuned and open to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell each passage, engaging the senses to be a part of the hermeneutic practice.

Sense has become for us both a figurative and a literal way of knowing, but more a hermeneutic than an epistemology. Yet there is a kind of common sense, a sensing that, when done with others in community, in conversation with other times and loci, it begins to bring perception, perspective into focus. By using all our senses, by listening to others whose senses are keener, by remembering that sensing involves at least two parties, we have a chance of transcending our idiosyncrasies” (Prichard 1999, 121).

The next chapter continues the conversation with a consideration of the relationship between thin space and sensate senses, experienced in times and loci beyond the biblical record.

29

CHAPTER 3 AS SEEN IN HISTORY

Church is in its making, it is an organically growing community in movement. It draws us with it, forward and upward. Although, it also melts down to earth like a candle. It rises up and sinks down itself. Here is a built environment, a place, for the encounter of divine and human. Some beautiful day when the new heavens and a new earth are created it may not be needed any longer. Then, it will have melted down into the earth below, and the Creator will have become one with the land. (Bergman 2009, 304)

This chapter explores the engagement of the five senses as presented in the historical record and their relationship to moments of awakening, experiencing thin places, and transformation. Resources for this chapter are from a wide variety of interwoven disciplines and topics. Research and reflection about sacred space and sensory experience are included in disciplines of: architecture, geography, art and the arts, liturgy, theology, science, anthropology, and philosophy. Recording a history of the senses is a relatively new field for historians as traditionally histories were epistemological in character, written by fields of medicine and biology (Smith 2007, 118). This chapter aims to present a fluid conversation among these voices. Kevin McCluskey, a Christian Reiki instructor said, “At this time in the world, when so many people are lost and hurting, we need every skill we can get to help us to heal one another (Bass 2006,

109).” The conversation presents and draws together a wide range of disciplines which speak to the research undertaken. The thrust behind the research and 30 application of findings, in essence, arises from a passion to bring about God’s kingdom into the present, for the healing of the world.

The chapter begins with an historical overview, followed by in-depth examination of the practices of Roman orders and mystics, of church practices that combined cognition and sensual experience that led to deeper relationship with God and transformation. This chapter visits the relationship between head knowledge and sensing knowledge, with special reference to Lutheran

Reformation documents relating to the author’s faith tradition. The struggle presented, explores the necessity of both head and sensing knowledge so that the veil between the created world and the world beyond may be lifted. The chapter ends with a picture of society and culture today, as to the value of senses, the creation of space amidst globalization and technology, and the possibility of transformation.

SENSES - CHANGING ATTITUDES IN THE COMMON ERA

The history of communicating ideas, values, and meaning has been a continual pendulum moving from images to word, word to images; ornamentation to austerity, austerity to ornamentation; sensory inclusion to sensory exclusion, exclusion to inclusion. Determining the amount of phenomenological input and knowledge that was allowable for the benefit of 31 society was decreed both from inside religious entities and from outside in the form of political powers and academia.

Contemporary with the birth of the Early Church -- in fact exhibiting some similar aspects -- were the Mystery Religions in the Roman Empire (100-

300CE) that employed philosophy and ritual to gain spiritual transformation and to lift people out of the daily demands of living in a harsh world.38 Although little is known of specific practices of these religions (as rituals were known to initiates alone), it is evident through the surviving artwork that tasting through feasts, seeing in art, hearing of repeated stories and music were important. One

Mystery Religion, that of Dionysus, shared an association with Christians in the use of vines in iconography, in communal meals, and in philosophical similarities between Christ and Dionysus (Morford 1991, 341-342). The Roman senate decreed that the cult of Dionysus be restrained for it was seen as a menace to good order and dissolved the social bonds of society - the same was thought of

Christianity. Euripides commented that there was danger in inspired religious emotion (DeGruchy 2001, 14). Historical evidence illustrates extremes of attitudes towards the senses -- Manicheans, for instance, resented physical values and experience preferring reason and matter while Panegyrists exalted carnal life

(Boulogne 1953, 190). Aquinas considered sight to be the godliest sense and it

38 Throughout the Roman Empire Mystery Cults attained widespread popular influence after 100CE. The Cults practised sacramental drama and held tenets of life after death, redemption, and triumph over enemies. The Empire incorporated Mystery Religion to various degrees in civic and public life (Nash 2009, 109). 32 developed religious authority because of its intellectual nature and striving for perfection (ultimately a vision of God). In contrast, Ignatius of Loyola taught that faith was the basis of truth because eyes could be fooled (Smith 2007, 28-29).

Ideologies have long been fueled by the power of ideas, with words -- rhetoric, discourse, metaphor, and slogan - legitimizing or challenging the perceived truth

(DeGruchy 2001, 50). Although Plato and others philosophized about beauty, the science of aesthetics as an academic pursuit did not exist until the Nineteenth

Century (Seervald 1980, 114).39 The pendulum swings through the ages: the

Middle Ages were followed by the Renaissance, Romanticism was a reaction to the Age of Reason, Pietism was counter-balanced by Revivalism, and Post-

Modernism is a reaction to Modernity.

A history of the senses illustrates that sight has been placed hierarchically first among the senses -- from Classical Greeks referring to insight and seeing as knowledge, philosophers using oracular metaphors, and the Renaissance sensory understanding -- all placing sight first in the order of the cosmic bodies: fire and light (sight), air (sound), vapour (smell), water (taste), and earth (touch)

(Pallasmaa 2005, 15). Renaissance literature on the other hand is pervaded by reference to smell, not sight (Smith 2007, 33). Progression of the importance of the visual is seen in the development of the printing press, the invention of light bulbs to increase visibility and hours of light, technologies such as photography and photocopying, and medical inventions of x-ray and ultrasound. A shift

39 The foundation of Plato’s philosophy was sight; for Aristotle the basic sense was touch (Smith 2007, 28). 33 occurred in the Eighteenth Century when museum collections became restricted to sight only -- up to this point, exhibits were displayed to be touched (Smith

2007, 115). The Enlightenment brought with it scientific method where vision- centred investigation became knowledge and truth (Smith 2007, 20, 24). The adage, “seeing is believing,” comes to mind; however, the original old English saying highlighted the sense of touch as in “seeing is believing, but feeling is the truth” (Smith 2007, 93). Sensory stereotypes and perceptions come in and out of fashion quickly -- for example the touching and rocking of babies not appropriate in the 1890s was reversed by the 1940s (Smith 2007, 112).

In the Renaissance order of the senses, sound followed sight. Early in human development, sound -- like the beating of drums, shaking of rattles, and later bells, bugles, and bagpipes -- was used in charges into battle to frighten the enemy (Smith 2007, 42). For pre-Western societies the sense of hearing was vital for the passing of story, knowledge, and information. Sound was essential for political, social, and religious spaces. This affected Christian spaces in terms of acoustics, music, bells, and the placement of pulpits (Smith 2007, 42-43). The

Greeks sang musical scales from high to low; Gregorians chanted them low to high in repetition, both out of a quest for a transcendent religious experience

(Ackerman 1990, 212). The sound of music has been thought of as a “charm to soothe the savage breast”40 (Ackerman 1990, 217); an example of this from

40 This line was written by William Congreve, an English playwright and poet. (And the word is breast, not beast.) 34 biblical sources is David’s lute calming King Saul by lifting an evil spirit (1 Kings

16: 23). The reverse has been documented in research with children exposed to various kinds of sound used as chronic noise, whose experience of sound leads to a display of high levels of aggression (Ackerman 1990, 187). The scientific explanation for the phenomena is that singers and hearers experience an increase in endorphin levels, engaging the whole body in the moment (Ackerman 1990,

217). Interestingly, historical evidence reveals the use of silence and hushed tones to show reverence (Smith 2007, 54).

The sense of smell has come in and out of favour through history as odour contributed to the formation of cosmologies, class hierarchy, and political orders

(Smith 2007, 59). English novelist, George Orwell, once said of the “secret of class distinction in the West, ... lower classes smell (Smith 2007, 66).” Nomadic humans followed scents for food, survival, to find a mate, or to flee from an enemy; their adage could have been, “we think because we smelled (Ackerman

1990, 20).”

As mentioned in Chapter 2, the smell of incense and offering smoke was connected to the worship of God. In the ancient world, Greece in particular, pungent and fragrant odours warded off evil; fragrance was related to good health (Smith 2007, 61). The Deutero-Canoncial Book of Tobit (Third Century

BCE) relates a story of fish organs being burnt on embers to cause a demon to flee at the smell of it (Tob. 6: 17-18; 8: 3). The Enlightenment, being visually oriented, 35 tempered smell, for instance, caring more how a rose looked then how it smelled

(Smith 2007, 63). The historical record of the Industrial Revolution commented on the look of industry rather than the odour; however, segregation of people by class had the poorer living in the smell of industry; the segregated became “the other”, “the terrible”, “the stinky”. This was heightened as the wealthy embraced perfumery (Smith 2007, 60, 69).

The history of taste has predominately been written from a gastronomical point of view, including cookbooks, lists of edible/poisonous plants and animals, laws around what can and should not be eaten, and tracts on national tastes and traditional foods (Smith 2007, 78). Taste is a social sense connected to sharing food, celebrations, and community events, and thus fosters relationship between people. Taste is considered to be the most intimate sense (Ackerman 1990, 128).

Throughout human history, the historical record also documents the importance of sacrificial meals as a channel of communication with the deity (Smith 2007, 77).

Scripture accounts for sacrifice in early Israel, the ritual of eating at Passover, and the sharing of communion in the early church. The necessity for food mandates that taste is a frequently used sense even though it has been ranked low in sense hierarchy. It is suggested amongst philosophers that perhaps the reason for the ranking is to temper the sense of taste for it requires discipline against over- indulgence (Smith 2007, 76). 36

Touch is the most complex and least differentiated sense; it is always within the realm of another sense and perceived on a spectrum from pain to pleasure (Smith 2007, 94). In the pre-Modern world, touch was part of every aspect of life. Early Christians practiced the giving of holy kisses, the laying on of hands, anointing, and baptism. Christian tradition embraced experiencing pleasure through pain by entering Christ’s sufferings (seen below in discussion on mystics). The Late Middle Ages showed growing interest in the lower senses which developed theology in terms of relationship with humans and God,

Incarnation, and ideas of suffering or pain, concepts to be discussed in the next chapter. Elizabeth I used touch to generate popular support. Deals were made via handshakes, which were considered in Seventeenth Century America to be authentic “common-man credentials (Smith 2007, 104).” The Enlightenment associated touch and the spread of disease. Touch was regulated by etiquette between classes, genders, and family members. Eating became orchestrated rather than eating from the same dish using one’s hands (Smith 2007, 99, 102).

Touch history shifted in Eighteenth Century Anglo-America, as a concern for physical comfort began to dominate, transforming homes, products made and purchased, technologies, and an attitude change from needs to wants (Smith

2007, 102). More recently, studies conducted with the elderly have shown that holding hands lowers blood pressure. Other research has shown that touch stimulation through the use of Chinese balls, worry dolls, or prayer beads, produces calming brain-wave patterns (Ackerman 1990, 116-7). 37

SENSE, KNOWLEDGE, and MYSTICS

Roman Catholic theology claims that a supernatural41 act or state, for instance a mystical experience -- a moment when “by some wondrous

‘coincidence,’ our heart space, our mind space, and our body awareness are all simultaneously open and are nonresistant [to holy presence] (Rohr 2011)” -- cannot be humanly produced; however, there is faith that, should one wish to produce an experience, “grace is never refused (Knight, Contemplation, n.d.).”42

Mystics and those following monastic traditions used, and use, a variety of spiritual disciplines in order to access mystical experiences. Spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, contemplation, asceticism, and poverty led to mystical experiences, spiritual deepening, and transformation within adherents’ lives. A discussion of the historical use of the senses in discovering God would not be complete without mentioning a few mystics -- note that this is by no means an exhaustive list, but, rather, a handful of examples.

In “The Spiritual Exercises” of Ignatius of Loyola (who founded the Society of Jesus), senses are critical to experiencing God. The Jesuit understood that when one experiences God, a person is transformed through the encounter where hearing becomes the action of faith, touch is the action of love, and sight is the action of contemplation (Smith 2007, 64) -- each sense is understood to lead to an

41 Kevin Knight (b. 1967) also refers to a supernatural act as one that is infused, meaning whelmed by the Divine. (He spear-headed publishing the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia on the internet). 42 Fr. Richard Rohr O.M.F. comments that a mystical experience is a moment of contemplative seeing where a deep inner connection is made with all that is. The moment of all seeing and all knowing produces awe in the form of extreme joy or sadness (Rohr 2011). 38 action. In reading about the practices of mystics, one is struck by the involvement of the five senses: observation of details in creation (sight), the roughness of clothing (touch), periods of silence (hearing), the feeling of blisters from physical work, and the senses used in ascetic disciplines such as fasting, flagellation, sexual abstinence, almsgiving, et cetera.

Catherine of Sienna referred to sacred place as a “deep sea” that was physically connected to intentional observations of the mystery of the sea near where she lived. Her contemplation (awe) of water, through the use of all her senses, led her to experience its true beauty which deepened her spirituality and conversation with God. She talked of tasting divinity in water and being nourished in a deeper sense by ingesting the Divine. Mystery’s place was encountered in inner depths (Fatula OP 1989, 66-7). Sr. Teresa of Avila wrote of four degrees of mystical union: prayer of quiet (restricting sound) where the imagination retains liberty; prayer of union where the soul is fully occupied by the Divine while senses continue to act; ecstatic union where communication with the world is severed; and deifying union where space transforms such that a person experiences complete union with God (Knight, Contemplation, n.d.). Sr.

Teresa would go into meditative trances so deep that the other nuns in the cloister could not wake her or feel a pulse (Gilbert 2006, 143). Both Catherine and

Teresa practiced prayer, contemplation, and incorporated imagination and the 39 senses in their spiritual practices which led to mystical experiences (encountering thin space).43

Francis of Assisi practiced extreme asceticism as spiritual discipline to precipitate transformation. Practices included: quiet solitude on barren heights; physically kissing lepers for this was touching and being intimate with Christ

(Bedoyere 1962, 285); and self imposed austerity to walk with “Lady Poverty”, since deprivation was seen as the only truly human freedom and the only way of being linked with Christ and Christ’s passion (Bedoyere 1962, 88, 102). Bernard of Clairvaux followed the discipline and ascetic practices of the Cistercians as essential elements of spiritual formation and transformation. Ascetically,

Cistercians were far more austere than the Franciscans with absolutely no compromise made for human frailty (McGuire 1991, 291-2) -- the senses were not placated to offer comfort, senses were engaged to induce pain leading one to experience the fullness of Christ crucified. The community acted upon a sense that the bustle of building confirmed the spiritual fertility of a place. The spiritual purpose of the brethren was to go to the desert and make it bloom, for activity -- hard manual labour and the over exertion of one’s sensory being -- was

43 The impetus for the research component of this paper was the author’s wrestling with a disconnect between head and heart knowledge in worship practice, and the seemingly non-transformed lives of people participating. As humans are sensory beings, incorporating senses in corporate spiritual practices may precipitate creativity in individual spiritual practices. To be noted with contemplatives within Roman Catholicism there is a relationship to the community of faith and spiritual practices that brought about transformed ways of living. The spiritual practices recorded are full of sensory involvement. A question for contemplation: is it possible to follow spiritual practices without engaging any of the senses? 40 to lead to light and beauty, and ultimately an encounter with God (McGuire 1991,

285).

Over and over again, biographies of the mystics reflect the importance placed on practices of austerity and ritualized pain in a variety of forms: self- flagellation, crucifixions, barefoot pilgrimages, body piercing, hot coal walking, naked journeys, chest beating, and hair pulling. The human experience of pain was believed to release the psychic shackle of the mind, to enter thin space where one entered into and experienced the sufferings of Christ. The experience spiritually moved one to higher perfection (Glucklich 2001, 35). Catherine of

Sienna’s writings speak of God’s intimate presence and God’s power to transform one’s life. She wrote that life itself becomes a prayer but such awareness and understanding came through practices meant to unite her with

Jesus’ suffering, the extreme of which was “holy anorexia”44 (Fatula OP 1989, 26).

Simone Weil called pain, “affliction,” and defined it as a state of participating in

Christ’s suffering (Glucklich 2001, 4).45

44 This phrase was coined by Rudolph Bell, a history professor at Rutgers School of Arts and Science. 45 The concept of sacred pain is not confined to Christian mysticism; examples are found throughout religions. One example is the meditation technique of Vipassana, where one sits for stretches of 10-12 hours in silence, without a mantra, with pure regarding of the mind. When pain occurs from the sitting position, the mind regards the pain and adjusts itself around the discomfort (the body does not move) (Gilbert 2006, 172). 41

SENSES IN CHRISTIAN PRACTICE

The history of sense has affected Christian practice and understanding, and conversely has been affected by the places of meeting for adherents of the faith. Early church communities met in catacombs and houses; by 312 CE communities built and met in rosette-shaped worship spaces, where senses interacted with those of other congregants due to close proximity of worshipers.

Fourth Century worship space took the form of a cross, made from a long aisle with wings; as the nave was elongated and choirs added, people became increasingly removed from participation in the ritual, with action reserved for priests alone.46 This architecture played a role within the Western Church of desensitising worship and ritual for the laity (Biéler 1965, 44-45). The pendulum swung back during the time of Leonardo da Vinci as he envisioned and sketched church space as a preaching theatre, where the space was once again centred around the table and pulpit facilitating tasting and hearing for all worshippers

(Biéler 1965, 52). The Council of Trent, 1577, mandated new changes in space and liturgies: communion rails were lowered, curtains removed, benches were added to confessionals, and the Mass was intoned in a whisper;47 all with the intent of accommodating lay participation (Kilde 2008, 100). These changes allowed the populace to engage worship with a fuller use of the senses. University of Notre

46 Margaret Visser’s, “The Geometry of Love: Space, Time, Mystery, and Meaning in an Ordinary Church”, illustrates the development of church architecture in Rome based on the site of Sant’Agnese fouri de le mura. This church is an excellent example in the development of Christian worship space beginning with the catacomb under the church and subsequent building phases. The book includes spiritual context and historical content that is applicable to reading church architecture in any church. 47 The idea was that by whispering a sense of mystery would infuse the Mass for the laity. 42

Dames’ emeritus professor of liturgical studies, Nathan Mitchell,48 observed that

Christians, as senses were incorporated, became more intellectually engaged as well and thus, better prepared for ritual, even though ritual activity was still the purview of priests (Kilde 2008, 100). Church architecture from medieval cathedrals (with a forest of columns and soaring naves invoking a search for God and ideas of power and distance respectively), to modern edifices (meant to illuminate God’s power through subtle use of space and light), were built to create a sense of the power of the Divine and the unknowableness of God (Kilde

2008, 199).

‘Body-knowing’ was used in the church as pilgrimage to holy places and sites was popularized after Constantine. Pilgrimage was a way to better understand text and story, and to physically enter into salvation history (Inge

2003, 95). Labyrinths, like those of Chartres (1230 CE) and Rheims (1290 CE), were designed to engage the body on a circuitous journey toward God. The tradition of pilgrimage and labyrinth-walking was recreated in the Stations of the

Cross,49 a movement of body as a spiritual journey to deepen relationship with

God (Kilde 2008, 86). Pilgrimages included journeys to view and touch relics, which were experiential in nature -– tangible faith. In 560 CE, Gregory the Great

48 Kilde drew on Mitchell’s work. For further exploration read, Mitchell’s entry entitled, “Reforms, Protestant and Catholic”, in “The Oxford History of Christian Worship”, 2006. 49 There are fourteen Stations of the Cross, events that walk through Jesus’ final hours, from being condemned to death to being laid in the tomb. The Stations are often represented in art form and placed around the outer walls of Roman Catholic sanctuaries. The Stations represent marked spots along the Via Delarosa where pilgrims to Jerusalem would walk, sing, and enter the suffering of Christ unto death. The fourteen Stations were not set until sometime in the early 1500s (Knight, Way of the Cross, n.d.). 43 is purported to have sent fragments of St. Paul’s chains and cross to friends, thus beginning the tradition of pilgrimages to places holding relics. The Eleventh and

Twelfth Century saw the landscape of Europe change with the building of Saint shrines holding their relics (Inge 2003, 95).

It is interesting to note that Orthodox tradition has long integrated senses and intellect in a unique way. Of particular importance are icons, which are present in the worship space, and often cover most of the wall space in the sanctuary.50 Early examples of icon use come from the archaeological record of holy places like the synagogue and early Christian church at Dura Europos, Syria

(250 CE) (Liturgica 2000-2013). An icon is a figure from the Bible or a Saint who is represented, usually in a forward facing pose, in standing form, to symbolize the communion of saints with those gathered for worship. Common worship is a series of liturgical acts and rituals performed on earth as in heaven (White 1964,

64). Throughout history, icons and other liturgical art, outside of Orthodox tradition, have been understood in two ways: one, that images go against God’s commandment,51 with a note that representations that were created were taken very seriously; and secondly, a more recent understanding, where liturgical art is perhaps not taken seriously enough (White 1964, 191). In all cases there is an understanding that liturgical art is an expression of the faith community, not the

50 Within Eastern Orthodox tradition, icons are not considered to be painted, but, rather, written. Icon writing follows ancient traditions that create a two-dimensional simple representation meant “to put before us a spiritual image that challenges us, delivers theological content and enables us to proceed on our spiritual path (Liturgica 2000-2013).” 51 Commandment number one found in Ex. 20: 2-5. 44 individual artist, and has power to convey a sense of the Divine (White 1964, 193,

196). Iconoclasm from the time of Charlemagne (800 CE) onward, in Western

Christian tradition, moved Christianity to a text-centred focus, in which scripture was given iconic status as demonstrated in illustrated manuscripts. Word orientation was further solidified in the Reformation statement, sola scriptura:

Word alone. Luther understood icons as adiaphora,52 and usable in so far as they told pieces of the grand narrative of redemption and were used for Christian formation (DeGruchy 2001, 40). Referring to the Mass, in Article XXIV of the

Augsburg Confession, Luther and Reformers expressed similar ideas on ritual,

“After all, the chief purpose of all ceremonies is to teach the people what they need to know about Christ (Tappert 1959, 56: 3).”53

HEARING THE WORD

The Protestant Reformation focused on the written word and admonished against sensualism to the extent that a grand shift removed sensory involvement from worship, including: the removal of incense, altar bells, the use of oil, reverent kissing, and icons, and practicing less frequent Eucharist, in order to focus on the reading and hearing of the Word (Smith 2007, 24). This reinforced a

52 Adiaphora was a term used by the Protestant Reformation to refer to rites and actions that are matters of indifference. They do not go against scripture and they do not in any way procure salvation. 53 The Augsburg Confession, in accordance with the Emperor’s instruction, was prepared and presented in both German and Latin text. At the Diet in Augsburg it was the German text that was read and thus may be considered more official; this is the version quoted in this paper. Note that neither text is extant in current forms so both appear in translation in the Book of Concord (Tappert 1959, 24). 45 trend in the Western church that for centuries has been head/mind oriented.

Juxtaposed to this, at the same time that the Reformation affirmed hearing and intellect, art began depicting emotions to evoke emotive responses. The interpretation of art became necessary for understanding art, and works became

“pregnant with symbol.”54 Here ethical values moved artistic renditions from bourgeois still-lifes to the intimate hope found in ordinary representations of everyday life (Seervald 1980, 206, 221). A connection between hearing Word in the church and seeing art or symbol in the everyday was not developed for some time -- the necessity to use knowledge to interpret art tempered sensory engagement with works of art which was not created to be emotive. In practice this translated into the checking of emotions at the door before entering church, as worship was considered a serious affair.

Lutheran documents55 reflect an understanding of worship that requires adherents first to hear the Word and to engage intellectually through reflection.

The Large Catechism’s explanation to the third commandment,56 comments on the purpose of worship:

To offer ordinary people a Christian interpretation of what God requires in this commandment, we point out that we keep holy days not for the sake of intelligent and well informed Christians, for these have no need of them. We keep them, first, for the sake of bodily need. Nature teaches and demands that the common people

54 This phrase was coined by Paul Cassirer, a German art dealer and editor, circa 1871-1926. 55 Lutheran documents quoted in this chapter were written between 1529-1580: The Large Catechism (1529), The Augsburg Confession (1530), Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1531), and the Formula of Concord (1577). The works were complied in 1580 as the “The Book of Concord.” 56 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy (Ex. 20:8). 46

– man-servants and maid-servants who have attended to their work and trades the whole week long – should retire for a day to rest and be refreshed. Secondly and most especially, we keep holy days so that people may have time and opportunity, which otherwise would not be available, to participate in public worship, that is that they may assemble to hear and discuss God’s Word and then praise God with song and prayer (Tappert 1959, 376: 83-84).

Song for Lutherans, from the time of Luther, has held great importance as, not only did it involve the whole people of God through singing, hymnody was considered Word and a form of discussing the Word. Hymns were a sensory way to express theological statements of faith. The current hymn book of

Evangelical Lutheran Church bodies in North America states that, “Evangelical

Lutheran Worship is grounded in Lutheran convictions about the centrality of the means of grace. The word of God, read, preached, and sung by the assembly, is essential to the orders of service (ELCA 2006, 7).”

Throughout Lutheran history, hymnody has been the unifying factor of

Lutheran communities. Hymns preserved “the jubilant character of the great doxological texts that they replaced (Jones 1978, 253),” and were used in

Lutheran churches across the spectrum, from high ritualized practice to more evangelical austere rites. Regardless of the Lutheran community’s practices, the piety and polity of communities was based on interpreting and applying the points of contention with Roman Catholicism. Reformation history began with reformers wishing to have an academic debate about the nature of sin and practices which in their opinion seemed to draw adherents away from the grace 47 of God. Theology bled into the understanding of rituals of the day and thus, some rituals came into disrepute. The rituals involved sensory elements: indulgences, veneration of icons and relics, trappings of the church, and other practices. Speaking against the theology of the time led to cautionary use of rituals, and thus to a decrease in sensory engagement as experienced by the laity.

It is important to note that such rituals were not necessarily removed because of their sensory nature. The Augsburg Confession in its section on church usages

(ecclesiastical rites)57 states:

...it is taught among us that those usages are to be observed which may be observed without sin and which contribute to peace and good order in the church, among them being certain holy days, festivals, and the like. Yet we accompany these observances with instruction so that consciences may not be burdened by the notion that such things are necessary for salvation. Moreover it is taught that all ordinances and traditions instituted by men for the purpose of propitiating God and earning grace are contrary to the Gospel and the teaching about faith in Christ. Accordingly monastic vows and other traditions concerning distinctions of food, days, etc., by which it is intended to earn grace and make satisfaction for sin, are useless and contrary to the Gospel. (Tappert 1959, 36: 1-4).

Likewise, from the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XV, when speaking to human traditions the Reformer wrote:

Although the holy Fathers themselves had rites and traditions, they did not regard them as useful or necessary for justification. They did not obscure the glory or work of Christ but taught that we are justified by faith for Christ’s sake, not for the sake of these human rites. They observed these human rites because they were profitable for good order, because they gave the people a set time to

57 The title of this section of the Augsburg Confession: Article XV. 48

assemble, because they provided an example of how all things could be done decently and in order in the churches, and finally because they helped instruct the common folk. For different seasons and various rites serve as reminders for the common folk. For these reasons the Fathers kept ceremonies, and for the same reasons we also believe in keeping traditions (Tappert 1959, 218: 20- 21).

It is important to note that Lutheran Reformers58 were not against ritual and the use of the senses in worship but were concerned that Christian practices not be seen as ways to earn salvation. To change perception, rituals ceased unless they illustrated instructional teaching that people are justified by faith. Sensory ritual was appropriate in so far as it provided good order, propitiated the Gospel, and/or taught the faith.

Rituals (human traditions) are spoken of in the “Apology to the Augsburg

Confession”, Article VII&VIII on the church, commenting on Colossians 2: 16-

23:59

The righteousness of the heart is a spiritual thing that quickens men’s hearts. It is evident that human traditions do not quicken the heart, are not works of the Holy Spirit (like love of neighbour, chastity, etc.), and are not means by which God moves the heart to believe (like divinely instituted Word and sacraments). Rather, they are customs that do not pertain to the heart and “perish as they are used.” Therefore we must not believe that they are necessary for righteousness before God (Tappert 1959, 175: 36).

58 Lutheran Reformers at the time of Luther, among others, included: Justus Jonas, Johannes Bugenhagen, Philipp Melanchthon. 59 “Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons or Sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ... Why do you submit to regulations? ... they are simply human commands and teachings. They have indeed an appearance of wisdom ... but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence (Col. 2: 16-23).” 49

Here emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit, not on human traditions or the need to incorporate human senses in religious experience. Emphasis in reformation documents is on the gift of grace, sola gratia, as provided by the

Spirit.

A further example of the erosion of sensory input to create an encounter of thin space and a tool through which to encounter God comes from Article XXVII, on Monastic Vows:

Here we shall not discuss their whole ceremonial worship – lessons, chants, and the like – which could be tolerated if they were used as exercises, the way lessons are in school, with the purpose of teaching the listeners and, in the process of teaching, prompting some of them to fear or faith. But now they imagine that these ceremonies are the worship of God to merit the forgiveness of sins for them and for others. That is why they multiply these ceremonies. If they understood them in order to teach and exhort the hearers, brief and pointed lessons would be more useful than these endless babblings. Thus the whole monastic life is full of hypocrisy and false opinions (Tappert 1959, 278: 55-56).

Sensory practice is valued only in the teaching ability of the action, in so far as it can be reflected upon theologically. Head knowledge is emphasized, which is not surprising as Reformers were academic-minded clergy who focused on preaching and teaching, as well as being supported by urban centres that reflected notions of the bourgeois and artisan which included notions of

European nationalism, conservative ideals, vernacular speech, and the expulsion of anything determined to be meaningless or superstitious ( Jones 1978, 251). 50

As the ideas of the Reformation took hold, documents of the church were more about making statements about practice rather than condemning practices of the past. The “Formula of Concord” was written as a comprehensive summary of Lutheran belief to unify Lutheran communities who were pressured by Roman

Catholicism on one side and Calvinists on the other.60 This document makes the following statement, in Article X, on church usages:

We further believe, teach, and confess that the community of God in every place and at every time has the right, authority, and power to change, to reduce, or to increase ceremonies according to its circumstances, as long as it does so without frivolity and offense but in an orderly and appropriate way, as at any time may seem to be most profitable, beneficial, and salutary for good order, Christian discipline, evangelical decorum, and the edification of the church (Tappert 1959, 612: 9).

This statement allowed for the continued use of tradition, ritual, and liturgical aspects that captured the senses. Focus in worship space, for instance, was created through colour and texture on the central areas of importance: organ consoles, pulpits, and altars (White 1964, 85). Colour was used in the hanging of paraments over the altar, lectern, and pulpit; paraments followed the designated colours of the seasons in the church year.61

60 At this time Lutherans also had internal conflicts between those who adhered to Martin Luther’s thought, and those who continued in reform through Philip Melanchthon - the extremes of which were seen in the “Philippist” party led by Matthias Flacius (Tappert 1959, 463). 61 Paraments are cloth hangings, often with symbols of the church season on them. Seasons of the church year and their respective colours are: Advent (blue), Christmas (white), Epiphany (white, followed by green), Lent (purple), Good Friday (no paraments), Easter (white), Pentecost (red), and the season after Pentecost (green). White is used on all Sundays that celebrate Christ. Red is used for commemoration of Saint days (Pfatteicher 1979). 51

The practice of baptism and Eucharist were rituals that remained continual practices without argument by Lutheran reformers. As the “Small

Catechism” reminds initiatives, both were mandated by Jesus in Scripture

(baptism in Matt. 28: 19, Eucharist in Lk. 22: 17-20), and were deemed sacraments by virtue of containing the use of earthly elements (water, bread, and wine) and enacted through Word (ELCA 2006: 1164, 1166).

THE RISING IMPORTANCE OF SENSORY EXPERIENCE

Protestant reformation continued through the centuries with varying degrees of sensory inclusion. Some changes in inclusion or exclusion were the result of new understandings, an example being a withdrawal from incense use, because odour was no longer related to sanctity; however, musk and other perfumes remained related to sin. Curiously, when odour was unsanctified the church moved away from relating and focusing on the Spirit (Smith 2007, 64).

Other sensory inclusion or exclusion was brought about by revivalist-type movements; for instance, Calvin commented that conversion experiences were produced by playing on peoples’ fears, desires, comforts, and loves. Emotional based religiousity was questioned as the authenticity of the experience was judged by the individual (Kilde 2008, 146). Puritanism of the Seventeenth and

Eighteenth Centuries resisted innovations to space and avoided the use of art and music, for both were considered dangerous distractions from hearing the Word 52 of God. Revivalism followed, which was in marked contrast, willing to use any means necessary to evoke conversion experiences (White 1964, 125). Access to the Divine was a public event, where worshipers were united physically and visually through the experience of individual conversion (Kilde 2008, 148).

Exhibited in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century was a notion that the

Divine was best understood through nature, as illustrated in Art Nouveau, where organic forms introduced a spirituality of creation (Kilde 2008, 176).

Implementing a “feeling” approach to worship was a relatively recent phenomenon - creating a worship atmosphere that conditioned the senses.

Emotion did not become the focus of worship until the Nineteenth Century. It was possible to detect emotion in late Seventeenth Century German pietism, in

Eighteenth Century Methodism, and the Great Awakening (White 1964, 6).

Romanticism of the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century introduced church spaces built not to meet liturgical or theological requirements, but, rather, perceived needs of the audience - in some places a phenomenon of an “anxious bench” was practiced meaning audible emotion-filled praying during altar calls

(Kilde 2008, 155).62 Liturgical reform movements of the Nineteenth Century, like the Lutheran Confessionalism of Wilhelm Löhe in Bavaria and the Orthodox

Movement in England, heightened emotion through liturgical practices implemented in the celebration of Eucharist (Foley 1991, 141). In the early

62 Broadway Tabernacle in New York city, circa 1836, is an example of this type of church. The amphitheatre-type worship space allowed people to see each other and hear everything. The “anxious bench” was part of the visible stage as the congregation connected and emotion swelled en masse. 53

Twentieth Century, revivalism in the form of Pentecostalism grew in segments of the evangelical church in America. Pentecostalism was described as a new outpouring of God’s Spirit that included speaking in tongues, signs and wonders, and healings (Eskridge 1996). Pentecostalism was viewed with scepticism by much of what has been termed mainline traditions. Reflection by Stendahl on

Pentecostalism, when viewed from his reading of the letters of Paul, suggests,

that if the Presbyterians and the Episcopalians, the Lutherans, and all the ‘proper’ Christians, including the Catholics, did not consciously or unconsciously suppress such phenomenon as glossolalia, and if other denominations did not especially encourage them, then the gifts of the Spirit – including glossolalia – would belong to the common register of Christian experience (Stendahl 1976, 121).

Recent liturgical scholarship, within the Canadian context, has focused on naming the essentials for worship communities. The concern has grown out of the observation of growing Evangelical communities, where emotive forms of worship appear to reach the heart. Concern is expressed that emotive expression lacks authenticity if it is not connected to a community that is in dialogue

(theological reflection) with tradition (Schwartzentruber 2006, 182). Reginald

Bibby,63 commenting on Canadian Census material, notes that one in every two

Canadian adults, and one in three teenagers, say that they have experienced

God’s presence. (This is despite a decline in church attendance) (Bibby 2004, 14-

15). The results also illustrate that ‘God experiences’ are high among

63 Bibby is a Canadian sociologist and an Officer of the Order of Canada. 54

Conservative Protestants, Roman Catholics in Quebec, and one in five who self- designate as having no religion (Bibby 2004, 15). The diversity of communities in which experience has occurred suggests that thin space is opened in a variety of ways, in a variety of contexts.

Thin space encounters and experiences of God are moments of transformation that have long lasting effect on a person’s life. Research supports that ‘God experiences’ have permanence (Bibby 2004, 15). As Bibby notes, there are others, like Tom Harpur,64 who argue that getting ideas straight is more important to finding truth and God than experience driven knowledge (Bibby

2004, 15). Diana Butler Bass,65 in her research that studied growing churches in the United States, discovered that healthy churches practiced a combination of head and heart knowledge. Healthy churches exhibited Christian authenticity, coherent faith, and articulated their sense of mission and identity, along with being passionate, creative, risk-takers, who remained traditional, orthodox, and grounded (Bass 2006, 7).

PRESENT CONTEXT

Romano Guardini, a Roman Catholic priest and academic of the Twenty- first Century, writing on the topic of “Esprit de la Liturgie,” reflected that the birth

64 Harpur (b. 1929) is a Canadian theologian, Anglican priest, and journalist. 65 Bass (b. 1959) is an independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. She is an author, lecturer, and a voice of progressive Christianity. 55 of the modern world caused people to loss their “living contact with real things.”

People focused on “towns, ideologies, and formulas” and were no longer rooted in

the profound order of life; the natural rhythms of day and night, of sea and season...[They] could no longer perceive the message of things-- .... [They] could only see them now in the light of brute matter, as objects of pursuit and possession, of commerce or research (Boulogne 1953, vi).

Contrary to statistics previously mentioned, this suggests that distance between human beings and creation inhibits experiences of thin space and encounters of

God. This author’s experience of congregations sympathizes with Guardini.

People within congregations affirm experiencing the presence of God and comment that the experience has permanence, yet, it remains questionable whether the experience transforms the person’s way of life.

As already stated Bibby’s survey research noted that respondents are experiencing the presence of God (the research does not give details). Where are the respondents experiencing the presence of God? It has been said that great architecture sharpens the senses and opens perception; by doing so it prompts people to dream (Bergman 2009, 30). Great architecture requires good builders and also good dwellers. As a culture becomes more obsessively materialistic, the consumer society created loses its capacity to dwell, in the sense of being content and present in their surroundings. The inability to dwell in place causes a decrease in art, architecture, and liturgy (Bergman 2009, 34). People are 56 experiencing “non-place,”66 as more time is spent in places that are everywhere and nowhere - for instance in front of computer screens, on highways, in airports and motels, and in shopping centres. Non-place is juxtaposed to place that engages identity, relationship, humanity, and history (Bergman 2009, 153). Non- place (often represented by alienation, isolation, crime, congestion, and pollution) creates an experience devoid of a wholistic view, which is built on relationship, sensory participation, and an ethical ideal of improving people’s lives (Bergman

2009, 164-165). Calvin Seerveld67 commented that often people are metaphorically riding stationary bicycles, a place where senses are restricted, in contrast to bicycles out-and-about where the space is wide open, engaging the senses to experience God (Seervald 1980, 52).

Traditional aspects of sacred space have included: stained glass windows, vast interiors, arches, precious materials, items placed with care, and handcrafted items. Modern architecture moved away from traditional aspects. The theory behind Modern architecture was a tendency to regard space as “an immaterial object delineated by material surfaces, instead of understanding space in terms of dynamic interactions and interrelations (Pallasmaa 2005, 64).” Commenting on the trends in contemporary sacred architecture, professor of architecture at the

University of Hartford, Michael Crosbie, mentions the mega-church phenomenon in the United States -- opining that the movement has avoided traditional styles

66 “Non-place” was coined by French anthropologist, Marc Augé. 67 Seerveld (b. 1930) has been influential in the reformational movement (referring to philosophical aspects of Neo-Calvinism) and developed Herman Dooyeweerd’s ideas pertaining to aesthetic modals. He taught at Trinity College and Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, ON. 57 and symbols, opting for what some commentators have called a manifestation of sub-urban sprawl, with buildings geared towards the theatrical (Bergman 2009,

63). One goes to a place to be entertained rather than to engage in discovery.

Attachment to sacred place, particularly buildings, was prominent through to the Twentieth Century as people were bound to one place. As transportation and globalization occurred, the importance of place in people’s experience has declined (Inge 2003, 6). Gaston Bachelard, a phenomenologist, argues that place has succumbed to economic values of mobility, centralization, and/or rationalization (Inge 2003, 17). Modern urban places, in contrast to traditional cities designed with thought to function and importance of place, display undifferentiated space and delimited place. John Inge68 makes a distinction between “space” and “place:” space is unknown, infinity, and beyond whereas place is known and local. Place fills space. Human beings approach space and place in two ways: building on experience and from the manner in which society conceives it through sense and thought (Inge 2003, 2). Often place is associated with crime, fear, pollution, and congestion; space driven by a real estate market69 has homogenized space and created dehumanizing urban settings as senses are numbed. Place is no longer life-giving with space that is open minded for the public and community building (Inge 2003, 19-21). This research

68 Inge (b. 1955) is the Bishop of Worcester and previously taught theology and chemistry at Lancing College. 69 A real estate model of building turns space and place into a commodity, a “thing”. Interpreting place in this way negatively affects community and place loses its essence (Inge 2003, 21). 58 project seeks to play with creating not just place, but holy and balanced place, through engaging senses and intellect.

Inge suggests that the devaluing of place “fits loosely into what might be termed ‘post-modern’ (Inge 2003, 24).” Post-Moderns are sceptical of grand narratives, suggesting that a movement away from Modernity is an attempt to recover the engagement of sense and the importance of an essence of place (Inge

2003, 24). Gary and Kim Shockley,70 on writing about hope in a world of change, define Modern as: based in intellect, teaching, and knowing; the principle of either/or; an understanding of prove it to me; by nature institutional; and the purpose of the church seen as building churches. The Shockley’s describe Post-

Modern as: based on spirit, experience, and sensing; the principle of both-and- also; an understanding of show it to me; by nature organic; and the purpose of church to build the kingdom (Shockley 2009, 3).

The shift from Modernity to Post-Modernity illustrates once again the pendulum swinging, one generation re-focusing the one before it. The tension between head and heart knowledge is apparent in the most recent shift.

Anthropologist Ashley Montagu believes that there is a growing awareness in

Western culture that technology has neglected senses and produced a deprivation of sensory experience (Pallasmaa 2005, 37). Reflecting on this

70 Both work in the United Methodist Church as consultants, coaches, and leadership developers. 59 observation, Mark Smith71 utilizes the phrase, “the great-divide” -- defined as “a thesis that exaggerates the eminence of eye and denigration of other senses under

Modernity (Smith 2007, 125).” Senses, except for sight, are decreasingly accessed and engaged. Juhani Pallasmaa72 suggests that the reality of one sense favouritism causes the environment to have less impact on the human body -- a sense of relationship between body, imagination, and environment is stinted -- resulting in humans losing a sense of being (Pallasmaa 2005, 40).

In recent decades a variety of churches and congregations have had debates centred on traditional or contemporary worship styles. One argument in the debate is that familiarity causes the senses to lose full engagement with their surroundings. Forty years ago, John Kenneth Galbraith73 reflected that many churches had embraced “the culture of contentment (Giles 2004, 135).” What about churches of today?

A local Christian community can become car-bound too; strapped into a warm cocoon, knowing that in due course it must get out and get on, but unwilling to do it right now, forgetting the joy that lies ahead if only (the Americans say it so well) we ‘haul ass’ (Giles 2004, 209).

In Lutheran circles, as in other mainline traditions, complacency and comfort have led to boredom and a lack of relationship between God, faith, and everyday

71 Smith, a professor at the University of South Carolina, is an American historian specializing in a history of the senses. 72 Pallasamma (b. 1936) is a Finnish architect and professor who wrote a classic of architectural theory, Eyes of the Skin (found in reference list). 73 Galbraith (1908-2006), among a long list of accomplishments and accolades, was an economics professor at Harvard. 60 living. One survey of Lutherans revealed that 50% think Sunday worship is boring.74 Researchers suggest that expressions of boredom are experienced by parishioners in congregations that have not been taught the meaning behind the words in the liturgy, the significance of the actions, or how it is that combined with the art, architecture, music, vestments, and appointments, the purpose of created worship space is to draw people into a place to encounter God (Fakes

1994, 7).

SENSE IN THE PRESENT

Although sight has taken the forefront in recent years, other senses have also been affected by trends. Technology has allowed for the control of sound, with new materials for sound proofing, less reverberation, sound systems and the ability to record (Smith 2007, 54). Technology, beginning during the

Industrial Revolution, created sound that moved the soundscape from hi-fi, to lo- fi, with machines working on flat-line sound (one pitch with no contour)75

(Schafer 1977, 43). The world has become a noisy place with industry, technology, modes of transportation, and larger urban centres. A study in

Toronto in the 1970s stated that sounds heard were 6% natural, 25% human made, and 68% technological -- with natural sounds being replaced and obscured

74 A survey alluded to by Rev. Dennis Fakes, Messiah Lutheran Church, Lindsborg, Kansas 1994. 75 Lo-fi means that there is an over-dense population of sound, with an inability to hear individual sounds, as they are lost in broadband noise. Flat-line sound can be inaudible, meaning it vibrates the eardrum but is outside of typical human hearing range; it is a continual sound (Schafer 1977, 78). 61 by non-natural sounds at an alarming rate. At this time technology raised the sound level of an average city by one decibel a year (Schaffer 1970, 14, 2). Google

“Toronto increased noise decibels” today, and a plethora of reports appear on the control of noise-decibels in relation to air traffic, use of leaf-blowers, motorcycle noise, et cetera -- such documents are prepared by the city, businesses, and health advocates due to concerns over detrimental effects of sound. The replacement of natural sounds with a cacophony of non-natural continuous sound interrupts body rhythms and relationship with creation (Schafer 1977, 71-73).

Observational research illustrates a societal trend where large numbers of individuals are seen to wear headphones in public -- connected to music, radio, or sound in some form. Musak as background noise is amplified in shopping malls and places of business. This form of sound is referred to as “white noise.”76

Murray Schaffer77 refers to the constant craving for noise as “audioanalgesia, that is, the use of sound as a painkiller, a distraction of the senses from the real facts of existence (Schaffer 1970, 27).” Researching the sound component of this paper required thought as to how sound in the world affects a person’s experience of sound in a church setting.

76 The term “white noise” comes from the understanding that white light is made up of all different colours combined together. In the same way, white noise consists of all the different frequencies of sounds (that’s about 20,000 tones). White noise is used to mask out other sounds (What is White Noise? 1998-2013). 77 Schaffer (b. 1933) is a Canadian composter, writer, and music educator. One of his passions is acoustic ecology. He conducted sound-scape studies in the 1970s. 62

Other current trends in society also affect Canadian sensitivities and the willingness to enter experiences requiring focus on a particular sense. Canadian culture has become accommodating to those with environmental allergies and sensitivity to scents, with hospitals, schools, and some churches promoting policies of “no scents is good sense.” The manufacturing of guns and advanced weapon systems has removed the tactile nature of violence (Smith 2007, 101).

The internet has changed bullying in the same way by removing tactile sensory experience from the sense of being human -- relationship loses its sensibilities.

Engaging with the sense of taste can also be difficult in today’s context.

Many suffer from allergies to red dye, peanuts, or gluten. Smith suggests that the contaminated water incident in Walkerton, ON, in 2000, significantly changed the community’s relationship to the sense of taste. Taste is now suspect as a purveyor of truth, since the sense cannot detect that which is harmful (e. coli. in this case) (Smith 2007, 90). Picking up a newspaper or magazine, one notes the plethora of articles on obesity and over-indulgence within North American culture -- a momentous alteration of taste as a result of colonization’s allowance for the production of sugar (Smith 2007, 84). Noted at this time, as it has an impact on comments made in the conclusion of this paper, the movement of people and access to an array of foods and spices, has created a globalization of taste (Smith 2007, 87). Taste no longer surprises. 63

Globalization has opened new worlds of encounter for the senses, and in the process experience and understanding has grown. An example from the art world that alludes to a change in Western art and aesthetic is Picasso’s interaction with African art and the incorporation of these elements into his own canvasses.

Picasso reflected, in the 1970s, that his encounter with African art broke open his

Western aesthetics, such that he was transformed to see and create in a new way.

Transformation was articulated as “a type of magic which stands between the hostile universe and us, a way of seizing power, by giving shape to fear and desires” (DeGruchy 2001, 193). Within the context of the church, can global sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures create ‘Aha’ moments that transform deep seated head knowledge into new creation, thin spaces, or God encounters?

Consumption practices in North American culture actively encourage touch, where tactility is related to possession and ownership (Smith 2007, 116).

Grocery store marketing techniques allow fruits and vegetables to be touched to increase consumption, as well as targeting women (who traditionally have a heightened sense of smell) through adding smells, providing musak (white- noise) to quiet the experience, and eye appeal to attract shoppers (Smith 2007,

127-8). These practices and techniques are common in North American marketing, meaning that all people who participated in this research have been affected by purposeful sensory stimulation by marketers. Context of participants 64 also affected options chosen for the research’s sensory events, how much people were open to participate, and played into conclusions of this study.

ACCOMPANYING THOUGHT

A final note for this chapter pertains to the author’s understanding of art.

In “Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language

Unabridged”, the definition for “art” is multifaceted (Gove 1967, 122). The definition includes ideas of honing and adapting skills, acquiring skills through observation, experience, and study; aesthetic expressions in various mediums, and a “systematic application of knowledge or skill in effecting a desired result

(Gove 1967, 122).” Considering this definition, the sensory events of the research project can be considered art, in so far as senses are engaged to elicit a response.

Art now becomes a focus as the discussion turns to a theology of the thin space, engaging the senses, and encountering God. The following claim for art’s potential to transform human perceptions and lives will shape the direction of the discussion.

Art, then, has the potential to change both our personal and corporate consciousness and perception, challenging perceived reality and enabling us to remember what was best in the past even as it evokes fresh images that serve transformation in the present. This it does through its ability to evoke imagination and wonder, causing us to pause and reflect and thereby opening up the possibility of changing our perception and ultimately our lives. In this way art serves the cause of human liberation in all its several 65

dimensions even if, from a theological perspective, it cannot deliver all it may promise (DeGruchy 2001, 200).

The following chapter incorporates a broad definition of art as it connects ‘art and culture’ with senses, traditional theologies, and hope created through experience of God-encounter.

66

CHAPTER 4 INGESTED THROUGH THEOLOGY

Throughout Christian history, every fresh insight into the nature and love of God, every reform or revival, has been worked out in bricks and mortar as well as in tracts and texts. What kind of building we meet in, and how it is arranged and decorated for worship, will tell anyone who is interested everything they need to know about us. (Giles 2004, 79)

This chapter presents the theological foundation for this study, from a

Trinitarian systematic, with sections devoted to Mystery, Incarnation, and

Relation. Each section is dependent on the others and is circular, rather than linear, in nature. In this paper, systematic theologians will notice that the order presented is systemic in nature,78 having a strong relational component – perichoresis.79 Various theological concepts will be investigated in the bringing together of space/place, human senses, God-encounter, and transformation.

Theology developed through sensory experience is an heuristic journey whose purpose is to gain new insight while remaining on familiar ground. The nature of sensory experience has discovery moving outward from a central core where sense is embodied and is part of the indwelt spirit of being (Prichard 1999,

121-122). Theology of space, place, and God encounter, as a result, has been debated over the years amongst philosophers, a variety of schools of thought,

78 Systemic is defined as - of, relating to, or common to a system - used particularly in reference to the body (Gove 1967, 2323). The use of this word imparts that theological ideas are consistent to the body of traditional theology but are not necessarily in the traditional order of systematic theologies. The use of systemic in relation to theology is to broaden the understanding of how theological aspects interact with each other and to connect theology with its effects on sensory human beings. 79 Perichoresis describes the relationship between the parts of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 67 science, and religion, with the arguments’ core centring on the where of God -- beyond space, the beginning or end of space, centre of space, or completely absent in space (or out of defined space -- for instance in various degrees of consciousness) (Inge 2003, 7).

In Berlin, Germany, circa 1919, Tillich,80 began presenting lectures on the

“theology of culture.” In these lectures he connected religion and theology to politics, psychology, sociology, and art (Tillich 1987, 7). Art and architecture is included in the theological discussion of this chapter. Karl Rahner81 wrote that,

“theology cannot be complete until it appropriates the non-verbal arts as an integral moment of itself and its own life until the arts become an intrinsic moment of theology itself (DeGruchy 2001, 4).” Written from an interdisciplinary perspective, the aim of this chapter is to connect aspects and concepts of the

Trinity with each other and all of human experience: Mystery – mystical theology, creation, cosmology, the where of God, eco-theology, grace; Incarnation

-- Word, theology of the cross, sin and redemption, Christ on the boundary; and

Relation – human nature, spirit of community, the prophetic, hope, transformation for the healing of the world.

80 In a lecture on, “Human Nature and Art,” Tillich describes himself as a philosophical theologian whose special subject was art (particularly visual art). This is interesting as he was nurtured in a home and church where word was of the utmost importance; his dad was a preacher and composer. Visual art took a backseat (Tillich 1966, 11). Dillenberger complimented Tillich by saying, that of all the major theologians to whom he was introduced, Tillich “seemed to ... involve the full range of humanity’s sensibilities in his theology (Ford 2005, 710).” 81 Rahner was a Jesuit priest and an important theologian of the Twentieth Century. 68

The reader is invited to consider the notion that theology can be read and interpreted from a synaesthetic perspective -- that is, relating to synaesthesia, where stimulation meant for one sense is experienced in the sensation of another sense. The synaesthetic qualities of this conversation will consider: how words feel/sound; how theological thoughts produce colours or images; how ritual, architecture, art, and/or space engage the senses in thinking about and pondering God.82

MYSTERY

God created light first; Jesus is described as the light of the world. Light is mysterious for it appears to be colourless, yet, upon refraction light’s wavelengths are separated into a rainbow of visible colours (National

Geographic Society 2009, 109). An ancient saying reflects, “Colour is light incarnate (Boulogne 1953, 26).” White light speaks to the intellect, while the miracle of light refracted is sacramental and is received by the unconscious; God becomes visible in the ordinary (Tillich 1987, 213, 206). Through its very power, enigmas, mystery, and complexity, light brings a message of wisdom provoking transcendence. In its created form it saves and protects against boredom by breaking monotony as it shifts and moves (Boulogne 1953, 28, 32). Drawing from

82 Bergmann discusses synaesthetic qualities in terms of relating: music to script, inner space of cathedrals with walking choirs, how preaching is affected by space, et cetera (Bergmann 2009, 11). 69

Eastern Orthodox tradition, Joseph Sittler83 interpreted that the phrase, “Christ is the light of the world,” was an incomplete doctrinal statement and small in circumference. As Christ was the power of the Word in creation, the light through which all came into being, and the power of multiple energies that awaken spiritual life, “Christ [then] is Light of Light (Sittler 2000, 41).”

In an address to the World Council of Churches General Assembly (1961),

Sittler spoke on the theme, “Called to Unity,” which included unity between

Christian brothers and sisters, and a united relationship with the environment.

Sittler’s words emphasized that ecotheology was more than either redemption- centred or creation-centred theology; in order to embrace the whole of creation, theology needed to expand the “circumference of redemption (Sittler 2000, 7).”

The circumference, when broadened, was a theology of cosmic Christology that rethought the relationship between nature and grace (Sittler 2000, 7). Using

Colossians 1: 15-20, and other Pauline letters, Sittler focused on the connectedness of two thoughts, Christ and all things. Cosmic redemption –-

God’s restorative action in Christ –- is vast, repeated six times in Col. 1. Christ,

is not only the matrix and prius of all things; he is the intention, the fullness, and the integrity of all things: for all things were created through him and for him. Nor are all things a tumbled multitude of facts in an unrelated mass, for in him all things hold together (Sittler 2000, 39).

83 Joseph Sittler (1904-1987) was a professor of biblical theology at the University of Chicago, and distinguished theologian at the Lutheran School of Theology. In 1954 he began writing and speaking about “a theology for earth.” 70

The fullness of redemption is incomplete without including a doctrine of the cosmos, wherein Christ dwells in the environment, in human beings, in relationship between beings, and in the whole of experience (Sittler 2000, 40).

Cosmic Christology, in Sittler’s schematic, understood that there was a relationship between nature and grace. All things were in the realm of grace; grace was not restricted to sin and the redemption of the human soul (Sittler

2000, 43).84 The only place (theatre) vast enough to play out the doctrine of grace was in the actuality of the relationship of all things (Sittler 2000, 85), the occurrence of which Sittler called holy naturalism, a matrix of grace, or the field of grace (Sittler 2000, 28). Sittler spoke often of a “grace note,” an image from a musical score where an incidental note (smaller than the body of main notes) is added to a note, as an embellishment. Such notes are details and nuances unneeded for the performance of the melody; however, their inclusion produces the potential for moments of beauty, ‘Aha,’ encounter, and heightened experience; a holy observance in the ordinary (Sittler 2000, 16). Similar to mystical theology, Sittler focused on “beholding,” (“Behold the lilies of the field.”

Mt. 6: 28), meaning to not simply “look”, but, rather, view things from a standpoint of spiritual honouring, recognizing with wonder the Creator, and thus grace (Sittler 2000, 80).

84 Western Christianity has spoken of Christ’s work in doctrines of redemption or atonement for sin; Christ’s work is restoration (Saviour). Eastern understanding of the work of Christ has participation, illumination, re-enactment, and transformation central to the doctrine; Christ’s work is about reunification (Pantocrator) (Sittler 2000, 118). This is an important distinction for it delineates systematic argument about “the where” of Christ and the possibility of encounter and transformation. 71

If grace is understood ecologically as built into the whole constitution of the world of nature, society, and the life of [humans] with fellow [humans], if grace is explicated from the standpoint of the doctrine of creation as bringing forth life-giving variety, then a quite new way of beholding the world and our fellow [human beings] comes into possibility. I then affirm not that I bestow grace or I invest with grace but that grace comes in black and white and yellow and red! Grace comes in colors. That is a quite different understanding of grace, for it is bound up with the unthinkable variety of God the Creator who loves all colors, textures, forms, nuances, and modes of life. It is grace as the joyful acknowledgement of the variety that God loves, the variety [God] has made. This is quite a different theological understanding from the moral conclusion that simply commands you to obey the command of God (Sittler 2000, 86).

Sittler’s understanding of the universal scope of grace allowed him to consider all things imbued with grace. For him secular art and poetry were seen as occasions to express and experience God’s grace. Art was a medium to explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, and the relation of both to the Creator (Sittler 2000, 13). This theology embraces Mystical theology as it reflects an understanding that thin places are those moments when humans recognize that the Holy is present. Mystical theology has grace already present meaning that humans cannot make things or space holy (Taylor 2011/12).

As grace is already present, architects single out a piece of infinite space wherein to create a finite space that allows for human vulnerability, an experience of the space that allows for a recognition of the Holy. Experiencing grace transforms human nature to seek and move toward infinite space and

Ultimate reality (Tillich 1987, 192). An example of the creation of finite space is 72 architectural minimalism. Architectural minimalism is to be seen, not as that which creates a void of meaning, but, rather, is a presence -- a form and place from which emerges spiritual presence. Those who interact in this space participate in the creation of an atmosphere or aura that leads to aesthetic transcendence (Bergmann 2005, 34). Built environments that allow for space to overwhelm, where beginnings and endings are unseen (blurring of boundaries), and are at the same time cavern-like and condensed, reflect creational space prior to the human occupation of it. Such space causes human experience to be overwhelmed and the body loses power, as senses are limited to perceive the scope of the space.85 Through the experience, participants in the space, are connected to the foundation of life itself -- whelmed by cosmic space, unio mystica

(Bergmann 2009, 299).

Grace through unio mystica is present in the beholding of art. Tillich reflected on a revelatory experience, which he named “ecstasy”, upon seeing

Botticelli’s, “Madonna and Child with Singing Angels.” Through German expressionism, Modern art, and other extreme forms of art, Tillich’s eyes were opened to new possibilities. His thought connected artistic experience with philosophical experience, to describe the effect as a special encounter with the

“power of being itself.” The encounter allowed for the participation in the

85 An example of this type of architecture is that of Kurt Schwitter. His creations took the name MERZ beginning in 1919. MERZ inventions were created from a variety of mediums, materials, and construction techniques, including naturalist lines, to act in relationship to form space and place (World Wide Arts Resources Corporation 2000). 73

Ultimate reality, cosmic Christ, grace. Art, when beheld, pointed to the ground of all being (Tillich 1987, 12).

Being grounded and beholding the world has been cherished and sought after in the discipline of spiritual direction. Directors assist participants in the link between doctrine and spirituality. The link is supported and grows through prayer practice. Christian Mystical theology has its roots in scripture where Jesus spoke of being the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This trinity has been expressed in

Mystical theology as “the Three Ways” defined as: purification (internal harmony, repentance), illumination (intuitive insight, sanctification), and union

(love) (Leech 2001, 32 (152)). Another definition is practice, principles, and passion, where “the Three Ways” integrates the trinity through experiences of

God in relationship to one’s spiritual practice (Sumara 2012); for instance ascetical theology focuses on the exercises required for an individual to attain perfection and relies heavily on prayer and activity in the body of Christ (Leech

2001, 34).

Union with God, often through the suffering of Christ, is the thrust of

Mystical theology. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, a spiritual Father (spiritual director) is one “with the power to transform the cosmos by the intensity of his love (Leech 2001, 44).” Mystical theology is the theology behind the Nicene

Creed, where God is beyond limitations of rational thought, and experienced through love and communion (Leech 2001, 134). Consider the parts of the Creed: 74 maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen, ...God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, of one Being with the

Father, through whom all things were made, ...came down from heaven; one holy catholic and apostolic church, ...one baptism, ...the communion of saints (ELCA

2006, 104). The concepts are broad in circumference, cosmic in nature.

Simone Weil, along with other mystics,86 described the where of God as cosmic -- present in time and space -- where there is no need to seek God, for God is already present, one need only to awaken to God around them. Awakening occurred through transformation brought on by spiritual practices that included openness, surrender, and willingness (Benner 2012, 14, 26). Weil used the phrase

“authentic theology,” where one finds truth of divine love in creation, saying,

“the whole creation is nothing but its [the Word’s] vibration (Ford 2005, 400-

401).” Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, in her poem, Aurora Leigh, “Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,” which Carey Walsh87 used in his discussion of moments of divine presence and absence. Divine grace, present and absent, is told through the whole biblical story and particularity evident in post- resurrection vignettes (Walsh 2012, 139). The vignettes are of places and times when humans have been whelmed by cosmic space, unio mystica.

86 Weil (1909-1943) was a philosopher, Christian mystic, and political activist. Another example of a Christian mystic is Mechtild of Magdeburg who wrote, “the day of my spiritual awakening was the day I saw – I know I saw – all things in God and God in all things (Taylor 2009, 1).” 87 Walsh currently teaches at St. Joseph’s University, MN, and at Immaculate Conception, Portland, MN. 75

Some theologians speak of the unio mystica, using a broad circumference of the idea of sacrament. John Habgood,88 as quoted by Inge, wrote in The Sense of the Sacramental, “Indeed, the world itself only has meaning and value when seen as the sacrament of God’s living presence. The secular vision of the world is a lie.

It tells of emptiness and meaninglessness (Inge 2003, 64).” The sacrament of

God’s living presence is revealed in time and place. Its nature is specific and is not haphazard; examples include: Jacob’s ladder, Moses and the bush, Saul on the road to Damascus, conversion or call moments of Martin Luther, John

Wesley, and Thomas Merton.89 Sacrament events are God’s gift, transforming participants to renewed relationship with God and activity in the world (Inge

2003, 67). Sacrament is embodied Word that touches and engages human nature

(one’s very being), in comparison to preached Word which engages human- logos. Christ-logos is different from human-logos, as its focus is not on ideas or understanding, but, rather, an address, an invitation that demands a response

(Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 50). The Word is the bridge between God and the world, a distance described by Tillich as “sacred emptiness.” The very fact that sacred void is present, speaks to the transcendence of God (Tillich 1987, 217).

Bergmann asks, “How can a built environment become a sacrament

(Bergmann 2009, 15)?” Inge defines sacramentality as a state that occurs only in action by God, and relationship with the other (human, world, creation, object, or

88 Habgood is an author and former Archbishop of York (1983-1995). 89 For Luther sacramental space opened during a severe thunderstorm; for Wesley during a rough voyage by ship; and for Merton while reading. 76 place), that leads one to a deeper reality (Inge 2003, 80). Inge’s theology includes an understanding, like the shift during Vatican II, that sacred space becomes sacred time, cosmic. The church building is not where God dwells, but, rather,

God comes in the hearing of the Word and through Sacrament. All place becomes “implaced,” meaning a present place that will be transformed in God’s time; all place has the potential and hope to become a thin place (Inge 2003, 119,

141).

Mystical theology and pondering Mystery is theologically relevant to the discussion at hand. Creating sensory events during worship for the purpose of whelming the senses such that barriers fall and one encounters thin space, begs the question of possibility. The potential of possibility varies based on one’s theology of where God is. Mystical theology is broad in scope, cosmic. The

Creator, Grace, Ultimate reality, Cosmic Christ -- is in, with, and under, all substance -- both visible and invisible. The sacramentality of the Light of Light is the Mystery waiting to be seen, touched, smelled, heard, and tasted.

INCARNATIONAL THEOLOGY

As Christian tradition developed various perspectives emerged as to where God resided. How many look up to pray to God or consider heaven to be in the skies, somewhere out beyond earth? Others have an understanding that the residence of God, in the form of Christ, is within the human heart. Both 77 movements have caused God to be disconnected from spatial reality, where space remains void of God filling or being space, and thus in a tangible way is not directly involved in human life (Willard 1997, 46). Others argue that relationship to space and place is ambiguous, as God is not limited to a specific place or time, but, rather, inhabits the world as a whole, oikumene. This includes inhabiting believers who are transformed into holy places (Bergmann 2009, 283).

Still others believe that, “Incarnational theology affirms that ‘earth is crammed with heaven’ so that every experience, if given the chance, can speak to us of God

(Gula 2011, 26).”90

Attention now turns to God becoming tangible through Incarnation. The

Gospels offer an image of an incarnate God, a God not attached to a material place or house. The Jesus story highlights a sense that place was borrowed: at birth there was no place to be born, at death there was no place to be buried. The

Gospel of John reads, “The word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1: 1);” some have termed this the ‘Christification” of space (Inge 2003, 52). Dietrich

Bonhoeffer91 described Incarnation as God becoming human, lacking nothing of human nature, and yet having its own individual hypostasis and mode of existence. The Word of God coming from above is in fact Christ, and at the same time is God’s judgement on itself, pointing to self and God at the same time.

90 There are examples of this sentiment in works of art and poetry, for example the late Nineteenth Century poet Gerard Manley Hopkin’s poem, “God’s Grandeur.” (www.bartleby.com/122/7.html) 91 Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a Lutheran pastor, theologian, and founding member of the Confessing Church. He was a part of the resistance movement against the Nazis and executed by Hitler. 78

Jesus Christ is God in faith, connoting there is no divine essence in Jesus, rather,

Bonhoeffer spoke of Christ’s God-head through the weakness of the cradle to the cross. Bonhoeffer concluded that one is not to speak of incarnation, but, rather, the Incarnate One, for God was no longer abstract in nature (Bonhoeffer

[1933]1966, 109).

Engaging the senses and reflecting on the experience through theological reflection, relates to Bonhoeffer’s ideas of whole personhood. Bonhoeffer’s theology drew a distinct connection between divine action and human nature. It was described in the following way: If Jesus had answered all with a miracle, as proof of being God, than Jesus would not have been wholly human. It is the scandal of the Incarnate One that makes belief in Christ possible, for in the form of a human being, Christ offers freedom through inner conversion

(transformation). A grand miracle would have only meant an acknowledgement of truth at a human-logos level of understanding, while transformation

(conversion) requires an encounter of Christ-logos, so that experience is “in me” - tangible (Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 114-5).

Bonhoeffer defined Christology with two statements: Jesus Christ is human and therefore present in time and place; and Jesus Christ is God and therefore present eternally everywhere. The presence of Christ necessitates that

Jesus is fully human and fully God -- neither can be isolated from the other because “God in timeless eternity is not God, Jesus limited by time is not Jesus.”

It is space and time that determine humanity and God-head (Bonhoeffer 79

[1933]1966, 45, 46). Jesus is Christ present as the crucified and risen one

(temporal and spatial -- part of the definition of being a person). Christ is present in the Church as a person. The resurrection created the possibility of the presence of a living person that supports Christ being more than an historical energy or intuitive ideal. Bonhoeffer believed that the central reason people miss

Christ is that Christ (God-human) is in the form of a human being, thus veiled and a stumbling block (scandalon). The presence of God is concealed and exists in scandalon form, that of proclamation, where proclamation is the real Christ

(present in three forms – Word, Sacrament, and community) (Bonhoeffer

[1933]1966, 46). Here too is Sittler’s cosmic Christ, “the cosmic Christ is the crucified God” -- without the crucifixion, God is not a big enough God (Sittler

2000, 232).

THEOLOGICA CRUCIS

Theologia crucis (the Theology of the Cross), as coined by Martin Luther, was central to Reformation theology and Lutheran theology that followed. The theology of the cross is an understanding that sits in contrast to the theology of glory. A theology of glory, although its purpose is to focus on the glory of God, is often expressed as the glory of the church or Christianity. For example the theology of glory when followed through can reinforce the power of religious leaders and institutions. It is theology that supports limitless human 80 achievement as the basis and/or goal of religion, with a focus on the practice of piety and belief in correct doctrine (Kelly 1994, 29).

In contrast the “theology of the cross is a theology of love, not power (Hall

2003, 197)” where God’s incarnating suffering love is applied to the here and now

(Hall 2003, 42). Humans although alienated from right relationships -- with God, others, creation, and selves -- are loved by God through the embodiment of that love on the cross of Christ (Hall 2003, 102). God is revealed in suffering, beginning with Jesus’ crucifixion at the hands of the religious and political authorities of his day (Kelly 1994, 30). The theology of the cross understands that God chooses to find human beings in sorrow, pain, and weakness. Hearing

God’s gracious word manifest in the death of Jesus means one is obedient to following Jesus in death and resurrection (Erlander 1981, 22). This does not suggest that God is not present in times of joy; however, it recognizes the reality that honest God-encounter happens more often at times of vulnerability. The theology of the cross holds that there is no way to live into or bring God’s reign to earth, even in part, unless through radical obedience one is prepared to die, in order to live (Erlander 1981, 22). Bonhoeffer referred to this as “costly grace.”

God chose to reveal God’s essence through Christ on the cross, thus undermining religion based on human achievement, and emphasizing the cost of grace (Kelly

1994, 32). 81

The theology of the cross is of importance to the discussion of Christian theological aesthetics and the engagement of senses in encountering God. Ford, describing the theology of John DeGruchy92 writes:

Central to Christian theological aesthetics is a theology of the cross that enables us to discern the relationship between ugliness as indicative of sinfulness, and therefore a focus of protest, and beauty as redemptive, and therefore integral to the gospel and witness of the church in the world. For while beauty gives pleasure, and must always be understood to do so, it is not pleasure oblivious to the plight and suffering of others, but rather a pleasure that evokes passion (Ford 2005, 716).

Jeremy Begbie93 coined the phrase, “horrible beauty,” to speak of the dissonance found in art, particularly using music as an example. It is through the horrible

(the cross) that voice is given to beauty (life), and from death emerges healing and ultimate transformation (Ford 2005, 721). Horrible beauty allows humans to wrestle with God and their reality, to radically take evil seriously, and not placate with sentimentality or kitsch. Too often, Begbie suggested, humans – church leaders -- move to create a harmonious whole, when dissonance has the potential to create a space for the renewal of spoiled creation and ultimate transformation

(Ford 2005, 721).94

92 De Gruchy (b. 1939) is a minister in the United Congregational Church and teaches religious studies at the University of Cape Town. 93 Begbie teaches systematic theology, specializing in the relationship between theology and the arts, at Duke Divinity College. 94 An example of this conversation comes from South Africa: during apartheid, architecture reflected the ugliness and oppression of the social ills; as part of the post-apartheid process of doing theology an effort was made to connect concern for justice and a recovery of the aesthetic life of the church. Architecture, post-apartheid, reflected beauty and redemption: showing theological conviction, aesthetics, and ethics (DeGruchy 2001, 1). 82

John Ruskin95 commented on cities created during the Industrial

Revolution, noting their dirt, smoke, and brutish ugliness. He philosophized that the ugliness was a symptom of human sin (DeGruchy 2001, 53). Confronting human sin in a repentive, restorative manner has led some theologians to turn to art. Art has been described as redemptive in nature as it is a tactile way for humans to respond to God’s command to cultivate the earth, and to praise God

(Seerveld 1980, 25). Art, as created by artists within a Christian community, is birthed from a call to envision the future from a ministry of reconciliation.

Artistic expression is reconciliatory for it expresses (names) sinfulness and through human introspection has consumers of the medium move towards perfecting creation (Seerveld 1980, 39). The artist becomes an agent of grace and healing, as art takes on a prophetic form and offers divine disclosure (Ford 2005,

709).96 In a prophetic function, art has the capacity to open human perception to ideas, experiences, and encounters, that otherwise may be missed. Art has this power only when the art rises and expresses a vision of reality that negates itself, allowing the participant to move beyond it to another place (Dillenberger 1986,

244).

Per Anders Aas, an architect raised in the Norwegian Pietist movement, reflects that art and architecture sit in the tension found in pietism between experience (traditional or psychological) and God’s timeless revelation in Logos.

95 Ruskin (1819-1900) was a social thinker and writer who was a leading English art critic of the Victorian Era. 96 This idea belongs to Tillich and will be examined in more depth later in the chapter. 83

Creational expression, from a pietistic point of view, depends upon authenticity

(honest representation) that is functional (necessity to preach the Word), and visionary (where old is left behind with promise for future) (Bergmann 2009, 270,

267). George Pattison97 suggested that Modernity brought with it a crisis in theology and art; the death of God movement, also meant the death of art, and a serious problem for contemporary humanity. Art, however, is capable of providing hope, and being the vehicle for the passion which faith once inspired, and can thus assist humanity in wrestling with an absence of God (Pattison 1991,

9, 3).

Georg Hegel98 claimed that art was an expression of the human conscience, a manifestation of beauty, created from the need of the spirit to find freedom and articulate itself. An example used was the cross motif, in which the

Incarnation is the personification of beauty through the expression of the infinity of grief. The crucifix could not portray the Absolute in fullness but the expression of pain drew viewers to yearn for resurrection and freedom; that is beauty and the theology of the cross (DeGruchy 2001, 60). Peter Forsyth99 considered that the principles of art include the principle that art is the incarnation of God’s eternal beauty. Since Christ’s death on the cross, beauty can now be depicted through sorrow and passion. For beauty to be true and an

97 Pattison (b. 1950) is an Anglican priest and British systematic theologian. 98 Hegel (1770-1831) was a German philosopher who, among other achievements, revolutionized European philosophy. 99 Forsyth was an early Twentieth Century Scottish theologian and ordained in the Congregational Church. 84 adequate representation, it must include human fallenness, for this creates space for redemption, love, and hope (DeGruchy 2001, 72, 74). Often within the church, beauty has turned into idolatry, or as Jaroslav Pelikan100 reflected, a domestication of the holy. Beauty is seductive as it is beauty that embodies the

Ultimate (DeGruchy 2001, 84). The cross is the supreme icon for it transforms ugliness into beauty -- recovering a focus of living this aesthetic existence leads to renewal of church and the world; alternatively serious consequences ensue from a neglect of aesthetic existence (DeGruchy 2001, 245, 254).

Hans Urs von Balthasar, a Swiss theologian and Roman priest, spoke of

Christian aesthetic as being formed in the image of Christ, where Christians are part of the divine drama and mission to redeem the world. Aesthetic categories, whether form, expression, meaning, or symbol, are transformed through the theology of the cross, through Christ, to become actions (DeGruchy 2001, 109).

Redemptive actions are people playing their role in the ‘Theo-drama.’ Once senses are engaged and participate in a thin space, the experience transforms persons and community to new ideas, which von Balthasar suggests include: pluralism, liberation, futurism, utopianism, and other theologies of social transformation (DeGruchy 2001, 128).

100 Pelikan (1923-2006) was a Lutheran pastor and scholar of Christian theology and history. He taught at Yale. 85

THE BOUNDARY

Incarnational theology includes discussion related to boundaries: Jesus as divine/human, relationship of Christ and person, God and creation. Nancy

Victorin-Vangerud,101 refers to the boundary as the sacred edge of the Spirit, which she places at the sea coast. This is the where of God -- the place, “the geography of faith” that engages conversation and orients humans to God the giver of life, as 71% of the earth’s surface is water (Bergmann 2005, 160).

Pallasmaa notes that great architecture is a boundary that sharpens the senses and thus opens perception, inspiring participants to dream and encounter that which is beyond themselves (Bergmann 2009, 30).

When human beings settle into living on and being open to boundaries, the boundaries between the self and space become sensitized and softened.

When space is ingested, becomes incarnate, the moment alters perception and expands one’s world view. These moments are transformative in that they can be recalled at a later time (Bergmann 2009, 25). These moments of ingesting space, embracing art, and encountering thin space, allow human beings to creatively experience and reflect upon hope. Hope breaks bounds of oppression and despair and enables one to face present boundaries of what is deemed possible, with hope of what is beyond (DeGruchy 2001, 212).

101 Rev. Dr. Victorin-Vangerud is a lecturer in systematic theology at Murdoch University and the Perth Theological Hall of the Uniting Church in Australia. 86

Sittler’s theology of the earth spoke of a certainty that nothing exists apart from the web of all things. The theology of the earth characterizes all things and all orders to have uncertain edges (Sittler 2000, 89). One does not come or enter into a “state of grace;” rather, grace is a continual work of the relationship of all things (Sittler 2000, 114). The location of grace and the place of encounter are within the life-theatre, the places where people live, experience, and think -- grace is all that is, has been, and will be (Sittler 2000, 153). Grace is not a “state of being” but, rather, an energy of love that surprises people with “occasions” of grace. This grace is Gospel on the boundary of what has been deemed visible and possible. Scripture recounts many such “occasions”: suddenly there was with them, now it happened that, and on the way they met (Sittler 2000, 155).

Bonhoeffer described the where of Christ to be on the boundary. Christ stands pro me, on the boundary of an individual human’s existence, and beyond that existence. Christ stands in place of the human self, expressing

the fact that I am separated from the ‘I’ that I should be by a boundary which I am unable to cross. This boundary lies between me and myself, between the old ‘I’ and the new ‘I’. I am judged in my encounter with this boundary. At this place I cannot stand alone. Here Christ stands, in the centre, between me and myself, between the old existence and the new. So Christ is at the same time my own boundary and my rediscovered centre, the centre lying both between ‘I’ and ‘I’ and between ‘I’ and God. The boundary can only be known as a boundary from beyond the boundary (Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 61).

87

This concept is important, for it is relational. The basis of Bonhoeffer’s ethic made a case that human beings exist only in relationship to, and responsibility for, other human beings. When one encounters another person, -- it is not a person -- rather, an encountering of “the Other,” the Incarnate One, on the boundary of oneself. At this boundary, when one encounters the Other in scandalon form and responds, Christ becomes present as a person in community

(Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 57). The essence of Christ, being on human boundary, standing pro me, means that Christ can only be described through relationship with individual human beings, and only conceived, encountered, or experienced in community (Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 47). For Bonhoeffer, this understanding indicated that it was not individual ethic or aesthetic that could change the world, as Søren Kierkegaard102 suggested, but, rather, the onus of aesthetic existence was work belonging to the Christian community (DeGruchy 2001, 167).

As Christian community meets in worship, many boundaries exist: between God and community, between individuals, in each individual, and in the community’s relationship between itself and the wider community and creation. Incarnational theology commends movement away from the domestication of the Holy, to move beyond the boundaries of current comfort, realization, and relationship, to lift the veils so as to experience God in “horrible beauty” and engage in vulnerability. The boundary is dangerous as it

102 Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher, theologian, author, and social critic. He is considered be the first existential philosopher. 88 presupposes openness to new possibilities, and according to Tillich, “is the best place for acquiring knowledge (Tillich 1966, 13).” Engaging human nature

(senses) and human logos at the invitation of Christ-logos, communing in

Christ’s nature, will evoke passion and transformation beyond the boundary, to the next boundary where Christ waits, pro me.

RELATIONAL THEOLOGY

Human life often falls into the self-serving categories of doing, achieving, and having. Jurgen Moltmann,103 in responding to Bonhoeffer’s theology, saw a relationship with the concept of play that had theology understand human nature as: being, existing, and enjoying. Human nature living from a value of aesthetic joy, as opposed to absolute claims of ethics, allowed for a confidence of nature, boldness in work, defiance of the world, in order to offer something good to the world (DeGruchy 2001, 157). Tillich believed that art was the highest form of play and connected a person to God’s vision through the genuinely creative realm of the imagination (Tillich 1987, 4). A “breakthrough” -- a revelation of the

Ultimate -- was possible specifically in German expressionist style art of the early

Twentieth Century, when the substance (like the horrors of WWI) of the work could destroy form such that through this process creative ecstasy occurred

(Tillich 1987, 5).

103 Moltmann (b. 1926) is professor emeritus of systematic theology at the University of Tübingen. 89

Moments of awakening and encounter are not enough to garner transformation in a person’s life such that it continues indefinitely. If experience and God-encounter are to result in transformation, it “will always unfold within and between communities of others who either facilitate or impede awakening and unfolding (Benner 2012, 3).” Awareness is not created, but, rather, it emerges and develops through the dynamic interaction of relationship of self and something beyond the self (Benner 2012, 1).

The intricacy of the relationship of human nature, the senses, and God is described by John Dillenberger104 in this manner:

There is a division in our very nature, an affinity with a difference among our sensibilities – sight, touch, taste, hearing, speaking. These modalities, understood from the standpoint of creation, define our full humanity in relation to God. Understood from the standpoint of our actual state – from the perspectives of the fall, if you will – the unity does not come naturally. Understood from the standpoint of redemption, we need the discipline of each sensibility in order to express a full humanity eschatologically oriented to its fulfilment (Dillenberger 1986, 249).

The very essence of being human means living in relation to the physical structure of space. Within this space, humans have the ability (some to a greater degree than others) to digest space and places in which they live. “En- fleshment”105 of space, within a human being, grows from the revelation of God,

104 Dillenberger (1918-2008) was professor emeritus of historical theology, specializing in the relationship between science and religion. 105 Term used by Tim Gorringe (Rev. Dr. teaching theology at the University of Exeter) in the preface of Bergman’s, “Exploring Religion, Architecture, and Design: Theology in Built Environments.” (In reference list). 90 both manifest and concealed.106 Holy revelation, the movement of the Spirit, entrenches feelings of en-fleshment such that humans respond by creating space and place to the glory of and in honour of God (Bergmann 2009, 7). One of the aims of this research project is to assist those who are less able to digest space and place by opening new avenues and skills for en-fleshment of space

(experience).

It has been suggested that human beings long for relationship, which grows from an awareness and anxiety of their own finitude, and essentially craving unity with the Creator (infinity). Longing for unity is expressed through participation in the religious, the artistic, and in community, together penetrating to the depths of one’s being and expanding beyond the reach of cognition (Tillich

1987, 14). Revelation is the gift art creates, making one aware of the Infinite that was not before seen (Tillich 1987, 15). Theology of art, from Tillich’s point of view, sees art as a form of human participation in God’s realm, where humans are freed from the bondage of sin, able to transcend the structures of reality, transforming the same reality, and anticipating possibilities (Tillich 1987, 18). Art is art, when it expresses the core feeling of the human heart and soul, its wrestling with the realities of life, and its desire to reunite with the essence of

God (the original “supra-sensible ground”) (Tillich 1987, 47).

Tillich believed that everything in culture, and created through culture, had a religious dimension, for religion and art were two functions of the human

106 As described in Chapter 2 through the encounters of the Holy in Exodus 33 and 34. 91 spirit. Developed through the longing of human spirit, culture is the expression of the search to address questions pertaining to the meaning of existence (Tillich

1987, 166). Religion and art are pieces of culture that are witnesses of “the grace of life in a graceless world (Tillich 1987, 170).”

Contemporary spirituality focuses on relationship through self awareness, interaction with others, and connection to the Divine, all for the healing of the world (Sumara 2012). Spiritual connection and relationship are developed through movement from deriving purpose and meaning to life, dialogue between faith and expressions in the world – including Post-Modern allowance for the use of intuition -- and experiencing Divine mystery (Sumara 2012). Christian space is dynamic, not stagnant, as powers of the divine, social, and personal aspects of relations to the space overlap and influence each other. The result is an articulation of the coming together of God and humanity (Kilde 2008, 199).

Aesthetic-ethic,107 from the realm of architecture, philosophizes that thin space qualities can be used to create or approach thresholds. The four qualities or human conditions required to act in relationship to foster this encounter are: intellect, emotions, spirit, and sensuousness. The threshold is a place where a glimmer of truth is tangible through experience (Bergmann 2005, 17). Space becomes experienced such that it is felt and embodied, since space is filled with

Spirit. Space exists and is alive before humans experience it with their bodies

107 Interestingly Tillich highlights in his writing that aesthetics is derived from aisthanomai, meaning “I am aware of something (Tillich 1966, 26).” 92

(Bergmann 2005, 86). Tillich likewise expressed that space cannot be reduced to specific sacred or religious places, as all is infinite, where sacred disruptions and transformations happen in the ordinary (Tillich 1987, 78). Tillich continued by suggesting that within infinite space (imbued with Spirit) human nature is compelled to create a place to dwell, for this is an expression of finitude.108

Longing to return to the Infinite and connect with infinite space, human space seeks a union of the technical and the artistic. The technical part of space is its aesthetic function, both cognitive in nature and about the tangible now. The artistic dimension of space is its ethical function, both social in nature and about the past that speaks to the future (Tillich 1987, 25-6). When technical and artistic dimensions are united, in art or architecture, the community gathered in that space, are grasped by an ultimate concern – meaning grasped by the Ultimate and propelled to express the ultimate concern forward through creativity in the world. Ultimate concern is a form of spiritual radicalism, born from an opening of one’s heart, examining its depth, being filled by ultimate spirit, to then be shared via creativity (Tillich 1987, 40-41).109

Henry Nelson Wieman110 suggested that embodying space happens within collective worship, where the community shares the same experience. Through a

“state of acute suggestibility by the interacting of many individuals,” an

108 Space is not a thing, but, rather, a “manner in which living things come into existence”, which means that space is original holiness (Tillich 1966, 82). 109 Tillich’s description of ultimate concern reflects a Lutheran understanding of grace, where whelmed by God’s grace, one can do no other than let grace flow out. 110 Wieman (1884-1975) was an American theologian known as a proponent of empirical methodology and theo-centric naturalism in theology. 93 experience is intensified with an end result of emotional glow and satisfaction

(White 1964, 10). Worship, and the pieces that are used by the leader to transmit a specific focus, are collective, enduring, and through time transform beliefs, activities, and relationship to being in general (White 1964, 19). Art, church space, and created ritual are “the servants” of the community -- meaning that space and items within the space serve to draw the congregation to a collective memory, stimulate a sense of devotion, activate character, and forward faith

(Giles 2004, 90, 111). Tillich’s definition of religion purports activating character and forwarding faith. He wrote that religion is “the state of being driven by an ultimate concern which transcends the separation of the sanctuary and the marketplace, or the holy and the secular (Tillich 1987, 225),” reminding communities that transformation and movement from ritual occurs by stepping over boundaries. An example of the forwarding of faith (transformation of a community) brought on through experience within church space is evidenced in communities whose evangelism consists of building relationships and participating in social justice. Transformative movement occurs in two ways: as prescribed holy places and times balance secular notions that cut off relationship with the Ultimate, and as the church is open to revelatory experience (Tillich

1987, 226). 94

Sara Maitland111 in an essay, “A Big Enough God: Artful Theology,” describes artistic creativity as a sacramental act, meaning it moves the heart and mind. Creativity is seen as a God-given gift that has the ability to unleash the power of God, and thus awaken a thirst for justice and a hunger for beauty

(DeGruchy 2001, 243). Churches can contribute to transforming the world, as long as they are communities that practice faithful creativity to engender and inspire all members to make creative expressions of their response to the Gospel

(DeGruchy 2001, 242). Maitland’s theology also expresses that social change requires a “revolution of the imagination (DeGruchy 2001, 243).”

Creation continues through the capacity of human beings to create; to create explores finding new revelations of beauty, where beauty is transcendental and in essence God (Pattison 1991, 38). Bonhoeffer would remind those creating that creation proceeds from the Word, “Christ is Word and not colour, form or stone. ... Clarity and straightforwardness are part of the make-up of the Word of

God. The divine Logos is truth and meaning (Bonhoeffer [1933]1966, 50).”

Continued creation, based on the Word, using form, colour, pattern, surface design, [and adding all matter akin to art that engage the senses], opens the door for imagination and reflection that continues interaction between God, individuals, and communities (Bergmann 2009, 215). Pelikan wrote in an essay,

“Human Culture and the Holy,” that “human imagination and creativity are

111 Maitland (b. 1950) is an Oxford graduate, British writer, and feminist. 95 essential for social well being, for they evoke a transforming sense of wonder

(DeGruchy 2001, 85).”

Relation represents the play of the Spirit in the lives of human beings.

Engaging in creativity and imagination is participating in the movement of the

Spirit. Opening hearts and dropping boundaries through the dance of the Spirit whelms individuals and communities to a sense of wonder. Experiencing this wonder has the potential to move one to social justice, healing of the world, bringing the reign of God to this time and place, and in so doing discover the

Mystery already present.

THEOLOGY DIGESTED

God, described in the Trinity of Mystery, Incarnation, and Relation, expresses the theology on which this project is based. The theology is digested into the following poem:

MYSTERY In the beginning... Logos spoke, Light became Light of light; Cosmic. Each creation embodied Word, although finite creatures communed in Infinite space where Grace was -in, with, and under – all. Present. Yet, eyes were blind, ears deaf; senses were disengaged to wonder. Grace, to awaken nature to behold, sculpted 96

INCARNATION the Ultimate reality where Mystery and humanity meet; God – Christ in scandalon form- veiled vulnerable on the cross where ugliness and sin are transformed to beauty and redemption; a boundary, a thin place, an occasion of grace, that engages and whelms human nature, evoking passion through RELATION who is the Spirit of prophetic expression ----- painted, written, sculpted, designed, built ----- moving the participant beyond, fostering imagination to hope, creating desire to reunite; dancing a revolution of the imagination ----- connecting with Ultimate concern; where all space and time is implaced having potential to be transformed in God’s time, transcending boundaries ----- for the healing of the world ----- unio mystica

97

CHAPTER 5 TOUCHED THROUGH METHOD

We are made by our environment and we make it at the same time. Out of this follows our task... We should not imagine that we can change our cultural trend, either as architects or as theologians or as educators. But where there are trends there are also opportunities. Symbols cannot be produced intentionally. They are born and grow and die. But one can tell how they are conceived and born: Out of personal passion of individuals who in total honesty and seriousness penetrate into the depths of the material with which they work, who have a vision of the form which is adequate to their aim, and who know in the depth of every material, every form and every aim something ultimate is hidden which becomes manifest... (Tillich 1987, 203)

This chapter begins with a brief rationale for the execution of this particular project. It details the approach employed to conduct this research on the theme of engaging the senses to occasion thin space and transformation.

Time is spent discussing the two key components of the research: engaging the senses and theological reflection. The chapter concludes with a detailed explanation of the five sensory events presented and the participatory data.

In the context of Lutheran churches within the Eastern Synod of the

ELCIC, from the experience of this author, if asked to describe why it is that congregants attend church, observations include: feeling a sense of welcome, being at home, and receiving comfort. Although congregants may initially come for such reasons, should they be challenged to seek deeper meaning? Clyde 98

Reid112 suggests, “We structure our churches and maintain them so as to shield us from God and to protect us from genuine religious experience (Willard 1997,

49-50).” Pastoral experience confirms these words for this author. This thesis project endeavors to identify and develop worship practices that engage the senses so as to lower boundaries and provide space for experiences of the Holy that are transformative.

As the church community is coloured by the Canadian context in which it lives, it is important to note that ideas presented in this chapter are being expressed outside of the church. An example is a series that The Globe and Mail ran on a project called, “Canada Competes,” in which influential Canadians were invited to offer solutions around issues of Canada’s global competitiveness. One of the articles reported that the Canadian business climate is lacking innovation and creative thinking (Martin 2013); this too is experienced in the church. The suggestions offered by James Martin to change Canadian business climate were: to focus on opportunity, to teach how to risk-think, to get outside of one’s comfort zone, and always to think human. To “think human” was described as finding new languages, semantics, aesthetics -- experimenting with new material, and trying new behavioural approaches (Martin 2013). The project presented here plays with Martin’s suggestions within a church context.

112 Reid is an author whose works focus on the areas of pastoral psychology. 99

Research methodology for this project was of a qualitative nature explored through a hermeneutical approach. The hermeneutical circle was interdisciplinary in character -- a union of “utmost importance” as (Lutheran theologians) Carl Braaten and Robert Jenson’s Christian Dogmatics describes

Aquinas combining Aristotle and Augustine where everything found a place in the system: “intellectual thought and mystical piety, biblical exegesis and philosophical speculations (Braaten and Jenson 1984, 34).” The congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Halifax, NS, was encouraged to engage in participatory research as individuals actively invested in spirited discipleship through the sensory events held during Sunday worship time. Following the events, congregants were encouraged to participate in directed journaling, the answering of a survey, and joining in theological reflection via group discussion.

The design consisted of two components: engaging the senses in the liturgical setting of Sunday worship and purposefully setting a time to reflect theologically on the experience.

The two components come from a pedagogy that understands that teaching leaders are to be flexible and use a variety of teaching methods to foster openness and the opportunities for the greatest number of students to connect in a significant way with the material presented. The principle behind this approach is to involve all participants in the teaching-learning process, and to rely on discourse to reflect and integrate experiences. Discourse may include 100

“facts, explanations, evaluative judgments, justification, critical analyses and syntheses, concrete realities, and abstract conceptualizations (Wilhoit 2008, 121).”

James Wilhoit113 refers to this type of approach as teaching spiritual formation.

He suggests that the skill of teaching spiritual formation fosters “Remembering in Community” -- meaning that through a diversity of techniques, a community is encouraged to be creative and participate in critical responses that can be applied to life. Wilhoit suggests that communities grounded in spiritual formation are less susceptible to group thinking where responses to faith questions have prescribed answers; the community has freedom to think for themselves (Wilhoit 2008, 121).114

RATIONALE FOR THE TWO COMPONENTS

ENGAGEMENT OF THE SENSATE SENSES

The first component of the research project attempted to engage the five sensate senses. David Benner115 writes,

The traditional five senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste – are the most familiar to us and are the most regular doorways to the present moment that we encounter. Each invites us to notice something. Each is, therefore, an invitation to awareness.

113 Wilhoit is a professor of Christian Formation and Spirituality at Wheaton College. 114 Questions in academia of -- what counts as knowing and learning -- has prompted a number of authors to reflect on new methodological approaches for research in fields of theology and religious studies. It is to be noted that emerging approaches foster a relationship between Post-Modern epistemologies and liturgical theologies. “There is now a small deposit of Christian education books that draw epistemological clues for reimagining Christian formation from worship (White 2009, 23).” 115 Benner (b. 1947), a Canadian, is an internationally known depth psychologist, author, and lecturer. 101

Awareness begins, therefore, as a response to a sensation (Benner 2012, 16).

As discussed in Chapter 3, sensory knowing has been overshadowed by intellectual knowing. Senses have often been perceived to be in opposition to the cognitive theological functions of faith (Bergman 2009, 295). Bergman argues that the engagement of the senses is key to wholistic access to the faith and life of the church, commenting that not only can the synaesthetics116 experienced through sacred building accomplish awareness, so too can liturgical modes and rituals that include the whole body and participation of the whole community (Bergman

2009, 295). Synaesthetics -- described by Bergman as ‘the synergy of the senses’ -- and embodied worship are important, as these words from a member of the

Dominican tradition of knowing explains,

...the body is a capital given to us by God so that we may use and develop its resources to the maximum. To do nothing but remain on the defensive is to follow the example of the servant who, when a talent was given to him, wrapped it carefully in a cloth and buried it in the ground instead of using it (Boulogne 1953, 195).

Père Boulogne considered that educational systems and values often lacked breadth, depth, and objectivity. He observed that humans have a propensity to limit attention to basic knowledge requirements rather than to explore avenues to deepen thought processes, enlighten the mind, and cultivate imagination.

116 Bergman uses synaesthetics in a philosophical manner. His philosophy anthropomorphises sacred building by attributing to it the ability of synaesthetics -- held in the tension of being the presence of heaven on earth where the walls “present hell in a sharp contrast between the divine and demonic (Bergman 2009, 295).“ 102

Purposefully engaging the senses in discovery has the ability to transform one from a state of relative ignorance to a wholeness of personhood (Boulogne 1953, vi).

When a person describes having a transformative or mystical experience, brain studies suggest that the neuro-system has reacted to an extreme of stimuli.

One experience is subject to sensory deprivation which expands mental experience through a hallucinatory state (an expansion of mental experience) -- for instance, austere monastic practices. The other is sensory overload which can lead to a ‘reverse’ hallucination (a shortage of mental experience) that weakens body-self (Glucklich 2001, 59). This project design adopts the practice of adding to the sensory load rather than severely limiting it. Reasons for this choice include: a notion that abstinence is difficult for North American culture to enter into; a belief that deprivation is not an optimal way to begin a sensory journey, but, rather, a practice to be incorporated through spiritual direction and applied to rituals of everyday living (Oswald 1999, 9, 14) -- a pastoral concern that people should participate rather than completely shut themselves off to a new experience; and pastoral concern about accessibility and inclusion (particularly for the hearing and sight impaired).117

117 For instance: turning off the lights would inhibit the sight impaired from being able to worship through song and prayer as the words are printed in the hymn book; turning the sound down to a whisper would make the service inaccessible to the hearing impaired. The congregation also has a number of members who have tinnitus (a ringing in their ears), for them long stretches of silence are annoying as all they hear is ringing. 103

The approach used for this project provides an opportunity to explore the application of the conceptual phrase “spiritual city.” This concept, as developed by Phillip Sheldrake,118 suggests that citizens need to practice an alternative way to view their place of dwelling. Applying Sheldrake’s concept involves a spiritual knowledge and space that facilitates community, a phronesis -- an integration of intuition, imagination, emotional engagement, and desire

(Bergman 2009, 165). It implies creating a place that incorporates space for

“thinking time” and “feeling time.” Some Christian communities, such as the

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, are bound to work within the confines of the architecture that has been passed down through the generations; however, through a playful engagement of the senses, the project dares to open the community to encounter God in a renewed way, and by practicing phronesis, to engage participants “to dwell” in a transformed way. DeGruchy suggests that the ability of art to transform is undermined when a community and culture is not offered a medium or given space to share their expressions, and to create

(DeGruchy 2001, 196). Each event prepared for the congregation to participate in is designed in a different medium with a focus on a hermeneutical approach interweaving thinking and feeling space which has the possibility of transforming one’s view of dwelling.

This project incorporates events to engage the sensate senses as educators suggest that approaching life as an aesthetic being is an attitude -- an intuitive

118 Sheldrake is a theologian interested in Christian Spirituality from an academic perspective. 104 cognitive skill -- that can be taught and learned. Parsons and Blocker119 state that

“part of the art of teaching aesthetics is to structure situations that will present the learner with problems” -- a discipline of aesthetics is the attempt to find solutions to situations that do not fit one’s assumptions or current understandings (Parsons and Blocker 1993, 18, 20). Aesthetic being involves the mental capacity to think and act perceptually and cognitively -- “Aesthetic development is the progressive growth of one’s ability in thinking about, and responding to aesthetic objects (Chen 1997, 13).“ American educators Sprague and Bryan define aesthetics as an “education of the senses to recognize beauty” where “deriving pleasure from beauty can be greatly improved with education.”

They “contend that recognizing and creating beauty are essential to achieving full potential of an adult mind and spirit (Sprague and Bryan 2001, 41).”

Aesthetic living, as described by Seerveld, refers to being rooted and mature; the opposite lifestyle is considered immaturity or “kitsch”, defined as sentimentality, cheap emotions, hurtful and evil as it de-natures ordinary life

(Seerveld 1980, 63). Aesthetic leadership is a shared office of educators exploring ways to incite people, in this case congregants, to catch God’s vision from creation. It is living life in “the playground of the Holy Spirit,” where imaginative feelers (a term coined by Seerveld) are grown and go out to serve the world with God’s love (Seerveld 1980, 70). In approaches to learning,

119 Parsons’ area of expertise is art education and Blocker’s discipline is philosophy with an interest in aesthetics. Both are professors at Ohio State University. 105 imaginative feelers can be categorized as intuitive-feelers. Characteristics of this approach include an openness to alternatives, a searcher of new ways of self- expression, an eagerness to explore new ideas, has a preference for tasks that use the imagination, a generator of creative solutions, intuitive, flexible in thought and action, a sensitivity to beauty, and an affinity to aesthetic characteristics of the world around them (Gonzalez n.d.). Seerveld suggests there are four elements to aesthetic living pedagogy and curriculum: surprise, precision, formulation, experiment (all are included in this research method) (Seerveld

1980, 148). The element of surprise includes pioneering, detecting, imagining; precision introduces discipline and communal analysis; formulation integrates perspective; and experiment allows for relationship between teachers and students, a communal enterprise of learning and growing.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

The second component of the methodology incorporates the role and responsibility of the community to model and facilitate space for theological reflection. Richard Gula120 commented on the importance of fostering such space:

...without theological reflection, the community’s commitment of faith can get so far from human experience that faith itself becomes irrelevant. But to provide theological reflection for the community

120 Gula S.S. is a writer and professor of Moral Theology at Franciscan School of Theology. 106

requires that we have knowledge and skill for discovering the presence and action of God (Gula 2011, 27).

St. Augustine reflected that the intellectual faculty of the soul was indebted to the senses since the senses arouse the intellect to see, inviting the intellect to experience an object. Likewise, the imaginative faculty of the soul is indebted to the senses for the senses cause the imagination to contemplate an object (Knight, Letter 6, n.d.). Intentionally cultivating imagination within community causes community members to “flirt with higher levels of development (Benner 2012, 50).” Constructing opportunities for adherents to step outside of their comfort zone, preferences, and innate personality types allows participation on the boundaries which is where spiritual growth occurs

(DeShiffart 2012). Cultivating imagination is a discipline where leaders “must be very careful not to get it down just right, but to leave room for creativity, for space to feel a different way of god, and a new way to speak of our experiences

(Vosper 2008, 235).” Human experience and its interpretation, with the guidance of the imagination, creates an image of God, and thus “the” God of one’s belief

(Vosper 2008, 68).

Mark MacLean121 comments that worship that provides tradition and

Word with passion and the prophetic, articulated in substance through creativity and innovation, is not enough to cause transformation. Emotive forms of

121 MacLean’s comments come from his work as the United Church of Canada National Worship Program Co-ordinator. 107 worship and worship practice need to have an authentic connection to community fostered through dialogue (Schwartzentruber 2006, 182). Theological dialogue (reflection) allows for an awareness of tradition, articulating and validating experience and engaging the mind to open to new expressions of awe and Mystery (Schwartzentruber 2006, 194). The integration of piety and church learnings can transform the heart of the people instigating reform and renewal.

Wilhoit suggests that for significant change to happen in one’s life four steps are required: an articulation of the starting point, a significant experience (an event that happens away from one’s home in community, and often creates a feeling of dissonance), reflection with purpose to find new balance or wholeness, and finally assimilation or integrating new ideas and learning (Wilhoit 2008, 135).

Theological reflection requires a deliberate forming of a safe and sacred place -- a space where participants gather in an intimate circular arrangement. It is the creation of communal (focus) groups that facilitates an increase in understanding, builds community, and opens a space to grow the ability to share faith and experience (Kleiber 2004, 97-99). Practicing theological reflection leads to transformation that is grounded in community and has the “knowledge and skill for discovering the presence and action of God (Gula 2011, 27),” where a connection is made between theology and experience, experience and action, action and theology. 108

Thomas Groome122 writes of Christian epistemology as “a reasonable wisdom (Groome 1998, 292).” He describes reasonable wisdom as a method through which communities may become wisdom communities. Individuals learn and know “about” things, and are able to relay to others in monologue form their knowledge. Wisdom, however, comes through discourse, since discourse is antithetical to close-mindedness and stagnation. Engaging in critical reflection and conversation with others allows for the changing of one’s mind -- a humanizing way of knowing. As one grows the capacity to articulate experience, it allows for a reconstructing of self and life (Groome 1998, 297).

Theological reflection can be described as a practice of a hermeneutic scheme where senses organize images, simultaneously working with reason and practical experience:

I find the fivefold imagery of human sense an apt form of structure for a consideration of Spirit and spirituality, for it grounds theological reflection in sensual imagery and in our somatic existence. The notion of ‘sensing’ is key to this study (Prichard 1999, 5).

This hermeneutic scheme as described by Diane Butler Bass is the Christian practice of discernment. Tradition teaches that Christians have the capacity to feel God, a genuine sensing of truth and beauty, even God’s will through the senses, but this is not discernment. Discernment is not a supernatural gift, but,

122 Groome is a Roman Catholic theologian and religious studies professor who combines disciplines of religious education, history, theory, pastoral ministry, and practical theology. 109 rather, is developed through participation in reflection, questions, prayer, and community (Bass 2006, 91).

In a similar vein, Gula speaks to both components of this project – engaging the senses and theological reflection -- through the desire of Christians

(Christian communities) to grow and practice spiritual disciplines to deepen spirituality. He defines spiritual practice as a “deliberate effort to develop our awareness of God and love for God (Gula 2011, 54).” Individuals are to open themselves to the movement of God’s Spirit through regular spiritual practices, which cause the imagination to bridge practice and life, through interpreting what life is all about (Gula 2011, 54); this is accomplished by developing spirituality and intellectuality.123 Practicing spiritual disciplines includes developing a way of living that expresses an understanding that there is more to reality than is visible or experienced every day. It is a practice of discerning. This spiritual practice connects ‘what is known‘ to a deeper relationship with all that is encountered through the senses, particularly those of seeing and hearing, willingly open to a surprise encounter (Gula 2011, 7, 15). The practice of developing intellectually focuses on the principal of wisdom, a virtue that grows from a yearning curiosity and an acknowledgement of not knowing (Gula 2011,

4). Weil described academic study as building the capacity for attention, which

123 Gula expounds on “Developing Spiritually” in Chapter 3, and “Developing Intellectually” in Chapter 4 in his book, “The Way of Goodness and Holiness.” 110 leads to an increasing spiritual openness to God; attention becomes sacramental as a learning point to the Eternal Truth (Gula 2011, 17).

It is important for both the engagement of the senses and theological reflection to work in tandem. Common practice and understanding in Western academia holds that serious scholarship is marked by rationality and reason, where ways of knowing are disembodied and free of feeling. ‘Humanitas anthropology’ argues for a pedagogical approach that includes engagement of the whole person -- a wholistic educating approach such as was pioneered by

Maria Montessori (1897). Incorporated into such a curriculum are pedagogical components that engage the hands (community orientation), the heart (emotion, will, senses), and the head (reason, memory, imagination) (Groome 1998, 105-6).

Furthermore, church growth material suggests that there are four practices to transform people from being believers to being disciples: evangelize, establish, equip, entrust –- at each stage the two key ingredients are relationship and deeper experiences (both are provided in the research project method) (Shockley

2009, 56).

RESEARCH PROJECT and METHODOLOGY

Enter the project description with these words in mind:

The union of the soul with the body was decided upon and brought into being by creative Wisdom, and therefore it has a real and 111

positive utility. That it involves risks need not make us forget its fundamental goodness. Child of God, associated by Him with the destiny of the human soul, the flesh offers resources and advantages that it is necessary for us to know and exploit. Hence the positive character of Catholic morality: the body and the senses are presented as so many aids of the highest faculties of the soul, and not as enemies to be scorned (Boulogne 1953, 194).

Based on the rationale provided above, research proceeded in the following manner:

The project consisted of five experiential events, each one designed to engage a particular sense during Sunday worship. The events were chosen to complement the mood and theme of the liturgical seasons in which the event occurred.

DATE SEASON EVENT SENSE Dec.2012 Advent (4 weeks) Singing bowl to be used hear during the Prayers of the People Jan. 6, 2013 Epiphany (1 week) use of frankincense and myrrh smell during the sermon124 Feb.-March 2013 Lent (5 weeks) sandpaper covers on hymnals touch March 31, 2013 Easter (1 week) Eucharistic elements taste champagne and cinnamon rolls125 May 26, 2013 Trinity (1 week) chancel wall behind altar sight draped with fluorescent yellow and orange material

124 This event was highly advertised, providing details as to what was going to happen in worship. The use of incense was not a surprise, so that those with scent sensitivity or allergies could be prepared. 125 As a pastoral concern, a few wafers were consecrated as well, for those with an intolerance to gluten and for those with swallowing difficulties. 112

Those who attended worship service on the dates mentioned above were the subjects of this participatory research. Participants were mainly members of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Halifax, NS. Congregants represent a diversity of age (3 to 90 years old), socio-economic status, race, and gender.

Other participants varied from event to event and included visitors and affiliates who attended on those dates. Services averaged seventy people per week

(Klaamas 2012). In the role of pastor, this author enacted the designed experiential events within the congregated community.

Data was collected in three ways. Participants were invited to comment on their experiences through surveys provided as an insert in the service bulletin

(Appendix I), and returned anonymously to a collection box. “Faith Blogs,” books provided in the pews for journal writing, were part of the congregation’s practice prior to this research, and were available for journal entries. Following events congregants were encouraged to participate in a theological reflection circle126 facilitated by this author. A theological reflection facilitation guide was created for circle conversations (Appendix I). The theological reflection circles were similar in form to a focus group, in which 7-12 people gathered for an hour to an hour-and-a-half to discuss the topic of inquiry. The leader generally had five or six guiding questions to facilitate discussion and stimulate participants

(Kleiber 2004, 91). The purpose of the discussion was to increase understanding,

126 Notice the reference to “circle”; the group is seated in a circle to allow for equal sharing and the ability for all to hear and participate. 113 build community, and give people the opportunity to share faith and experience

(Kleiber 2004, 97).

Consent forms for participation in research were presented for congregants to sign prior to the beginning of the research in Advent 2012. Posters were placed on entry doors into the sanctuary with a notice of research activity

(Appendix I). Consent forms, surveys, and notes from theological reflection circles were kept in accordance with the application submitted to the Research

Ethics Board of Acadia University (Appendix I).

In addition to Sunday services, deeper reflection on the senses and connection to spiritual experience was made available during mid-week Lenten services, attendance averaging fifteen people per week, and ranging in age from

30-80. Each of the five weeks in Lent comprised of hymns, scripture readings, and reflection focused on one human sense (Appendix II). Participants were invited to share feelings, thoughts, and insights via “Faith Blogs”. Time during each gathering was given to add to a sensory collage, to verbally express ideas, feelings, and/or stories around the focus sense of the evening. Conversation style reflection is common practice from year to year at mid-week Lent services.

At the conclusion of the events, surveys, journals, and notes taken during the theological reflection circles were collected with data to be digested in the next chapter. Specifics of the five sensory events and data collected are as follows: 114

Beginning on the first Sunday of Advent, 2012, a mixed metal singing bowl was rung during the Prayers of the People -- struck before each petition, with the prayer-giver reading the prayers into the dissipating sound. This was done for four consecutive weeks. Seven surveys were returned and seven people

(not including the facilitator) participated in the theological reflection circle which was held following worship on the fourth week.127

Note that theological reflection circles were attended by people ranging in age from 23-70. The age of those submitting surveys is unknown as the surveys were returned anonymously. Theological reflection circles began with group participants showing great interest in the opportunity to articulate their experience beginning from where the event captured their imagination. In light of the group’s enthusiasm, theological circle facilitation questions were used more as a guideline than as structure for ensuing conversation.

On Sunday January 6, 2013, (Epiphany Sunday) pure frankincense and myrrh were burned in a thurible.128 The Kid’s Corner spoke of the Wise ones who traveled to see Jesus and introduced incense to the children of the congregation. The sermon connected the use of incense with prayer and closed with the ancient ritual of honouring Christ within church space. The ritual

127 There were some people who completed surveys for each of the five sensory events; however, based on handwriting, there were others who returned only one, or two surveys. The same is true for the theological reflection circles. It was not the same group of people each time, although there were people who came to more than one of the circles. 128 A thurible is a piece of liturgical hardware used to hold lit charcoal and incense. It has a bowl and a fenestrated cover from where the incense smoke rises. The bowl and cover are attached to a chain so that the incense burner can swing, keeping the charcoal lit. 115 involves swinging the thurible three times (representing the Trinity): first toward the Pascal candle and baptismal font -- honouring Christ’s light -- and Word through sacrament, secondly toward the lectern and pulpit -- honouring spoken

Word, and thirdly around the altar -- honouring Word in bread and wine

(Pfatteicher 1979, 279-81). Thirteen surveys were returned and eight people joined the theological reflection circle.

During the five Sundays of Lent 2013, sandpaper covers, made from fine to medium grade coarseness, were slipped onto the hymn book covers. The hymn books were used for all liturgy and hymn singing during the Season of

Lent. The first Sunday of the event included a Kid’s Corner that spoke about sand and desert, and a sermon focusing on the refining properties of sand.

Eleven surveys were completed with six people participating in the theological reflection circle.

Eucharistic elements for Easter Sunday were champagne and cinnamon buns.129 The champagne was uncorked during the words of Institution. This event was not the first time Resurrection had experienced these communion elements. Champagne and cinnamon buns had been used for the past number of

Easters. Seven people completed surveys and six people came to the theological reflection circle held in conjunction with the sense of sight and entitled, “Taste and See.”130 The title for the theological reflection circle, “Taste and See,” echoes

129 The cinnamon buns used are often called pin-wheels, as they have no icing, and are a denser bread. 130 Theological reflection circles for taste and sight were combined due to unforeseen circumstances where congregational meetings were needed and schedules needed changing. 116 words of the Eucharistic liturgy inviting people to come and receive the elements, “Taste and see that the Lord is good (ELCA 2006, 112).” The Easter service was full of sensory-stimuli from the sweet taste of cinnamon buns and champagne, to the full-bodied sound of congregational singing, and the adornments of white paraments and potted flowers.

After realizing that the element of surprise was a characteristic that led to a more intense experience and deeper theological reflection,131 the event originally planned for Pentecost Sunday happened the following week, Trinity

Sunday. Once seated, congregants faced the reredos132 which was covered in yellow fluorescent fabric and draped with orange fluorescent sheer. The swathing looked like three pillars or flames (as described by congregants leaving church). Three surveys were returned and six participated in the conversation circle, “Taste and See.”

The data collected from the designed experiential events is presented in the following chapter. The chapter explores the survey responses and recorded comments from the theological reflection circle. Responses and discussion comments are interpreted and reflected upon.

131 Noted in theological reflection circle following the smell event. 132 A reredos is an ornamental screen or partition wall behind an altar. Resurrection’s reredos lacks ornament except for a large wooden cross with a brass overlay. Above and behind the half wall is a rosetta window of Jesus praying in the garden. 117

CHAPTER 6 TASTED IN EXPERIENCE

The people of God have encountered the holy in an effective worship service. God was present. The sacred; the Other has spoken and the people of God have heard. They now return to the world they are called to serve. The pastor, the liturgist, and the musicians have asked to be instruments of God and God has used them effectively. The building, the bells, the stained glass windows, the scent, sounds, and sights of the Holy have moved the people of God into a world of grace and service. (Fakes 1994, 143)

This chapter ‘digests’ the data collected in the five experiential events conducted at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. It weaves together data from the surveys and theological reflection circles. The chapter reflects on the experience as a whole then proceeds to specific comments for each event. Note that the sensory events are reviewed in the order in which the events occurred. It concludes with comments about limitations of the study undertaken.

For the sake of this research project, it is relevant to note that Lutheran churches predominately follow a prescribed, formal liturgy that is enacted by the community of faith in the worship of God. Although communal in nature, participating individuals have varying experiences. Seasons of the church year are celebrated with attention being paid to tone, theme, and focus. Participants noted that the sensory events were designed to complement and enhance the experience of the church seasons, suspecting that if this had not been the case, events would have had less meaning. One respondent commented after the second event, that it was sad that congregants needed aids to experience a 118 connection to God in worship. At times Lutherans forget that liturgy is the work of the people and that living Word is present.

THE EXPERIENCES AS A WHOLE

A general overview of the response to the sensory events by participants is presented first, followed by more detailed analysis of each sensory experience.

The initial survey responses examined participants’ reactions to how the focus sense affected the perceptions of worship. The following adjectives were used:

(sound) powerful, distinct, unchanged, enhanced, and more focused; (smell) unpleasant/pleasant, fair, enlightening, memorable, smellier, uncomfortable, fragrant, rich, focused, enlivened, not ordinary, unusual, and different; (touch) more animated, different/not really different, more aware, engaging, uncomfortable, positive, and okay;

(taste) different, special, memorable, unusual, celebratory, exciting, festive, and unchanged; and (sight) joyful, enhanced, and different. For every event there were diverse expressions of the experience, some seemingly opposite to each other.

Words that were used most frequently to describe the various worship experiences were: different, unusual, memorable, unchanged, enhanced, and more focused. Although these words are used, when asked if the person was changed by the experience or transformed, the consistent answer was no. The other response given most often was a version of, not that I’m aware of, allowing for the 119 possibility to remain open. It fits with Dennis Fakes words about Lutheran liturgy:

The service was not necessarily entertaining or enjoyable (although it may have been). The worship the people have experienced was not thrilling and fun (although it may have been). It was not comfortable and predictable (although it may have been). It did not provide for peoples’ fellowship needs (although it may have). The service lifted the participant from the ordinary to the sacred. God and God’s presence seemed somehow more real (Fakes 1994, 143).

Despite comments of no, when asked if the experience was transformative, upon reflection there were significant moments of changed perception and learning.

These comments will be further explored in the discussion under each event.

Circle conversations reflected that the heightened use of senses, means of activating them, and the interpretation of a given experience are shaped by cultural contexts, including: denominational affiliation, ethnicity, and where one grew up. Regular incorporation of senses in worship varies based on an individual church’s piety,133 and this affects the piety of individuals. Individual piety is created from experience and carried throughout one’s lifetime. These cultural contexts form and influence people’s likes, dislikes, experiences, and memories. Theological reflection groups revealed that humans have an innate habit of categorizing things (sounds, sights, tastes, smells, experiences, et cetera) as either good or bad, liked or disliked. Group participants opened themselves to

133 Piety is used in this instance to describe the practiced devotion and conventional orthodoxy within a community. Piety affects the discernment of moral and/or spiritual actions and concerns for individuals and the community. 120 reverting from black and white thinking and instead opened themselves to items, events, and experiences – particularly in holy spaces – so that God might be encountered in a new way. Responses gathered on the surveys alluded to a

Western Christian tendency to focus on concepts, ideas, and beliefs, and questioned the concern for worship to engage the senses through sensory events.

“Thinking should be enough.”

It was noticed and discussed that although one sense was focused on, any or all of the other senses participated in the experience. Participants experienced senses working in tandem, as a synaesthetic experience where the focus sense activated different complementary senses in various individuals. Boulogne comments in “My Friends the Senses” that odours trigger memories and remind people of other times, places, sensations, and events; the memory of an odour actually conditions the mind and memory to colours (sight) and sounds

(Boulogne 1953, 79). Researchers, sampling a group of two thousand people from various cultures, discovered that in ascribing colour to sound, most participants described low sounds as dark and high sounds as light and bright.

The study also observed sound to be translated through a perfume, and then from perfume to sight (Ackerman 1990, 290-1). In this research -- although shared senses seemed to be experienced by all -- most participants suggested that in introducing experiential events, sticking to one focus sense at a time would be most beneficial, as more might be perceived as chaotic. Synaesthetic research 121 suggests, however, that there are an equal number of people (often the indelibly creative) who experience sensory overload as invigorating (Ackerman 1990, 290).

An overview of the theological reflection circles gleaned perceptive information. Each reflection circle noted that sensory events are individual in nature and normally remain simply an experience without an opportunity for further reflection. Participants genuinely wanted to hear the interpretation of others and relate that experience and their own to their faith. Reflection may lead to a new place, whether by survey or in a group -- perhaps a new place where

God and God’s presence seem somehow more real.134

It was evident that participants appreciated the opportunity to share and reflect their experiences with each other. Although “Faith Blogs” (journals) were provided in the pews, not a single comment was written in any journal about the sensory events. Reflections given on the surveys were often re-offered by participants in the group setting. To the survey collector, it appeared that the surveys were a starting point in articulating and reflecting on the experience.

Theological reflection circles were a continuation of the thought process, and when occurring a week or two after survey collection, one could detect a continued percolation of thought.

134 Arrow© leadership material posits that reflection on events and happenings within an organization provides opportunity for learning and, thus the ability to leverage new information and insights more effectively. When individuals share personal reflection with others, the impact is seen in growth of those organizations (Pue 2011, 72). 122

STRUCTURED EXPERIENCES DESCRIBED INDIVIDUALLY

THIN SPACE VIA SOUND

Data collected from the Advent singing bowl event established that participants sensed a connection between the sound of the singing bowl and feeling grounded in the service. Over half of the survey responders described the experience that prayer was more focused and reverberated the spoken words. Prayer felt more powerful as the components of prayer bids and responses were made more distinct in combination with the bowl’s sound. As one prayer rang over another, people spoke of being drawn into the prayer so that the prayer was felt.

The inward journey, through focusing on the sound, led one participant to forget all the other ‘stuff’ in my brain and concentrate on the words of the prayers. There was a bodily sensation experienced by the sound that translated to observations of the sound as meditative, reverent, and had the power to instantly call people to a time of reflection and prayer. Sound, as it was embodied, added a sense of expectant mystery.

Changed perception was expressed by one applicant as, I’m a little more open to faiths that may use similar sounds in their worship. Another, answering the survey questions, “Has the event changed or transformed you in some way?” responded, No (but I’ll keep trying!). Yet a third respondent began wrestling with the idea of sound during prayers -- that sound interrupts prayerful conversation with the deity (including congregational responses to prayer petitions). Three 123 participants commented that the sound of the singing bowl brought about a peaceful feeling, as if it drained tension away with it as the sound dissipated.

Participants in the theological reflection circle reiterated the experience of peaceful sensation, felt a release, an outward movement with the conversation continuing that for some the sound provided an awareness of the self and a centring quality.

As an application for daily life, refection on prayer with less words and more clarity in the text was suggested with an additional comment that short

‘bursts’ of messaging seems easier to take in. Similarly another participant expressed that too much sound during prayers (including congregational responses) interrupts prayerful “conversation” with the deity. On the other hand, another person requested that the bowl be used again.

The theological reflection circle recalled many sounds from the biblical record: songs of the angels singing to the shepherds -- a moment of herald, John the Baptist as a voice in the wilderness -- a prophetic moment, and moments of praise as in “Make a joyful noise to the Lord.” Participants contemplated the sounds, both big and small, that God uses to speak with people, mentioning

Elijah experiencing God at the edge of a cave in the silence, the voice at Jesus baptism, and the wind and tongues of the day of Pentecost.

Circle conversation on worship considerations included discussion of the idea of overloading the senses as opposed to depriving the sense of hearing with silence. There was a sense that sound could be played with in a liturgical setting; 124 however, choosing sounds would be a great responsibility. Sound has the power to unite, especially full-bodied layered sound as of the singing bowl, while other sounds may be more jarring and could have the potential to split a community.

Sound would be heard differently combined with various points of the liturgy. It was felt that sounds in church predominately reach out (proclamation, preaching, singing), with few sounds created to touch the inner self. Thoughts of places to play with sound included: before service, while sharing the peace, during/after communion, moments that mark movement, and spots to draw focus. The group felt that sound was most transformative in the surprise of the sound and the use of sound. The first week one participant described God encounter as the surprise of a haunting sound. After four weeks of use, the sound lost its effectiveness in eliciting vivid emotion.

THIN SPACE VIA SMELL

Data gathered on Epiphany Sunday, after the use of incense, had participants arrayed across the experience spectrum from a sense of discomfort, distraction, unsettled, and unpleasantness, to a place of curiosity, delight, and anticipation. Nine of thirteen survey responders commented on the future use of incense in worship, four were in favour and five were against. Surveys and the circle conversations mentioned that burning of incense was long overdue in the

Protestant church, it should become a tradition, that incense should be used again, and 125 from others that the church should avoid it in the future and prefer it not be used.

One respondent was disturbed enough to ask, was this discussed by our worship and music committee?

Participants were intrigued by various aspects of incense and its purpose.

Some wanted to know more about incense, what it looked like in its raw form, how it was collected, and what it is used for. Eight respondents were surprised by feeling a stronger engagement in worship and excitement for it broadened my experience of worship. Three survey respondents (and others in the reflection circle) were intrigued by the image of smoke rising and saw the smoke as more powerful than the smell of the incense, and the beauty of the smoke ascending is a visual prayer symbol. Some participants made a connection to rising prayer, hope rising, and an idea of being God’s sweet smell in the world. After reflection participants’ comments included words such as relaxed, content, blessed, appreciative, and joyful. This surprised many considering the anxiety experienced prior to the event. Participants of the theological reflection circle were left with a sense of fullness and suggested that scents could be applied to help centre a person in daily meditating and reflecting on God.

Participants had difficulty naming biblical references to smell. The thought of entering scripture with a focus on smell was a novel idea, leading the group to playfully recall stories to which smell could be applied, for instance the stable in Bethlehem. Interestingly though, past memoires of religious 126 experiences that involved smell came quickly, whether incense at a Roman

Catholic funeral, visiting Orthodox church with a grandmother, or worshiping in a church with an old church smell. Smell is a sense that recalls memories and explains notes by two participants that the experience helped me to remember the sermon longer, and memorable -- easier to remember message of sermon.

Participants had a discussion around the thought of what God smells like?

What does God smell like in the world? Reflection touched on ‘churchy’ smells, but then moved to ideas of the where of God, particularly of the notion that if

God is found amongst the poor and forgotten, does God smell like crucifixion, leper colonies, and the poor of Calcutta? One survey commented, perhaps in reference to smell or smoke that the awareness of incense -- reminder of Presence.

The theological reflection group (also mentioned on two surveys) focused on a feeling that smoking incense was like being blanketed by God. The smell of the incense created a feeling of fullness and wholeness where God entered and became literally embodied. God was present. The experiential event’s design led congregants to remain in the presence of the incense longer than perhaps they normally would have, allowing for an experience beyond the initial thought of, I don’t like this. The experience was also described as all encompassing as the congregation experienced God as a “group.” A connection was made to patiently waiting for the Lord, and that this is not necessarily a comfortable experience.

One respondent wrote interesting metaphor -- being God’s “sweet smell” in the world, 127 like smelling incense, can sometimes be uncomfortable. As incense filled a person inwardly, participants noted that they could not run from the presence (wanted to leave and get away from the smell), and once filled (with Spirit, Gospel, Good News, grace) the image of spreading the same through word and deed was compelling; it clearly ‘touches’ all, not just those in church.

Worship leaders need to consider, when using scent, that scent indiscriminately fills the whole worship space. Participants cannot get away from the scent. It will dissipate over time, but continues to be carried in people’s nose hair, on clothing, and remains in the fabric of the building. Scent is a uniting presence. Participants discussed what constitutes a “worship worthy” scent especially in the societal context of sense sensitivity. This was the only event that evoked health and safety questions from congregants (around appropriate level of smoke and is it a natural or chemical product burned). An awareness of others in worship and their experience was explored by the theological reflection circle -- one of the surveys mentioned that incense made me think of how worship is [might be] for visually and hearing impaired people -- the realization being that worship predominately focuses on sight and sound.

The reflection circle after the smell event commented that the surprise of the sound event, as opposed to the “advertising” of the scent event (due to allergies), was more conducive to being caught off guard. It was mentioned that

Moses was not expecting to see a burning bush. 128

To be noted, a positive experience of the event and learning from it, did not translate into the wish to use incense on a regular basis. One survey, for instance, commented that the experience made it easier to remember message of the sermon, stranger engagement in service than usual, I’ll remember to bring “sweet smell” to daily life, finishing the sentence “Reflecting back on the event I feel ...” intrigued

-- made the final comment, would prefer we don’t use incense every week – kind of gave me a headache! (Five surveys were similar). There remained an openness for future events that are designed to lead participants outside of our comfort zone, challenge in healthy ways, and lead one to be vulnerable, as the conversation circle suggested that through these growth happens. An addition was made that experiential events can lead to new places but need reflection.

THIN SPACE VIA TOUCH

The touch event of sandpaper covers on the hymnal elicited six of eleven participant surveys to write words and phrases such as uncomfortable, scratchy, dry, dirty, unpleasant, and I avoided the sandpaper as much as possible. Two surveys expressed that when holding the hymnbooks, the sandpaper led to sore fingers and it was observed that more than two hymnbooks had the sandpaper removed after the first week. A number of surveys commented that through participation in the event, it was found I was mistaken it was not hard to hold the book, and that the book will not slip or slide away, it will “stick.” One person became more self- 129 aware, I realized how casually and perhaps roughly I returned the book to the rack as the sandpaper scraped the varnish off the pew back unless I was careful when storing the book. This same person responded to the question “Has the event changed or transformed you in some way?” with the response, I will be more respectful to our worship book and also apply the learning by being more observant as to how I actually handle items requiring more respect. It was observed that the books were extremely slippery -- as commented on by congregants -- when the sandpaper was removed following the season of Lent.

The tactile nature of the event led some participants to reflect that being always comfortable can make me (us) complacent. The sandpaper connected worshipers to entering Jesus’ suffering -- Jesus suffered for us therefore what is a little sandpaper on our hands and the discomfort of holding the hymnal kept me thinking of

His discomfort! Other surveys commented that sandpaper is not only negative but is useful for sanding and to prepare materials by cleaning them, preparing them, and allows for better adherence of something new. The theological reflection circle mirrored the responses received through the survey as the biblical references quoted by participants were two-fold: suffering and refining. Images were mentioned of John the Baptist in the desert, Jesus’ temptation in the desert, the walk to the cross, shaking dust off of one’s feet when not welcomed, and moments for sackcloth and ashes, and artisans (potters forming clay, carpenters –

Joseph sanding wood). 130

Theological reflection brought up memories of the pain of sitting in church, particularly as a young person, with comments on the roughness of sermons, assigning guilt, and defining sin. Conversation addressed the sacrifice of Christ for sin and the transformative power of this suffering love. The sandpaper tactilely illustrated suffering, connecting it to love, and thus to the thought that being a disciple of Christ means getting dirty. Too often Christians move away from uncomfortable places and spaces, seeking comfort and ease, rather than growth and transformation.

Theological conversation spiraled from reflecting on Jesus’ treatment during the Passion, to God’s love for human beings. There was a sense that God is a God of surprise, being found in unexpected places (like sandpaper on hymn books). Often humans make assumptions of where to find God, rather than being open to experience. Deep questions were asked about the nature of God.

Does the image of sandpaper fit with an understanding of a benevolent God? Is there a roughness to God (Jesus turning tables in the Temple, vengeful God of some Hebrew Scriptures)? Does God’s will include giving humans circumstances that act like sandpaper?

Participants suggested that applying event learnings to daily life required playing with sandpaper -- the scratchy pieces of each day -- in the sense of being more attentive and mindful in the present. Considering the positive aspects of the scratchy would allow one to enter more fully into every day experience. One 131 participant expressed the hope that when working with sandpaper in the future, the tactile sensation would be a reminder of Christ in the desert. Combined comments of people suggested that the tactile event was a very good lesson drawing a comparison between sandpaper and the desert that led to a determination to forge into the deserts where God leads, knowing that there is hope of relief and growth on the other side. Deeper reflection had participants ask, How can I bring my senses into spreading God’s message of love? One participant mentioned reading a line from Scott Peck that talked of marriage as being each others’ sandpaper, reflecting that perhaps that is how life in the Christian community should be. Individuals can hide from or try to avoid resistance in their lives, but a community could be purposeful about embracing resistance, and thus, focused on transforming lives.

Considering worship practice, it was noted that often humans try to avoid instances deemed to produce discomfort. Worship events, like sandpaper on the hymn books, forced participation and the possibility of new understanding.

Surveys included comments of how interesting that a small change can shift awareness and that touching the sandpaper felt as if it kept me somewhat focused or centered. Having to slow down allowed for more reverence of posture and action within the worship space. As the weeks continued participants noted that continued use of the books created a connection to life of not giving up when life becomes rough,

No matter what I was thinking about, I was aware of the roughness of the sandpaper. No matter where I moved my fingers, they found no relief. Too often we give up on difficult aspects in faith and seek ease and comfort. 132

But Christ never did that: He intentionally sacrificed for us and suffered greatly! I have a greater appreciation for that this morning.

Through conversation there was a realization that often congregations are quick to determine how to craft worship and are quick to jump to conclusions about how others experience God. When connected to church Seasons or readings, sensory events can enhance the experience -- the words I heard had more meaning, more connected to the scripture readings, I was able to feel the Holy Spirit present. One survey respondent reflected on the experience as this is too much to ponder and still concentrate on the worship service! The theological reflection circle participants were in general agreement that congregations should allow for and actively provide a breadth of experiences in worship.

THIN SPACE VIA TASTE

It should be noted that the origin of this event came from comments by the

ELCIC National Church Bishop Susan Johnson at a clergy gathering, where she had participants ponder why it is that the church makes do with what it has, rather than living from a sense of abundance and celebration. Why is the best stuff like champagne not used in the church, particularly as a Eucharistic element? These comments were coupled with an experience at Resurrection that saw the worship budget cut and the idea suggested that congregation members who made wine could supply the wine for communion. Each week congregants were never sure 133 what the wine would taste like, some of it was bitter, and some tasted like vinegar. There were quite a few complaints. In conversation with each other, a theological thought was presented to make the wine palatable: communion wine was not meant to taste good as it represented Jesus’ blood, given for the forgiveness of sin. People were not to enjoy the experience, but, rather, contemplate sin, repentance, and Jesus’ sacrifice. The taste of the communion elements contributed to the theological reflection on the ritual in which the community had participated. Taking this into consideration, the use of champagne could change the focus of the understanding of communion for the Easter celebration.

After all, the early church’s understanding of Holy Communion was one of

Eucharist ---- thanksgiving (Erlander 1981, 9). Applying the sensory event to life, one survey participant wrote we should celebrate more often.

The sacrament of Holy Communion is of great importance to Lutherans.

The church has a basic unity in its understanding and significance of the sacrament; however, individuals have their own piety135 and sense as to its meaning. This research event elicited a variety of comments. One participant offered that coming up to the altar is enough change in the ceremony. There were those who felt more comfortable with regular elements of wafer and wine, with one comment that I don’t think the cinnamon bun and opening the champagne bottle or having it there were appropriate for a religious service. I associate them with secular

135 A variety of individual piety is observed in the way in which people receive communion and the reasons given for such practice whether kneeling, standing, making the sign of the cross, saying amen after receiving the elements, receiving one or both elements, choosing not to commune each week, et cetera. 134 events. The majority of respondents, five of seven surveys, commented on the celebration and festivity of Easter and that the champagne enhanced the experience -- for me, champagne always indicates it’s a special occasion we’re celebrating. Another commented it wouldn’t have mattered what I ate or drank there.

It was feeling of being connected to the risen Lord and also to the people gathered there.

Participants noted that the elements differentiated this communion from all others, communion was set apart in a different way by concentrating on the joy of God’s gift, and the welling up of a spirit of thanksgiving. Celebrating communion in this manner elevated the perception of Easter and it was memorable -- we experience the sense of taste every Sunday as we have Holy Communion [this is] “Special” because [it is] the holiest of festivals -- Easter.

When asked if the experience was transformative, one respondent said,

Not really changed, but perhaps it made me more aware of the Lord’s presence during worship/communion. One participant expressed an application for their daily life, to keep the awareness of God’s presence always with me, not just to experience it at church/worship. One survey respondent shared, thank you for trying so hard to make me (us) more aware of God’s presence in my (our) life (lives)! After five sensory events, participants in the theological reflection circle finally commented that sections of the liturgy were not about thinking.

It is interesting that for those who experienced the element change as I feel unusual tension, there was an acknowledgement that the elements still fulfilled 135 their task, becoming signs of God’s gracious presence. The actual form of the element is inconsequential. The theological reflection circle concluded that the elements help focus the re-enactment of the Lord’s Supper, offering nuances to meaning when preferred elements are substituted for another. Openness to variations in the elements, particularly the bread, were welcomed more by those who have been part of various communities, as Lutheran churches across North

America are diverse, some using bought bread, pita bread, homemade loaves, rice crackers, wafers, et cetera. In the end, the theological reflection circle coincided with survey responses concluding that it is the community being together with the people of the congregation and sharing the meal experience that is important.

THIN SPACE VIA SIGHT

The sensory event of florescent material festooning the front of the church did not illicit any negative comments; rather, people expressed feeling happy, joyful, WOW! and an uplifting experience. The three surveys returned as well as participants in the theological reflection circle commented that their minds instantly began to search for meaning -- My first impression of the experience was a small surprise wondering why it was there; Reflecting back on the event I feel this combined Pentecost (orange for fire) + Trinity (the draping presented in three parts); Is this a reflection of the kingdom of heaven? The colour was confusing and needed a 136 context (explanation) as it would have applied better to peoples’ understanding of Pentecost Sunday and its symbol of tongues of fire. It was suggested that the same event, held thirty years ago, would have likely elicited negative feedback.

Thirty years ago the fabric colour would have been shockingly bright and caused discomfort. The North American church’s context today is in a world overwhelmed by visual cues, bright and blinking. The theological reflection circle generally agreed that the sensory stimuli presented in the worship event, in many ways was ordinary. One survey respondent posited that the experience confirms that people react differently to the same thing.

Participants noticed the reredos right away and how it drew one’s attention. For some it carried an air of festivity and a multicultural flavour.

Through the service the colour seemed to warm the space, almost as if it was generating heat. The theological reflection circle discussed the accessibility of worship for those who are blind, and commented that the colour was not just seen but felt. Participants decided that the colour, although warm and joyful for one week -- stimulating and provokes thought as we can become complacent in church service -- it would lose its effectiveness quickly. Participants noted that colours effect our moods and this could be applied to daily life. Conversation on colour and sight had participants eager to pay attention to details, especially in nature, prayer, and relationship. One commented that the event was a reminder to stop and smell the roses, so that one can experience God. 137

The theological reflection circle started biblical conversation around John the Baptist, describing what he looked like and what he ate. The group played with visualizing Pentecost and what tongues of fire looked like. Participants also contemplated stories that from their perspective would have included moments of I can’t believe my eyes -- for instance Moses parting the water, Jesus walking on water, and a blind man seeing for the first time.

Sensory issues for worship with regards to sight were deemed an important category for discussion. For those who are visual, details are often important and visual cues can be distracting. Worship planners need to pay attention to details: the central focus point, stained glass, lighting of candles, and the movement of ritual. The theological reflection circle played with ideas of austerity versus the richness of “things” and how to balance and present both during the year. It was felt that church seasons require different approaches to the creation of worship space, thinking in terms of colour and other visual cues.

Discussion also included the use of icons and the varied understanding of their use, idols or a as a way of experience or encounter.

THEMES FOR REFLECTION

CONSIDERATIONS

A consideration when designing and practising experiential events within liturgy is the culture and attitude of the individual congregation. A culture that 138 allows for playfulness, creativity, wonder, and surprise will enrich this body of work. Growing an understanding of positive attitudes around the integrated wholeness of body, mind, and spirit encourages participation in the concepts and experiential events presented in this paper.

Many people judge the senses by the moral difficulties they stir up ... its [the body’s] very presence is an obstacle to them, even a scandal. They reproach it with distracting the mind, absorbing precious energy, and the irreparable loss of time (Boulogne 1953, 189).

In each event, whether by survey or in the reflection circles, it was apparent that aesthetic judgement came into play, often with participants categorizing the focus sense experience as good or bad, before even thoughts of like or dislike. Anna-Maria von Bondsdorf, an art educator specializing in aesthetics, theorizes that aesthetic judgements are made based on the feeling of pleasure that is aroused by a person’s perception of an object (Bergmann 2005, 118).

Individuals perceive and experience space through an aesthetic mode, determined by openness and understanding to different spaces encountered in daily life -- this makes people more or less sensitive to sensory nuances. Von

Bondsdorf continues by suggesting that one’s aesthetic mode, whether to an object or a space, is conditioned by cultural knowledge, past experience, acquaintance, perceived qualities, and the projected meaning thereof (Bergmann

2005, 119). Aesthetic judgements could derail communities, or paralyze leaders, 139 particularly if there are boisterous individuals who are unwilling to engage in sensory experience and try to stop the worshipping community from doing so.

During the research, participants wondered about the addition of senses outside of the traditional five. Theological reflection circles returned more than once to conversations around movement, kinesiology, wanting to experience liturgical dance (watched or participate in), clapping, sign language, actions to hymns, prayer stances, et cetera. Writers have commented that movement, particularly dance, commits a person’s full body and heart into connection with the movement of the soul -- the body’s constraints to utility are set free (Boulogne

1953, 176, 181). Rudolf Steiner136 worked from an anthroposophic understanding that suggested humans interact through twelve senses: touch, life sense, sense of self-movement, sense of balance, smell, taste, vision, temperature sense, hearing, language sense, conceptual or idea sense, and ego sense. The list of twelve acknowledges ways of being and knowing outside of the five sensate senses, allowing for proprioception,137 kinaesthetics, and intuition (Soesman 1990, 143,

149). Albert Soesman’s138 writing progresses from physical senses to intuition and feeling senses required for his understanding of spiritual awakening to occur. There are dynamics in each sense that place a person on a boundary from where transformation is possible and a consciousness of the divine/ultimate

136 Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist whose life work centred on spiritual science. 137 Proprioception describes the human reception of the body’s response (feeling) to changes of physical tension or chemical conditions that occur within the body. 138 Soesman is a retired medical doctor in Holland and gifted speaker. His writing builds on Steiner’s work and forms an original contribution to the field of spiritual psychology. 140 secret are encountered (Soesman 1990, 12, 19). Incorporating discussion of the twelve senses and an inclusion of sensory events designed to engage all would be a future continuation of this project.

This research project concentrated on corporate worship and events presented for a public audience. As the church ventures into new paradigms of ministry, concepts raised in the research could be applied to other contexts, whether that is worship offered in homes, movie theatres, or hockey arenas.

Researchers are involved in studies around sense therapy to address social disorders, including excessive attachment, addiction, consumption, alienation, and discrepancies of public/private image (Soesman 1990, 151-2). This research could be of assistance to pastoral care workers and institutional chaplains, whether in a group setting or in relation to individuals.

Overall this research project was embraced by the congregants of the

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Based on comments from colleagues and other Christian communities, the events held at Resurrection would not be doable in some contexts. The research worked in this context because the congregation was open to play and willing to participate in a variety of sensory events. Willingness to participate grew out of a mutual trust and respect of the congregation for their worship leaders and the leaders for the congregants. The depth of theological reflection circles and participation in them, spoke to a 141 culture already present within the community -- a culture that practices open discussion and engages individuals in applying faith and learning to life.

Before moving to the conclusion, one other important concept to draw attention to is the question of, “What is liturgy?” Lest a worship leader and congregation think or feel that the service was of their own doing, rather than the creative Spirit working in, with, and through human beings, Fakes’ conclusion to his book about Lutheran liturgy reads:

An old miner explained to a visitor, “I let my mules spend one day a week outside the mines to keep them from going blind.” The worship service does that to us. In worship we have seen the Light of the world. That reality keeps us from going blind to the deeper realities of life and existence. The service has opened our eyes again (Fakes 1994, 144).

Traditionally one day a week people have gone to worship. It is doubtful that many would say that services were transforming each week, yet the services have kept them from going blind. And although worship leaders and congregations take a part in the liturgy, the Spirit moves as the Spirit chooses.

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CLOSING REFLECTIONS

Three bearers of the Sacred still today can assist us in discovering the mystery of God: our relationship with nature; the way the unfathomable is expressed in language, gesture, and objects; and an appreciation for the ordinary in human living – a way of discovering the sacred in the secular, being in touch with the religious dimensions of ordinary human experience. –James Empereer SS. (Hoffman 1991, 27)

This project has engaged in investigation and reflection on ‘betwixt and between’ as heard in scripture, seen in history, ingested in theology, touched through method, and tasted in experience. Concluding reflections of this paper are arranged by revisiting the chapters, backwards from chapter six to chapter one. The chapters are presented by their title from the project. Each section offers observations, reflections, and suggestions for applying the material presented in this paper to congregational settings and church communities. It is to be noted that the project does not advocate a methodology or “new mode of worship,” but, rather, a philosophy of aesthetic leadership. The responses of the participants throughout the project are limited in time and place and not necessarily transferable to other settings. The project will come full circle, with the journey beginning, ending, and continuing in thoughts of thin space. Readers are left with a blessing and dismissal.

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TASTED IN EXPERIENCE

Tasted in experience related the research findings from planned sensory events and participants’ theological reflections. In unexpected and myriad ways, the research project events elicited ‘Aha’ moments that included: new ways of seeing, playing with understandings of knowing, honing theological reflection skills, making connections between feelings and thoughts, and deepening faith through fresh articulations of sensory experiences. Exposure to unexpected elements within the liturgy led to ‘Aha’ moments -- the moment temporarily altered their perceptions, and at least for a time, a new way of seeing was applied to daily areas of life. Two primary applications are drawn from tasting in experience: responsibility and risk.

It is the responsibility of those designing worship for a community to venture beyond aesthetic likes and dislikes (human preferences) in order to expose congregations to a wide variety of experiences. Is it not the expectation of congregations that their pastor or leaders ‘shepherd’, challenge, and encourage growth and a deepening of faith? Introducing unexpected experiential elements is a means of creating space for transformative experiences to occur and a way to cultivate an aesthetic attitude within the community.

Exploring and borrowing from the global context opens new avenues of surprise, whelming, and possibility of encounter. Globalization has influenced our culture so that surprise may be more difficult to achieve since people have a 144 broader range of experience -- for instance, many have been introduced to tastes and sounds from around the world. This new reality implies more diligence in experimenting and playing with sensory stimulants to create surprise for a diverse group of people. It is vital that worship throughout a given year plays along the sensory spectrum from sensory enrichment to practices of austerity.

Architects of worship participate in a risky undertaking, where the element of surprise within worship (as mentioned in participant’s surveys) was considered valuable and effective. Effectively providing experiential events during worship entails the risk of creating discomfort for some people. Events are to be challenging, yet not beyond a community’s ability to participate or enter into the experience. Groome, reflecting on the work of developmental psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, suggests that since the purpose of

Christian educators “is always to lead people beyond present limitations, education should take place at the outer limit of the student’s ability (Groome

1980, 252).”139 Tillich commented that it is in new forms and experiences that there is an honest expression of faith -- “an element of risk is unavoidable in the building of sacred places, just as a risk must be taken in every act of faith (Tillich

1987, 220).”

139Groome approaches education from a model “in which knowing occurs through reflection on action that leads to further action.” Educators can “intentionally promote an active reflective way of knowing (Groome 1980, 252).” 145

The corporate sacred space creator should also be aware of an ethical component. James White140 claims:

Indeed stimulating the desired emotional response has become something of a science. The chief means of manipulating the emotional content of a service of worship is through the appeal of the senses. Usually this is done in a subtle fashion by atmosphere (White 1964, 5).

One could argue that subtle fashion has become anything but subtle in some contexts, suggesting to this author that it would be advisable for leaders to be reflective in creating worship space. Presenting sensory events, potential

“burning bush” moments, is not about controlling the emotion of a moment, but providing the possibility for encounter. Part of the risk of engaging human senses is the unknown reaction, after-effect, and possible fallout from the experience.

TOUCHED THROUGH METHOD

The approach of designing five experiential events was well received by the congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Participants agreed that further sensory events should be planned. It was felt that worshiping communities should continually be challenged through intentional sensory experience and enter dialogue following events.

140 White is an author and professor of liturgical theology, currently at Drew University and a visiting professor at Yale. 146

Within method and praxis, a balanced use of the senses is of importance.

Pallasmaa describes imbalance of the senses as the dominance of the eye and the suppression of the other sensate senses in today’s culture.141 Congregants come to worship in various states of this imbalance. Worship space and experience therein, has the potential to realign one’s sensory system with the possibility of addressing detachment, alienation, isolation, and solitude (often brought on by technology and the way life is lived) (Pallasmaa 1996, 19). The church also has the ability to challenge the ocular centrism of Western culture by providing balance through other sensory experiences not designed solely for the one-sided cultural emphasis of intellect and the visual (Pallasmaa 1996, 17).142 In this regard, it behooves liturgical artists to be attentive to the sense of balance within a congregation. When a sense of balance is established, it may lead to a sense of comfort as the congregation is able to fill space by claiming it in some way

(Soesman 1990, 48). Research and chapters of this project suggest that when balance is found, a surprise -- an event that creates discomfort or places one on the boundary -- is essential for continued growth and transformation to occur.

Balance is important in the relationship between ways of knowing. The experiential events as a whole, highlighted the importance of reflection.

DeGruchy argued that the church has a responsibility to reflect on praxis, as the

141 He suggests that “Modernist design at large has housed our intellect and the eye, but it has left the body and the other senses, as well as our memories, imagination and dreams, homeless (Pallasmaa 1996, 19).” 142 This section of Pallasmaa’s book reflects on the work of David Kleinburg-Levin, who worked at MIT and later Northwestern in disclosive hermeneutical phenomenology, connecting schools of philosophy, clinical psychology, aesthetics, and social theory. 147 church exists to transform the world (DeGruchy 2001, 178). If praxis fails to accomplish working change than an alteration in praxis is necessary for transformation of people, church, and the world. Congregations can incorporate, via reflection and evaluation, an ongoing assessment of where the community is on the pendulum of knowing and sensing.

INGESTED THROUGH THEOLOGY

Worship preparation and leadership allows a space wherein practitioners can develop and work out of an aesthetic theology -- one that moves in expressions of chaos, to moments of hope, to encounters of the Ultimate. When contemplating an aesthetic theology, individual and corporate in nature, effective dialogue includes theology related to: the cross, on the boundary, art, the senses, the where of God, and space/place. Applying aesthetic theology involves fostering and awakening aesthetic sensibility in congregations so that participants bring beauty to transform space, especially those places that seem to have no merit. It entails practicing a functional theology that includes generating creativity, imaginative use of space, and engaging the community to design space and place that is appropriate for their mission and authentic to their faith

(DeGruchy 2001, 216-7).

Aesthetic expressiveness, which comes from one’s aesthetic theology, has the power to stabilize and transform, or to do the opposite. Church leaders and 148 traditions have long held control and influence over people, mission, understanding, and what is produced through corporate worship -- such practice has tried to manipulate and control the manifestation of the Ultimate (Tillich

1987, 161). Placing responsibility of aesthetic expressiveness and theology upon an entire congregation, through education, experiential events, and theological reflection takes seriously a passion to risk beyond traditional materials, patterns, and conformity. Aesthetic expressiveness driven from an ideal aesthetic theology aims to find the Ultimate hidden in tradition and, manifested in new creation, and to encounter Ultimate reality (Tillich 1987, 202-3). Openness to and participation in aesthetic expressiveness affirms the Spirit and allusiveness as a quality and function of art (sensory events) (Seeerveld 1980, 129). Such practice encounters Mystery, senses Incarnation, and grows relationship.

SEEN IN HISTORY

According to Hoffman, two kinds of people have walked through history, those who are tourists and those who are pilgrims. Tourists are lured by advertizing into seeing places and buildings and collecting things, with an attitude of I--it. Conversely, pilgrims are prepared to experience the world with an attitude of I-–Thou, where each place, building, and object has its own character and message. Pilgrims approach life with an openness to experience and transformation is possible because of the experience (Hoffman 1991, 1). 149

Today’s church has an opportunity to be a place of pilgrimage -- Sunday pilgrimage by members and fellow travellers. Beginning questions for faith communities to ponder are: how is this place a place of pilgrimage? Does this context incorporate senses, an opportunity for thin space, so that Mystery may appear? Does the journey of faith include art installations, icons, a revisiting of theology behind current practice, and is worship helpful or hindering?

History of the senses, knowledge, tradition, architecture, theology, et cetera, illustrates an interaction between disciplines. Congregational leaders can foster conversation in congregations between the disciplines to deepen experience and understanding. Conversations may include wrestling with the relationship of buildings and practice, tradition and new creation. To be a community that engages senses and desires to provide thin spaces occurrences, requires continual and intentional efforts to experience, interpret, and reflect upon the relationship of building, liturgical practice, and art –- in a manner that questions whether the relationship exhibits the Word and creates opportunities for congregants to encounter the Word. It may mean revisiting pre-reformation practices, including spiritual disciplines of the mystics and contemplating bouts of austerity. Church communities have the opportunity to be “creative third waves,” open spaces that reflect on praxis and wrestle with the tension experienced in cultural questions. Here is an opportunity to be leaders and visionaries who offer the world much needed connections, accomplished through 150 a synthesis of Christian theology, spirituality, and tradition -- in essence re- making tradition (Bass 2006, 34-35).

Leaders should remain open to continued reformation (or reversal of

Reformation), ensuring that change and practice are not movements away from the importance of Word, but, rather, an enhancement thereof. Reformation principles of avoiding frivolity and offense, embracing good order, discipline, evangelical decorum, and edification of the church are directive to worship leaders. The principles are also correctives against unbridled or purposeless change of ritual practice. Introducing sensory elements may require a clarification that the elements are not static, remaining forever as part of a community’s practice; rather, the elements are aids in encountering thin space and have no salvation or justification imputed to their use. Engaging the senses in worship remains true to Reformation statements on ritual practice and appropriate, when practices spread the Gospel, teach the faith, or are applied as an exercise or lesson to process teaching and to prompt faith. Reformation thought illustrated the movement from complacency in practice and crisis of thought, to a life giving, open-minded, gospel-oriented community --- one not interested in entertainment for its own sake but, engaged in discovery, where skills are honed to grow an aesthetic attitude. Dwelling in such a community implies being content and present in the community’s environment, engaged in identity, relationship, humanity, history, and drawing on the past to live in the 151 present to be hope for the future. Engaging sensate senses and theological reflection satisfies a continuation of reformation.

AS HEARD IN SCRIPTURE

The collected data for this project illustrated that participants, when asked, easily connected scripture passages with sight and sound. Other senses required more time for theological reflection circles to bring specific scripture passages to mind. Those congregations willing to risk specific engagement of senses in worship might consider bookmarking the events with Bible Studies discussing biblical understandings of: the where of God, sacred places and places of worship, boundary experiences, and God encounters. Such studies may be enhanced by communities taking time to read and enter scripture through a sense of wonder and mystery, rather than though an exclusively analytical or cognitive approach.

Applying a sensory hermeneutic to the reading of text, particularly focusing on senses other than sight and sound, could foster a deeper sense of knowing. This hermeneutic ponders the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and tangibles in a given passage. By investigating and exploring the wonder and intimacy with which each story is imbued, there is a possibility of encountering the Holy in thin space. A sensory hermeneutic focuses on the tangible nature of scripture stories, for instance the connection between Jesus and those ministered 152 to in the Gospels. Part of a sensory hermeneutic is not merely placing oneself within the text -- all senses engaged, but creatively embodying the text through visual art, music, recital, drama, dance, et cetera. Congregational leaders have the opportunity to employ the sensate senses within community so that participants are more intimately aware of the Living Word. Such a hermeneutic concentrates on experience as it is recorded in scripture, not solely on the understanding of theologizing about the event. Scripture used as a conversation partner to ground sensory experience has the potential to allow community to transcend idiosyncrasies and move from experience to action.

A sensory hermeneutic applied to worship will encourage congregations to play with and contemplate how scripture is read and Word presented. Variety and inclusion of all forms of art may enhance the experience, fostering a culture where the presentation of the lectionary readings is expectant in nature.

Practicing a sensory hermeneutic requires a corporate willingness to avoid making God encounter safe through regulating God movement through a static practice, and allow for the miraculous potency of Word. There is a responsibility on the part of the community to read and experience scripture with heart, soul, and mind.

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BETWIXT AND BETWEEN

Congregational worship leaders possess a rich opportunity to create and foster a broader definition of thin space that allows for a myriad of expressions and experiences. Engaging the senses only has the capacity to take a person to a point, a boundary, where an encounter with the Divine may occur. Encountering the Holy, experiencing a thin place, cannot be forced or regulated or designated to a particular time and place. Within planned space, aesthetics, and practice, lies the possibility of encounter. In engaging the senses to open thin space, the body converts energy from mechanical or sensory touch to electric impulses. Such an experience is one of transcendence, meaning beyond language yet registering in the senses, “where perception is itself a form of grace (Ackerman 1990, 307).” In another expression, thin space can be a movement from buildings that surround worshippers in “old” theology to a place where liturgy holds the possibility of encounter -- the action of the people becomes and defines sacred space.

Thin space opens at an opportune time, in its own time. Time itself is transformed by the heightened engagement of the senses. Some authors, however, suggest that such experiences emerge more frequently when leaders take a prayerful approach and are willing to work at creating environments that promote wonder and an awareness of God’s transcendence (Shockley 2009, 105). 154

Marcus Borg143 posits that transformation happens when a shift occurs from belief-centred Christianity to one where focus and attention is on relationship with God; such transformation requires re-education with a focus on practices that incorporate the physical body into the experience of worship

(Schwartzentruber 2006, 19). This movement is a paradigm shift from Modern to

Post-Modern; transformation from prove-it-to-me to show-it-to-me; institutional to organic; intellect and knowing to experience and sensing (Shockley 2009, 20).

Observation and attentiveness, the art of experiencing, can be honed through setting aside place and times for diligent practice. Communities have a responsibility to inspire members to be diligent -- to hold people accountable by providing time to ponder, and to engage objects, space, and life more deeply, moving the surface into detail and essence (Boulonge 1953, 8-9). For some congregations, discovering Mystery may be accomplished through an exploration of writings by Christian mystics and monastic traditions, or practicing and growing through prayer in spiritual disciplines. As people are increasingly cut off from their roots -- from land and place -- due to globalization there appears to be a growing popularity in pilgrimages. Pilgrimages are a grass roots protest against the loss of place presently caused by modernism and reformed Christianity (Inge 2003, 102). The church has the opportunity to face

143 Borg (b. 1942) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian, fellow of the Jesus Seminar, and author. 155 and address alienation through the conscious creation of scared landscape, place, and experience.

The efforts of worship leaders, teachers, and theologians to create and use opportunities to connect mind and sense, and in turn excite imagination (away from conformity), can foster the impetus for congregants to grow their understanding and experience of space and God-encounter. Appendix III of this project offers resources to spark conversations about space and place to assist leaders, Appendix II contains a workshop, an Advent retreat, and a mid-week

Lent resource -- events that were used to facilitate this research.

Betwixt and between -- as heard in scripture, seen in history, ingested through theology, touched through method, and tasted in experience -- is a space, a place, a God-encounter -- waiting to surprise. In this time, the winds of change seem once again to be blowing through the church and the world.

Spiritual leaders have the opportunity to participate, through the Spirit, in what

God is doing in the world. It is exciting to explore the possibility that introducing events to focus a particular sense, followed by theological reflection, can lead communities to experience God in a fresh way, that thin places can open up, and that Divine Mystery may be encountered anew. Occasions of wonder pull communities from self-interest to a broadened circle of concern by giving meaning and purpose, transforming the ordinary to holy. 156

Worship crafters and leaders are encouraged to reflect on thin space and how such space is introduced or experientially inhibited in their current practices. Consider experimenting with senses, pondering that:

There is a need, both Wolterstorff and Seerweld argue, to recover a Christian aesthetic (something of great importance), but also a source of glorifying God and for the sake of the just transformation of society (Ford 2005, 712).

or as this author likes to say, “For the healing of the world.” In worship planning and execution, be open to that which cannot be seen, listening for Word in the vibration of creation, touching Christ’s pain, chewing on thoughts within theological reflection circles, and inhaling the aroma of imagination. Enjoy the journey, embracing the gift of playing in holy space.

There is a division in our very nature, an affinity with a difference among our sensibilities – sight, touch, taste, hearing, speaking. These modalities, understood from the standpoint of creation, define our full humanity in relation to God. Understood from the standpoint of our actual state – from the perspective of the fall, if you will – the unity does not come naturally. Understood from the standpoint of redemption, we need the discipline of each sensibility in order to express a full humanity eschatologically oriented to its fulfilment (Dillenberger 1986, 249).

When the concepts of this project are implemented and reified, it is hoped that those willing to risk and participate in engaging the senses will discover a return to relationship through opening the eyes, unstopping the ears, inhaling deeply, touching sensitively, and tasting intentionally -– awakening relationship 157 to oneself in body, mind, and spirit; relationship to others; relationship to creation, place, space; and ultimately falling into encounter and relationship with the Holy – thus to be transformed and made whole, compelled to go, to live and move and have being in the world, for the healing of the world.

May this be so.

Go to encounter in taste, experience through touch, ingest theology, see history, hear scripture, to discover and live betwixt and between.

Thanks be to God.

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APPENDIX I APPLICATION FOR ETHICAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMANS

RESEARCH SUMMARY

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY THESIS

Prepared for: Acadia University Research Ethics Board, May 25, 2012

By: the Rev. Kimberlynn McNabb; Student #101710

PREAMBLE AND PURPOSE:

Over the past decade the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in

Canada has defined their mission under the concept of being “In Mission for Others.” A working group, of which the writer of this proposal is a member, was created to design a

Synod-wide plan for local churches to enact and fulfill the vision. The Synod has presently, through study, consultation, and evaluation, come to the conclusion that the church faces a crisis: one is effective leadership and the other spirited discipleship. The

Synod’s first ministry priority and vision goal is: “we will practice spirited discipleship.”

The issue, as observed from this writer’s experience in a variety of ELCIC church contexts, is that the lack of spirited discipleship stems from a tradition of head/thought theology and practise that has been disconnected with the body and the five senses.

Individuals, and thus the church as a whole, are unable to articulate faith experiences and fewer are able to talk of times when the Good News transformed their life in a meaningful way. In fact, it could be ventured that transformation experiences have ceased to happen in real and meaningful ways for the majority of church-goers, who 159

only wish to have available to them comfortable pews. In a world that is complex, chaotic, and changing, there is little time for the church to be comfortable, refusing to be transformed by the Word – to be the church, God is calling the church to transformation.

The purpose of this project is to reflect theologically on actively creating sacred spaces that cause transformation. The process entails discussion around spaces focused for prayer or worship, and making a connection between theology (head knowledge) and body knowledge through the senses. The senses will be viewed as a key to exploring the way in which sacred space can re-ignite passion and propel congregants into a transformative experience.

The thesis question is this: is it possible to create sacred space such that it elicits, evokes, promotes, and propels, individuals and churches to a point or moment of spiritual transformation? If so, are there key factors to be considered in the creation of such spaces?

METHOD:

This Doctor of Ministry project has been undertaken with prior awareness and support of the congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Halifax, NS.

Application to the Doctor of Ministry program included a congregational self-study, that endorsed support for the candidate, and any research that would be undertaken. It was signed and completed by the congregational chair person on behalf of the congregation.

Congregants understand that a Doctor of Ministry degree is a professional degree where research is applicable to the setting of the writer and that research involves the congregation. A second understanding with the congregation members is pastoral interaction as described in the initial “Letter of Call;” (This contract signed between the 160

pastoral candidate and the congregation is a legal document used nationally by all congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada). The method to be used in undertaking the proposed research is within the normal operating procedures and expectations of this faith community.

Subjects for this study are those who attend worship on the Sundays that designed experiential events will occur; worship attendance averages 70 people on a

Sunday morning. The research methodology being used for this research is participatory action research. The method to be followed is as follows:

 Congregants will be asked to participate in research via surveys provided as an insert in the bulletin (see Appendix A –[page 175 of this document]),  through writing blogs in “Faith Blogs” (journal books in the pews that have been in use for the past two years, collecting peoples’ free flow thoughts),  and to participate in theological reflection circles (more below in debriefing section and in Appendix B [page 176 of this document]).  The writer of the proposal, in role as pastor, will enact the designed experiential events, be responsible for announcements, collect data, and facilitate theological reflection circles.  Research is to run throughout the upcoming church year, beginning December 2012. Experiential events are as follows:

DATE SEASON EVENT SENSE

Dec.2-23, 2012 season of Advent (4 weeks) Singing bowl to be used hear during the Prayers of the People January 6, 2013 Epiphany Sunday (1 week) Use of myrrh as incense smell during Gospel reading and Kid’s Corner Feb. 17–Mar.17, 2013 Season of Lent (5 weeks) Sandpaper strips covering touch hymn books 161

March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday (1 week) Communion elements of taste cinnamon buns and champagne May 19, 2013 Pentecost Sunday (1 week) Reredos covered in fluorescent orange material sight

Those attending Sunday worship service, on the dates mentioned above, will be part of the designed experiential event. As on any Sunday, congregation members are free to leave following worship and may choose not to remain for theological reflection circles.

In addition to Sunday services, congregants will have the opportunity to reflect more deeply by participating in mid-week Lenten services (Feb. 20-Mar. 20, 2013); these gatherings average 15 people, who attend by choice. Each week hymns, scripture readings, and reflection will focus on a human sense. Application of ideas and theological reflection are to be recorded in private scrapbooks/journals. If participants wish to share insights and thoughts they may do so via “Faith Blogs.” Time during each gathering will be given to express aloud ideas, feelings, and/or stories around the focus sense. Conversation style reflection is common practice from year to year at mid-week

Lent services. Following each service, the writer of this proposal will write verbatim of the conversation.

This research project is qualitative in nature and designed to encourage theological reflection. Data collected will be the observations, experiences, and reflections of those who wish to participate through the sharing of thoughts.

Congregation members will be notified of research via announcements [page 177 of this document]. Announcements will also be posted on the entrance doors of the sanctuary.

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DEBRIEFING:

This research project intends to use theological reflection for research and debriefing. The British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT) describes theological reflection as a technique used by practical theologians to examine particular situations and experiences, with the purpose of participants applying reflections through faithful action in every-day life. Theological reflection allows participants to go beyond analysis and configure new understandings of their relationship with God and the world around them. Theological reflection circles, following each experiential event, will consist of those who choose to participate, reflect, and/or respond to the events.

DISSEMINATION:

Following the writing of the thesis, it will be available for congregation members to read via posting on the communal bulletin board in the church hall. Further conversation and theological reflection on the finished paper will be determined by the wishes of the community. It will also be made available, electronically, through the web- site of the Director of Worship for the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC. 163

REFLECTION ON EXPERIENTIAL EVENT --- SURVEY Appendix A

Date:

The experiential event was ______

It focused on the sense of ______

My first impression of the experience was:

Due to the focus sense, worship this morning was

Reflecting back on the event I feel...

Reflecting back on the event I think...

Has the event changed or transformed you in some way? If so how?

Did engaging the focus sense lead you to experience God or worship in a different way? If so describe.

Is there an application for your daily life from what you experienced this morning?

Questions I now have because of the experiential event:

Comments I have:

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THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION FACILITATION GUIDE Appendix B

Thank-you for participating in this theological reflection circle. Notes will be taken of what is said. Identifying information (names of those present in the circle) will not be recorded. Each of the following statements is an invitation to reflection and the circle is directed by your conversation. Reflection statements will be offered to keep the group focused.

Let us begin by reflecting on how the use of ______sense was evoked during worship.

Describe the experience.

Reflect on Biblical themes, images, and stories that relate to this sense.

Reflect on the use of this sense in liturgy, prayer, and traditional/regular church events.

Converse about possible connections between this sense and experiencing God.

Does opening the self through this sense have the capacity to transform mind/body/spirit?

What will you take with you from the experiential event and/or this reflection time?

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ANNOUCEMENTS Appendix C

The following are announcements to be made in the bulletin prior to the beginning of the 2012-2013 church year, as well as sent out via email to membership who have previously consented to receiving notices from the church in this manner:

A. The time has come when Pastor Kimber is seeking the congregation’s assistance for her D. Min. thesis project. Over the coming church year, five experiential worship events focusing on the human senses have been designed. These events will occur during regularly scheduled worship: through the four weeks of Advent, Jan. 6 -Epiphany Service, the five Sundays in Lent, March 31 –Easter Sunday, and May 17 -Pentecost Sunday. Please note that the focus on Jan.6th is smell. If you have environmental sensitivities speak with Pastor Kimber. Additionally, mid-week Lent services from a biblical and theological perspective will focus on one of the five senses each week. There is opportunity to create a journal/scrapbook on your reflections and items used during the services. You are invited to further participate through providing reflection on the events via writing in the “Faith Blogs,” filling out provided surveys, and/or reflecting in theological reflection circles following the events. Surveys and faith blogs are anonymous unless you choose to add your name to your reflection. Collected reflections are to be used in the writing of the thesis; no identifying information (names of those participating) will be included in the final project.

B. For the bulletin the week before Jan.6, 2013: For anyone with environmental sensitivities, please speak with Pastor Kimber about next week’s service.

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"Intentionally Engaging the Five Senses in Sacred Space to Encourage Spiritual Transformation"

CONSENT FORM for Pastor Kimber’s DMIN thesis research Thesis supervisor: Dr. Carol Anne Janzen, Acadia Divinity College [email protected]

Chair of the Acadia University Research Ethics Board, Dr. Stephen Maitzen, Acadia University, email: [email protected]; Tel: (902) 585-1407

Church year 2012-13 Purpose of the Project: The research project consists of five experiential events, each one designed to engage a particular sense during worship. The project seeks to investigate how the experiential events affect worship, and if the use of the senses creates a difference in perception, perhaps even spiritual transformation. Theological reflection following events will provide opportunity for deeper discovery, integration of experience, and a continued application of engaging the five senses in sacred space to encourage spiritual transformation. The thesis will be available for congregation members to read via the bulletin board in the Conrad Room. Further conversation and theological reflection on the finished paper will be determined by the wishes of the community. It will also be available at www.easternsynod.org in the worship file.

Participation: This research project has two components that require participant consent. After each of the five experiential worship services (occurring between December 2012 and May 2013) participants will be:  completing a questionnaire  reflecting in a small group (1 hour )

Your involvement is voluntary: Participation in this research is strictly voluntary and you are free to end your involvement at any time, without consequence to you. Questionnaires will be collected anonymously, unless you have added your name to them. You have the right to withdraw your data from the study (note this is only possible if you have signed your questionnaire). Also note that consenting to participate in the research does not waive your rights to legal recourse in the event of research-related harm.

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Are there any risks? There are no known risks associated with participation in this study.

Research Benefits: There are no known benefits that accrue to you as a result of participation in this research.

Compensation: There is no compensation for participating in this research.

Confidentiality and Data Security: Questionnaires will be collected and filed in Pr. Kimber’s office. They will be shredded and recycled at the completion of the thesis project. Notes recorded during theological reflection groups will be written without identifying information. Notes will be filed, and at the completion of the thesis shredded and recycled.

By ticking options below and signing this form you have consented to participate in this research. Please note that you may consent to one or both of the options below.

_____ filling out questionnaire(s)

_____ reflecting in a small group

SIGNED...... ………………………….... NAME IN BLOCK LETTERS...... ……………………………. DATE......

For children under the age of 18, it is required that parental/guardian permission be given for them to participate in the research.

_____ filling out questionnaire(s)

_____ reflecting in a small group

NAME of CHILD………………………………………………………………………………. PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE ……………………………………………………….. NAME IN BLOCK LETTERS ………………………………………………………………….. DATE…………………………..

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APPENDIX II All who have a fearful heart, be strong, do not be afraid! God comes in +Jesus Christ and SENSING ADVENT forgives your sin. The Spirit of holiness fill you with wisdom and might, that you may delight in God’s ways. Amen. OPENING – HEAR HYMN O Come O Come Emmanuel. Blessed be the holy Trinity, +one Verses 1-4 God, who does great things in every generation, who lifts up the lowly, Hear, O heavens, and listen , O earth. who keeps promises forever. Let the earth hear, and all that fills it. Amen. The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, Let us come to the river of life, the desert shall rejoice and blossom. confessing our sin. They shall see the glory of the Lord, Silence is kept for reflection. the majesty of our God. Nations shall come to your light, Righteous and merciful God, and kings to the brightness of your We confess that we have strayed dawn. from your ways This is the Lord for whom we wait; and walked our own paths. let us be glad and rejoice in the We fall asleep to the needs around us, salvaiton of God. yet our anxieties jar us awake. We are bound up in systems of The Lord be with you. unrighteousness and injustice. And also with you. Restore your people, O God, Let us pray, renew your creation, O Lord our God, you break into our and have mercy on us, world with messages of comfort, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our peace, and joy. Renew our strength Saviour and Lord. Amen. as we wait for your coming. Shine

your light for those who live in Listen to what God is saying, darkness. Establish your peace speaking peace to those who turn throughout the earth. Prepare our their hearts: hearts for the birth of your Son, Jesus The night is far gone, the day is near. Christ, the Saviour of us all. Amen. 169

NOTES:

 The first page of “Sensing Advent” is an order of service ready for printing and using with a congregation.  The retreat day unfolds with 45min. being taken to focus on the lighting of each Advent Candle. The day is full of reflection and silence. It is a good idea to take a lunch break between the lighting of candle 2 and 3.  The Candle outlines can be printed to help participants follow along.  Each candle outline has a section marked “devotional.” The ones used for the event are presented following the outlines.  The final page is the closing worship, ready for printing. Ideally it could be printed on the back of the opening worship page.

CANDLE ONE: SEE

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. You call all nations to walk in your light and to seek your ways of justice and peace, for the night is past, and the dawn of your coming is near. Bless us as we light the first candle of this wreath. Rouse us from sleep, that we may be ready to greet our Lord when he comes and welcome him into our hearts and homes, for he is our light and salvation. Blessed be God forever.

READING: Matthew 11: 2-11

DEVOTIONAL

SILENT REFLECTION (15min.)  What did the people go to the desert to see?  What did the people of Jesus’ time see in Jesus?  Do I see God at work as the people of Jesus’ time did?  What sights in this Advent season draw me closer to seeing/receiving the Messiah?  If I were to open my eyes what could/would I see? 170

GROUP DISCUSSION (15min.)  What did I see in a new way?  What do I need more time to reflect on?  What is the take home message for me?

CANDLE TWO: SMELL

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. In your Son, Emmanuel, you have shown us your light and saved us from the power of sin. Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath. Increase our longing for your presence, that at the celebration of your Son’s birth His Spirit might dwell anew in our midst, for he is our light and salvation. Blessed be God forever.

READING: Isaiah 11: 1-10

DEVOTIONAL

SILENT REFLECTION (15min.)  What does love smell like?  What does the kingdom of God smell like?  When I read the passage from Isaiah what smells come to mind?  What smells of this Advent season draw me closer to smelling/receiving the Messiah?

GROUP DISCUSSION (15min.)  What did I smell in a new way?  What do I need more time to reflect on?  What is the take home message for me?

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CANDLE THREE: TASTE

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. John the Baptist calls all people to prepare the Lord’s way for the kingdom of heaven is near. Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath. Baptize us with the fire of your Spirit, that we may be a light shining in the darkness welcoming others as Christ has welcomed us, for he is our light and our salvation. Blessed be God forever.

READING: Matthew 3: 1-12

DEVOTIONAL

SILENT REFLECTION (15min.)  What was the best piece of fruit I ever eaten?  What does repentance taste like?  Describe what it means to bear good fruit?  What does it look like and taste like?  What actions do I do that bear fruit that tastes sweet to others?  How sweet is the proclamation, “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”?

GROUP DISCUSSION (15min.)  What did I taste in a new way?  What do I need more time to reflect on?  What is the take home message for me?

CANDLE FOUR: TOUCH

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. Your prophets spoke of a day when the desert would blossom and waters would break forth in the wilderness. 172

Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath. Strengthen our hearts as we prepare for the coming of the Lord. May He give water to all who thirst, for he is our light and our salvation. Blessed be God forever.

READING: Isaiah 35: 1-10

DEVOTIONAL

SILENT REFLECTION (15min.)  Describe the feeling of burning sand/pools of water.  Describe the feeling of weak hands, feeble knees/strength.  What tactile images from Isaiah do you relate to?  How does this passage touch you?  Are your senses engaged?  What do you feel in your spirit after reading the passage?

GROUP DISCUSSION (15min.)  What did I touch in a new way? Or what touched me in a new way?  What do I need more time to reflect on?  What is the take home message for me?

DEVOTIONAL #1

What did you go to see Jesus asks? I wonder what do we expect to see when we are looking for hope, for love, for peace, for God? What do any of these look like? The people of Jesus time saw the lame walk, the blind see, skin made clean, the deaf hear, the dead raised, Good News preached, joy. During Advent I see malls full of people, burdened with fatigue, stress and parcels. I see chaos, advertising, worried looks, desperation, and sadness. Jesus asks the people what they went out into the desert to see. A blade of grass blowing in the wind? 173

A man dressed up in fancy clothes? A prophet? Yes a prophet, but more than just any old prophet, the prophet who was the messenger before the Messiah. Jesus asks us, “What do we go out into the culture to see?” Snowflakes blowing in the wind? A man dressed up in a fancy red suit with a white ruff? A prophet? Not a prophet, we have seen too many who say they are prophets, make promises that are untrue, not kept. Do we go through Advent seeking to see; to see snippets that direct us to find the Messiah? Do you see the blue of the paraments in churches preaching the Good News of hope? Do you see the greenery of the advent wreath as an ever-living never- ending circle of God’s love, of life? Do you see the lights that twinkle drawing us to remember Christ coming into the world as a light to all people? What do you see that draws you closer to the coming Messiah? What do you seek this season?

DEVOTIONAL #2

The cutting down of a Christmas tree -- what does that smell like? The smell filters through the sinuses it smells green, alive, sweet, and earthy. When stumps re-sprout -- what does that smell like? It happens in spring, fresh air, warm earth, effervescent life.

Have you ever thought about what God smells like? God’s kingdom, this beautiful picture of peace that is drawn out for us in Isaiah has to smell like something. Did you know that smell is the sense that holds the most memories, and elicits the strongest human responses? Perhaps asking what God smells like is too far flung ... let us start with what does love smell like? For me love smells like grandma’s gingerbread cookies filling the house with a ginger-molasses smell that evades the nose, all of me right down to my toes. She spent hours baking the cookies just so, filling them with love. God could smell like gingerbread, better yet God’s kingdom could be scented with gingerbread. 174

The feeling inside when I smell that smell is a peace, a oneness with those who have gone before, comfort, energy -- the kingdom of God.

DEVOTIONAL #3

It was a hot thirsty August afternoon in Southern Ontario, when you walked in the back door of our house the sweet smell of ripe free-stone peaches from the Niagara region wafted through the air. To take one of those peaches, run it under cool water, and then leaning over the sink bite into the fuzz, the juicy flesh inside -- heavenly. The juice ran down one’s face, as juice and flesh refreshed the mouth with a sweetness hard to describe. Slurping, one finished the peach, satisfied. If I was to describe what Good News tasted like it would be fresh ripe peaches. Advent has lots of tastes that awaken the senses, special tastes that we reserve for the season leading up to and including Christmas. What are the tastes you long for over the year? Eggnog, candy cane ice cream, almond shortbread, or Pot-of- Gold chocolate? Do you long for the Good News in the same way? Do you wait with the same anticipation to hear the sweet words of God? I was once told that words like those spoken by the voice of one crying out in the wilderness -- words like, “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near” - are words that are meant to be ingested. Interesting thought isn’t it? That when we hear, or read the word of God it is to be eaten, savoured, and digested – so that it becomes a part of what we are – and more importantly feeds who we are. John eating locust and wild honey out in the wilderness is producing the fruit he was called to bear. God was feeding the people in a unique way and quenching their thirst in baptismal waters through a crazy prophet dressed in camel hair. I wonder if John ever asked himself what fruit he was to bear or if the produce just grew and ripened? Through your baptism what fruit has God called you to bear? What people are being fed in a unique way through you? Whose thirst is quenched when God works through you? This reading calls us to be a different kind of food bank. We are called to think beyond turkeys, cranberries, and eggnog (here for Christmas but then disappearing). The call of Good News - Word - lasts and lasts with the more trees planted and nourished, the more fruit there will be to bring in God’s reign.

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DEVOTIONAL #4

After a long day at work, standing at the kitchen counter baking, or being out hustling and bustling, you come home removing awkward outside gear, tight constricting shoes, and set down jostling bundles, heavy purses/brief cases; it is time to once again feel fully human, to feel like yourself. What is it that touches you, warms your heart, and lets your body relax after such a day? Is it warm bath water seeping into your skin, swishing over tired muscles, massaging out stress? Perhaps it is sitting by a fire as you feel the heat warm your face or your feet tingle awake? Is it crawling into the comfort of fluffy soft pyjama bottoms and cozy plump slippers? The prophet Isaiah speaks to all the senses awakening a very real tactile image of the kingdom of God. Isaiah doesn’t say, “the kingdom of God is like” because one is drawn into the words which wrap around the hearer embracing the very essence of being. Spirit is captured and hope is released. Feel for a moment what it would touch in a person, to be blind and then see, to be deaf and then hear, to be lame and to leap, or to be mute and then sing. The texture of Isaiah suggests a movement from harsh to smooth, scratchy to plush, and grit to silk. Advent moves from dark to light, despair to hope, and sadness to joy. What do we touch in Advent to draw us to an image of God’s kingdom - the movement from a people of no hope to one whose hope has come? Is it the prickle of holly leaves to the softness of pine or the biting frost to the warmth of fleece? Have we come close to touching or feeling God? Will we come close to touching or feeling God - Jesus born in our lives as we journey through this Advent season?

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CLOSING - HEAR the harvest of righteousness, that all those who sow in tears may come The Lord be with you. again to you in joy; through Jesus And also with you. Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen. Lift up your heart. We lift them to the Lord. HYMN O Come, O Come Emmanuel Let us give thanks to the Lord our Verse 5-8 God. It is right to give God thanks and Thus says the Lord: praise. Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will O Lord our God, be gracious to us; come, and my deliverance be we wait for you. revealed. Dispel the darkness, that all nations Saviour of the nations come! may come to your light. Almighty God, Father, +Son, and Establish your peace on the earth; Holy Spirit, bless you now and join our voices to sing your praise. forever. Comfort the sick and weary; renew Amen. their strength and power. O Lord our God, come to us, that the earth may behold your Go in peace. Renewed and rejoicing glory. in hope. Thanks be to God. In the night in which Jesus was betrayed (continue with Words of Institution)

Gathered together as one we pray as the Prince of Peace taught: Our Father, who art in heaven...

Distribution

In this meal of goodness and mercy,

O God, Our mouths have been filled with Prayers and litanies are from: “Sundays and Seasons; Year A 2011,” laughter and our tongues with copyright @2010 Augsburg Fortress shouts of joy. Now send us to gather 177177

MID-WEEK LENT SERVICE and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there,

but the redeemed shall walk there. WELCOME And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, Introductory thought on Focus Sense and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; HYMN they shall obtain joy and gladness,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. LITANY (Isaiah 35 –NRSV)

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, PRAYER the desert shall rejoice and blossom; SCRIPTURE like the crocus it shall blossom QUIET REFLECTION abundantly,

and rejoice with joy and singing. HYMN The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. ENGAGING SENSE and OPEN They shall see the glory of the LORD, REFLECTION the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, PRAYER: “Offering One’s Senses” and make firm the feeble knees. Lord, Say to those who are of a fearful heart, sometimes I have a hard time finding “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. something to pray about, yet the reasons to God will come with vengeance, with terrible give You thanks are not lacking. recompense. Aren't there young people whose life's wish God will come and save you.” is found in these words: "God, I wish I Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, could see!" or "Lord, I wish I could hear!" and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. Yet, Lord, I who see, hear, speak with such For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, ease, often forget to thank You for these and streams in the desert; gifts which I take for granted. the burning sand shall become a pool, 178

Today, I thank You for my eyes which see light, colours, and the faces of those who ***** love me. WEEK 1 - Sight I thank You for my hearing which allows Hymn 316 Oh, Wondrous Image, Vision Fair me to enjoy people's voice and music. 563 O Light Whose Splendor Thrills I thank You for my voice which allows me Reading: Acts 26: 12-18 to express my thoughts and innermost Engagement- variety of colour chips feelings. I thank You also for the sense of smell, WEEK 2 - Taste and the sense of touch. Hymn 331 As the Deer Runs to the River Lord, You have given me the senses. 461 All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly I now offer them back to You. Reading: Luke 14: 15-24 Engagement –variety of finger foods and a Help me to use my senses sensibly: juice box for everyone to see your beauty in the beauty of human faces and bodies, WEEK 3 - Touch of flowers and rainbows, of nature and art; Hymn 329 As the Sun with Longer Journey to use my eyes to read what will enrich 566 When Twilight Comes my mind, ennoble my soul; Reading: Luke 22: 47-54a to use my ears to listen to your Word Engagement –variety of textured materials and to what philosophers and scientists have to say about the mysteries of WEEK 4 - Smell humans, of the universe, of creation, Hymn 407 O Living Breath of God so that I may better understand myself, 649 Behold, How Pleasant others, and You, Reading: Luke 1: 8-17 the Creator of all things seen and Engagement – variety of scratch and sniff unseen, known and unknowable; stickers about the past and the present, so that I may better understand myself, WEEK 5 - Hear others, and You; Hymn 332 I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say to use my voice to proclaim the truth 255 There’s a Voice in the Wilderness and to spread the joy around me. Reading: Mark 4: 1-9 Amen. Engagement –variety of musical ww.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english2/p00817.ht instruments m

***** HYMN 583 Take My life, That I May Be NOTE: for time of “Engaging Sense and BLESSING open reflection,” consider using poetry DISMISSAL about the focus sense, ask participants

questions, reflect on items used. Play.

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Quint-I-Sensual God Space WORKSHOP

Welcome to Quint-I-Sensual God Space. Quint –represents 5, as in quintet I –is the subject, the I, the me. I am. Sensual – an adjective that means to express, experience, or suggest physical pleasure or satisfaction, and accomplished through using senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing. Adjectives are active words, not dead nouns. So the theme is: the I experiencing through the 5 senses God in space, time, and place.

What you will experience this afternoon is an exploration of work being done for the doctor of ministry degree I am currently taking at Acadia.

The afternoon has three sections: 1. Experiencing the Bible and a story of sacred space in a new way 2. Defining Sacred space. 3. Creating sacred space.

Two thoughts to begin our journey: * Pere Charles Boulonge in 1953 wrote these words based on words of a man named Guradini: “with birth of the modern world people lost their ‘living contact with real things.’ When this happened people became people of ‘towns, ideologies; formulas; no longer rooted in ‘the profound order of life; the natural rhythms of day and night, of sea and season...[people] could no longer perceive the message of things...[people]could only see them now in the light of brute matter, as objects of pursuit and possession, of commerce or research.”

NOTE: that a “Quinti-Quote handout” follows the workshop script. It contains the references for the quotes.

I am convinced that this thought can be applied to society, and dare I say, the church of today. It is time for the church, for us, to shift from a predominantly thinking tradition to one that in a bolder way incorporates and reclaims the gift of our senses. 180

Second thought: * “Revelation -God’s Revelation- makes the church sure of the value of the potentialities inherent in human nature. The union of the soul with the body was decided upon and brought in to being by creative Wisdom, and therefore it has a real and positive utility. That it involves risks need not make us forget its fundamental goodness. Child of God, associated by him with the destiny of the human soul, the flesh offers resources and advantages that it is necessary for us to know and exploit. Hence the positive character of Catholic morality: the body and the senses are presented as so many aids of the highest faculties of the soul, and not as enemies to be scorned.” Pg. 194-5

Burning Bush BIBLE STUDY

Would someone please read for us Exodus 3: 1-12?

Now we could go about asking thought provoking questions; questions to think about –head work. We could use ones like: What is God up to? What are people up to? What is the message for the church/us? But we are going to take a risk and try an experiment and see if our perception of the story changes or our experience of the story is different as a result of the questions asked?

Pere Boulonge says: “there is nothing in us which has not entered through the gateway of the senses, and which the senses have not transformed into living sensation. The senses introduce us to everything, provide us with everything.” Pg. xiii.

I am going to read the first 6 verses again. I invite you to look around the story. What is there to see? Who sees what? *discussion What does the gift of sight offer to you that you did not see before? What is God saying through your gift of sight?

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I am going to read the first 6 verses again. I invite you to open your ears within the story. What is there to hear? Who hears what? *discussion What does the gift of hearing offer to you that you did not hear before? What is God saying/speaking to you through your gift of hearing? I am going to read the first bit again. I invite you to sniff around the story. What is there to smell? Who smells what? *discussion What does the gift of smell offer to you that you did not sniff out before? What is God telling you through the gift of smell?

I invite you to taste the story. What is there taste? Who tastes what? *discussion What does the gift of taste offer you to eat that you have not digested before? What is God saying to you through your gift of taste?

I invite you to feel around the story. What is there to touch? Who touches what? *discussion What does the gift of touch offer you that you have not felt before? What is God conveying to you through your gift of touch?

Has the exploring of the story in this way changed how you experience the Word of God? Is it transforming in some way?

Defining SACRED SPACE

Group discussion: Moses discovered sacred space and experienced God in the story of the burning bush. What makes space sacred? What is sacred space? Any definitions?

Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, in 1991 wrote an essay entitled, Meeting House Essays In it he quotes James Empereur,

“Three bearers of the sacred still today can assist us in discovering the mystery of God: our relationship with nature; the way the unfathomable is expressed in language, gesture and objects; and an appreciation for the 182

ordinary in human living – a way of discerning the sacred in the secular, being in touch with the religious dimension of ordinary human experience.” Pg.27

If you note, none of the bearers necessarily require a stationary place rather they are part of the “I” wherever the “I” goes. Also notice that each of the three bearers requires the “I” to utilize the senses. It is in the using of the senses that the sacred place is created. * Our relationship with nature – all of us have heard of people talk about feeling close to God in the forest, or by the ocean –sensory. * The way the unfathomable is expressed in language, gesture and objects – picture art in any form (music, Drama, painting, poetry) as a way that mystery, faith, resurrection expressed. * An appreciation for the ordinary in human living, or a way of discerning the sacred in the secular, being in touch with the religious dimension of ordinary human experience - feeling not thought.

Rabbi Lawrence continues however with the premise that sacred space is sought after by human beings. It is in our nature. Humans seek, in fact need, a location, a definition, concreteness, a reality of sacred space. There are all sorts of illustrations from a wealth of religious traditions: buildings, temples, sanctuaries, rocks, pilgrimages, quests. Space is the container we are “in”, the “in” equals place. How we describe place is how we shape the world, our thoughts, and I would argue faith.

Rabbi Lawrence has a theory that there are three ways space can be sacred.

1. Sites are inherently sacred: - this would be how First Nations People view physical geography - place is sacred and holy, simply because it is; God already dwells there; Moses is wandering in nomads land with the flock when he encounters God - God already there - place is phenomenal in some way, does not need to be marked, example Grand Canyon

2. Sites are historically sacred: - a place where something happens that has meaning to the lives of person/people involved: ie: Marconius at behest of Constantine marks 183

sites through Holy Land based on Biblical story of life of Jesus; modern example house where Anne Frank hid - need for raising of monument, museum, marker because not phenomenal as a place by itself

3. Sites artistic creation of sacred: - the “I”, or group of “I’s” makes a place holy by virtue of being there - virtually sacred requires the place to be dedicated, ie. building (into which God moves)

Creating SACRED SPACE

Exercise: choose colour strip (paint colours from store), choose piece of texture Write down a taste, smell, and sound. Get together in groups of 3-4 and share why you chose one of the items that you did. If you have time share more than one.

Discussion: What were your observations? I am going to guess that your choices revolved around an experience from your past, and that each choice had a corresponding story - a Quint-I-sensual experience. Am I correct? Imagine that you have been asked to create a sacred space: What would you include? Would you wish to include items that you choose in the exercise? Don’t just think about it – experience the space using 5 senses. Call out some of your vision.

Let’s go back to story of Moses. What did the encounter of God – the experience of sacred space do to Moses? It transformed him and his whole life changed. Did Moses choose the way in which God spoke in the quint-I-sensual? No. For the experience to have touched Moses there was an openness on Moses’ part, an attitude of being a pilgrim rather than a tourist. Tourists come along because they have decided to see a place, lured by advertising (not the voice of God), and come to take pictures. The place is an “it”. 184

Pilgrims come because they must, they are drawn, compelled to step aside, perhaps to pray...to take time. The place is not so much the place as it is experiencing the “Thou” – God.

If you look at the items you chose earlier, I am going to guess that they were choices based on pleasure, good feelings, and touching memories – items that give joy, peace, or comfort. Would you agree? Perhaps it is human instinct, that the “I” avoids pain, suffering, vulnerability, hardship, the narrow way, the Cross. Pause and reflect on the places you consider sacred. Pause and reflect on our places of worship. Are they comfortable?

The United Church of Canada put out a booklet in 1993 entitled, Godspace: guidelines for Architecture, It reads:

“In architecture, “form follows function”. In church architecture, “form follows function follows faith.””

I ponder that if form follows function that follows faith –is our faith too small, too reliant to break from the past; maybe our functions are all messed up and wrong so therefore so is our form. If the risk was taken to change the form what would happen to function and more importantly what happens to faith? In my opinion a risk - a pilgrimage - worth trying.

Richard Giles in his 2004 book, Re-pitching the Tent says:

Our places of assembly need to speak clearly to us of what we are about as the people of God. Such clarity is required, not only in sign and symbol, but also in the very form and shape of the interior spaces, the texture of the walls and floors, the beauty and excellence of the artefacts we use, look at and handle. God forbid that we should impoverish our environment at the very point and in the very moment when we are in greatest need of every assistance at our disposal to attune ourselves to the presence of God.” Pg 57

“throughout Christian history, every fresh insight into nature and love of God, every reform or revival, has been worked out in bricks and mortar as 185

well as in tracts and texts. What kind of building we meet in , and how it is arranged and decorated for worship, will tell anyone who is interested everything they need to know about us.” Pg 79

TRANSFORMATION

How would you describe the Church throughout the world in general terms? What is God’s vision for the church to be?

Through the reclaiming of sacred space and purposefully using it in a transformative way the church could become a church that looks and acts very differently.

Instead of projecting an image of comfort to members, or status quo, or institutional order ... risk engaging the opposite of our comfort zone. Would we become a church focused on Costly Grace?

So for colour : What are the two main colours in your home sanctuary? How does that make you feel? Imagine what the opposite colour would do? How about colours red-green, orange-blue, yellow-purple, or white-black? For taste: What kind of wine do you use for communion? What would happen if it were to be changed? For touch: What if the hymn books were covered with sandpaper? Or the temperature was turned way down? Other things: play with the lighting, play with the sounds

How would this change the culture of your community?

It is possible, with a pilgrim attitude, to create quint-I-sensual God space with the purpose to cause transformation.

In closing, a quote by anthropologists -Feld and Bass, in an essay “Senses of Place.” 186

“As people fashion places, so, too, do they fashion themselves. People don’t just dwell in comfort or in misery, in centres or in margins, in place or out of place, empowered or disempowered. People everywhere act on the integrity of their dwelling.” Pg.28

CLOSING WORSHIP Prepare a bread maker to bake bread through the afternoon session (in the same space), so it will be ready for communion.

HYMN 687 Come to Us, Creative Spirit

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: Stand in a circle, or close rows. When receive hand bell ... please say a prayer either aloud or silently. When you are done praying ring the bell and pass it to the next person. At the ringing of the bell we will respond, Amen. Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELBW) pg.87 – opening and closing prayers for prayers of the people (Hippo and Norwich).

LORD’S SUPPER: Let us pray. Merciful God, We do not presume to come to your table trusting in our own righteousness, but in your abundant mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat and drink the body and blood of your dear son, Jesus Christ that we may live in him and he in us, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God our thanks and praise.

It is right to give God thanks and praise, through our seeing, our hearing, through the sense of smell, and touch, and taste. 187

We give God praise for in creating – all creation was given sensing gifts to Help us stay in relationship with each other and God To let us experience each other and God So that by the grace of God, we can daily relive death and resurrection

HYMN 460 Now the Silence

ELWB -pg. 68 prayer IX

Lord’s Prayer Distribution

Final Blessing to be said facing each other: The Lord bless you and keep you/ the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious unto you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Go in peace and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.

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QUINT-I-QUOTES (quotes used in the above workshop prepared for easy reference or as a handout)

Boulonge, Charles. 1953. My Friends the Senses. New York, NY: P. J. Kenedy and Sons.

“With birth of the modern world people lost their ‘living contact with real things.’ When this happened became people of ‘towns, ideologies; formulas; no longer rooted in ‘the profound order of life; the natural rhythms of day and night, of sea and season...[he] could no longer perceive the message of things...he could only see them now in the light of brute matter, as objects of pursuit and possession, of commerce or research.” -reflecting on Guradini’s, “Esprit de la Liturgie”

“There is nothing in us which has not entered through the gateway of the senses, and which the senses have not transformed into living sensation. The senses introduce us to everything, provide us with everything.” Pg. Xiii

“We owe to our eyes the biggest and best part of our wealth. Every object of our thoughts and feelings has passed through their double door. They are the tireless purveyors and faithful interpreters of our inner life. Whether we give or receive, our eyes take part. They are both the creditors and the debtors of the mind and heart. Their structure, all physical as it is, does not keep them from acting as faithful servants of the mind.” Pg. 21

“Revelation - God’s Revelation - makes the church sure of the value of the potentialities inherent in human nature. The union of the soul with the body was decided upon and brought in to being by creative Wisdom, and therefore it has a real and positive utility. That it involves risks need not make us forget its fundamental goodness. Child of God, associated by Him with the destiny of the human soul, the flesh offers resources and advantages that it is necessary for us to know and exploit. Hence the positive character of Catholic morality: the body and the senses are presented as so many aids of the highest faculties of the soul, and not as enemies to be scorned.” Pg. 194-5

“The body is a capital given to us by God so that we may use and develop its resources to the maximum. To do nothing but remain on the defensive is to 189 follow the example of the servant who, when a talent was given to him, wrapped it carefully in a cloth and buried it in the ground instead of using it.” Pg. 195

Giles, Richard. 2004. Re-pitching the Tent. Norwich: Cantebury Press.

“Our work to proclaim the living god is thereby undermined and repudiated by buildings which speak of a generic God incarcerated in an old folk’s home, the kind of rambling Victorian building that real families gave up living in years ago.” Pg. 8

“A midst the terrors of the wild and of the unknown, they carve out places of meaning and particularly where they can commune with the transcendent power of God. They show us what it means to create sacred space, ‘a place of regeneration, creativity transformation.” Referring to early Hebrews (standing stones) Pg. 12

“Where in my life do I feel most keenly aware of the presence of God? Is it a particular place or a set of criteria which may be met in any number of places?” Pg. 14

“Our places of assembly need to speak clearly to us of what we are about as the people of God. Such clarity is required, not only in sign and symbol, but also in the very form and shape of the interior spaces, the texture of the walls and floors, the beauty and excellence of the artefacts we use, look at and handle. God forbid that we should impoverish our environment at the very point and in the very moment when we are in greatest need of every assistance at our disposal to attune ourselves to the presence of God.” Pg. 57

“Throughout Christian history, every fresh insight into nature and love of God, every reform or revival, has been worked out in bricks and mortar as well as in tracts and texts. What kind of building we meet in, and how it is arranged and decorated for worship, will tell anyone who is interested everything they need to know about us.” Pg. 79

“Art is particularly important in teaching the faith because it can stimulate our sense of devotion simply by reminding us of who we are and of how far we have travelled together; it keeps our collective memory fresh. For this reason art 190 provides an irreplaceable means of giving character and colour to liturgical space.” Pg. 111

Hoffman, Rabbi Lawrence. 1991. Meeting House Essays. Chicago: Liturgical Training Pub.

“Challenge then is for a community to embody its faith in wood, stone, metal, fabric, light, sound, colour and form in such a way that people are encouraged to participate in a corporate life.” (from forward by David Philippart) Pg. 3

Cherokee Rolling Thunder said: “when [sacred places] want you to know what they have to teach, they will let you know. When and how that happens is beyond your control.” Pg. 17

James Empereur, said: “Three bearers of the sacred still today can assist us in discovering the mystery of God: our relationship with nature; the way the unfathomable is expressed in language, gesture and objects; and an appreciation for the ordinary in human living – a way of discerning the sacred in the secular, being in touch with the religious dimension of ordinary human experience.” Pg. 27

Sacred sites different from every day maps, and places that mark our lives 1. sites of inherent sacrality, 2. sites of historical sacrality, 3. artistic creations of sacrality

Inge, John. 2003. A Christian Theology of Place. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Pub. Ltd.

“As people fashion places, so, too, do they fashion themselves. People don’t just dwell in comfort or in misery, in centres or in margins, in place or out of place, empowered or disempowered. People everywhere act on the integrity of their dwelling.” (anthropologists Feld and Bass in, “Senses of Place”) Pg. 28

“Places are not only important, they are of ultimate importance....the most constructive manner in which we can view them as Christians is sacramentally.” Pg. 142-3 191

Kilde, Jeanne Halgren. 2008. Sacred Power, Sacred Space. New York: Oxford University Press.

“Christian space is dynamic space. It is powerful space.” Pg. 199 To understand Christian space one has to understand power and its function: divine, social, and personal.

Schockley, Gary and Kim. 2009. Imaging Church: Seeing Hope in a Word of Change. Herdon, VA: The Alban Institute.

“...how about if we begin to imagine worship as our participation in an ongoing spiritual drama that has neither a beginning nor an end? Can we get our heads and hearts around the idea that when we give ourselves to worship we join in an already worshipping community that began with God’s first creative acts, continues in the present, and extends outward through all eternity?” Pg. 104

United Church in Canada. 1993. Godspace: Guidelines for Architecture in the UCC.

“In architecture, “form follows function”. In church architecture, “form follows function follows faith.””

White, James. 1964. Protestant Worship and Church Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press.

“In worship our relationships to God and man are constituted so that our whole being is changed. This is not simply a temporary emotional spree but an enduring transformation of our beliefs, our activities, and indeed our relationship to being in general.” Pg. 19

“Though we rarely think about it, every building we encounter elicits from us some response, especially when we enter it.” Pg. 27

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APPENDIX III: ADDITONAL RESOURCES

Giles, Richard. 2004. Re-pitching the Tent; the Definitive Guide to Re-ordering Church Buildings for Worship and Mission. 3rd ed. Norwich: Cantebury Press.

Appendix J of this book is a six week course on the design of liturgical space. Each session begins with a biblical exploration, group discussion questions, and a practical task. Topics investigated include: fixed buildings, sacred space created via liturgy, environmental changes within worship space, encountering God through liturgy, hospitality, teaching about signs and symbols, dreaming of ideal worship spaces, spaces sharing Good News; and transformation through re-ordered church buildings, liturgies, and communities.

Logan, John. 2009. RED (Oberon Modern Plays). London, UK: Oberon Books Ltd.

This play is an in depth conversation of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko. In it the Rothko character touches on ideas presented in the theological chapter of this paper, from an artist’s point of view. The play would be an excellent starting point to delve into concepts of the theology of art.

Long, Thomas G. 1988. The Senses of Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press.

The chapters of this book - The Eyes of Preaching, The Voice of Preaching, The Ears of Preaching, The Embodiment of Preaching – explore the relationship between the preacher and the congregation. Preaching is presented as storytelling that accesses and utilizes the senses of the preacher and listener. The author draws a connection between worship and preaching where a malaise in one leaches into the other. He also comments on an over emphasis of preaching is at the expense of liturgical experience.

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Nouwen, Henri. 2010. Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit. New York: Harper Collins.

One of the beauties of this book is the “going deeper” exercises at the end of each chapter. The exercises, which can be done as individuals or as a group, include reflection and journaling, plus an image for visio divina. Chapters begin with Henri stories and it is suggested they be read in the ancient practice of lectio divina. The book as a whole engages the use of the senses and ways to incorporate senses into ones’ prayer life. The purpose is for practice/discipline in being attentive and open to God encounter.

Weems, Anna. 1980. Reaching for Rainbows. Philadelphia: Westminster Press.

This book is full of creative resources for worship leaders. It provides litanies and poems for various occasions throughout the church year. The writing is playful, having reads consider new possibilities and understandings of all things churchy. Poems creatively have thoughts turn to experiences as senses are drawn into the imagery of the writing.

ELCA. 2006. Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.

A possibility within congregations is to use hymnody to start discussion. Hymns listed below are some that would lead to theological reflection on themes of: what is church, what constitutes sacred space, how is God- space created, what is the roll of the worshippers, the purpose of sacred space, and the connection to kin-dom.

Hymn 524 What is this Place Text: H. Oosterhuis; Music: A. Valerius Hymn 526 God Is Here Text: F .P. Green; Music: C. Taylor Hymn 532 Gathered Us In Text and music: M. Haugen Hymn 641 All Are Welcome Text and music: M. Haugen

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REFERENCE LIST

Ackerman, Diane. 1990. A Natural History of the Senses. New York: Vintage Books.

Anderson, Bernhard W. 1986. Understanding the Old Testament. 4th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Bass, Diana Butler. 2006. Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. New York: Harper Collins.

Becker, Jurgen. 1993. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.

Bedoyere, Michel de la. 1962. Francis: A Biography of the Saint of Assisi. London: Collins.

Benner, David. 2012. Spirituality and the Awakening Self: The Sacred Journey of Transformation. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press. Kobo.

Bergman, Sigurd, ed. 2005. Architecture, Aeth/ethics and Religion. London: IKO – Verlag fur Interkulturelle Kommunikation.

Bergman, Sigurd, ed. 2009. Exploring Religion, Architecture, and Design: Theology in Built Environments. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Pub.

Bibby, Reginald. 2004. Restless Churches: How Canada’s Churches Can Contribute to the Emerging Religious Renaissance. Toronto: Novalis /St. Paul University Press.

Biéler, André. 1965. Architecture in Worship: The Christian Place of Worship. Edinburgh: Oliver and Hoyt.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. [1933] 1966. Christology. Translated by John Bowden. London: Collins.

Boulogne, Charles D. 1953. My Friends the Senses. Translated by Jane Howes. New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons. 195

Braaten, Carl, and Robert Jenson. 1984. Christian Dogmatics. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: FortressPress.

Clapp, Rodney. 2004. Tortured Wonder: Christian Spirituality for People, Not Angels. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.

Chen, Jo Chiung Hau. 1997. “An Examination of Theories of Aesthetic Development with Implication for Future Research.” Journal of Taiwan Normal University: Humanities and Social Science, 42: 13-27.

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