I think I’ve mentioned already that we’re trying something new this year? Instead of having a new story every month or so in the ‘modern’ service, we’re planning to make a series of episodes to one story. Right. Over the Christmas break several of the team worked like mad to get Xpresso’s first purpose built set ready for the January service. This could have been a nightmare but fortunately with this team, even the late night painting sessions were enjoyable, although I confess I did wonder if it was all going to work out at one point: what if no-one understood the story, what if I couldn’t think of a story for episode two?
Fortunately people understood what was happening: in fact one comment was “I didn’t have to think to understand it” which I think was intended as a positive comment. Xpresso pulled together to make it work (after a rough last rehearsal) and no-one complained that we were in the way, and we could leave the set up through the whole service which was unexpected.
We’re now committed to the series. working on the rest of the series. “Coffee Shop 2: Decisions” is ready already in draft, which is just as well because the team really want to do a Tenebrae service somewhere, so I need to write that. The ‘Tenebrae’ project is now being led by one of the team, with me writing and possible directing. She’s organising her team better than I can and my stress load has dropped, so I may make it a regular arrangement.
There’s so much happening I’m short on Blogging time, but I’ll be back with further updates -and hopefully pictures- ASAP
We’ve been looking at how our lifestyle can develop beyond simply cycling as transport. We’ve found the Transition Movement, which I immediately liked because it seems to be about finding answers as much as highlighting problems. It also seems positive and optimistic, and community based, and as I’ve long since decided politicians are the last people to turn to for solutions, I’m all for that.
The charity seems to be about preparing people and towns to move to more localised economies. because more and more evidence is suggesting that oil will one day become rather difficult (and therefore expensive) to get hold of, and also of possible climate change which will also mean we will have to rethink our current economic and food supply systems. They have a set of YouTube videos which sum up their work six bite-sized ten minute chunks. They also give a good introduction to climate change and ithe less well known theory of Peak Oil and their possible effects. (If you prefer the 50 minute version is here)
We’ve started on our own path along this way already, but it’s good to although we may be crazy, we’re in good company.
It’s well over a month since we had the Auditions for ‘Coffee Shop’ and high time I updated you on what’s happening. We’ve started rehearsals for the first episode (of hopefully about eight over the next year) and the set is slowly coming together. Which reminds me I need to get more cardboard.
The theme of the service is ’silence/stillness’ and is supposed to be about getting enough still and quiet time with God. In our story, the Coffee shop has its new opening day, and one of the staff is trying to call her parents, but the pressure of customers is stopping her getting the quietness she needs. Eventually she has the time but then no response, and the question is if her parents are now ignoring her because they are angry that she didn’t make time earlier.
I wanted to get pictures of the set framework but unfirtunately the church was so dark last rehearsal we could barely see each other, let alone get any decent photographs. I’ll put some together as soon as I can.
In other news, we’ve been told we can’t have the Tenebrae service in the church, so we’re looking for alternative locations. Anyone from Ostfildern area reading this who would like an alternative type of service in passion week, please let us know.
Ever since I first heard of a Tenebrae service I’ve wanted to do one with Xpresso, and after the Christmas piece worked technically for the team, we’re finally able to suggest one for this year. Not only that, but there’s some possibility of taking it on tour to other places. Tenebrae is ideal for this: it’s simple to set up and run, no-one needs lots of props -okay, so we have a bike for carrying stuff, but the less weight, the better- and because the service is usually read out there’s not a lot of movement either which is handy because churches aren’t usually designed for theatre: what is a wide space in our home church be filled with a font or a statue of Mary when we go anywhere else so it’s much better if the actors don’t have to rearrange everything. Also Tenebrae is acceptable in a wide variety of denominations.
The idea so far is that we have seven monologues telling the story from the last supper through to the crucifixion, from different perspectives depending who was closest to Jesus at the time. Now I need to get permission and see who on the team would be open to commit to the project, and search out churches (preferably within cycling distance) open to host us.
We’ll have a few surprises up our sleeves in the piece as well: it wouldn’t be Xpresso if we didn’t.
After reading about snow chaos in the UK for a few days it’s our turn, with a snow front gradually making its way from south to north of Germany. One of the small extra jobs I seem to have picked up is clearing snow from in front of our boys’ kindergarten, so when the first flurry of snow came along, the neccesary tools went into the Bakfiets and off we went.
After stopping to get grit from a nearby bin we went to do battle with the snow. It’s amazing what we end up carrying in this bike.
These were taken two days ago when the roads were still passable by bike. since then so much came down that I’m transporting things by sled now.
Last week I mentioned that the local church youth organisation is is finally getting past the idea of ‘everyone must do everything’ and stepping out into the brave new world of people being actually being able to do what they are good at.
How could a storytelling and arts team fit into this, especially one that has a creation care mandate?
This youth organisation covers a pretty big region of eighteen churches so it’s not like they are in walking distance. For the sake of argument, lets say we find people interested in different things in different churches, because that’s usually what happens. How could we get these people connected and encourage all these very different people in their gifts?
I’ll be following this up to see what may come of it…
The trouble with the Christmas story is that everyone thinks they know it.
Xpresso tries to avoid traditional Christmas productions and to tell the story in unusual ways. This isn’t easy as just about every possible idea has been tried half a dozen times. We designed the story to be read out from the musician’s gallery at the back of the church, by candlelight. The story was told by Mary, as if she’d just arrived in the stable, describing what happened to her very simply and letting the wonder of it all speak for itself, while around her the town gossips and family members kept making their own clueless and often lewd comments. I feel we’ve forgotten how incredibly scandalous the story was to the locals, Mary would have been called a whore and worse.
This time a lot of people wanted ‘a very short role’ and I had very little time to prepare. After trying half a dozen ideas, I realised I was going at it all wrong: Trying to make so many roles was also making life difficult and forcing me to write a comedy, which I didn’t want. Anyway, the story itself is beyond anything I can come up with, and it doesn’t need me to improve it.
So we asked the people wanting a ’short role’ to wait until next year, and designed the story to be read out from the musician’s gallery at the back of the church, by candlelight. The story will be told by Mary just after arriving in the stable, describing the story very simply and letting the wonder of it all speak for itself. By contrast the town gossips and family members keep making their own clueless and often lewd comments. I feel we’ve forgotten how incredibly scandalous the story was to the locals, Mary would have been called a whore and worse. The humour was intended to make us think about our own attitudes to people, and to the story we think we know so well.
So far reactions have been positive, and the piece worked well enough for it to be added to the file that will hopefully become a book later this year.
We really need a break and a dear friend offered the perfect opportunity by offering her house near Freiburg while she’s at a conference, at the same time as another friend gave us some money so we could get the train tickets. We’re be off travelling through the depths of the Black Forest and being a family while other commitments are put on hold. We’ll be talking and thinking about the future, I expect, and looking around the region, maybe even wander into France (literally, it’s only a bridge across the Rhine) As an added bonus we’ll be able to see our former pastor on the way home.
After the previous post, some good news has arrived. The local Lutheran district youth work sent a general letter last week telling us what they’re up to and what’s new. Right at the top of the letter, they announce they are changing how they organise regional groups The old form of ‘everyone does everything’ is finally being retired:
“In their place [The old generalised groups] we will now have specialised teams (Fachlich Orientierte Arbeitskreise) such as, for example the ‘Youth group team’ or the ‘Young adults team’. Staff can now choose to work within their own interests work from their personal interest instead of -as before in the youth teams- being expected to do ‘everything’.”
(Remember that’s a translation from German, german speakers please correct if needed)
Well done to the dear old Lutheran church. We may still have Liturgy from the fifteenth century, but at least we can get some things right.
I’m very much aware that I’ve not been blogging for some weeks: It’s been busy and there’s some good stuff happening which I’ll write about when I have time.
However, I came across this the other day from the Königsfeld Bibelseminar, which has a local branch school in our town. They are advertising a seminar in the new year which they describe thus (translated directly from their website):
‘Music and Worship in the church’
A hands on workshop with many good practical examples. The whole church can take part in this workshop. (Emphasis mine)
The following will be covered in the seminar:
Music: Art form or communication tool?
Biblical and historical perspectives and use of music.
Worship: Leading or emotional manipulation? What are the criteria?
How is a worship session put together? How do we pick up the worshippers? What is the goal? Where do we want to take them?
So the whole church can take part in… what? Playing instruments? Singing? Yup. All those bursting with creativity in art, design, dance, drawing, sculpture, storytelling, writing, puppetry, cooking, photography, metalwork, and about a thousand other areas are not welcome here.
As to ‘How a worship session is put together’… Maybe I’ll save that for another time.
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Posted by Andy in Germany
