Worship is embodied movement, from the processional of a choir to the lifting of hands in praise. Often the artistic expressions that help us enact our worship arise from an encounter with a particular biblical narrative. Stained-glass windows depict one of Jesus' parables. A sermon explores a dramatic moment in Israel's history. A choral anthem, hymn, poem, chancel drama, or liturgical dance retells the story of Jesus' birth or death.
Biblical narratives shape our imaginations when they are brought to life in worship.
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship joyfully explores this world of Scripture-shaped artistic expression. Our vocation is to challenge Christians in many traditions to rethink and re-experience the power and joy of our corporate worship to God in Christ. One of our goals is to inspire and encourage artists in many media to offer rich and fitting offerings, to enable corporate worship, and to include the receiving and embracing of our gifts. Rather than plan an issue simply about the arts in worship, we wanted this issue to help artists and receivers of the arts to encounter the arts directly in order to worship more faithfully and imaginatively. We could imagine no richer and more dramatic source of reflection than the Emmaus road narrative in Luke 24.