‘A Reimagined Worship’ faith and theatre combine to create innovative Sunday worship
‘A Reimagined Worship’ is an intergenerational, community collaboration, where faith and theatre have been combined to create an innovative Sunday worship. Designed and led by Marrissa Thorpe, ten weekly workshops saw volunteer participants from St Columba URC engaged in collective service planning to assess the capacity for experimental worship within the United Reformed Church.
These theatrical and theological workshops have each had a traditional worship component as their theme. These have been broken down through drama games, skills exercises and discussions, allowing the community to better digest its purpose and creative capacity.
On Sunday 23rd March, St Columba URC welcomed people from across the world to this interactive service, with the hope of inspiring more creative styles of worship. It had over 60 attendees, with youngest participant aged three and the eldest aged 99.
This confirmed the belief that creative worship truly welcomes all. The service included a live singer and band, a play based on Corinthians 1:12-31 (written and performed by the workshop participants and the Junior Church), an interactive bread-making sermon, theatricalised prayers and a hymn delivered with actions by the Junior Church which all the congregation joined in with.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
James, a workshop participant said: “I joined the URC some years ago for the very reason that your presentation provided, fellowship and inclusiveness. Thank you.”
Poppy, a service attendee, said: “Despite being nervous to enter a new church with people that I did not know, I have never felt more welcome as a young person. I was asked if I wanted to join in with the service even though I wasn’t part of the of the process so I read prayer alongside Marrissa and helped with the actions in one of the hymns.
“As a young person, it is easy for churches to exclude people my age however in this service I felt that I had been considered throughout; it was an interesting, fun and collaborative atmosphere and overall an amazing experience.”
Reverend Catherine McFie , Minister for St Columba URC commented: “We owe Marrissa lots of thanks. I was so excited by the idea when we met her in September and this morning did not disappoint. It was fun, had a strong message and Marrissa produced an inclusive worship service. The amount of preparation that went to not only the workshops but getting everything ready for today was huge.”
About ‘A Reimagined Worship’
‘A Reimagined Worship’ hopes to inspire future projects by encouraging faith leaders and theatre practitioners to share their skills in a safe environment. The central ambition has been to nourish the participants creativity and Christianity, through the adoption of a more active role within their church. The hope is that each member now feels confident in their ability to co-create and deliver Sunday services.
Marrissa has created a detailed framework so that she is able to deliver this project to other churches who may wish to embrace the transformational power of creative Christianity.
WHAT’S NEXT? Marrissa is heading to Chesterfield, Derbyshire to run this project at St Andrew’s URC! If you think that this opportunity would benefit your congregation and wider community then please do contact Marrissa at marrissathorpe1231@gmail.com
For more information about St Columba’s URC please visit: St. Columba URC, Liverpool | Facebook