Winter 2016/Fuller Online

IS501

Yee

IS501: PRACTICES OF WORSHIP (4 Units: 160 hours). Russell Yee.

DESCRIPTION: Christian practices constitute the Christian life. The combined Christian practices of vocational formation, worship, community, and mission facilitate the integration of personal, spiritual, academic, and global formation into the vocational coherence of a Christian leader through reflection, relationships, and practices. IS501 is an integrative course that explores the identity and practices of Christian worship as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (Sabbath-Keeping, Confession, Praise, Gathering & Sending, Reading & Proclaiming the Word, Prayer, Communion, Enacting the Prophetic).

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of worship. (2) Students will participate in local contexts and demonstrate the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of worship. (3) Students will demonstrate the capacity to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic practices of worship. (4) Students will articulate how worship practices impact their response to the Central Integration Question (CIQ) and will identify exercises, habits, and disciplines to embody these practices within their sociocultural context.

COURSE FORMAT: This course meets ten weeks online (which includes 8 hours of participation in vocation and formation groups) for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,000 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent in viewing.

A. The Holy Bible, assigned passages[c. 50 pp.]

B. Caccamo, James F., and Todd Johnson, and Lester Ruth. Living Worship: A Multimedia Resource for Students and Leaders. Brazos Press, 2006. ASIN: 1587432951, Pub. Price $27.99 [10 hr. assigned viewing].

C. Peterson, David. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. IVP Academic, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830826971, Pub. Price $26.00 [c. 200 of 317 pp.].

D. Yee, Russell. Worship on the Way. Judson Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0817017071, Pub. Price $17.99 [c. 100 of 233 pp.].

E. Any one of the following books on spiritual disciplines (student’s choice, c. 200 pp.):

- Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. IVP Books, 2005. ISBN 978-0830833306, Pub. Price $20.00 [293 pp.].

- Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth. Any ed., e.g., HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. ISBN: 978-0060628390, Pub. Price $25.99 [228 pp.].

- Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. Any ed., e.g., HarperOne, 1999. ISBN:  978-0060694425, Pub. Price $15.99 [288 pp.].

F. Any one or more of the following books on another Core Practice (student’s choice, c. 200 pp.):

- Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $14.99 [128 pp.] (Gathering and Sending, Confession).

- Labberton, Mark. The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice. IVP Books, 2013. ISBN: 978-0830834143, Pub. Price $16.00 [200 pages assigned] (Enacting the Prophetic).

- Nouwen, Henri. The Only Necessary Thing. The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2008. ISBN: 978-0824524937, Pub. Price $15.95 [224 pp.] (Prayer).

- Another of the spiritual disciplines titles under “E.” above

- Any other book directly related to one or more Core Practices, by approval

G. Course Reader selections [50 pp.] including these C. S. Lewis essays: “A Word About Praising” (Praise); “The Weight of Glory” (Praise, Gathering & Sending); “Petitionary Prayer: A Problem Without an Answer” (Prayer); and “On Church Music” (Praise).

I. One feature film of the student’s choice directly or closely related to a Core Practice:

- Sabbath-Keeping: Chariots of Fire (1981)

- Confession: Dead Man Walking (1995)

- Praise: Joyful Noise (2012)

- Gathering & Sending: The Apostle (1997)

- Communion: Babette’s Feast (1987)

- Prayer: God on Trial (2008)

- Enacting the Prophetic: Selma (2014), Amazing Grace (2006)

- Reading & Proclaiming the Word: A Man Called Peter (1955)

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Students will read 1,000 pages (with some in equivalent video viewing), including 50 pages of biblical text. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [50 hours].
2. Students will respond to the weekly prompt on Moodle and participate in three online Forums (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, and 4]. [20 hours].
3. Using the Worship Autobiography worksheet provided, students will reflect on their own worship formation journeys, posting a 250-word reflection in an online forum and responding to each other with two 50-word reflections (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [3 hours].
4. Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines during the quarter, using the prompts and instructions provided, and briefly reporting on their participation. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [15 hours].
5. Using guidelines provided, students will visit and engage four different worship settings and write a 1,250-word reflection on the experiences (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [8 hours + 8 hours].
6. Students will each use their chosen feature film to develop a full lesson plan focused on the associated Core Practice and suitable for church ministry use (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3]. [6 hours].
7. For the remaining Core Practices, students will use the worksheet and prompts provided to engage, reflect, and create sample practices suitable for church ministry use, utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, and case studies) (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3]. [25 hours].
8. Students will complete the Signature Assignment: 100 word CIQ response, integration paper related to course practices, and Rule of Life (2,500 words total) (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3, and 4]. [25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.