Spring 2017/Fuller Online

IS501

White

IS501: PRACTICES OF WORSHIP (4 Units: 160 hours). Dr. Dan White

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 and prayer 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, communion, enacting the prophetic, gathering & sending, prayer, and reading & proclaiming the Word) in order to form students who demonstrate capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will have demonstrated capacities to critically reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of worship and prayer. (2) Students will have demonstrated through participation in local contexts the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of worship and prayer. (3) Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic and personal practices of worship and prayer. (4) Students will have articulated how practices of worship and prayer 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 required synchronous and/or asynchronous 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/VIEWING: 800 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent in viewing.

  1. Smith, James K. A. You are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit. Brazos Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-1587433801. Price $19.99 [50 pp.]

  1. Waltke, Bruke K., and James M. Houston. The Psalms as Christian Worship: An Historical Commentary. Eerdmans, 2010. ISBN: 978-0802863744, Pub. Price $37.00 ($15 on Kindle). [75 pages assigned]. Because this is a commentary many will prefer the paperback version for easy lifelong reference. Students will engage approximately 200 pages of this commentary but it will not be read in its entirety.

  1. A modern, non-paraphrase translation of your choice of the Holy Scriptures such as the NIV, RSV or ESV. A respected study bible is always helpful. You may check with the professor or an educated pastor if you have questions as to whether or not your Bible is a modern, non-paraphrase translation or concerning study bibles respected in your movement or denomination. [50 pages required.]

  1. Micks, Marianne H., The Joy of Worship. Seabury Books, 2004. ISBN: 978-1596280014, Pub. Price $12.00 ($11 on Kindle, $9.50 as a Barnes and Noble Nook E-Book) [75 pages].

  1. Sleeth, Matthew. 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life. Tyndale House Publishers, 2012. ISBN: 978-1414372280, Pub. Price $12.99. Barnes and Noble E-Book: $11, Paperback: $12 [176 pages], DVD: $20. Students may choose the book or the DVD. I suggest the DVD version as you will probably want to use this resource with your congregations for many years to come. It is a highly persuasive case for changing our lives to become Sabbath-Keepers once again.

CORE PRACTICES:

Confession

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. “Confession and Community” in Life Together. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $14.99 [pp. 110-122]. Available via e-Reserves at no expense to students.

Praise

Brueggemann, Walter. “Praise as a Constitutive Act” in Israel’s Praise: Doxology against Idolatry and Ideology. Augsburg Fortress Press, 1988. ISBN: 978-0800620448, Pub. Price $19.00 [pp. 1-28]. Available via e-Reserves at no expense to students.

Communion

Wright, NT. The Meal Jesus Gave Us. 2nd edition. Westminster/John Knox, 2015. ISBN: 978-0664261290, Pub Price $14.00 [96 pp.]

Gathering and Sending

Schmit, Clayton J. Sent and Gathered. A Worship Manual for the Missional Church. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801031656, Pub. Price $22.00 [52 pp. assigned] Available via e-Reserves at no expense to students.

Reading and Proclaiming the Word

Charry, Ellen (ed). Inquiring after God. “Inquiring after God when Meditating on Scripture” and “Inquiring after God when Preaching”. Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. ISBN: 978-0631205449, Pub Price $64.95 [50 pp assigned]. Available via e-Reserves at no expense to students.

Prayer

Kreeft, Peter. Prayer for Beginners. Ignatius, 2000. ISBN: 978-0898707755, Pub. Price $11.95 [60 pp.]

Enacting the Prophetic

Brueggeman, Walter. The Prophetic Imagination. 2nd ed. Fortress, 2001. ISBN: 978-0800632878, Pub Price $19.00 [76 pp].

RECOMMENDED READING/VIEWING:

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 800 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [40 hours].

  1. Online and Vocation Formation Group (VFG) Participation: Students will participate in active learning to foster understanding of and capacity for engaging in theologically-informed reflection in the online classroom and through participation in Vocation Formation Groups. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [32 hours+17 hours].  

  1. Directed Exercises and Integrative Reflection: Student will participate in disciplines and exercises outside of the classroom over the course of the quarter related to the core practices of the course and reflect on these experiences in a way that integrates experience with course content. (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2 and #3] Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines over the course of the quarter. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [17 hours].

  1. Autobiography: Students will create an autobiography related to practices of worship and prayer (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [20 hours].

  1. Final Integrative Assignment: Integration paper that reflects theologically on the practices of this course and their implications for the student’s response to the CIQ and the exercises, habits, and disciplines in their current Rule of Life. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [20 hours].

  1. Additional assignment(s), activities. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [14 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

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

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

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