Fall 2017/Fuller Online

IS501

Burton

IS501: PRACTICES OF WORSHIP (4 Units: 162 hours). Bryan Burton

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: 1,200 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent in viewing.

REQUIRED GENERAL TEXTS (all to be purchased)

Peterson, David. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. IVP Academic, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830826971, Pub. Price $28.00 [317 pp.].

Smith, James K. A. You are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit. Brazos Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-1587433801, Pub. Price $19.99 [224 pp.]

Webber, Robert. Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative. Baker, 2008. ISBN: 978-0801066245, Pub Price $20.00 [135 pp.]

Bible Reading/Praying the Bible Weekly Spiritual Formation: Reinders, Philip. Seeking God’s Face: Praying with The Bible through the Year. Baker, 2010. ISBN: 978-0801072642. Pub Price $29.95 [125 pp. assigned to correspond to the weeks of the course.]

REQUIRED TEXTS FOR CORE PRACTICES

Sabbath-Keeping

Baab, Lynne. Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest. IVP, 2005. ISBN: 978-0830832583, Pub Price $17.00 [132 pp.]. (PURCHASE)

Confession

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. “Confession and community” in Life Together. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $14.99 [pp. 110-122]. (FULLER E-RESERVES)

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]. (FULLER E-RESERVES)

Communion

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

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]. (FULLER E-RESERVE)

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 $66.95 [50 pp. assigned]. (FULLER E-RESERVE)

Prayer

Kreeft, Peter. Prayer for Beginners. Ignatius, 2000. ISBN: 978-0898707755, Pub. Price $14.95 [130 pp.]. (PURCHASE)

Enacting the Prophetic

Labberton, Mark. The Dangerous Act of Worship. IVP, 2012. ISBN: 978-0830834143, Pub Price $16.00 [22 pp. Chapter 7 “When Worship Talks to Power”]. (FULLER E-RESERVE)

OPTIONAL PRACTICE FOR EXTRA CREDIT: A 500 word Theological Review

Worship as Cultural Formation

Smith, James K.A. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview and Cultural Formation. Baker Books, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801035777, Pub. Price $22.99 [240 pp. assigned].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1,200 pages reading, audio/video and Weekly Spiritual Formation Exercise Forums (non-graded but course participation requirement) using required text Seeking God’s Face: Praying with The Bible through the Year. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [60 hours].

2. 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. Students will engage in spiritual disciplines and discussion around Sabbath-keeping, confession, praise, and implications of these practices for vocational formation. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [32 hours+8 hours=40 hours]

3. Directed Exercises and Integrative Reflection through four fieldwork activities assigned. Students will participate in 4 directed fieldwork assignments that allow the student to reflect on worship/prayer practices and disciplines over the course of the quarter. (20%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and #3]. [8 hours+8 hours=16 hours].

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

5. A 1000-1200 word research and reflection paper which presents the student’s understanding of the role of The Bible and the Practices of Worship guided by David Peterson’s Engaging with God (required text for course). (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1 and #3]. [20 hours].

6. Signature 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 (1,200-1,500 words). (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: IS500 encouraged. 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.