Marcia McFee

Starting in 2007, I'm officially taking the position of "Worship Coordinator" at my relatively small church (about 100 in attendance on Sunday mornings). So, I decided it would be beneficial to pick up a few books from my local library to get ideas about how to do the job more effectively (I have been part of the worship planning team for some time). This was one of the two books that I got out.

I found this book to be quite helpful in giving me a systematic way (actually a multi-systematic way!) of thinking about worship. McFee develops several easy to remember formulae for what needs to be considered when designing worship. At times, the format was somewhat frustrating to me, but that was because I was using it in a fashion other than what it was designed for. I was just reading it.

So, what is the book designed to do? As should be relatively obvious from the title, it is (primarily) designed to equip you to run a worship workshop for those involved with worship planning in your congregation. It has great worksheets and activities to be used for getting the creative energies flowing so that worship can be designed in a way that allows everyone to worship God and glorify Him in a sincere manner. Though I have not (yet) used the book in this way, I did find it to be filled with ideas that I could use (or at least consider) even without running a workshop.

A couple final notes:

1) It seems that Marcia McFee is coming from a "mid-to-high" church background. (I'm guessing one of the higher-church UMC congregations, though I'm not certain.) So, if you're coming from a more contemporary setting, then some of her suggestions may feel strange. However, the overall principles are certainly applicable.

2) BUT, if you're looking for a book that is about the philosophy or theology of worship, then look somewhere else. McFee's book is far more practical. Which, in my case, was exactly what I was looking for.

I would recommend this book for people who are involved with worship planning in some capacity (or Christian artists looking for ways that their abilities can be used to enhance their congregation's worship experience). If you'd like to be involved in worship planning, then talk to whomever does it in your church... odds are good they'll be happy for the help!… (més)

Quoting from the book's back cover, "Debunking the myth that your body has nothing to do with your spiritual life, avid winter sports enthusiasts Dr. Marcia McFee and Rev. Karen Foster demonstrate how spirituality is fed by play and challenge and how your snow-filled adventures can serve as a set of metaphors for seeing life's ups and downs as part of a sacred rhythm. Whether you have a need for speed or are drawn toward more lyrical motion, McFee and Foster offer poignant insights on how you can find your peak spiritual life in your favorite snow sport, no matter your skill level."… (més)