The Mission Symposium

A few weeks ago a few gathered at William Booth College to think about the missional focus of The Salvation Army. Where is it headed.... now... in 3 years... in 10 years?

My experience of the 'Symposium' was, I suppose, unique.  A group of us were invited to attend a song writer's stream - with the challenge to begin a process of crafting songs which echo themes presented at the Symposium. We were to attend as many sessions as possible and then assimilate that which we heard into song.

My reflection is that we had some small success in this too.  I think that the songs we landed on did indeed point towards themes explored in the main sessions.  In many ways the process of writing was chaotic... perhaps in the best sense... Our aim, we decided, was purposefully to create as many songs as possible in the time that we had with a view to crafting and honing these later; after the event.

On Wednesday evening we shared the songs we had written to a patient and kind congregation of the symposium.  By no means would I say the songs we had written were works of art - far from it - but there was something of a knitting together of the message, the undertone, the momentum of the event.  It did feel as though God was opening our eyes to something.  Something on the very edge of the canvas... and it was beautiful.

My reflection as a worship leader is that i would never even think of using so many baby fresh, brand new songs in an act of worship so I think this was a courageous & trusting move.  It was an exercise that we as an entire symposium were in on together... indeed we had to be as there was a great deal of vulnerability laid on the altar. And it is something you could only do in certain contexts.  But we need to have space for this, and I believe the symposium was an appropriate space.

Would I have suggested we do things differently if we did them again?  Yes.  Probably.  

I think the artistic out-working of the symposium could have been more multifaceted. We could have and should in the future invite Salvationist graphic artists, film makers, bloggers, sculptures, poets, rappers, electronic musicians, et al to join in and interpret.  

Any rekindling of vision & momentum within a movement should result in an explosion of art.  This is something we can encourage on every level - and have more than half an eye out to recognise the prophetic voice through this medium both; within and alongside the scholarly.