The Glen Workshop is an experiment in Christian community—an experiment that has been extraordinarily enriching and successful for hundreds of people over the past seven years. As in any community, our diversity can be a source of both joy and tension. This brief meditation seeks to address some of the concerns and tensions that inevitably crop up at events like this one.
Like Image itself, the Glen is an ecumenical Christian enterprise that seeks to balance inclusiveness with a clear Christian identity. Since we are human, we will always fail at this balancing act, but our efforts should be sincere and sensitive.
The one form of organized worship at the Glen is evening worship. The purpose of this service is to provide a quiet counterpoint to the hectic nature of the day. While workshops and presentations are rollicking, interactive, and stimulating, evening worship services are meditative—simple ends to full days.
One of the Glen's strengths is the diversity of its attendees, and we want to develop a worship service that reflects that richness. This year Debbie Blue will give homilies at our evening worship services, which will feature music and meditations on the arts. We hope the combination of prayer-filled music with thoughtful reflection will create a worship experience that is rich, meditative, and welcoming.
The Glen community includes a range of traditions—for which we give thanks to God. The world of Christians in the arts is small enough that we want to do all we can to bring people in, not alienate them. We hope that because they are simple, these services will be meaningful for all.
Because we are diverse, we encourage all attendees to use the mornings to find ways to worship alone, or in small groups, to allow that diversity to flourish. Flannery O'Connor was fond of a quotation: "Everything that rises must converge." May all our prayers rise—and converge—in the heart of our creator, redeemer, and sustainer.
The Glen Workshop is held in collaboration with
Christians in the Visual Arts and Christians in the Theatre Arts
For more information, please write to:
Image, 3307 Third Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119.
Phone: (206) 281-2988. Or send us an e-mail.
You can email "On Worship at the Glen" by Copying and pasting this link into an email or instant message
or, clicking this link to email the link using your computer's email program.
These icons link to social networks where users can share and discover new webpages.