The first thing to say might be that it’s not exactly the official Headspace line - that we don’t like ‘Christian music’ or ‘worship songs’.  But it seems like a reasonable proportion of those of us who have made Headspace our spiritual home over the years, for a variety of reasons, have a certain aversion to it.  Hence, rarely do we have any even vaguely conventional worship music in Headspace.  Very little unconventional worship music in fact.
 
But why is this?  Do we not like music?  Ok, so we try to affirm that worship takes a great many shapes – but why does it so rarely take the form of music - and why, specifically, so rarely worship music and hymns? 
 
I would think we all have different reasons for it (those of us who aren’t fans).  I don’t think it is simply that ‘it isn’t very good’, or ‘shite’.  I don’t like a lot of it, it’s true a lot of it is not good (or at least not to my taste).  New songs are often trite and theologically questionable (perhaps ‘orthodox’, but so closed to interpretation that you appear to be claiming a certain particular (often conservative evangelical) line by singing it).  Old hymns can be beautiful, but are often not (or don’t come across as) exactly joyful praise.  Rather they sound like dirges.
 
I think I question how, for me at least, singing along with any of these songs is actually worship.  I don’t feel that that’s what I’m doing, or that this is the best way to do it.  I like songs, music, singing.  And I like the communal aspect of getting together and finding commonalities through music.  But worship music seems to be claiming something else.  And is that what it is?  Worship?
 
Is it songs to God and Jesus, or songs about God and Jesus that I have most of an issue with?  Is it praise to sing, for example, versions of the creed: ’We believe in God the saviour, maker of the universe…’?  However much it makes sense as a communal activity, is it worship?
 
Is exposition of theology worship?  There are songs which express good orthodox theology, but does that equate to ’praise’ or ‘worship’?
 
There are adapted chunks of scripture – not just the psalms.  One that springs to mind (ok, I found it in a music book, but l do remember it) – which brings up another question – ‘I the Lord of sea and sky’.  The verses of which are from the point of view of God!  Is that worship?
 
And then there are ones which just reference God – for example: ‘I will speak for those who have no voices/I will stand for the rights of the oppressed/… I will lift up the weak in Jesus’ name.  Fine sentiments maybe, but worship?
 
A hymn I do like is Here is Love:
 
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving kindness as the flood
When the prince of life our ransom
shed for us his precious blood.
Who his love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing his praise?
He can never be forgotten
throughout heaven’s eternal days.
 
On the mount of crucifixion
fountains opened deep and wide.
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love like mighty rivers
poured incessant from above
And heaven’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love.
 
Theologically orthodox, I would think, but perhaps open enough to interpretation (for me? Maybe…), quite poetical language and musically with a lift in the second half of each verse potentially towards some kind of connection with wonder and joy.  But is it worship?
 
By asking if any of this is worship, I’m not saying it’s not.  This is what I do ask myself.  So perhaps it’s me.  If my answer tends to be ‘it doesn’t really seem to be to me’, is there something wrong with me spiritually that I can’t easily worship in the ‘conventional’ way?
 
But is it conventional?  In what way is standing as a congregation, looking at books, or all facing the OHP - or more technologically impressive things nowadays – conventional worship?  Is this how it was always done?  Is this how it was meant to be done?  Are there not innumerable ways to worship – explicitly as well as implicitly? 

But what about music?  Are we in Headspace not to worship through music?  I hope that’s not the case, and nor do I think it has to be.  But I think we can always remember it’s not the only way.
 
So the summary of all my questions, I suppose, is, when it comes to music: is praise/worship therefore in what we sing, that is in the words we use, or is it in the very act of expression, of connecting with emotions we don’t have words for; or the right words anyway?  And in fact, does trying to fit the words in sometimes/for some actually detract from the act of worship?
 
So can music, whatever it’s expressed purpose, be praise and worship?  (Not ‘is’ music…praise and worship – that’s a slightly different but also prescient question.)  And likewise might other things we do that connect us with inexpressible emotions, and bring our minds towards God, worship?  Do we have to be told to think about God to actually think about God?

Just like the average headspace meeting.

http://www.penpaperpause.com

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4657662595934098105

Ok

First up a link to Rob Bell’s ‘breathe’ film in the nooma series.

and then a link to an excellent riposte from ‘way of the master radio’

I think you need to do both to get the full effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBBxUu6xfVM

oh boy. 

i shouldn’t be allowed to use the internet after midnite, especially under the influence of any kind of spirit. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/02/theo-hobson-christianity

There are, however, a couple of points worth noting. Firstly, we recognised that this is a snap-shot of an evolving group. The list is not there to fix in stone who we are. It is not a statement of faith or a creed that defines us. Secondly, we recognised that it is a response to a particular question. We discussed what it is that we value about the group, but if we asked a slightly different question (e.g. what is our purpose as a group) we might have a different outcome.

Here is the list. Your comments are welcome.

we want headspace to be varied
a place where we encourage creative approaches to collective worship and encounter God in different ways

we want headspace to be open minded
a place where different points of view about faith enrich our view of God.

we want headspace to be inclusive
a place where everyone and anyone can be welcomed, accepted, and engaged in our community.

we want headspace to be space
a place to explore, reflect, and meditate on what’s going on inside.

we want headspace to be social
a place where we spend time getting to know each other

we want headspace to be led by the group
a place where everyone can contribute and direct what we do.

I guess i’m trying to balance in my mind:

God: inventing the concepts of time, space, matter and life (creation)
Vs
Me: scribbling on a piece of paper or writing a little song about girls (creation?)

I’m not trying to say human creativity isn’t important or god-infused, i’m just wondering if we overstate it sometimes. After all, isn’t human creativity just a new combination of things that already existed before in a new/surprising way?

What do people think?

If you are interested in reading more about issues of gender and gender identity in relation to social justice/inclusion and faith/spirituality you may find some of these resources useful – we did.

http://www.gaycenter.org/community/multimedia/transgenderbasics

http://crossingthet.wordpress.com/

Headspace is a group of people who gather together, armed with their doubts to celebrate their faith: faith in God, and in each other.  Their corporate faith: their individual faith.

Headspace is made up of people passing through, exploring this terrain of faith, and of earth, but loitering long enough in this place to call it home.

Headspace believes in God and Headspace doesn’t believe in God.  Only the God Headspace can’t conceive of is big enough to be God; the God Headspace believes in.

Headspace is the sum of its parts.  But Headspace is more than the sum of its parts.  And those parts are swimming, in flux, ever changing.  Each of us make Headspace what it is.  And none of us is in stasis.  

And so neither is Headspace.  Which makes it hard to define; and means this is no definition. 

Headspace is defined not by words, but by what we make it