Breathing Light - an exhibition of paintings

There is currently an excellent exhibition of paitings by Elizabeth Gray-King on at the United Reformed Church House (86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT). The artist, Elizabeth Gray-King (www.elizabethgrayking.com ) is a minister of the United Reformed Church. The exhibition of 8 pieces is a moving journey through her pilgrimage of faith since 1991 using oil paint on canvas and other media. The exhibition culminates is a canvas on the top floor of the building called 'As Dying see we live', a self portrait of the artist as a breast cancer survivor.

Often taking her titles from scripture, Elizabeth writes in the leaflet that accompanies the exhibition of coming 'to a new and liberating place' in which 'I didn't feel diminished'. The paintings are strong but also hugely vulnerable and the themes of death and live highly relevant. I hope you get an opportunity to see it or visit her website.

Emotion in worship do you control or let go?

This morning worship in the ecumenical centre in Geneva was a bit of a last minute feast. Weeks ago I asked colleagues from the countries we are praying for as part of the ecumenical prayer cycle to lead or read, but many were travelling and not available. Then last week I was on holiday and the person who had been going to coordinate also took leave. Everything was prepared but it was my job to hijack people at the beginning and get them to lead and read different parts of the service. (Thanks goodness we have a very motivated choir who turn up early!) I would not normally recommend this organising-worship-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach to the liturgy - even if the service was prepared and printed.
However, this morning two quite extraordinary things happened as a result. One was my colleague Rogate Mshana telling us Kagina's story which I've written up on my blog - he didn't know he was going to say anything - nor that he had anything to say - until I asked him to speak two minutes before the service began. (Janet, Rogate is a brilliant person for remembered Bible, we've used the method several times here and he's just a natural.)
The other preaching of the gospel came when a young colleague from the Pacific read the gospel, standing in for another person I had asked last minute. Our colleague read in a beautiful strong voice as the congregation stood to listen to the gospel. We could hear the emotion surging through her and see the tears begin on her face. She breathed deeply, her voiced wavered only a bit, the emotion remained yet she finished the reading and the congregation responded with an even louder singing of the alleluia. That emotion-filled reading of the gospel was its preaching. Tomorrow will be the fourth anniversary of her brilliant, rugby-playing-theologian father's death.

Recently emotion also caught me unawares as I was leading worship, I heard my voice cracking but I continued. I have never broken down in tears while leading worship, although I have often wept in church when I didn't have that role. The Reformed tradition is quite buttoned up when it comes to emotion and I'm not fond of what I think is orchestrated or false emotion either in preaching or in worship. But I wonder what is happening as we overcome or harness grief, joy and other emotions in worship - do actors also sometimes get overcome by the emotion of the texts they are performing or is this a different dynamic - is worship more or less real than theatre? What is real?

At the end of this morning I reflected that it is a challenge to put together worship which only lasts 30 minutes, which others have to lead and which takes place at 8.30 on a Monday morning ... but sometimes despite everything it all comes together and becomes much more than you could ever have prepared for. I was very fortunate to have that experience this morning.

So what are your experiences of worship and emotion?

Jane