New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
I have long loved this passage from when I first learned it
in high school. Back then and throughout college,
it served as a reminder to "not be conformed" but
"transformed". I remember a 90s style t-shirt that I wore often
as a reminder, it read: "Against The Flow". Again challenging
me as a teen that being different, making different choices due to my faith was
a "good and acceptable and perfect", God's will for my life.
Now in my 30s and in my 12th year as pastor, I am drawn to
the first verse of Romans 12, "present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship."
Again as in my teens and 20s this verse stood as a reminder for how I
used my body particularly when it came to sexuality and abstinence.
But now I am thinking in terms of worship and bodies.
My DMin study involves exploring the possible connections between
Multiple Intelligences theory and worship planning and leadership.
According to Romans 12:1 presenting our bodies to God is a
spiritual act of worship. My experience of worship in the churches that I
have been associated with has been very much head and heart. Faith and
worship were well thought out. Sermons followed a logical sequence.
Hymns fit the theme of the day. Prayers engaged the mind with
images and poetry. And worship sought to inspire awe, wonder, passion,
love for God.
Through my recent experiences in other traditions, other
styles of worship, other forms of prayer, that I have begun to wonder: why only
head and heart?!
Multiple Intelligences theory (according to its original
thinker Howard Gardner) offers 7 intelligences or said simply 7 ways that
people are smart. Gardner
explored brain research as well as multiple cultures to determine these 7
intelligences:
Bodily-Kinesthetic,
Interpersonal,
Verbal-Linguistic,
Logical-Mathematical,
Naturalist,
Intrapersonal,
Interpersonal,
Visual-Spatial,
Musical
He says that people engage the world in these 7 ways, we
learn through our experiences in these 7 ways, and we make decisions in these 7
ways.
My thesis is to apply these 7 intelligences to the design,
planning, and leading of worship so that the worshiping body will be
fully-engaged! Heart, head, hands, voices, feet, thoughts, relationships,
images, songs all united in our praise of Almighty God. Therefore, we
will be doing as the Apostle Paul challenges us, "to present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."