A STATEMENT AND APPLECATION
OF PRINCEPLES FOR DESIGNING TELEVESION
WORSHIP PROGRAMS

THESIS FOR THEE DEGREE OF M. A.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
CHARLES LOUIS MR‘ZUW
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ABSTRACT
A STATEMENT AND APPLICATION

OF PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING TELEVISION
WORSHIP PROGRAMS

by Charles Louis Bartow

This thesis is meant to explore the problems involved in desigiing
worship programs for television. If the intenfiion of worship programs is
to, provide one means whereby individual Christians can see their daily
activities in relation to their responsibilities as members of a community
of faith, principles for the design of such programs should be stated and
applied in a way which demonstrates that purpose.

To substantiate that the previously mentioned purpose is in fact a
legitimate one, the writer probed into historic Christian documents on the
nature and purpose of worship in the life of the Church, and also investigated
the kinds of worship programing activities the Church has engaged in on
television over the years.

Once this was done, an audience was selected and principles for
designing worship programs stated and applied so as to reflect the chosen
purpose while at the same time taking seriously the production potentialities
and limitations of the television medium. For help in this effort, the writer
consulted books on television production techniques and script composition

as well as more general works in the area of mass communications

 

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Charles Louis Bartow
theory and practical theolog .
It was found that the traditional order of service for divine worship
consisting of The Approach, The Proclamation of the Word and The

Fellowship_of Prayer and demonstrating the dialogical nature of worship

 

in which men see God act and then respond in obedience to his will,
provides. a suitable format for television worship programs. It was also
found that while the specifics of content and the style of production used to
communicate that content has to vary from program to program depending
upon the type of audience response desired, it is possible to maintain this '

traditional form of worship.

A STATEMENT AND APPLICATION
OF PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING TELEVISION

WORSHIP PROGRAMS
By

Charles Louis Bartow

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
Department of Television and Radio

1964

Approved {Vii/flaw / L“—“‘

Major Professor

 

 

0“ X‘

PREFACE

This thesis is written from a Protestant perSpective. However, an
effort has been made to refrain from saying anything which could be construed
as a deprecation of other traditions of the Christian faith and non-Christian
relig’ons.

While some theological reflection is engaged in, it must not be seen as
an end in itself, but as contributory to the process of discovering how the
Church may relate itself to society, creatively and with integrity, by means
of worship programs on television.

In Chapter I the writer deals with basic considerations involved in
designing worship programs for television. The summary is a list of
principles to govern the approach to worship program design. Because the
intention is to establish principles and apply them in Chapters 11, D1 and IV,
discussing the relation between the principles and the specific techniques
used to fulfill them in three different programs, there will be no discussion
of techniques for the production of worship programs in abstract fashion.
There will be no chapter on "How To. "

The writer's intention, in other words, is to demonstrate a manner of
thinking which applies the technical capabilities of the television medium to
the problem of carrying the worship experience into the everyday life of

Christian men and women. The underlying concept here is that an

understanding of the nature of worship must determine the shape and content

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of worship programs on television. Conversely, an understanding of the
nature of the television medium must not reshape worship.

The following peeple should be acknowledged for their invaluable
assistance to the writer in the preparation of this thesis: Professor Walter
Emery who introduced the writer to the subject of religious broadcasting,
Professor Arthur Weld who guided the preparation of the thesis and whose
critical evaluation was greatly appreciated, and the writer's parents who

provided encouragement and support.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS.................. vi

Chapter

I. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN DESIGNING WORSHIP
PROGRAMS FOR TELEVISION . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why have Worship Programs on Television?

To whom may Worship Programs be Expected
to Appeal?

What are the Characteristics of the Audience
for Worship Programs?

What should be Communicated on Worship
Programs?

What are Seme of the Considerations InVolved
in Deciding upon the Format to be .used in
Communicating Content on Worship Programs?

What are the Various Types of Responses which
Worship Programs may be able to Engender?

Summary: Principles for Designing Worship
Programs for Television.

II. PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED
TO A THEME WHERE THE "MENTAL" FACTOR IS _
MADE PREDOMINANT . . . . . . . . ..... . '. 16

A Discussion of Content

A Discussion of Format
A Discussion of the Approach to Production
The Script, ”Having God on God's Terms"

III. PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED
TO A THEME WHERE THE ”MORAL" FACTOR IS
MADE PREDOIVIINANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . '. . 44

A Discussion of Content
A Discussion of Format
A Discussion of the Approach to Production

The Script, "A Pearl of Great Price"

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TABLE or CONTENTS

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Chapter
IV. PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED

TO A THEME WHERE THE ”VITAL" FACTOR IS
MADEPREDOMINANT............... 71

A Discussion of Content

A Discussion of Format

A Discussion of the Approach to Production

The Script, "Seventy X Seven"
APPENDIX..........................- 97

BIBLIOGRAPHY.......'................ 100

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Photograph Page
1. TheFirstTemptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2. TheSecondTemptation 25
3. TheThirdTemptation................ 26
4. TheTransfiguration 27
5. TheCrucifixion........ ..... 28
6.TheCart...................... 29

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CHAPTER I
BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN DESIGNING WORSHIP PROGRAMS

FOR TELEVISION '

In this chapter the following questions will be dealt with:

1) Why have worship programs on television?

2) To whom may worship programs be expected to appeal?

3) What are the characteristics of the audience for worship
programs?

4) What should be communicated on worship programs ?

5) What are some of the considerations involved in deciding
upon the format to be used in communicating content on
worship programs?

6) What are the various types of responses which worship
programs may be able to engender?

The chapter will conclude with a list of principles for designing worship
programs based upon the analysis which precedes it.
Why have Worship Programs on Television?
Horton Davies in his book, Christian Worship, Its History and Meaning,
has said:

Worship is . . . a life dedicated to God, not a fugitive
hour in a week devoted to unscrupulous business. It is

 

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a life lived out in the presence of God, for his glory and
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Here we have a purpose for worship programs; to aid Christians in their
attempt to live lives "dedicated to God” for the "benefit of mankind. "

Stating this purpose, however, does not fully answer the question, ”Why?".
Are there not other types of programs which could do essentially the same
thing? Obviously the answer is yes. Discussion programs dealing with
current issues in our social, economic and political life from a religious
perspective may serve such a purpose, as may dramas which probe human
relationships and music programs which affect our deepest emotions. The
Church has not failed to recognize this fact either, and over the years, on
the local and national level it has engaged in programing efforts of these
various types. Still the Church has continued to promote worship programing,
and it is probably not entirely out of habit. The act of worship sets the general
orientation of the Christian towards God and man. It provides the point of
View, sets the perspective from which the Christian looks upon his various
human activities.

From the earliest days, up to and including the reformation, and to some
extent beyond, it might be said of Christians that they "continued guy with
one accord in the temple, praising God and having favor with all the people. "2

As Dr. Donald Macleod has pointed out in his "The Dialogue of the Sanctuary,"

 

1Horton Davies, Christian Worship, Its History and Meaning. New York:
(Abingdon Press, 1957), P. 125.

2Acts 3:46-47. Holy BibleLKing James Version.

 

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the service of worship is the central and most important act of faith the
Church performs. It is the distinguishing characteristic of the Church of
Jesus Christ. Out of their various walks of life the people of God come,
gathering to hear and respond to God's Word as a community.3 The
minister is appointed by the community to proclaim the Word and lead the
congregation in appropriate response. He is thus a symbol of the essential
unity of the Christian Church to its members and to the secular world. The
shape of the service of worship likewise aids individual worshippers to see
themselves as part of a united people of God, called together by him in his
Word which the minister preaches, to hear his will and to respond to him as
one man, one "body. "4 In worship Christians are reminded that they
represent the whole community in their personal lives both public and
private. What they do in the street, so to speak, reflects upon those with
whom they associate in the sanctuary, and upon him who calls them there
to hear his Word. Worship programs then are one way in which the Church
of the present day can reach its individual members day by day with a
reminder of their corporate reSponsibility.
To Whom may Worship Programs be Expected to Appeal?
As Dr. Joseph T. Klapper has pointed out in his article in the m

Opinion Quarterly, Fall, 1958 entitled, "What We Know About the Effects

 

 

3Donald Macleod, "The Dialogue of the Sanctuary, " Princeton Seminary
Bulletin, Vol. LVI, No. 3, (May, 1963), P. 25.

 

4See Saint Paul's conception of ”the body of Christ" in I Corinthians
12:1-31. Holy BibleL Revised Standard Version.

 

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of Mass Communication, the Brink of Hope, " television programs designed
for a Specific purpose will tend to reach peOple already concerned about the
subject matter they present, thereby reinforcing those individuals' interests
rather than changing the interests of others.5 The audience for the worship
programs I am presenting, therefore, will be pinpointed and carefully
characterized. First, it is important to realize what possible audiences
must be excluded.

For reasons which are obvious ”unchurched" people, that is, individuals
who have never regularly attended church, must be among the excluded
audience groups. For one thing, worship programs are intended primarily
for the continuing nurture of confessing Christians. Also, individuals who
never have been interested in Christian worship on Sundays would probably
not be inclined to give ear and eye to worship programs on television Monday
through Saturday. This assumption seems to have been borne out by the
study of the audience for religious broadcasts conducted by Parker, Barry
and Smythe in New Haven, Connecticut.6

Among confessing Christians, however, there are potentially two audience
types available. The characteristics of the one audience type may be

summarized from the Parker, Barry and Smythe Book, The Television-

 

Radio Audience and Religion, in the following way:

 

 

5Joseph T. Klapper, ”What We Know About the Effects of Mass
Communication; the Brink of Hope, " Public Opinion Quarterly, (Winter Issue,
1957-58), 457, 458.

 

6Everett C. Parker, David W. Barry, and Dallas W. Smythe,
The Television-Radio Audience and Religion (New York: Harper and Bros. ,
1955) P. 401.

 

 

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1) Audience members are strongly preoccupied with themselves and
are:
a) "weak individuals who lean on each other without
getting much support, "
b) authoritarian types
0) lonely.
2) They tend to have limited education (seventh grade to high school)
and/or
3) They tend in either of the following two directions:
a) either to live in accordance with the morals generally
associated with white, middle—class protestants
(highly individualistic system of morals and ethics
specific standards are set up and one tries to live
up to them) or
b) to separate religion entirely from the conduct of
everyday life. 7
If the Church ‘5 worship programing is designed to accomplish the task of
reaching people day by day with a reminder of their corporate responsibility,
helping them to see how they can fulfill this reSponsibility in their relationships
with other peOple, both in formal and informal situations, then the potential
audience just described would not be the main target. Point one refers to their

tendency to Shirk responsibility and point three to their individualistic and

 

7Ibid., pp. 316—362.

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legalistic approach to morals and ethics. Also there is an inclination among
some members of this audience group to separate their religious life from
their secular tasks.

The audience worship programs are intended to reach is made up of
individuals who are seeking or may be encouraged to seek the relationship
between their corporate response to God in worship and their private and
public responsibilities in the "work—a—day” world.

What are the Characteristics of the Audience

for Worship Programs?

 

Most of the members of the audience will fall into the category of "may be
encouraged to seek" instead of "are seeking" as regards the matter of
relating worship and daily living. This is a condition which has developed
because of the modern cultural phenomenon often referred to by theolog’ans
as secularization.8 Simply put, men do not need God. They can live
purposefully without him, at least they think they can and they may therefore
act upon that assumption. In such a situation the sensitive Christian not only
asks how he may relate worship and daily life, but also why he ought to bother
trying.

As Bonhoeffer has pointed out, many Christians have resolved this problem
in one of two ways. Some have forsaken the Church for the world, becoming

secularized themselves. Others have forsaken the world for the Church.

 

8For various views on the process of secularization see:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics (New York: The Macmillan Co. , 1962);
Helmut Thielicke,_ Nihilism (New York: Harper and Bros. , 1961);
Gabriel Vahanian, The Death of God (New York: George Braziller, 1961) .

 

 

 

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The first group of people devotes its energies to what theologians call the
processes of humanization. The members of it work to establish political,
social and economic structures which, hopefully, will allow for the
possibility of a more selfless response to the needs of others in interpersonal
and group relationships than is currently practiced by most people. The
peOple in the second group give their energies to a round of religious
activities. They thus attempt to close their eyes to the world and avoid the
issues to which the process of secularization gives rise.9

In the one case then, worship programs on television must encourage
Christians to re-think their involvements in the processes of humanization
in light of the activity of the God who calls them to respond with others. in
worship, to his will for human relationships in the world. In the second case,
worship programs must challenge Christians wrapped up in the Church's
institutional life with the opportunities for service in the so-called secular
world. Only when this is done will members of this proposed audience group
be able to relate the worship experience to their everyday life and thereby
fulfill their corporate responsibility in their individual affairs .

Given the. characteristics of the audience for worship programs and the
objectives involved in reaching that audience as just described, we are faced
with the problem of how these tasks may be accomplished. I will discuss
this problem by dealing with the content of worship programs and the

considerations involved in selecting a format suitable for communicating

that content.

 

9Bonhoeffer, op. cit., pp. 85-88.

What should be Communicated on Worship Programs?

Probably the best way to' approach this question is to keep in mind the
two groupings within the selected audience to which the worship programs
are intended to appeal. They are:

1) those who tend to forsake the Church for the world and

2) those who tend to forsake the world for the Church.
If television worship programs are to reach these groups, encourage them, -
and help them to relate the experience of worship to their life in the secular
world, it is important that program content reflect an awareness of what
these groups of people have come to realize about life in the secular world,
specifically, that men can and do live purposeful lives without God. To
admonish them that men need God and therefore that they ought to try and
convince others of this would be foolish. Rather, the notion they already
have ought to be reinforced. It ought to be pointed out to them that indeed
men can and do live without God (or at least so view their living), but also
that this is so precisely because God is the kind of a God he is.

In worship God greets men not as one who says, "Stop trying to make
something of yourself ! " Instead, he makes it known that men can and are
to attempt to make something of themselves precisely because he has made
them with such a capacity and refuses to get in their way. In worship God
presents himself as Jesus, a child who enters the world in a manger, a man
who leaves it on a cross, and rises again to live in and through those who
see in him something perfectly human and worth trying to emulate. ' God's

weakness thereby becomes the possibility for our legitimue self-assertion.

 

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The proper response of the people gathered to meet this God in worship is
not to deny the validity of the efforts made by men involved in the processes
of humanization in the secular world. On the contrary, it is to aid those
men, to work side by side with them, encouraging them for Christ's sake.
As Christians do this in the name of Jesus Christ they fulfill their corporate
responsibility in their individual lives. They point to the one who
challenges them, along with others, to immerse themselves in the
processes of humanization in order that all men in the world may see that
humanization perfected, that is, made whole or completed in Christ.
Christians represent God in the world not as a dictator with demands, but
as Jesus, the one who comes "not to be served, but to serve and to give
his life, a ransom for many."10 So daily worship programs on television
must represent God in his weakness as Jesus, and suggest how Christians
may further represent him to their fellow men in the secular world by the
way in which they act in relationship to others. Audience members must
be enabled to see how they may, with Christ, not be ministered unto, but
minister, and give their lives in service to others. Thus, though it may be
said that men do not need God, it must also be said that Christians do need
worship, for it is in worship that they discover how to respond to God by
living with and for their fellowmen. Worship programs, the content of which
is geared to represent God in the way just described, suggesting the

appropriate ways in which Christians may respond, will give evidence of

 

10Mark 10:45.

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taking seriously what specific content is needed in order to reach both
segments of the proposed audience, those who tend to forsake the world for
the Church and those who tend to forsake the Church for the world.
What are Some of the Considerations Involved
in Deciding upon the Format to be Used

in CommunicatingContent

 

on Worship Programs?

It will be recalled that in the first portion of this chapter the writer
mentioned that not only the content of worship, but also the man who leads
it and the shape of the service help Christians to realize their corporate
responsibility to God. The minister is elected by the community to
proclaim God's Word. Through the Word, read and preached, the
gathered pe0ple of God are able to see what God is doing for them and all
men in the world. They are then sent back to their individual tasks and
associations in the world, charged with the responsibility of representing
God to their fellow men. It follows from this that worship programs on
television should be conducted by a minister and should follow the format
of the traditional liturgical plan.

As Dr. Donald Macleod pointed out in an article entitled, "The Dialogue
of the Sanctuary, " a meaningful service of worship consists of three
movements:

1) The Approach

 

2) The Proclamation of the Word; and

11
3) The Fellowship of Prayer. 11
A format similar to this was followed from the second century down
through the reformation. Even the present day Divine Liturgy of the
Eastern Orthodox Church and the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church are
simply elaborations upon this basic structure.

The Approach begins with the minister's Call to Worship. The
congregation or choir acting on their behalf, responds with "The Sanctus, "
"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, " or a hymn about the nature and
attributes of God. Then follows the Prayer of Adoration. Now the
objectivity of worship has been established. The congregation, upon seeing
the face of God in song and prayer, looks upon itself and makes a common
Confession. The Assurance of Pardon is announced by the minister, and
the congregation responds with a hymn of praise.

With the context for worship now set, the congregation receives
The Proclamation of the Word. The scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments are read, separated by the Gloria Patri, the New Testament
lesson, of course, completing the revelation of God begun in the Old. The
revelation of God is then brought to bear upon contemporary issues in life
by means of the sermon, and the people respond with the Apostle's Creed.
They rededicate themselves to the God who by his. Word demonstrates his

dedication to the welfare of all men.

 

11Macleod, op. cit., p. 24.

12

 

The service concludes with The Fellowship of Prayer. Material goods
possessed by members of the congregation are pledged to God's use. In
the earliest days of the Church folks would actually bring in the fruits of
vineyards and fields to celebrate the Lord's (supper. So today the Church
uses the symbolic elements of bread and wine. Individuals, in Communion
pledge themselves to one another, thanking God for his work in bringing
them together and showing them, in Jesus Christ, how they can behave in
such a way as to stay together in a spirit of humility and service. Prayers
of Intercession follow that, through these committed lives, God may enter
the world of men and point the way to solidarity and growth in human
dignity. All the spoken and unspoken prayers of the congregation are
caught up into the Lord's Prayer. A hymn reminding the congregation's
members of their corporate responsibility is sung, and with the benediction,
Christians are sent back into their several ways to represent to others the
God who has revealed himself to them in worship as one who binds all
humanity to himself and together.

Naturally the techniques of production, that is, how a specific theme
will be developed and presented in all three of these steps in worship will
vary from program to program depending upon the kinds of effects the
content is meant to have upon individuals in the viewing audience, that is,

the television congregation.

13

What are the Various Types of Responses which

 

Worship Programs may be able to Engender?

In his Practice Book, Leland Powers used three terms which are
helpful in answering this question. The terms are "mental, " "moral, "
and "vital. "12 Some themes may best be developed as messages meant
primarily to make peOple think about something. These are of a
predominantly "mental" cast. Others cause people to identify with
characters in various situations. When a character with whom the
audience member identifies is happy, the audience member is happy.
When the same character is sad or frightened, fatigued or energetic, the
audience member feels these emotions also. Messages having such an
effect may be called predominantly "moral. " Still other messages call
for immediate, active response. The audience member is challenged or
exhorted to change his behavior in a way appropriate to the ideas, demands,
or invitations he has heard and seen. Such messages are "vital" in
emphasis.

It ought to be observed, however, that no message can be only "mental, "
"moral" or "vital," The end result of a process of reasoning ("mental")
and feeling ("moral") is altered behavior. It is hoped that audience members
will learn to think and feel, and therefore act in certain Specified ways.
Similarly "vital" material cannot kindle a desire in audience members to

change their behavior if the material and the way it is presented shows no

 

12‘Le1and Powers, Practice Book (Boston: Haven Merrill Powers,
1955) P. ix.

 

14
thought and feeling on the part of those who prepared it. So, though one
characteristic is dominant in any single worship program, a balance of
"mental, " "moral" and "vital" factors is still involved.
Summary
Principles for DesigningWorship Programs

for Television

 

Principles Governing Development of Content
1) The idea that men can live meaningfully without God
must be kept in mind.
2) It must also be remembered that men can live without
God only because of the way he has acted and continues
to act for man, that is:
a) in humility, the humility of Christ, and
b) in those who represent him to their fellow men
in the world.
Principles Governing the Development of Formats
1) The format should contain, in proper sequence, the
major steps in the traditional order of service for
Christian worship:

a) The Approach

 

b) The Proclamation of the Word

 

c) The Fellowship of 1313.378]?

 

2) An ordained clergyman should lead in worship.

15

Principles Governing the Approach to Production

 

1)

2)

3)

The style of production should be appropriate to the
type of development the theme is most easily adapted
to, "mental, " "moral" or "vital."

The same factor, whether it be "mental, " "moral" or
"vital" should be consistently dominant throughout each
step of the service of worship.

Though one factor is dominant, an appropriate balance

of the other two is still necessary.

CHAPTER II
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED TO
A THEME WHERE THE "MENTAL" FACTOR

IS MADE PREDOMINANT

A Discussion of Content

As far as the first criterion is concerned (keeping in mind the idea that
people can live meaningfully without God) it is met not directly but
indirectly. By implication the sermon presented in the following program
design suggests that men can live without God. In point number one, for
example, there is the statement, "You want the hungry fed? Feed them.
You've got the wherewithal to do it . . . ." The implication is that men
can care for the material needs of others on their own. There is no need
to "work God in" on the problem. Similarly, in the second point of the
sermon there is the statement, "It's pretty difficult to get along in life if
you refuse to face difficulties—-using all the purely human resources
available. --God won't make your marriage work for you. He won't
deliver you from hurt, sorrow and death. " The suggestion here is that
our personal problems are best dealt with not simply by running to God
in prayer, but by putting our best mental efforts into solving them, and
seeking human help.

The second criterion is met in the following way. That men can live

without God only because of the way he has acted in Christ is brought out
' 16

17
in the author's treatment of the third temptation. The idea presented there
is that human pride, which erects barriers between people, is crushed by
the humility of Jesus who insists upon associating with everyone even
though it costs him his life. The one thing men have in common, then, is
God's forgiveness in Christ. It allows them to forgive and work together
for because of it they can know, individually, what it means to be form'ven.
The Christian's reSponsibility to represent this God to others is most

pointedly stated in the conclusion to the sermon which reads:

Accepting God on God's terms means seeking to satisfy the

material needs of others instead of basking in the glow of

our own success. It means taking life as it comes and

making the most of it, instead of brooding because it is not

all that we wish it were. It means accepting our fellow men

now, as they are, not later, when they become what we

want them to be. It means loving people for no reason at

all. It means being good for nothing.
When Christians behave in such a way, they are properly reSponding to the
God who meets them in worship. They are bringing his forgiveness to bear
upon their human relationships in the world. Thus, whether others know it
or not, or accept it or not, their living meaningfully on their own is made
possible by the love of God which sets them free to live for and with their

fellow men.

A Discussion of Format

 

The format of the program, "Having God on God's Terms, " contains,
in proper sequence, all the steps in the traditional order of service for
Christian worship. Because of the time factor, however, certain elements

within each step are excluded, and other elements do not appear in their

traditional form .

18

The Approach is incorporated into the opening of the program. The

 

chimes serve as the Call to Worship. These are used in the Roman
Catholic service for the same purpose. 13 "The Sanctus" is sung over the
credits, and the Prayers of Adoration and Confession, and the Assurance
of Pardon are replaced by the three brief sentences read by the minister
over picture number six.

Then follows The Proclamation of the Word. The scripture lesson is

 

read. The sermon is given, and, in substitution for the Apostles' Creed,
there is the singing of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. "

Two elements are excluded from The Proclamation of the Word, the
Old Testament Lesson and the Gloria Patri. On a fifteen minute program
there simply is not enough time for two readings from scripture. As for
the Gloria Patri, it has no proper place except as a bridge between Old
and New Testament readings. 14

The Fellowship of Prayer is incorporated into the closing portion of

 

the program. Obviously Communion must be omitted because of
regulations governing its proper administration. 15 There is, however,

a brief Prayer of Intercession, the Lord's Prayer, a hymn reminding

 

13Macleod, op. cit., p. 25.
14Ibid., p. 26.

15For an example see The Constitution of the United Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America, Office of the General Assembly
(Philadelphia; 1960) p. 107.

 

 

19
Christians of their corporate responsibility in the life of the world, "Where
Cross the Crowded Ways of Life, " and a benediction.

Thus, though certain elements within the traditional order of service
are excluded and others are present in novel form, the major steps are
followed rather rigorously.

The second principle governing choice of format is followed in that a
minister would lead in worship.

The major drawback of the program is that there is little Opportunity
for audience reSponse during its presentation. This is somewhat contrary
to the dialogical character of reformed worship. 16 Still it is hoped that
there is enough concrete illustrative material in the sermon to provoke
thought and stimulate mental reaction. Since the mental factor is primary
in the program, physical response is not as important as might otherwise
be the case.

A Discussion of the Approach to Production

 

First, production technique ought to be appropriate to the type of
message being presented. The theme presented in "Having God on God's
Terms" is given a predominantly "mental" character. The writer of the
script feels that such a theme can best be presented if ideas are spoken
in a straight forward manner, simply and as clearly as possible. At no

point should the materials used to develop and present the theme draw

 

16Macleod, op. cit., p. 20

20

attention to themselves. At no point should the "moral" and "vital" aspects
of the content assume dominance over the "mental. "

In light of these considerations it was decided that the reading of
scripture, with pictures to emphasize the major points brought out in the
text, coupled with a lecture type of sermon illustrating those points in
terms of typical human life experiences, could be used. In this way camera
editing and movement could be kept to a minimum. Slow pans, dollies and
dissolves instead of rapid cutting would be possible. With a minimum of
physical movement, the eye and ear of the listener could be focused upon
the ideas being presented through aural and visual means. Because ideas
are best communicated through direct eye contact of speaker and listener,
the minister would be shot head-on, and not from various angles. Changes
in light levels and setting would not be required since there would be little
variation in mood. .

Secondly, the "mental" factor should be dominant throughout each step
of the service of worship. To accomplish this the writer attempted to
couple the Spoken and sung thoughts in The Approach and The Fellowship
of Prayer with pictures portraying those thoughts in much the same way as
was done with the scripture reading and the sermon of The Proclamation of
the Word. Where possible, pictures which appear in the context of the
scripture reading and sermon were used. Also, the picture, The Yoke of
Christ, and the short rhyme: "Incarnate Life harnessed our load, Still
shares the burden, Travels our road, " used in The Approach and 119

(Fellowship of Prayer reflect the central thought of the service as a whole.

21

The thought is that, in the sensible handling of our own frustrations and
successes, and through sharing in the frustrations and successes of our
fellow men, we experience the presence of Christ's Spirit.

Lastly, while the "mental" factor must always remain dominant, some
balance of the "mora " and "vital" aspects of the message also has to be
maintained. In "Having God on God's Terms” the author attempts to do
this through concrete representations of the ideas presented in terms of
typical human experiences. For example, the allusion to the problem of
hunger which bothers the conscience of many people today is made. Also
references to specific personal experiences such as marriage, facing
rejection, sorrow and death are made. All of these have the potential to
evoke various kinds of feelings or moods in the viewer. They have a high
"moral" factor. Similarly, such specific conditions for accepting God as
are made at the conclusion of the sermon imply the necessity for changes
in the audience members' behavior. They have a high "vital" factor.

There follows now the script for the fifteen minute worship program,

"Having God on God's Terms."

a fi“"‘

 

22

Script

Title: "Having God on God's Terms"
Program Length: :14:30
*Music: "Sanctus, " tune by John Merbecke (1523-1585) , arranged by

Dr. Healy Willan.
"Dresden Amen"
"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, " text by Isaac Watts
(1707) , tune, "Rockingham Old" by Edward Miller (1790) .
Stanzas one, two and four will be used.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God:

All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

Were the whole realm of glory mine,

That were a present far too small,

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.
"Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life, " text by Rev.
Frank Mason North (1903), tune, "Germany, " from

William Gardiner's Sacred Melodies (1815). Stanza one

 

 

*All music is from The Hymnal, Presbyterian Board of Christian
Education, Philadelphia, 1933.

 

23

will be used.

Where cross the crowded ways of life,
Where sound the cries of race and clan,
Above the noise of selfish strife,

We hear Thy voice, 0 Son of Man.

Visuals: India ink drawings by Carlos Ray Lantis.

Picture One -- The First Temptation

 

Picture Two -- The Second Temptation

 

Picture Three -- The Third Temptation

 

Picture Four —- The Transfiguration

Picture Five -- The Crucifixion

 

Picture Six -- The Cart
Quoted Materials: Scriptural quotations are from the Revised

Standard Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson _
and Sons, New York, 1952.

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 25:40

Luke 23:34
Carlos Ray Lantis, A Litany, from his Service of
Ordination, December 22, 1963.

Incarnate Life harnessed our load,

Still shares the burden,
Travels our road.

1! lot- ‘

24

 

The First Temptation

25

 

The Second Temptation

26

 

 

The Third Temptation

 

The Transfiguration

 

8
2

 

The Crucifixion

,Il>.>d.4

29

Inmmcte LIFE harncswi. our land.
«Still sharesihc burdnt,
Travels our road.

 

 

The Cart

30

TIME VIDEO AUDIO
MUSIC TALK

The Aeroach

 

:00:00 Chi Rho emblem Sanctus,
Super credits chimes
Roll: The X for two
Council of measures,
Churches then sing
Presents

"Having God on
God's Terms"
With Rev.
John Smith of
the Christian
Church

Lose super and

Full thru on Chi

Rho‘
:01:00 Dissolve picture Minister: ”Incarnate Life
number six harnessed our load, Still
Close—up of star shares the burden, Travels

Dolly back to our road. "

cover shot

31

TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
Dolly in and pan
to

Close-up of cross

AUDIO
TALK
Yet we continually reject
Thy love, 0 God, crucifying
it on the cross of human

malice .

But we shall praise thee
again, for thy love toward us

' does not die. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

 

:01:30 Dissolve medium
shot minister
Dolly back to include

lectern

Dissolve picture
number one

From cover shot
dolly to close—up
of sun, pan across

and down tree trunk

Minister: Good morning.

Welcome to this 15 minutes

I of worship .

The text for today is Matthew,

chapter four, verses 1 - 16.

Jesus was led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted by the devil. And
he fasted forty days, and
afterward he Was hungry.

And the tempter came and

32
TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
to Christ and
stones

Dolly back to

cover shot

Dissolve picture
number two
.From cover shot
dolly to close-up
of Christ and pan
down wall
dolly back to

cover shot

AUDIO
TALK
said to him, "If you are the
son of God, command these
stones to become loaves of

bread."

But he answered, "Man shall
not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceeds

from the mouth of God. "

Then the devil took him to the
holy city and set him on the
pinnacle of the temple, and
said to him, "If you are the
son of God, throw yourself
down; for it is written, 'He
will give his angels charge

of you, ' and 'On their hands
they will bear you up, lest
you strike your foot against

a stone.‘ "

33
TIME , VIDEO

MUSIC

Dissolve picture
number three

cover shot

Dissolve medium

shot minister

AUDIO

TALK
Jesus said to him, "Again it
is written, 'You shall not

tempt the Lord your God. "'

Again the devil took him to a
very high mountain, and
showed him all the kingdoms
of the world and the glory of
them; and he said to him, "All
these I will give you if you

will fall down and worship me. "

Then Jesus said to him,
"Begone, Satan! for it is

written, 'You shall worship

_ the Lord your God and him

only shall you serve. "'

Then the devil left him, and '
behold, angels came and

ministered to him.

34

TIME . VIDEO

MUSIC

AUDIO

TALK
Did you ever notice how often
we take the devil's part and
tempt God to be our kind of
God on our terms? Take a
tour of the world, or for that
matter the more dismal
portions of America. See the
poverty, the squalor, the
horrible hunger and the hot
crush of a crowded and
wretched humanity. "Jesus,
if you are the Son of God,
command these stones to
become loaves of bread. For

God's sake feed these people.

_ Heal them. Wash the filth

from their feet. Then perhaps
they'll believe in you and for
once in their lives be happy!"
The first temptation: give me
a god of magic! But God says,

"No! You want the hungry fed?

35

TIME VIDEO

MUSIC

AUDIO

TALK
Feed them. You've got the
wherewithal to do it, and
there's little‘chance of
soothing your conscience by
shoving the problem off on me.
Anyway, to believe in me is

to feed, heal and clothe your

. fellow men. Remember what

I said when I was a man among
you? 'As you did it to one of
the least of these my brethren,

you did it to me."'

The second temptation?
Sometimes we want a god of
escape, a god who acts like
the jinni in Aladdin's Lamp.
When troubles arise, the
lamp gets rubbed, that is the
Bible getsdusted or a selfish
prayer gets said, and God's

supposed to jump in and

36

TIME VIDEO

MUSIC

AUDIO

TALK
deliver us from our
difficulties. Such behavior
is somewhat like that of a
man caught in mid-stream
with a leaky canoe and a
broken paddle. Frustrated,
he turns to God. "Sir," he
says, "Sir, I haven't bothered
you in twenty years. Tell you
what. Get me out of this mess
and I won't bother you for
twenty more." Someone
should have told him that if
he wanted to go canoeing he

should have learned to swim.

It's pretty difficult to get

along in life if you refuse to
face difficulties when they
arise as best you can, using
all the purely human resources

available. Bible reading and

TIME VIDEO

MUSIC

AUDIO

TALK
prayer, properly and
consistently practiced, may
help us to surmount life's
problems and go on living,
but they cannot deliver us
from them. God will have
none of man's cowardice. He
won't make your marriage
work for you. He won't
deliver you from hurt, sorrow
and death. He will not be a

god of escape .

The third temptation: give
me a god of compromise!
Scripture says that the chief
sin of men ispride. They
love themselves. They love
their own kind. They like
being the first among equals.
They define "good" and then

want God to protect them

, v.1...

TIME VIDEO

MUSIC

AUDIO

TALK
because they practice it.
They define "clean living"
and then want everybody to
practice it or get punished.
If only God would crush the
forces of envy, greed, hate
and aggression, then the
simple folk, folk like
ourselves would be vindicated.
The world would be made

safe for us Christians.

But Jesus heads for Jerusalem
where the good people kill him
because he loves the no—goods.
And, yet refusing to let even

us go, he says, "Father,

forgive them . "

That is our God, no magic, no
escape, no compromise. He

offers us nothing but love.

39
TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
Dissolve picture

number four

Dissolve picture

number five

AUDIO

TALK
Here is the god we want,
forever transfigured, feet
never touching the dirt of

reality .

But here is the God we get.
He is with us in moments

of success, when our hearts
ascend to the heavens, but he
is also with us in failure,
when it seems that our resting
place is hell, and the only
reSpite from agony is death.
And if the resurrection means
nothing else to us today, it at
least means this; that God is
forever near us as our friend.
We can receive him and enjoy
him as we receive and enjoy
the companionship of our

fellow men.

40

TIME VIDEO AUDIO

MUSIC
Dissolve medium
shot minister
Dolly back to

include lectern

:08z30 Dissolve picture Sing "When
number five I Survey the
cover shot Wondrous

Cross"

TALK
Accepting God on God's terms
means seeking to satisfy the
material needs of others
instead of basking in the glow
of our own success. It means
taking life as it comes and
making the most of it, instead
of brooding because it is not
all that we wish it were. It
means accepting our fellow
men now, as they are, not
later when they become what
we want them to be. It means
loving people for no reason at
all. It means being good for

nothing .

ecsafl

TIME VIDEO

41

AUDIO

MUSIC TALK

Super , "You shall Second

worship the Lord stanza

your God, and him

only shall you serve. "

Lose super and dolly Third

in to close-up of stanza

Christ's head .

The Fellowship of Prayer

 

:11:15 Dissolve medium Minister: Let us pray. 0

shot minister
Dolly back to

cover shot

Lord, who did share the joy
and suffering of men, inspire
. us to dare to do the same,

for Thy love's sake. Amen.

And now, as Christ has

taught us we humbly pray:

"Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed by Thy .
name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth

TIME

42

VIDEO

MUSIC

Hum,
"Where
Cross the
Crowded
Ways of
Life, "
one
stanza
Dissolve picture Then sing
number six stanza
Super: "Incarnate one.
Life harnessed
our load, Still
shares the burden,
Travels our road. "
Dolly in to close-up Hum two
of cross and cart stanzas
Dissolve Chi Rho
emblem
Super credits

Roll: The X

AUDIO

TALK
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily
bread, and forgive us our
debts as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us
from evil, for thine is the
kingdom and the power and the

glory forever. Amen.

TIME

:14: 15

:14:30

Lose Super

43

VIDEO AUDIO
MUSIC

Council of

Churches Has

Presented,

"Having God on

God's Terms"

With the Rev.

John Smith

Produced by

James Stevens

Directed by

Bill Williams

TALK

Minister: Grace, mercy and

Full thru on peace from God the Father,
Chi Rho God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
Fade to black.

*Ii‘

CHAPTER III
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN
APPLIED TO A THEME WHERE THE "MORAL" FACTOR

IS MADE PREDOMINANT

A Discussion of Content

The idea that men can live purposefully without God is not directly or
indirectly alluded to in the program which follows. However, an effort has
been made to make sure that nothing in ”A Pearl of Great Price" openly
contradicts that idea. The sermon, which is the last scene from Van Dyke's, '
The Other Wise Man, is concerned with the search of a God-fearing man for
his divine King. Because the search ends with Artaban discovering God in
his neighbor, in the work-a-day world of human relationships, and not in
some specifically "religious" situation, the emphasis is upon the human
situation and upon activity in what modern, wOrld-centered Christians would
call the processes of humanization. In short it does refrain from passing
"detached judgment on those in the audience who have tended to "forsake the '
Church for the world, "17 while reminding those who have tended to "forsake
the world for the'Church"18 of their responsibility to their fellow men. Thus

”A Pearl of Great Price" is designed to reach that audience, described

 

17See pp. 6, 7.

18Itoid.

44

45
earlier, which has tended to react in one of the two ways just mentioned
because of the difficulty of relating the experience of the God who meets
them in worship to their experiences in a world where many have come to
believe they can live without God.

Again, in dealing with the second criterion to be kept in mind when
deciding upon the content for worship programs, it must be said that there
is no direct allusion to the idea that men can live meaningfully without God
only because of the way God has acted in Christ. However, the idea is in
the script by implication. Certainly God is presented in his weakness, as
one who identifies with human suffering and need, instead of in his power as
judge and arbiter of the affairs of men. The theme of the program and of
the sermon centers upon the manger and the cross. Also, this fact is what
draws Christians into the arena of human life to serve their fellow men. It
is in meeting human need that men meet God. Thus, because God is who he
is and acts in the ways he does, men have a basis for their legitimate
self—assertion, for their striving to make something of themselves and one
another. God, by becoming a human being makes of all humanity "A Pearl
of Great Price."

The concept of the Christian's responsibility to represent this God to his
fellow men, however, is directly mentioned. As Van Dyke is quoted as
saying of his own play:

It is a Miracle-play. But the miracle which it shows is not
something contrary to nature and reason. There is no
magic in it, no contradiction of the laws of the universe.

It is the daily miracle of man's free will choosing the
highest aim in this mortal world, --the quest of Truth,

46

the service of Love. It is the divine miracle of success

through failure, of victory in defeat. It is the Supreme

miracle of finding life by losing self. 19
As Christ lost himself in service to men, so the Christian is called upon to
do the same in Christ's name. The content of this program then meets the
criteria of worship program design for Christians living in a secular world
for it presents a world-centered gospel. Look for the face of Christ in the

face of human need, and serve him there.

A Discussion of Format

 

As with the program presented in the preceding chapter, "A Pearl of
Great Price" has, in proper sequence, all the steps of the traditional order
of service for Christian worship.

The opening of the program serves as The Approach. Chimes provide

 

the Call to Worship. Replacing "The Sanctus" is the hymn, "Once in Royal
David's City. " Adoration, Confession and Assurance of Pardon are all
incorporated into the brief opening prayer which the minister reads .

The Approach is followed by The Proclamation of the Word. Again, due

 

 

to the time factor, only one Scripture reading is used, thus eliminating the
need for the Gloria Patri. The sermon is gven, in the form of a play, and,
as a confession of faith and dedication, there is the hymn, "I Wonder as I

Wander. ” This replaces the Apostles' Creed.

 

19Henry Van Dyke, The Other Wise Man. New York: (Harper and Bros . ,
1927), PP. IX - X.

47

For reasons mentioned in the previous chapter, the Communion is
deleted from The Fellowship of Prayer.20 There is a brief Prayer of
Intercession followed by an invitation to audience members to join the
minister and the cast in the saying of the Lord's Prayer. A hymn, reminding
Christians of their corporate responsibility in their individual lives (that is,
to represent the God who calls them together in worship to their fellow men
in the world) is sung and, lastly, the benediction is pronounced.

A minister is called upon to lead in worship on this program thus
fulfilling the second criterion for proper format.

It should be noted that there is more opportunity for audience
participation in this program than there was in ”Having God on God's Terms. "
The opening prayer is comparatively long. Also, because of the
participation of the cast in the saying of the Lord's Prayer, audience members
may feel more inclined to pray with the minister. Since the theme as
developed in "A Pearl of Great Price" is predominantly "moral" in
character, audience participation should be encouraged. The object is, of
course, to create a situation into which members of the television
congregation may enter and share in the spiritual experience of Artaban, the
principle character of the play.

A Discussion of the Approach to Production
The author feels that there is no more appropriate way to handle

predominantly "moral" material than in dramatic fashion. In this program

—.__

20See footnote number 15.

«was

 

48

the concern is not so much to enable peOple to see conceptually what it means
to find Christ in a neighbor's need as it is to lead them into that experience
so that they may feel what is meant, vicariously. The idea, as contrasted
with the previous program, is not primarily to change a person's
understanding of God and his fellow men, but rather to change his attitude or
feeling toward them. "A Pearl of Great Price," the fourth act of Van Dyke's
play, The Other Wise Man, provides an Opportunity to accomplish this.

In a dramatic presentation there are opportunities for changes in light
values in the set and for varying the pace of camera movement and editing.
Thus, mood can be established and changed effectively. All of these things
help the audience member to be drawn into the experience being portrayed
and to identify with the attitudes of various characters. Also, by varying the
angle from which shots of each performer are taken, nuances of feeling .
between performers in relationship can be shown. For example, having
Artaban on a level above the Peasant and the Captive Girl gives him a degree
of prominence. Then, at the moment when he is dying, shooting down at him
from over the girl's shoulder points out, visually, the change that has taken
place in their relationship. Now she is dominant. Also to establish a mood
appropriate to the action which is taking place, sound effects and music can
be employed.

At no point should the "mental" and "vital" aspects of the material assume
dominance over the "moral." So the minister's and cast members' ability to

speak, interpreting the mood, or connotative meaning of the words and

phrases, is tested more than was true for the material presented in the

Illa t--- l.|l .Iln

 

49
program design of Chapter II. In addition to the use of pause and inflection
to emphasize the proper words in order to accurately share meanings there
is need for apprOpriate word color and a good sense of pacing.

Because this is a worship program, the f_o_1;_m of worship is to be
maintained throughout, and, because the program is meant to be capable of
production at the local level with a minimum of rehearsal time, the full
dramatic potential of the play has not been exploited. Instead of having an
elaborate set and all the action suggested by the play, robed actors serving
also to represent a choir and stationed on either side of the minister are
employed. An example of the actors' functioning as a' choir is their
participation in the recitation of the Lord's Prayer.

The second principle governing the approach to production is that, in this
case, the "moral" factor should be dominant throughout each step of the
service of worship. In The Approach for this program, therefore, a prayer
is employed incorporating The Adoration, The Confession and The Assurance
of Pardon instead of the sentences as was the case in "Having God on God's
Terms."

The hope is that audience members will be more drawn into participation
in the act of worship than was the case previously. Similarly, in The
Fellowship of Prayer, this same quest for audience participation is engaged
in through the use of the cast as a choir joining with the minister in the Lord's
Prayer.

While the "moral" factor must be dominant throughout the program, a

balance of "mental" and "vital" factors is still needed.

 

50

The writer attempted to give some accent to the "mental" factor by
repeating the basic idea or theme of the program in each step of the service
of worship. The theme is that men can meet and serve God by looking at and
serving the needs of those around them. It is mentioned in The Assurance

of Pardon portion of the Opening prayer in The Approach. It is repeated in

 

The Proclamation of the Word in the introduction to "A Pearl of Great Price. "

 

Again it is brought out in the hymn, "0 Brother Man Fold to Thy Heart Thy

Brother, " which is found in The Fellowship of Prayer.

 

Similarly, that the understanding of this idea ("mental" factor) and the
possession of a proper attitude toward God and man ("moral" factor) ought
to result in a specific kind of action ("vital" factor) is mentioned. It first
appears in the Opening prayer and later in the Prayer of Petition and in the
concluding hymn.

The following pages present the script for the fifteen minute worship

program, "A Pearl of Great Price."

51

Script

Title: "A Pearl of Great Price"
Program Length: :14:30
*Music: "Once in Royal David's City, " text by Cecil F. Alexander (1848);
tune, "Irby" by Henry J. Gauntlett (1849) .
Stanza one will be used.
"I Wonder as I Wander, " arranged by John Jacob Niles.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die,
For poor on'ry people like you and like I.
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,

A star in the sky or a bird on the wing,

Or all of God's angels in heaven for to sing,
He surely could have it,

'Cause he was the King.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus, the Saviour did come for to die.

"0 Brother Man Fold to Thy Heart Thy Brother, " text by
John Greenlief Whittier (1807-1892); tune, "Welwyn, " by

Alfred Scott—Gatty (1847 -19l8) .

O brother man fold to thy heart thy brother.
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there.
To worship rightly is to love each other,

Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

52

For he whom Jesus loved has truly spoken:

The holier worship which he deigns to bless
Restores the lost, and binds the spirit, broken,
And feeds the widow and the fatherless.

Visuals: Cresh
Quoted Materials: Scriptural quotations are from the Revised Standard
Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York,
1952.
Matthew 2:1-5, 7-11

Chapter IV, "A Pearl of Great Price, " from The Other Wise Man,

Henry Van Dyke, New York, Harper and Bros. , 1927 .

53
TIME VIDEO AUDIO
MUSIC TALK
AND
EFFECTS

The Approach

 

:00: 00 Chi Rho emblem Chimes

Super credits two

Roll: The X measures
Council of then
Churches
Presents
"A Pearl of

1 Great Price"
by Henry Van
Dyke.

Dissolve creche Sing

Cover shot "Once in
Royal David's
City," one
stanza
Dolly in to Minister: We thank Thee, Lord,
close-up of for stooping to a manger and a

Christ Child cross in order to be near to all

men. Forgive us, we pray Thee,

TIME

:01:45

54

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

for forgetting that whatever we
do for least of men is done for
Thee. Believing that Thou hast
forgiven us before we sought
Thy forgiveness, we dare to
approach Thee in worship,
asking that Thou wilt enable us
to see, by Thy Spirit, the God
of men in the weakness of the
Christ Child. And then grant,
0 God, that we, as the wise
men of old, may have sense

enough to kneel. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

Dissolve medium

shot Of Minister

and lectern

Minister: From the second

chapter of the Gospel

according to Saint Matthew.

Now when Jesus was born in

Bethlehem of J udea in the days

TIME

55

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

Of Herod, the king, behold,

wise men from the East came
to Jerusalem saying, "Where .
is he who has been born king
of the Jews? For we have
seen his star in the East, and
have come to worship him."
When Herod the king heard
this, he was troubled and all
Jerusalem with him; and
assembling all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the
Christ’was to be born. They

told him,‘ "In Bethlehem of

Judea."

Then Herod summoned the
wise men secretly and

ascertained from them what

TIME

56

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

time the star appeared; and he
sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
"Go and search diligently for
the child, and when you have
found him bring me word, that
I too may come and worship
him." When they heard the
king they went their way; and
lo, the star which they had
seen in the East went before
them till it came to rest over
the place where the child was.

When they saw the star, they

rejoiced exceedingly with great

joy; and going into the house
they saw the child with Mary
his mother, and they fell down
and worshiped him. Then,
Opening their treasures, they

offered him gifts, gold and

TIME

57

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

frankincense and myrrh .

There were only three wise
men in the Bible, but the
famous preacher and author
Henry Van Dyke wrote of a
fourth. And so the scene
which follows springs not from‘
the world of reality, but from
a man's inspired imagination.
It is an eloquent sermon on the
theme, "Look for the face of
Christ in the face of human
need. Love God there, by
serving that need for Christ's

sake. "

Of his own drama, Van Dyke

has said: "It is . . . a

Miracle-play. But the miracle

TIME

58

VIDEO
MUSIC
AND

EFFECTS

Dolly back to

include three

AUDIO

TALK

which it shows is not something
contrary to nature and reason.
There is no magic in it, no
contradiction of the laws of the
universe. It is the daily
miracle of man's free will
choosing the highest aim in
this mortal world, --the quest
of Truth, the service of Love.
It is the Divine miracle of
success through failure, of
victory in defeat. It is the
Supreme miracle of finding

life by losing self."

Here we present Act IV,

"A Pearl of Great Price."

59
VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
(Dim lights to Crowd
silhouette cast.) noise
robed speakers.
Artaban stands
on the Minister's
right facing the
Peasant and the
Girl who stands
on Minister's
left. Artaban is
on a platform
slightly higher
than the platform
of the other two.
(Lights up) Noise

Cut to medium shot out

of Artaban

AUDIO

TALK

A street in Jerusalem near the
Damascus gate. Crowds of
peOple are passing into the

city; peasants, Roman soldiers,
Pharisees with purple fringed
robes. Artaban stands on the
doorstep of a large stone house,
old and weary from years of
searching after the face of
Jesus Christ. He watches the
crowd stream by. Finally he
stops a man, apparently a poor

peasant of Galilee.

Artaban: Friend, what means
this concourse? Whence come
all these people, talking and

disputing together, some of

them with such sorrowful faces?

TIME

60

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

Cut to medium

shot of Peasant

AUDIO

TALK

Peasant: Sir, have you not
heard? Today there was a
crucifixion on the hill called
Golgotha. Two thieves on
their crosses, and between
them a prophet from Nazareth.
A good man, --the common
people loved him. But the
priests hated him because he
taught strange new doctrines.
And Roman Pilate sent him to
the cross because he said he
was king of the Jews. He is
dead now, --more's the pity.
He was a holy and just man, --
very kind to all who suffer, --
merciful even to sinners. It

is a pity he is dead.

TIME

61

VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
Cut to medium
shot of Artaban
Cut to medium Crowd
shot of Minister noise in
and lectern Then
soldier's
feet
Girl
cries

AUDIO

TALK

Artaban: (to himself)

King of the Jews, --king, —-

the king. Can this be He whom
I have sought all over the

world? On the cross! In the

' hands of his enemies! Oh

horrible! But He may not be
dead, --I may yet be in time to
save Him. My pearl, --my I
last treasure, --his ransom.
At least to save his body. I

must make haste.

Minister: He turns, hurried

and trembling, toward the
gate. Roman soldiers come
down the street, dragging a
young girl with torn white

dress and dark disheveled

hair. She breaks away from

62
TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
as if
breaking

away .

Cut to cover Effects

shot of Girl out

Cut to medium
shot of Minister

and lectern

AUDIO

TALK

her captors and throws herself

at the feet of Artaban.

_C_}__i_r_'l_: Have pity on me, and
save me for the sake of the
God of purity! I also am a
daughter of the true religion
of the Magi. My father was a

merchant of Persia, but he is

dead, and I am seized for his

debts to be sold as a slave.

Save me from worse than death.

Minister: Artaban trembles,
but holding himself erect and
proud, making a gesture of
authority at which the soldiers

halt.

TIME

63

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

Cut to cover

shot

Cut to medium

shot of Minister

and lectern

AUDIO

TALK

Artaban: Wait! I am a
kinsman of this child. (To

himself) My God, what can I

' do? Too old and weak to

resist these men. But stay, --
my pearl, --all that is left of
my tribute for the King.
Perhaps it will tempt the
soldiers to let the girl go.
(Gestures as if handing over
the pearl.) Here, man; here
is a pearl of great price,
worth a king's ransom. I
redeem the girl from bondage.

Take this and go.

Minister: Artaban and the

captive girl stand together,
looking at each other. She

lifts his hand to kiss it.

TIME

64
VIDEO
MUSIC
AND

EFFECTS

Cut to tight

close-up of Girl

Cut to close-up

of Minister

Cut to tight

AUDIO

TALK

A tremor of earthquake passes
through the city. The houses
tremble and rock. A heavy
tile, shaken from the roof of
the house near whose wall they
have taken refuge, falls and
strikes Artaban on the temple.
He sinks to the ground. Blood

trickles from the wound.

Girl: 0 father, do not die. You

have saved me. Stay with me.

Minister: As she bends over
him there comes a voice
through the twilight very small
and still, like music sounding
from a distance, in which the

notes are clear but: the words

are lost. The girl turns to see

65
TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
E FFECTS
close—up of

Girl

Cut to medium
shot of Artaban
from over Girl's
shoulder and
dolly to tight

close-up

AUDIO

TALK

if someone has spoken from
the window above them, but

she sees no one.

Artaban, opening his eyes and

raising his head, speaks.

Artaban: Not so, my Lord:

For when saw I thee an
hungered and fed thee? Or
thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw I thee a stranger,
and took thee in? Ornaked,
and clothed thee? When saw I
thee sick or in prison, and
came unto thee? The last
treasure that I brought for
thee has gone to save a girl
from shame. Three and

thirty years have I looked for

66

TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
Cut to medium
shot of Minister
and lectern
Cut to tight
close-up of
Artaban Girl sighs
Hum four

:09: 3O Dissolve creche V measures

Close-up of then sing,

AUDIO

TALK

thee; but I have never seen thy
face, nor ministered to thee,

my king.

Minister: The voice comes
again. But now every word

is distinct.

"Verily I say unto thee,

inasmuch as thou hast done it
unto one of the least of these
my brethren, thou hast done it

unto me . "

Artaban: At last, I have found
Thee, O my King! The light, ——
light, --Thy countenance--

(dying gesture).

67

TIME VIDEO AUDIO
MUSIC _ TALK
AND
EFFECTS
three wise men "I Wonder

as I Wander"

first verse.

Pan slowly to Second
Mary and verse.
Joseph, then

to Christ Child Third

 

verse.
Dolly back to Fourth
cover shot verse.
showing
shadow of
cross over
creche
The Fellowship of Prayer
:012:00 Hold cover shot Minister: 0 God, grant us
of creche sensitive hearts that we may

see the face of Christ in the

68

TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
Dim light to

silhouette cast

Dissolve cover

shot of Minister

and cast

Bring lights up.

AUDIO

TALK

face of our neighbor, and may
we serve him there,for Thy

mercies' sake . Amen.

And now as we were taught, let

let us humbly pray:

Minister and cast (build to
crescendo): "Our Father who
art in heaven, hallowed by Thy
name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread and forgive us
our debts as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us
from evil, for Thine is the
kingdom, and the power and

the glory forever." Amen.

TIME

:012:45

VIDEO

Dissolve Chi
Rho emblem

Super credits

R011: The X
Council of
Churches has
Presented,
"A Pearl of

Great Price"

With the Rev .

John Smith -

and - Robert

White , William

Brown - and -

Carol Black

Produced by

James Stevens

Directed by

Bill Williams

6 9
AUDIO
MUSIC TALK
AND

EFFECTS
Sing "0
Brother
Man"
first
two

verses .

Music out

TDVIE

:14:15

:14:30

70
VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
Lose super and
full thru on

Chi Rho

Fade to black

AUDIO

TALK

Minister: The Lord bless you
and keep you. The Lord make
his face to shine upon you and
be gracious unto you. The
Lord lift up the light of his
countenance upon you and give

you peace . Amen .

 

CHAPTER IV
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED
TO A THEME WHERE THE "VITAL" FACTOR

IS MADE PREDOMINANT

A Discussion of Content

Again in this program the idea that men can live meaningfully without God

is not specifically pointed out. ' However, an effort is made to refrain from

open, or implied contradiction of that idea. Also, by indirection, the idea

The theme of the program is forgiveness. For

does receive treatment.

Christians to forgive and to do things which demonstrate their forgiveness is
propounded as the only appropriate response to Christ's forgiving love. Yet

there is no suggestion that only Christians know how to or are able to forgive.
In fact, it is demonstrated in "Seventy X Seven" that the forgiveness of others,
many of whom may be non-Christians, can be the means whereby Christians
are made aware of their failure to respond properly to the love Of God in
Christ. In short, the forgiveness, the genuine human love and concern of the

people who live without God can serve as a judgment upon those who profess

to live in the sight of God and under his guidance. To quote the script, "Love

is a costly currency. But unlike money, when it is Spent foolishly it judges

those of us who are too thrifty."

The second criterion regarding development of content, namely, the idea

that men can live without God, loving and, in this case, especially forgiving

71

 

 

72

their fellow men and subsequently serving them, only because of the way God
has acted and continues to act in Christ and in those who represent him to men
in the world is specifically and elaborately treated in "Seventy X Seven. " At
the beginning of the program there is a film called "Epistle from the Koreans. "
A young Korean student, In Ho Oh, is murdered by juvenile delinquents. His
parents, instead of simply condemning the murderers, send a letter to the
mayor of the town where the youth was killed pleading for leniency for the
delinquents and pledging themselves to raising money for their rehabilitation.
What prompts the parents to do this is the forgiveness they have experienced
in Jesus Christ. In their own words, "We have dared to eXpress our hope
with a spirit received from the Gospel of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died
for our sins." Similarly, this love of Christ, displayed in the actions of
In Ho Oh's parents furnishes the incentive for others to work creatively on
behalf of their fellow men, even those whom they fear and despise. "It is
that kind Of magnanimous behavior which brings into the midst of human
bitterness the light which enables men to see new possibilities for lives which
seemingly have reached a dead end. "
A Discussion of Format

"Seventy X Seven" contains in proper sequence all the steps in the
traditional order of service for Christian worship. Thus, it fulfills the first
requirement concerning program format. The Approach or "open" to the
program begins with the chimes which serve as the Call to Worship. In place

of the Sanctus a hymn which tells of God's praise-worthy attributes is sung.

The brief prayer which follows contains elements of Adoration, Confession

73
and Assurance of Pardon. Christ's forgiveness and our lack of forgiveness
are mentioned along with an expression of confidence in God's power to
inspire us to a greater effort in this aspect of Christian witness.

The Approach is followed by The Proclamation of the Word. As in the

 

two previous scripts there is only one scripture lesson. Therefore the
Gloria Patri can be eliminated. After the sermon an Ascription of Praise is
given by the minister which affirms the congregation's belief in, acceptance
of, and worship of God as he has revealed himself in his Word.

Following The Proclamation of the Word there is The Fellowship of
Prayer. A brief prayer of intercession is made. Then comes the Lord's
Prayer which, since it is sung on this particular program, also serves as a
closing hymn reminding members of the congregation of their corporate
responsibility in the performance of their daily tasks. It does this by means
of the line, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, " which, over
and over again throughout the program, is suggested as one means whereby
Christians can represent God in Christ to their fellow men in the world.

The Fellowship of Prayer concludes with the minister's offering of the
benediction.

As in the previous two programs, a minister leads in worship on
"Seventy X Seven" thus fulfilling the second requirement for the development

of worship program format.

 

74

A Discussion of the Approach to Production
The major theme of "Seventy X Seven, " as has been noted, is the idea

that Christians are to perform deeds demonstrating their acceptance of

Christ‘s forgiveness. Thus, the program seeks not so much a mental

comprehension of the relationship between men and God and men and their
fellow men from the Christian point of view, or a change in attitudes or

feelings about those relationships, so much as a change in congregation

members' behavior. Because the intention of the program is to achieve a

"vital" reSponse, the content is made up of predominantly "vital" material.
Not only is their a great deal of exhortation ("Be not only hearers of the
Word but also doers. ") but also, all ideas and exhortations are represented
by action on the screen or in the sermon as delivered. People are shown
responding, actively, to events which occur in various situations. The
film, "Epistle from the KOreans, " which dominates the program, is an
example of what the writer means. The parents of In Ho Oh are "vital"
people. When their son is killed they ac_t_, but they act from a specific
Christian orientation to the dreadful event which has taken place. Similarly,
the sermon, which is an extension of the film, requires of the minister that
he take on a "vital" character and, for a significant period of time, act out
or at least give the suggestion of a "vital" character acting out his response
to a given event. As it happens, it is the response of a young child to the
Opportunity to forgive his mother. The writer feels that such a use of film

and the exhortative type of sermon as previously described are apprOpriate

 

75

technical means for communicating an idea which has a predominantly "vital"
character and, which, it is hoped, can engender a "vital" response, a response
of action, in changed behavior, on the part of audience members. Thus, the
first principle governing the approach to production is fulfilled (The style of
production should be appropriate to the type of message being presented.) .
The second principle governing the approach to production states that the
same factor, whether it be "mental," "moral" or "vita " should be consistently

dominant throughout each step of the service of worship. This principle is

 

followed exactly in "Seventy X Seven. " The hymn in The Approach is a hymn
which exhorts to action, "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven." Also, the

prayer in The Approach asks of God that he inspire Christians not only to tell

 

of his forgiveness, but also to express it in their lives, in specific deeds.

As has been shown, the "vital" factor is made dominant in The Proclamation

 

of the Word through the action of the film and the sermon. In The Fellowship

 

of Prayer the request is made that Christians be "not only hearers of the
Word, but also doers. " This is repeated in the singing of theLord's Prayer
with the words, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Also, in
the benediction, there is the hope that God will enable his people "to do his
will." Always the stress is on action, on behaving in such a way as to
demonstrate God's forgiveness .
The third and final principle governing the approach to production asserts
that though one factor is dominant in the worship program, an appropriate
balance of the other two is still necessary. In "Seventy X Seven, " action,

"vital" response, is presented as arising out of changed understanding and

 

76

attitude. “A description of the Korean parents' action as proper Christian
behavior ("mental") is given. This is followed by an attempt to help
audience members to accept this type of behavior as a standard for their own
conduct ("moral"). Finally the exhortation to audience members to actively
demonstrate Christ's forgiveness in their own lives is delivered ("vital").
Thus, there is a balance of "mental, " "moral" and "vita " elements.

There follows the script for the fifteen minute worship program,

"Seventy X Seven. "

 

 

77

Script

Title: "Seventy X Seven"

Program Length: :14:3O

*Music: Hymn, "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, " text by

Rev. Henry Francis Lyte (1834), tune, "Benedic Anima Mea, "
by John Goss (1867).

Stanzas one, two and three will be used.

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven,
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who, like me, His praise should sing?
Praise Him! praise Him!

Praise Him! praise Him!

Praise the Everlasting King!

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress;

Praise Him, still the same forever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless.
Praise Him! praise Him!

Praise Him! praise Him!

Glorious in His faithfulness.

Father-like, He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows,

In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Praise Him! praise Him!

Praise Him! praise Him!

Widely as His mercy flows!

The Lord's Prayer by Albert Hay Malotte

 

*The hymn is from The Hymnal, Presbyterian Board of Christian
Education, Phila..elphia,1933.

 

It'll;

. _

 

78

Quoted Materials: Scriptural quotations are from the Revised Standard

Visuals:

Version of the Holy'Bible, Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York,
1952 .

Matthew 18:21-22

John 15:13

Luke 23:34
The letter from the film, "Epistle from the Koreans" .

Picture, The Crucifixion, by Carlos Ray Lantis.

 

See p. 28 .
Film, "Epistle from the Koreans, " produced by the Board of
Stewardship and Promotion of the United Presbyterian Church

in the United States of America, New York.

TIME VIDEO

:00:00 Chi Rho emblem
Super credits
Roll: The X

Council of
Churches
Presents
"Seventy X
. Seven"
With Rev.
John Smith
of the
Christian
Church

Lose super

:01: 30 Dissolve
medium shot

shot of

79

AUDIO
MUSIC TALK
AND
E FFECTS

The Approach

 

Chimes -
eight
measures
of "Praise,
My Soul,
the King of
Heaven, "
then sing
stanzas
one, two

and three.

Minister: 0 Lord, Jesus Christ,
who forgavest men even when

they deserted Thee, we ask Thee

Minister and lectern to forgive us for being too quick

TIME

80

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

to judge and too slow to show
mercy. And now, thru Thy
Word, quicken us to bear
witness to Thy forgiveness not
only with our lips but with our
lives. For Thy love's sake.

Amen.

From the 18th chapter of the
Gospel according to Saint

Matthew, hear the Word of God.

Peter came up (to Jesus) and
said, "Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me, and
I forgive him? As many as

seven times ? "

Jesus said to him, "I do not say

to you seven times, but seventy

 

81

TIME VIDEO
MUSIC
AND
EFFECTS
Roll Film Carry
sound
of film,
except
for
Leaving dorm spoken
Mailing letter part,
Attached under
Minister
Vicious
arrests

Line up at jail

AUDIO

TALK

times seven. "

Here are scenes from the film,
"Epistle from the Koreans." A
young Korean student was
persuing a course of study at
Temple University in
Philadelphia. One night as he
was on his way to mail a letter

to his parents, this happened.

He died. The ire and indignation
of the town officials and the
general public was aroused to
fever pitch. In no time the
hoodlums were arrested.
Everyone would have been glad
to see them get the worst

possible punishment the law

 

TIME

82
VIDEO
MUSIC
AND

EFFECTS

Film continues

Scenes of parents
and other family
members in Korea
with In Ho before
his death and
concluding with
the text of the
letter itself on

film

AUDIO

TALK

could implement. Then came

the letter from the murdered
youth's parents. They pleaded
for leniency and sent along a

good deal of money requesting
that it be used as a contribution
to programs for the rehabilitation

of delinquent young peOple.

Minister on Film: reads letter.

 

Dear Sir:
We, the parents of In Ho Oh,
on behalf of our whole family,
deeply appreciate the expression
of sympathy you have extended
to us at this time. In Ho had
almost finished the preparation
needed for' the achievement of
his ambition, which was to

serve his peOple and nation as

 

 

TIME

83
VIDEO
' . . MUSIC
AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

a Christian statesman. His
death by an unexpected
accident leaves that ambition

unachieved .

When we heard of his death,
we could not believe the news
was true, for the shock was
so unexpected and sad; but now
we find that it is an undeniable
fact that In Ho has been killed
by a gang of Negro boys whose
souls are not saved and in
whom human nature is
paralyzed. We are sad now,
not only because of In Ho's
unachieved future, but also

because of the unsaved souls

, and paralyzed human nature of

the murderers .

TIME

84

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

We thank God that he has given
us a plan whereby our sorrow
is being turned into Christian
purpose. It is our hope that
we may somehow be
instrumental in the salvation
of the souls, and in giving life
to the human nature of the
murderers . Our family has
met together and we decided

to petition that the mo st
generous treatment possible
within the laws of your
government be given to those
who have committed this
criminal action without knowing
what it would mean to him who
has been sacrificed, to his

family, to his friends, and to

his country .

 

TIME

85

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

In order to give evidence of our
sincere hope contained in this
petition our whole family has
decided to save money to start
a fund to be used for the
religious, educational,
vocational and social guidance
of the boys when they are
released. In addition, we are
daring to hope that we can do
something to minimize such
juvenile criminal actions which
are to be found, not only in
your country, but also in Korea,
and, we are sure, everywhere

in the world.

About the burial of the physical
body Of him who has been

sacrificed, we hOpe that you

TIME

 

86

VIDEO

MUSIC

AND

EFFECTS

AUDIO

TALK

could spare a piece of land in

your country and bury it there,

' for your land, too, is home-

land for Christians and people
of the democratic society. It
is our sincere hope that thus
we will remember your people,
and you will remember our
peOple, and that both you and
we will more vitally sense an
obligation for the better
guidance of juvenile delinquents,
whose souls are unsaved and
whose human natures are
paralyzed. We hope in this
way to make his tomb a
monument which will call
attention of people to this
cause. We think this is a way

to give life to the dead, and to

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the murderers, and to keep you
and us closer in Christian love

and fellowship .

We are not familiar with your
customs and you may find
something hard to understand

in what we are trying to say

A and do. Please interpret our

hope and idea with Christian
spirit and in the light of
democratic principles. We
have dared to eXpress our hope

with a Spirit received from the

- Gospel of our Saviour, Jesus

Christ, who died for our sins.

May God bless you, your
people, and particularly the

boys who killed our son and

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:08:00

 

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kinsman .
Ki Byung Oh

(Father of In Ho Oh)
Shin Wynn H. Oh

(Mother of In Ho Oh)

Medium shot Minister: Such love, such
Minister and forgiveness, may be labeled by
lectern some as foolhardy and

contemptible, indicative of that
kind of weak personality which
bows beneath the blows of
outrageous fortune simply
because it does not know how to
fight back. But others will see
it as that kind of magnanimous
behavior which brings into the
midst of human bitterness the
light which enables men to see

new possibilities for lives which

 

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seemingly have reached a dead
end. Likewise, it is love which
can make us feel awfully small
and self -centered when we
choose not to forgive those who
have merely hurt our feelings,
or cheated us out of a little,
perhaps well deserved,
recognition. Love is a costly
currency. But unlike money,
when it is spent foolishly, it
judges those of us who are too

thrifty .

Picture me as a very young boy. ,

My mother is working down in

the cellar. She is hurrying

because she and my father have
to gosomewhere. Their shoes

lie at the bottom of the cellar

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steps. I go down the steps, sit
by the shoes and watch her work.
It dawns on me that perhaps the
shoes have to be polished before
the folks go out. In a moment of
reckless concern I say: "Mom,
do you want me to polish the
shoes?" There is no answer.
Perhaps I wasn't heard. As the
moments pass I begin to catch
hold of myself. _ "Gee, I could
be out playing. Anyhow, I hate
work, and I certainly don't want
to polish those shoes. Besides,
Mom doesn't love me. She just
bawled me out for something I
didn't do." Then it happens. The
silence of my thoughts is broken -
by my mother's sweet voice.

"Did I hear you say you'd polish

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the shoes?" That does it. My
heart sinks. Grudgingly, I
pick up the polish as I answer,
perturbedly, "Yes." What
could have been an occasion for
the demonstration of spontaneous
love--a "Gee, I want to"
situation—-becomes instead a
matter of legalistic Obedience--
a "Gosh, I have to" situation.
Perhaps'the experience'will
make little boy "me" feel guilty.

If so, good. It should.

A kind of farcical incident,
obviously. But let me ask you,
have you ever felt that you have
given someone less than the
best that was in you at a time

when they needed you? Have

 

 

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you ever felt that selfishness
had too tight 8. hold on the
purse strings of your love?
Have you ever felt guilty before
the image Of one who said,
"Greater love has no man than
this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends," and then
went to the cross to prove it?
Have you ever felt ashamed of
the cruel words that have spit
from unclean lips when
confronted by the words of a
man of spotless integrity who
from a cross Of cruel rejection
murmured, "Father, forgive
them for they know not what
they do?" If so, then you lave
stood in the presence Of God,

and you have known what it

 

 

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means to be judged by his
forgiving love! What more
appropriate reply can there be
than to pray, "forgive us our
debts, as we forgive those who
have hurt us," acting out that
forgiveness by doing generous
deeds on their behalf, even if
those deeds be as small a matter

as shining a pair of shoes.

Now unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all

that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh _i_n_u§,
unto him be glory in the Church
by Christ Jesus , throughout all

ages, world without end. Amen.

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The Fellowship Of Prayer

: 12: 15 Dissolve
picture

number one

Super
"Father,
forgive

- them for
they know
not what .

1 they do ."

:12:45 Dissolve Chi Rho Sing

emblem "The
Super credits Lord's
Roll: The X Prayer"
Council of

Churches

Let us all pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who has
loved us with undying forg‘veness,
inspire us to forgive and to

love, and to make that forgiving
love known thru the deeds we

do on behalf Of others, that we
may be not only hearers of Thy
Word, but also doers. For

Thy mercies sake we ask it.

Amen .

 

 

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has presented
"Seventy X
Seven" With

Rev. John Smith
Produced by

James Stevens

Directed by
Bill Williams
:14: 00 Lose super Hum Minister: Almighty God, who

hath brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep,

by the blood of the everlasting
covenant make you perfect in
every good work to gl_<_)_' his will,
working in you that which is
well pleasing in his sight. And
the blessings of God Almighty,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

 

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be'with you all.
Sing
Amen.

Fade to black.

Jri. 1!. fin. I. M “abgfld

 

 

 

APPENDIX

In this appendix the writer would like to point in the direction which seems
to him most appropriate for expanding the ideas involved in preparing specific
worship programs into a full year's television series. The reader should
consider this nothing more than a possible approach to a more detailed study
Of the problem. In short, it is the author's suggestion for further research
in the area of worship programing for television.

First of all, as with the structuring of individual programs, 'so the life
of the Christian Church in worship should also determine the structure of a
worship program series. Richard Paquier has said:

Just as in the order of nature the old terrestrial creation

makes in one year the journey 'round the physical sun, so

in the order of grace the church, the first fruits of the new

creation, turns in one year about its Spiritual sun, Christ,

so as to receive all its rays, and to contemplate its varied

aspects.21
Here is the key to the development of a worship program series springing out
of the life of the Church, the Christian Year. It is divided into two halves,
the Lord's semester, consisting Of Advent, Christinastide, Epiphany, Lent,
Easter, Ascension and Pentecost, and the Church's semester consisting Of

the Festival of Holy Trinity (the twenty-two or twenty-seven Sundays after

Trinity Sunday, depending on the date of Easter) when stress is laid upon our

 

21Richard Paquier, Traite de Liturgique. Neuchatel and Paris: '
(Delachaux and Niestle, 1954) p. 94.

97

98

task as men who have met the Lord instead of a concentration upon the
person and work of Christ. . .

Obviously, these two semesters reflect the nature of the individual
services of worship which occur Sunday by Sunday and at other times
throughout the Christian Year, the dialogpe in which we see God acting
in Jesus Christ and men reacting, dedicating themselves to the task of
representing God in their everyday life in the world. Also, the individual
seasons within each semester can serve as a basis for selecting texts to
be elucidated on each program. This insures a variety of themes for the
series and, consequently, a variety of approaches to develOpin'g and I
presenting those themes. Thus there would be a "built-in" check against
the possibility of having too many programs where the "mental" factor is
dominant, or, depending upon the particular taste of the program designer
or designers, where the "moral" or "vital" factor is dominant. Notice that
the programs. presented in Chapters II through IV Of this thesis represent
a use of all three of these approaches to production. Notice also, that they
develop themes correSponding to different seasons from both semesters of
the Christian Year. "Having God on God's Terms" is a program where the
"mental" factor is dominant in production. It treats a text appropriate to
the Lenten season in the Lord's semester of the Christian Year. "A Pearl
of Great Price" is a production where the "moral" factor is dominant. The
text dealt with on the program is appropriate to the season of Christmastide.

"Seventy X Seven" deals with a text from the Church's half Of the Christian

Year, presenting a theme developed in such a way as to emphasize the

 

99

"vital" factor.

It should be noted that a difficulty will arise when an attempt is made to
accommodate the pattern of the Christian Year to the usual pattern of thirteen
consecutive weeks for a program series, which is pretty much standard for
the broadcasting industry. The only answer, so it seems to this writer, is
to give up the idea of having a strictly limited Advent and Christmas series
or Lenten and Easter series, fully adapted to the thirteen week programing
structure. Why not move from one season to the next as the Christian
calendar dictates? Where one season fails to take up the full thirteen weeks,
the next season can be initiated, the first few programs ofthe new season
prepared along with, or in sequence after those pertaining to the preceding
portion of the Christian Year.

Let me state, in conclusion, that it may seem to the. reader that the
approach to worship program design developed in this thesis and the
suggestion given regarding how such programs might be developed into a
series, provoke more questions than are or can be easily answered. If this
is the case, perhaps these words of John Bachman may serve as an
explanation of and relief from the anxiety caused by reflection upon the use '
of the mass media for the communication of the GOSpel.

For years in relig’ous broadcasting we have been giving
over-confident answers to superficial questions. Now

we must ask some fundamental questions even though we
do not know all the answers.22

 

2BJohn Bachman, The Church in the World of Radio-Television.
New York: (Association Press, 1960) p. xiii.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Religious Books

 

Bachman, John W. The Church in the World of Radio-Television.
New York: Association Press, 1960.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Ethics. New York: Macmillan Co., 1962.

The Book of Common Worship. Philadelphia: Board of Christian
Education of the United Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. ,
1956 .

 

Davies, Horton. Christian Worship, Its History and Meaning.
New York: Abingdon Press, 1957. -

Dickenson, Clarence (ed.). The Hymnal. Philadelphia: Board of
Christian Education of the United Presbyterian Church in the
U. S. A., 1954. '

Gibson, George M. The Story of the Christian Year. New York:
Abingdon Press, 1945. '

Hauck, Allan. Calendar of Christianity. New York: Association
Press, 1961.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. Philadelphia: Universal
Book and Bible House.

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version. New York: Thomas
Nelson and Sons, 1952.

Kraemer, Hendrick. Communication of the Christian Faith.
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956.

Marty, Martin E. The Imgroper Opinion. Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press, 1961.

McArthur, A. Allan. The Evolution of the Christian Year. London:
SCM Press Ltd. , 1953.

Miller, Donald G. Fire in Thy Mouth. New York: Abingdon
Press, 1954.
100

101

Paquier,. Richard. Traite de Liturgique. Neuchatel and Paris:
Delachaux and Niestle, 1954.

Parker, Everett C. Religious Television: What to Do and How.
New York: Harper and Bros. , 1961.

Parker, Everett, Barry, David and Smythe, Dallas. The Television-
Radio Audience and Religion. New York: Harper and Bros. ,
1955.

Sellers, James E. The Outsider and the Word of God. New York:
Abingdon Press, 1961.

Spike, Robert W. Safe in Bondage. New York: Friendship Press,
1960.

Thielicke, Helmut. Nihilism. New York: Harper and Bros., 1961.

Secular Books

 

Berlo, David K. The Process of Communication. New York:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960.

Bettinger, Hoyland. 2 ed. revised. New York: Harper and Bros. ,
1955.

Boyd, Malcolm. Crisis in Communication. New York: Doubleday
and Co. , 1957.

Bretz, Rudy. Techniques of Television Production. New York:
Harper and Bros. , 1955.

Chester, Giraud and Garrison, Garnet R. Television and Radio.
New York: Appleton-Century-Crafts, 1956.

Doob, Leonard. Public Opinion and Propaganda. New York:
H. Holt Co. , 1948.

Emery, Walter. Broadcasting and Government: Responsibilities
and Regulations. East Lansing: Michigan State University
Press, 1961. '

 

Head, Sydney W. Broadcasting in America. Boston: Houghton
Mifflan Co. , 1956.

102
Lazarsfeld, Paul. The People's Choice: How the Voter Makes Up His
Mind in a Presidential Campaign. New York: Duell, Sloan and
Pearce, 1944.

Powers, Leland. Practice Book. Boston: Haven Merrill Power, 1955.

 

Schramm, Wilbur. Process and Effects of Mass Communication.
Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1955.

 

Seldes, Gilbert. The Public Arts. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1956.

Standards of Practice (N. A. B. Radio and Television Codes). Washington,
D. 0.: National Association of Broadcasters.

 

Articles, Pamphlets and Periodicals

The Church and the Mass Media. Study Commission of the Role of Radio,
Television and Films in Religion, National Council of Churches of
Christ in the U. S. A. New York, 1960.

Herzog, Herta. "Motivations and Gratifications of Daily Serial Listeners, "
in Lazarsfeld, Paul and Stanton, Frank (eds.) Radio Research.
New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1944.

Klapper, Joseph T. "What We Know about the Effects of Mass
Communication; the Brink of Hope, " Public Opinion Quarterly,
Winter Issue, (Princeton), 1957 -58, 457 —458.

Macleod, Donald. "The Dialogue of the Sanctuary, " Princeton Seminary
Bulletin (Princeton), May 1963, ,15-32.

Tillich, Paul. "Communicating the Gospel," Union Seminary Quarterly
Review (New York) June, 1952, 11.

Other Sources

Lantis, Carlos Ray. A Litany from a Service of Ordination, December,
1963.

 

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