At this year’s Question Box service, someone asked: “How do you come up with monthly worship themes? Do you think AI could do better?”
Rev. Claire shares:
Every year, sometime after Easter, I start to think seriously about the worship themes for the next church year. I get ideas for the worship themes from many sources. Many of them are suggested by you, Follen members and friends! (I have to give a special shout out to Jack D. and Andrea P., both of whom have inspired more than one worship theme over the years.) I love hearing your ideas, especially as to why and how they interest you and whether there is a book, movie, podcast story, or other resource that goes with it. I keep a big long Word document full of ideas, so if I don’t use it immediately, it might come up in another year.
Sometimes a resource or conversation inspires a theme — or even just a single song. I chose the worship theme “Cardinal” for this past year because I loved the Kacey Musgraves song of the same name. And the more I started thinking about cardinals and the many meanings behind the word, I knew I had a worship theme that could last me a month of Sundays.
Could artificial intelligence do better? I think that depends on what you mean by “better.” I just asked an AI tool to give me a year’s worth of worship themes. In 2 seconds, it spit out a list, including “Cultivating Compassion” and “Finding Forgiveness.” (AI seems to really like alliteration.) But they all seemed kinda bland and generic to me. The worship themes, ultimately, are my own somewhat selfish spiritual practice. What words and ideas will challenge me this year? What touchstones will I carry in every conversation, every daydream? What wonders will open my heart?
Ulimately the worship themes are the beginning of a conversation I have with God, and a conversation I shape and hone and bring to you. My entire goal in creating worship is to be authentic — not artificial.