Worship Production 101: Lights, Something, Something!
We have all heard the common phrases regarding christian worship "concerts" with all the big speakers, and "crazy lighting". How they are a distraction from worship and are too extravagant. All I can say to that is... I'm sorry you have a box for worship.
In my experience I have found that going to concerts, where you really like the band, and the songs, and everything else that goes with any reason you might have gone to attend a concert in general, you get caught up in the frenzy of what is going on. This is not a bad thing! This is ultimately a very healthy thing! Why you ask, should we be partaking at such an enthusiastic level during these events? Because we were designed to get excited about expressing emotions and energy. Why can't we get into the same place with worship where we allow ourselves to act ridiculous for the God who bestows such grace on us?
In my opinion one of the key features of these concerts that evoke such energy and emotions is the lighting! Especially the various colors of lighting that can happen during a set (I would sell my interns on ebay for changing colors... if I had interns). Changing colors can be used to help the participants engage emotions that may normally be locked up inside, boiling up and just waiting for a chance to be expressed. Red lighting can create an intense experience drawing out such emotions as joy, passion, or even a righteous anger. Blue lighting can help people settle down, find a sense of peace, and bring about reflection in an otherwise harried day. Green lighting can draw on energy, life, etc... The point being that lights are great! They don't even need to be colored though...
The general intensity of lighting can be a great tool for engaging participants in worship. Blacking out a room is a great way to get peoples' attention while at the same time quieting them down, it draws on a sense of confusion which can then be focused by lighting a specific area. Perhaps simply lighting a cross before worship to remind people whom they are about to interact with in worship. This is a slightly extreme version, but if one was to take a less scary approach, simply dimming the lights will have a similar effect minus the confusion, just reminding people that they are about to experience something. In the worship times at Neighborhood Church, the lighting is brought down to about 35% of maximum in the house by the second song and greeting time has passed. This allows people to not have to try and find seats in a dark room, and then also brings out the point that now is not a time to socialize but rather praise the Most high.
A third little way to utilize lighting is to use different forms of lighting. Using both colored lighting as well as candles can help facilitate a very meditative experience. We had worship set which was a mellow one, and the blue lighting combined with the candles really allowed people to have an intimate worship experience with God. Experiment with lighting... use lamps or candles, or maybe even a disco ball (I am working on that one).
Lighting is not a precise art, even with a controlled set and all the best lighting equipment possible it still requires someone who is both intuitive and flexible to adjust the lighting to help the congregation experience the corporate worship experience at its fullest. Mistakes will be made, and the lighting technician will learn. I know, I have made my fair share of mistakes including a little light show during the middle of a prayer once (Whoops!) But nonetheless there is grace abundant, even for the lighting tech. :)
So feel free to take a moment and allow yourself to be taken by the colors, the levels, the art that can be brought out in light. Let your emotions run free, get a little ridiculous for the big guy in the sky!