At a concert in Erie, Pennsylvania, I sang a song called "In Good Hands." Afterward, the church's custodian stopped by. "When you was singing that song about Jesus' hands," he said, "the sun was setting ...
I appreciate this article, as a designer I consider myself more of a visual problem solver than an artist. Either case, it requires creative thinking--an artist being more self-expressive. Heard someone say "Design is anything not created by God." So that leaves us. You see, God is the Intelligent Designer, He created you & I, the heavens & the oceans. Everything else we create i.e., art, music, literature, architecture, fashion, a logo, the art of crafting a sermon, whatever design discipline, you name it. Christians for God's glory. Call it pre-evangelism, tilling the soil for the message. We are being most like our Creator, the first five words of the Bible in Genesis, when we create. Lets not stop making art, it defines a culture. It doesn't require extravagant funding just willingness.
Sheri
Posted: June 30, 2009 7:31 PM
I heard you on Chris Fabry today as you spoke on this article that you wrote...stunning. As an artist I have so many of the same questions and struggles and almost guilty feeling. I also struggle with those "greater" issues and how I should be doing something on a more global scale. Your conversation with Chris today impacted me and I had a tremendous feeling of freedom to be who I am. Can't explain it...but seriously appreciate it!! Thanks!
Elizabeth
Posted: June 24, 2009 3:56 PM
Eloquent as always! The challenge is that art is made by artists, real people who need support and who often work at the margins. I would love to see a movement whereby local church communities became "patrons" of the arts like in the Renaissance. I have a number of gifted friends who left their artistic trades just because they could no longer afford to ply that trade -- a real loss to the Kingdom. And yes, art that glorifies God should start with our worship practices...
Johann
Posted: June 24, 2009 3:24 PM
It would be great if Christianity were actually producing art these days, but all we have is the dreck known as "Christian Rock" where every song sounds like musical slurry and all they do is take secular lyrics and replace "baby" with "Lord". I pray that Christian Contemporary will go down the drain soon.
Renee Beck
Posted: June 24, 2009 12:07 PM
Thank you for these timely words. As an organist I struggle weekly to live up to the heritage of J.S. Bach and the history of my church. In the church where we are members, the highest standard is often that 'someone is getting it done.' If we are the hands (and feet) and voices of our Creator in this world, how can we ever offer less than our best, especially in worship?
Anonymous
Posted: June 24, 2009 11:26 AM
What a beautiful picture the first paragraph painted for me. I have had that experience, when God uses us in a way that our words say way more than we could have ever imagined us saying.
Thank you for sharing.
Chuck Boone
Posted: June 24, 2009 11:01 AM
Thanks for opening this conversation within the CT readership. The relative absence of the arts from contemporary church life is more than merely missing something important, it is the absence of something necessary. As I teach my students, the arts are those human activities that pay homage to something the creator contemplates, puts into abstracted form, and passes along to an audience.
Time and resources are dedicated to something that seemingly has no immediate material benefit other than expressing the significance of the thing contemplated in the making of art by creating a new form that embodies this awe and presents it to an audience. In so doing, art is the conduit by which a group becomes a culture.
Considering the often transient commitments of Christians to a given local church, one has to wonder how much of that unsettled nature is due to the absence of a full and challenging Christian culture.
Try www.karitos.com for an answer.
Anita Siemens
Posted: June 24, 2009 8:47 AM
I really liked this article. I am a piano player and LOVE to express myself through this given gift. When we hand over our gift to Jesus , he multiplies it and works wonders through us. Let us use the gift of art to glorify HIM alone.
Robert McLeod
Posted: June 24, 2009 8:00 AM
Thanks etc. True travesty also bring out the most intrinsic unheard values in our genious I affirm the article and redits for all the comments. Being a creative visual artist I have tried many times to stimulat interst to some of the churches aroud as to th epossibility of doing some art for the church, but get no response so I leave it at that. Have we not seen th great art that has been done througout the ages. Should the talents of the many artists go to waste as in another group Christian Artists the question is asked about the churches supporting the art, except for dramatics, and again the reply is bland. I can assure anyone that the quality of my sketches are equal to museum quality of the greats of yesteryears, and some how I still plan to do so inspite of the economic situations that plagues us, artists also.
I would like to do some also in order to get into a Bible College also Missioneering with my many other talents Yours IHS robert McLeod robbyxly@yahoo.c
Mary Jane
Posted: June 24, 2009 5:56 AM
I too was so encouraged to read this article. So many creative personalities question whether we should be doing our work in these current economic times.
I am a painter who lost the ability to hold a brush and now paint mostly with my fingers. Giving up for Economic, or physical reason was not an option, 16 years ago or now. God will not give us a gift then walk away. He is the sustainer of who He made us. Having just spent a year preparing work for two solo shows. The first closes in a few days with little sales but tremendous and honourable attendance. People have no doubt that God is present in the paintings and in my life. There is a spiritual currency that is being exchanged. The second solo opens on the July 3 in my home town of Newport NH. To this end I will pursue beauty all the days of my life. I love to paint for the Custodian who can see this.
www.maryjaneqcross.com
Mary Zuehlke
Posted: June 23, 2009 7:59 PM
I am a violinist and teach violin and piano lessons to all ages. I believe music is a gift from God and I teach it that way. Music is a way to express our inner most feelings and it is how I share God's love with others. God has promised to provide for us and He is keeping His promise. I have not lost any students (Praise the Lord) due to the economy. I'll never stop using the gift that He has given me as long as I can use it for His glory.
Judy Smith
Posted: June 23, 2009 7:15 PM
I am so glad to see this article! I believe that the arts are a reflection of God's beauty and creativity on earth. My son, who just graduated from high school, was given the gifts of singing and also acting. I sometimes worry that he will not be able to make a living in a tough economy like this if he stays with his gifts, but on the other hand, I strongly believe that he needs to be who he was created to be and use the gifts that God gave him. My son has been a beacon of light in the secular musical theatre world even at his young age - Christians are few and God's love and truth is sorely needed in that community. We have kept up our support of the arts, even exceeding our prior support in many cases.
Michael
Posted: June 23, 2009 7:47 AM
Working in a hurting art & framing industry, I thought I'd ad my two cents.
Picture Framing is a craft (when done right), and can make even the most simple piece look dramatic
Two quick points to help my fellow Christians find a decent shop
1)Michaels (and other big boxes) is actually the most expensive framing shop (even with a 50% off), and there staff is poorly trained (a small shop often gets a lot of work fixing mistakes from a Big Box).
2)Larson Juhl is the number one moulding company, but owned by Warren Buffet (one of the largest contributors to Planned Parenthood). So save the babies, and buy from one of the many other decent companies (CMI, Roma, Max, etc.)
Tony Brent
Posted: June 22, 2009 11:06 PM
God intends us to "create" using the talents and abilities that He has given us. After all, there would be no art if God had not intended it. Artistic expression allows us to see the beauty of creation in a variety of ways.
Geoge T.
Posted: June 22, 2009 8:22 PM
Art is Godly. Classical and old Church music is art. We cannot forsake such because otherwise we shall fail to keep our spititual balance and,hence wellbeing.
Les Nordman
Posted: June 22, 2009 6:41 PM
I love buying little oil sketches from my local artist. The purchase surges my spiritual growth as much as if I was spending millions. Scripture, tradition, artistry, love for my community, love for my family, love for my church, love for the Lord stirs and grows and flows. For example, if the painting I purchase is a figure study, the painting and its purchase pushes me miles away from temptation to give in to pornography. It is like, art is the real thing, pornography, the sad, poor imitation. I love being generous when everyone is holding on to their money. I feel lighter, more like the giving Father. I love going to the art store with my wife and choosing a frame together. Everything in my life gets closer to the Lord as I spend more money on art in a bad economy.
Sue Talley
Posted: June 22, 2009 6:35 PM
An encouraging article, very well written. And so very true! Even songs without words can be a prayer. Art can be priesthood--may it be used to God's glory!
Brennan
Posted: June 22, 2009 1:51 PM
I agree with the writer that art is fundamental. It is ultimately meant to lift our hearts and minds to God, and to reflect unseen realities.
As a Catholic, I can only lament that in the past forty years or so we have dropped so much of what was beautiful in our worship—the beautiful prayers of the old liturgy, great music like Gregorian chant, and a dedication also to beauty in our houses of worship which has been exemplified by artists such as Michelangelo, Reubens, Rafael, etc.
For there to be a genuine attraction to Truth we need beauty aiding and abetting apologetics and teaching as people are not mere rational disembodied spirits.
carol
Posted: June 22, 2009 1:33 PM
Art blesses me...............and my free tickets from the local library make it very easy for me to be blessed. People cannot take away from me .........I can give it up for silly reasons (like it belongs to the wealthy!)
Paul
Posted: June 22, 2009 11:38 AM
Like the story of the person in the Concentration Camp, I'm sure he did not charge the other prisoners to hear the beauty of his God-given creativity flow like water. Art like all other creative processes though has been usurped by certain classes of people to create a system of wealth in which only those who possess certain influence and standing can participate. Within the climate of "tough economic times" (whatever that means for Christians), we need to use our creative talents to bless, not create beauty for only a handful of people who can afford tickets. Maybe this is one of the reasons that we are not as creative as we could be, the truly creative are continually shut out of the opportunity to use their gift. Just a thought.
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