The Church and Artists

A bit of Christmas cheer in the studio office

I continue to do research on the mixing of churches and artists. Found some fascinating interviews by individuals who share the passion for reaching out to artists but who execute their missions in many different ways depending on the context of their individual communities. The rethinkmission blog shared two blog posts asking arts leaders "As a local church how to do you engage and inspire artists?" The Church and Artist Roundtable-1. They also asked the question "What would you say to a local church that had a desire to engage artists in their city or cultivate the arts in their church? Where should they start?" The Church and Artist Roundtable-2. Amazing to see the diversity and imagination of churches around the country reaching out to the artist communities of their cities.

Studio Construction

"All I want for Christmas is one little overhead light"... Well, this dream, idea, wish has gone from a quick little studio improvement into a several week project. Who knew!?! Looks like we will still be in "construction mode" for a little while longer (probably why I've taken some time to get some computer work done and actually do some more blog posts so I guess it is not all bad).

Imagination Released

"A purified and Spirit-controlled imagination is, however, quite another thing, and it is this I have in mind here. I long to see the imagination released from its prison and given to its proper place among the sons of the new creation. What I am trying to describe here is the sacred gift of seeing, the ability to peer beyond the veil and gaze with astonished wonder upon the beauties and mysteries of things holy and eternal." The Best of AW Tozer

Vision Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2009

"The sacred gift of seeing" I love that phrase. How often I forget that "seeing"-really "seeing" is a sacred gift. Maybe saying I forget isn't entirely accurate...I think the reality is that it is easier to forget- to not "know" this truth-then maybe so much isn't demanded of me-it won't be really important whether I go through my life "seeing" or not. I can slack off or deny or turn away and well...nothing would be different. But, it would be different, even if no one else ever noticed, I would. And, once you've peered behind the veil you don't want to stop, you can't stop. Even typing that makes me question myself and want to say "but that is all hocus-pocus" real grown ups don't "peer beyond a veil" but we do. We can. We must. It is this imagination released that allows us as humans to experience glimpses of the vast glory of God. Our imaginations are a gift-a tool He uses to expand our worlds- to transport us out of the "everydayness" of our lives and to imagine a bigger world-a bigger reality-a deeper experience than just the "day in and day out" that can consume our lives.

Those of us that are artists must grasp for our imaginations to be released and nurture this process in ourselves. Of course, there are so many things that fight against us to stop this process from unfolding-lack of attention, attack from within and without, avoidance, the list goes on and on.

Attack Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2009

"He (Jesus) even told us that we had to be like little children ourselves if we wanted to understand God, and yet the world (and too often the church) taught then, and still teaches that we have to outgrow our childhood love of story, of imagination, of creativity, of fun, and so we blunder into the grown-up world of literalism." Glimpses of Grace Madeline L'Engle

I don't want to out grow my love of story- as people, as a body of believers, we need story, imagination, creativity and fun to bring us LIFE, to point us to Him, to usher us into living the full and free life He created us to experience.

Launch Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2009