God's Art

"...Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power..." (Romans 1:20 NKJV)


What can you learn about an Artist, just by experiencing his art? Can you come to know and understand the Artist through the medium of his work?
According to the Apostle Paul it is possible, and in fact demanded of us that we look at nature, God's creation, as an expression of Himself.

That is not always a comfortable subject to dwell on.

Here in central Texas, we have been inundated with rain for the past two days, causing serious flooding, destruction, and a place on international news. So yesterday, my family went down to a nearby river to take some pictures of the flooding.

Had my sister taken this picture any other day, it would have looked much different. You would have seen a few trickles of water meandering around huge granite boulders and sand banks dotted with mesquite trees and tall grass. There is even a little road running across the river-bed, with only a few culverts underneath to let the water through. It's the perfect spot for a picnic and an exploring expedition.

In eight hours, though, the water had risen nearly four feet, jumping the road and washing away the sand banks not held down by tree roots. It doesn't trickle now, it roars and tosses and rushes, destroying nearly everything in its path. You would have to be suicidal to step into it. Folks downstream are gathering up their belongings and checking their insurance policies.... some of them have already been flooded.

And yet, it is beautiful.... The setting sun catches on the roiling water and gilds it; the contrast of green against the silken silver is breath-taking. It is a photographer's dream, with all its power and varying colors and settings....

This is God's artwork, what does it say about the artist?

Quote of the Week (Every Blog should have one, right?):

"His need was the perennial need of the artist, to put shape to the shapeless, coherence to the incoherent. To turn hard experience into romance was not, in any way, to belittle that experience."
William Buchan, speaking of his father, John Buchan

And Your Name Was....

Anyone who works with kids can tell you that adding something new to your teaching program can be an adventure. Apparently, I thought I needed more of that in my life.

So this year, I decided to add a "Dance History" segment to our Summer dance camp for kids, and at first it seemed to be working really well.

Then came the day that I introduced my class to one of the great dancers of recent times: Rudolf Nureyev.

As on other days, I gave what I thought was a quick but eloquent review of his life and contributions to dance. Then pulling out my dance history book, showed the children a picture of Nureyev soaring through the air in one of his legendary jumps.

For a gratifying moment, all was quiet as they stared in wide-eyed wonder at the page.

Then one sweet, eight-year-old ballerina in the back spoke up,

"His name was Rudolf?"

The Manifesto

"Redemption, which involves not only restoration but renewal, embraces every aspect of creation. God's intention is to have a world in which God's people live under his reign to his glory and this He achieves through the redemptive work of his Son. Thus God's redemptive purposes include the world of the arts and man's creative abilities."

Finally, someone has put together a powerful statement of purpose for Christians working in the world of the Arts. Written specifically for Christian artists in South Africa, this manifesto rings true for artists around the world, and especially here in the US.

It's a long read, so here are some shorter gems for you to enjoy:

Art and the Christian Worldview
"There is no room in a Christian worldview for a relegation of the arts to the secular or unspiritual category of activities.... The all embracing nature of God's creation and Christ's redemption means that just as Christians take family and church life seriously so too the aesthetic dimension of life needs to be taken seriously. "

"In the institutional church the vocation of artist has often been deprecated. Outside the church it has sometimes been exalted above all other vocations. Neither of these positions is acceptable. The vocation of art practitioner and art theoretician stand alongside the economist, the teacher, the carpenter, the pastoral minister and the theologian as a legitimate Christian vocation."

The Responsibility of the Church to the Artist
"Local churches need to not only help Christians discern the call to the pastoral ministry and the mission field but also those to the economic sector, the political arena and of course the world of the arts. The local church needs to keep the artist alert to her sphere of activity as vocation, as a battle ground and to support her in her following of Christ in this sector of his world. "

The Responsibility of the Artist to the Church
"Christ retains his deep commitment to the church in all its brokenness and the artist is to follow his example. The artist is called to responsible activity and is to work in a way that honours God and is helpful to his neighbour and especially his brothers and sisters in Christ. While the church must be sensitive to the freedom that the artist needs in order to create, in the exercise of his freedom the artist must guard against jeopardising the credibility of the church. "