i am an offering

As my friend put it recently - “You coming up for air?   You’ve been pretty silent lately.”

Yep.

Over the past few months my wife and I began conversation about the potential of me looking for another job.  She’s been working full time and providing for our family, which has been amazing and for which I haven’t been grateful enough - but it’s time for that to change.  With the addition of our daughter, her mommy desires have definitely kicked in and she would love to spend more time with our little one - which I think is awesome.

So, I’ve been on a job search for the past month or so.  I have been working part time for some time, and finally looking for full time work.  I would love to be a full time worship and music director someday, but the truth is, many churches find it hard to swing that as a fulltime job.  So I will be joining Billy Chia as a bivocational worship leader.

So, in the midst of my job search, this blog went pretty silent as I had begun building a portfolio site to display my graphic design work in order to get a job.

I have one offer and I’m waiting on another offer right now that I think would be a better fit for me.  I still want to continue to be involved in worship leading and in writing this blog and participating in The Worship Community - but life is crazy and I’m still trying to figure out some schedule issues.

In the meantime - I would appreciate prayer, you can check out my portfolio site and I’m hoping to get back to blogging on worship and music regularly very soon.

Thanks for the listen - enjoy the rest of the week!

Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to share some Scripture, thoughts, and ideas of how to involve artists in worship. First, let me say, that I couldn’t find the Scripture I was looking for. I had thought the Levites were in charge of some of the artwork inside the temple as well as the music, but I couldn’t find the reference. If anyone can enlighten me, that would be fantastic.

*Ernie alerted me to the great reference of Exodus 31. The first six verses are an amazing testimony that God desires to use all of our gifts to worship Him:

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you:

He goes on to mention that “everything I have commanded you” includes all of the aspects of the tabernacle. Thanks, Ernie!*

Another Scripture can also definitely help us to understand using art in worship:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17.

So often we think of “worship” as singing, praying, speaking, playing an instrument. But another deed in which we can praise God is through other forms of art. Here are some ways we can use art in worship:

• Graphic Design - Creating slides for the sermon, designing professional bulletins, designing modern banners for the foyer or sanctuary, designing a whole theme for the front of the church during a sermon series.
• Photography - Let photographers be involved. Good photos can go on banners, sermon slides, websites, promotional materials. The power of a well-taken photograph is unmatched. But please, please, let photographers use their own equipment, or make sure you invest in a good, quality camera for the church. Don’t buy the cheapest digital camera you can find!
• Painting - Paintings can be used as banners or decoration for the sanctuary, or if someone is willing, have them paint something as an act of worship during special music or during a special time in the service, then display the painting prominently. (This can get messy, so make sure you have plenty of canvas and you know exactly how you’re going to pull this off! Check this out. I’ve seen it done, and it’s powerful!)
• Dance - Some of us get really scared by this word but the Bible is very clear that dance is an appropriate way to worship God. It’s also very clear that when one despises someone because of their form of worship, bad things happen! (Check out this passage for proof!) You could use liturgical dance, you could use dance choregraphed as drama to music, or you could encourage your people to worship God with their whole bodies.
• Sculpture - Do people sculpt in your congregation? Use them! Perhaps you could have someone do bits of sculpture each week during a series, talking about how God molds us and shapes us into someone who is more like Him. Do people make pottery? You could use their pottery for a foot-washing service, or serve commuion elements from their pottery. I once saw a video of a man carving loaves of bread that were set up on a stand. The people took the bread from the carving as their bread for communion, and the fiinished carving was Jesus’ body on the cross. What a powerful picture of the Lord’s Supper!
• Video - Mark Batterson always says that video screens are digital stained glass windows. I love that! Stained glass told stories through the pieces, video can tell stories in an even more vivid way. There are so many aspiring producers and editors all over. Again, let them use their own cameras, or invest in quality equipment for the church and let them run with it.

The church is first of all about proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ. But it is also about nurturing gifts within its people. Let’s take time to nurture the gifts of artists, letting them use their gifts to worship God, and providing a fanstastic community for them as well.

First of all, I apologize for the lack of scheduled posting.  I was having some technical difficulties.  Onward…

I seem to be sensing a bit of a trend in many churches today (especially smaller churches).  The trend is that the artists are leaving.  And, sadly, they are ending up in spots that are drowning their faith and getting them into some places they shouldn’t be going.  I’ve been involved in enough theatre groups to know that what goes on in many are not particularly healthy for someone who has left the church and is looking for a place to belong.  Before long, people are belonging to smoker’s circles, drinking parties, and all sorts of relativistic thinking.  Why is this?  Why do artists find a different community instead of the church?  There are a few reasons:

• The word I just mentioned above: community, or rather, the lack of it.  Many churches have a great community of quilters.  Many churches have a great community of people who play sports together.  Many churches have a great community of friends.  But most churches have no community of artists.  The “secular” art world is full of community.  In the church, where is the place for photographers?  Where is the place for sculptors?  Where is the place for dancers?  Where is the place for sketchers, painters, graphic designers?
• Artists’ minds aren’t nurtured, directed, and discipled.  Because there is rarely an outlet for artists to “perform” in the church, there is rarely a place to nurture an artist’s gift, and rarely a place for a mature Christian artist to disciple a younger one.
• Artists aren’t utilized. Let’s face it, besides musicians and maybe a couple of ladies that make banners, where are we utilizing artists within the church?
• Quality doesn’t seem to matter.  Artists can get pretty picky.  So often in the church we do something halfheartedly with no effort and call it “good enough” because it’s for church.  Artists see these things and run away as fast as they can.

So how do we nurture artists in the church and why should we be concerened about doing so?  Tomorrow I’ll share some Scripture, thoughts and ideas on how to do so.