Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts

Worship and Skill

Posted by Brian | Labels: , | Posted On Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 7:57 PM

Consider the following verses.
So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded." – Exodus 36:1
Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it. – 1 Chronicles 15:22
Sing to him a new song;
       play skillfully, and shout for joy. – Psalm 33:3
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
       with skillful hands he led them. – Psalm 78:72
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. – 1 Corinthians 3:10
 I’d also like for you to consider the following statements.

1.    Skill is a Gift from God, for His Glory

None of us can claim credit for our abilities.
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? – 1 Corinthians 4:7
With this idea, consider that whatever abilities we have, they are not ours but rather God’s.  We are essentially the tools used by God to advance his kingdom.  There are many people in this world who have amazing gifts and abilities that twist them and use them for earthly gain, but for those who are aware of their relationship with Christ, so comes with the realization that all that we can do comes from the Father.

2.    Skill Must be Developed
Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD -they numbered 288. – 1 Chronicles 25:7
These were the gifted individuals who were ministering in the tabernacle.  This verse tells us that while there is a basic, anointed gift from God Almighty, that does not excuse someone from training and practice.  Look to any successful artist of any medium, and while there was an original seed of passion and talent that was planted within them, the gift had to be developed and nurtured.

3.    Skill Doesn’t Make Worship More Acceptable before God

God values skill, but he is not solely pleased by excellence.  No matter how good I am at the my means of worship, I still will always need the workings of the Savior to perfect my offerings of worship.
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:5
God is not looking for something perfect, He’s looking for something broken.  We must recognize our weakness and put our faith in the work of Christ which has already finished.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
       a broken and contrite heart,
       O God, you will not despise.  – Psalm 51:17
4.    Skill which is Publicly Displayed Should Be Evaluated by Others

Imagine someone who is completely blind and deaf to the feedback of a the body they are leading or ministering to.  This individual would become insensitive to what speaks to those who they are leading.  It would be as if rather than a conduit through which God ministers, this individual is a pipe with the potential to carry water to the thirsty, but has a cap at the end, not really attuned with the need to those they are ministering to.  This applies to anyone who publicly displays artwork, publishes literature or performs music.  Sensitivity is essential.

Take a few moments and consider these points and these verses.  Share your thoughts on these principals.
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Mediocrity is not a disease

Posted by Brian | Labels: , | Posted On Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 8:39 PM

I recently read an interview with author Anne Rice. Anne, known for her Vampire Chronicles series that have been immensely successful in both print and film, came to reaffirm her life to Christ in 2002. Since then, she has spoken a number of times regarding the trend of mediocrity that plagues Christian art. Read this excerpt.

My advice to anyone working with Christian material is, of course, Make it as good as you can make it. Being a Christian is no excuse for making mediocre or sentimental art. We don’t need another mediocre book on any subject. Mel Gibson’s audience revealed that people wanted high production values in a Christian film as well as immense faith and devotion reflected in the film.
We Catholics are blessed with a long vibrant artistic tradition. Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters are still influenced by a Puritan background that causes them to be suspicious of all art. I think we Catholics can offer a new approach, and some risk taking in novels and films.
Excellence has to be the standard. The greatest paintings we have of Christ are indeed great paintings. The greatest music- by Bach, Vivaldi, others- is indeed great music. We novelists must strive to write great novels. It’s insulting to Christians to offer them sentimental, shallow art and think they ought to go for it because it’s Christian. And I do think that is happening in some areas. We can’t let that happen. We need to offer Our Lord all that we can offer Him, and our art should be the very best we can do.
~Anne Rice. 

After hearing this, I began thinking about the balance between an individual praising God and the professionalism mentioned above. See, we all have a technical level of excellence in our artwork. Some artists may pour their entire heart and soul into their work, and yet it may not measure up to what the norm considers “good.” Good referring to the professionalism and quality of the work. My question then becomes: when and where is it appropriate to use art as worship, a release of one’s soul, or a work to sell? In other words, when should we be a bit more professional about our work? I believe that it largely boils down to the venue and audience before you. There is a time and a place for everything under heaven. If an individual has poured out their heart and soul into an art piece, yet lacks in some technical skill, then there are appropriate times and events to share what the Lord has done. On that note, just because a therapeutic healing takes place through the expression of art, it does not guarantee it a place in the history of Christian art, or a spot in the Guggenheim for that matter.   

At this point, I suspect that there could be a number of self conscious artists reading this, and freaking out. It is unrealistic to think that everyone is a Pollock, a Da Vinci, or a Bosch. If someone finds peace, finds worship, and connects with God through the use of a paint brush, then it is essential that person paints. If someone ushers in the Spirit through playing a Saxophone, then play until you have no breath left. 

Colossians 3:23-24 states:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Hear that?  If you do something, then do it with every fiber of your soul. Make yourself vulnerable, put yourself out there, and praise the Almighty until you feel like there is nothing left. It will be in that moment of vulnerability that you will enter into a partnership with Christ, and the real worship will begin. When the dust has settled, you may be surprised with what you see laying before you. I encourage you to connect to other artists and share. I encourage you to critique each other’s works both on a spiritual as well as a technical level of feedback. It is in these meetings that mediocrity might be addressed. Know that mediocrity is not a dirty word – it should be an incentive to push one’s self further. It should be received as a challenge to always grow. There isn’t an artist in all of history who ever lived without having learned some kind of new technique or a new way to improve their work in the process of becoming a master artist. So, enter into a partnership with Christ. Work to improve, to push further, and to never stop growing. Mediocrity is not a disease or a handicap, it is a declaration that an individual can do better.
What do you think about determining the difference between art as worship, or a work to sell?
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Wings of Humanity

Posted by Brian | Labels: | Posted On Friday, January 8, 2010 at 9:00 AM

“Art, for the artists of earlier times, was one of the wings of love; religion was the other.  Art and religion provide humanity with all the certainties that it needs.”         ~Auguste Rodin
      What an intriguing thought that Rodin introduces – humanity’s wings working together to bring personal and social advancement combined in art and religion. When one reflects on the historical influence that the church has had on the advancement of the arts, it is undeniable that things have changed since the era of the Medici commissions and the grand cathedral furnishing. If Rodin was right in his thinking – if the wings of love are the arts and religion, then how severe is the modern trend where the arts (outside of music) are becoming less mainstream and religion is becoming more of an accessory?
     There are two factors from this quote that stand out to me the most. First, it shows that even a hundred years ago Rodin was aware of the deterioration of the arts and religion – Emphasizing that this is not a recent occurrence. Second, it points out the importance of the partnership between art and religion; hence the metaphor, “wings of love.” In regards to these factors, I am presently moved to consider what affects the re-establishment of the partnership between art and religion would have on the modern world today.  
     This is really the heart of what I intend to explore here on Stone Speak. I would like to take you on a journey where we will consider the purpose of art, the role of art created in the Spirit, and the impact it has had, and could have, on our world. Along the way, we will look at the works of some current artists, and observe what they are doing and saying through their expressions. The first week of February, we will begin this exploration by interpreting what the purpose of a particular piece of art might be and for whom it was intended to please. I believe that this is an important thing to explore when one is striving to appreciate art while also starting to create it.


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