Creating Art For The Lord

There is a gentleman where I work who is about to retire.  I remember when I first met him, almost seventeen years ago.  We ran into each other in the restroom.  I imagine that he could tell I was new.  We were a bit smaller of a company back then.  He asked what I was doing there and I told him.  Feeling pretty spunky, I asked him the same question.  He told me he was the Executive Vice-President for the division I worked for.  I might have felt a bit sheepish at that point.

Some time later he was made the president of this division and has worked to the point of retirement.  Someone told me recently that he was taking welding lessons so that he can create art.  Think about that for a minute.  He has been an executive in a business for  close to two decades.  He is going to retire within weeks and what does he want to do?

Create art.

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I have had a thought for a while.  A question really.  It’s been sitting there simmering.  Baking.  Basting in the slow cooker of my mind for a few weeks.  I’ve been wondering for a while.

Is it a sin to not pursue your dream.

Now, we  have to define our dreams a bit.  I’m not talking about what you have on your bucket list.  I’m not talking about working for thirty years until you gain the gold watch and retire to a life of ease.  What I mean is this:

A dream is the desire to use the talents you have been given for the betterment of man and the glory of God.

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We recently had a sermon series at church.  It was called The Follower and was about being a follower of Christ.

On the first Sunday of the series, our pastor displayed a piece of driftwood on stage.  It was nothing remarkable.  Just a piece of plain, gray driftwood.

The next Sunday, it looked a little different.  A gentleman in our church had begun to carve a face into the driftwood.  Each Sunday throughout the series it change.  The detail to the face grew.  This man had taken a his tools that he was skilled at.  He made something beautiful out of something that was ugly.  He used his talents to do something.

Create art.

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Jon Acuff recently wrote this post about the artists of Israel.  You can read the story in Exodus 31 and 36.  God gave the wisdom and talents to create art to some of the Israelites.  All who were willing were summoned to work on the ark and all of the items for the tabernacle.

The skill of those skillful to create art was put into these people by God.  What were they given the skill to do?

Create art.

God gave talent to certain people and then those who were willing created the ark and instruments of the tabernacle.  The artists were heavily involved in the corporate worship of the Lord.

Some, it seems, may have sat on their talent and not used it for the betterment of the nation and the glory of God

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You may think that you aren’t an artist.  I disagree.  You may not be a musician.  You may not be someone who can carve driftwood into something beautiful or weld metal into art.  You may not be someone who writes a blog.

That doesn’t mean you don’t have talent or don’t create art.

I know a man who has been a hunter all of his life.  The Lord has given him incredible talent and ability.  He leads hunter safety classes and shares his faith through this.  Do you know what he does?

He creates art.

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I want to challenge you today.  Do an self-inventory.  Find your talents.  Use them to share  your faith.  Give them to your church to aid in corporate worship.  Display them so that God’s glory can be further displayed.

Create art.

What talents do you have that can create art for the Lord?

The Weekly Round-Up 3/3/12

First, let me just say that I hit a milestone yesterday.  I had post number 300 since I began Deuceology back in May.  Before long, we will be entering the second year of this journey.

The week was kind of strange.  I had several strong traffic days and three really weak ones.  February ended up being my second busiest month ever.  It would have probably been a record month if not for those three days.  Here is what happened this week.

Making Church Art was Sunday’s post.  I really like this one.  No one else did.  I may have to rewrite this one and resubmit it for another time.

A lot of you joined me in the journey our new church with First Church Year #6 on Monday.  We continue to enjoy becoming involved in our new church.

 Wednesday was going to be a video blog called February Dunn Holler Report.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t until  5:30 that morning that I discovered that I will have to upgrade my WordPress to include video.  Therefore, everyone got Dunn Holler Report: The Video on Wednesday.  Which turned out kind of bad.  So we move on.

I saluted Davy Jones on Thursday with Daydream Believer: Goodbye Davy Jones.  The loss of Davy Jones reminds me that life is short.  Let’s make the most of it.

Friday ended the week with Good Christian B****es, Part Deuce.  It was a sequel to a post I wrote about the TV show that debuts Sunday night.

This is a strange weekend as our kids are gone to a youth conference.  Jan and I are home alone.  Hopefully Macaulay Culkin won’t show up.

To end the week, I was approached about a ministry/speaking opportunity this week.  I will have more to say about that on the Speaking Schedule page as plans firm up.

How was your week?  What about the coming week?  Are you looking forward to it.

Making Church Art

Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.— Seth Godin from Linchpin

I have been on a kick over the past few weeks reading Seth Godin.  I have read Purple Cow.  I have read Tribes. Now, as  I write this, I am reading Linchpin.  I’m not going into a description of these books.  However, the quote above stuck out to me as I read it.  And it made me wonder.  It made me wonder about how this applies to church.

For a lot of us, art in church stops when we get out of kiddie church.  We stop coloring, drawing pictures and playing with PlayDough.  But if we look at art differently, then it never truly disappeared.

We who are a part of the Church have been changed.  If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.  What changed them?  What changed us?  Of course, it is Christ who changed us.  But how did He do it?

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

Someone told us the story.  Yes, there is doctrine in it.  Yes, there is theology behind it.  Yes, there are facts in it.  But at the heart of it, there is a story.  An old, old Story.  And what is a story?  At its best its art.  And this is the best Story of all, isn’t it?

This is a story that comes directly from the throne of God and changes the recipient.

So, how does that quote apply to church?

We have received the greatest art possible from God.  We have received the Story.

Are we letting that Art, that Story change how we do church?

Are we simply trying to teach some facts in Sunday School or bible study today?  Or are we creating art that will change our lives?  Are we telling the Story?

Are simply singing songs that will entertain us for a few minutes?  Or are we creating art?  Are we telling the Story?

How about the sermon?  Are we sitting there passively waiting for lunch?  Or are we creating art with the pastor?  Are we participating in the Story?

How about anything else we do in church?  Are we telling the Story?

What difference would this make in our churches if the Story was driving what we did?  What if we approached everything we did in church as being great, exceptional and true Art?

What about the other six days of the week?  Is the Story driving what we do?

How about you?  Are you making church Art?  Do you love to tell the Story?  In everything you do?