Thursday, February 26, 2004
Rarely will I post the same thing to both blogs simultaneously yet it has now happened two days in a row. There are two blogs amokarts and radically real. They deal with subjects near and dear to my heart. Amokarts deals with arts ministry and radically real deals with a passion on my heart to challenge Christians from myself on up to live authentic Christian lives. Today's post encompasses both. It is a quote from an artist desiring to live an authentic Christian life. The artist is Mark Shultz. He is a recording artist (and youth worker) who has the uncanny ability to write songs that make this old preacher cry his eyes out. I read this on the liner of his latest CD Stories and Songs.
"This record seems to have a theme. A theme that asks 'What will I do with the time that's left?' I have spent so much of my time like most people living as the main character of my own small story. Through the struggles of growing and maturing over the last two years God has allowed me to see that He is inviting me to take part in his larger story. One where He is the main character and the focus and where I play a smaller yet crucial role that He wrote specifically for me. I hope that in these songs you will also hear a quiet voice calling you to the larger story."
Amen Mark, that voice and helping others to hear it should be the focus of our art and our lives.
(0) comments
"This record seems to have a theme. A theme that asks 'What will I do with the time that's left?' I have spent so much of my time like most people living as the main character of my own small story. Through the struggles of growing and maturing over the last two years God has allowed me to see that He is inviting me to take part in his larger story. One where He is the main character and the focus and where I play a smaller yet crucial role that He wrote specifically for me. I hope that in these songs you will also hear a quiet voice calling you to the larger story."
Amen Mark, that voice and helping others to hear it should be the focus of our art and our lives.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
This is an arts list and since film is an art form I wanted to post this to both of my blogs. A very important film opens today. It is an important film in need of an important reaction from the church.
Adventures in Missing the Point
Yes, I know this is someone else's title, but it really applies. After what seems like years of hearing about it, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ opens today. I have to admit the furor in the press has been wearing me down. I can't imagine what Mel is feeling like. The story of the Crucifixion of Jesus has turned into the crucifixion of Mel Gibson in the media. This story has shown me a couple of things:
1. Hating Jesus and Christians has become chic in some really big circles of society. Jesus said men would hate us for following Him so no Christian should be surprised.
2. The world is more lost and more in need of Jesus than I could ever have imagined.
3. The correct response from the Christian for all this anti Christian backlash is not backlash but prayer. Anybody remember, "pray for those who persecute you."
4. If you had any doubts that Romans 8:28 is true, the box office figures and the corresponding interest (dare I say revival?) in Jesus that will rise from all this malarkey should bear it out.
Will there be stupidity after the film is shown? Almost certainly, but there will also be people wanting to come to Jesus as a result of seeing so graphically what Jesus did on that cross? Absolutely and that is the point we Christians should make our focus. Let's not miss the point.
And one last thing while we're on missing the point, A charge of anti-semitism has been made against the film. It's been said before, but I want to be on record as having said this. Any Christian that walks out of this film with hatred for Jews has missed the point not just of the film but of his/her faith. If you want to pin the blame on someone for nailing Jesus to the cross, the hammer's in your hand. Love put Jesus on the cross, sin nailed Jesus to the cross, and God raised Jesus from the grave and because he rose so can you.
There was a line omitted from the film. The line says something to the effect of let His blood be on our heads and on the heads of our children. I used that verse in a service once and someone shouted hallelujah. I never thought of it like that before, neither did the critics who fought to remove it from the film. Guys, that blood is the blood that set me free. That's the point!
(0) comments
Adventures in Missing the Point
Yes, I know this is someone else's title, but it really applies. After what seems like years of hearing about it, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ opens today. I have to admit the furor in the press has been wearing me down. I can't imagine what Mel is feeling like. The story of the Crucifixion of Jesus has turned into the crucifixion of Mel Gibson in the media. This story has shown me a couple of things:
1. Hating Jesus and Christians has become chic in some really big circles of society. Jesus said men would hate us for following Him so no Christian should be surprised.
2. The world is more lost and more in need of Jesus than I could ever have imagined.
3. The correct response from the Christian for all this anti Christian backlash is not backlash but prayer. Anybody remember, "pray for those who persecute you."
4. If you had any doubts that Romans 8:28 is true, the box office figures and the corresponding interest (dare I say revival?) in Jesus that will rise from all this malarkey should bear it out.
Will there be stupidity after the film is shown? Almost certainly, but there will also be people wanting to come to Jesus as a result of seeing so graphically what Jesus did on that cross? Absolutely and that is the point we Christians should make our focus. Let's not miss the point.
And one last thing while we're on missing the point, A charge of anti-semitism has been made against the film. It's been said before, but I want to be on record as having said this. Any Christian that walks out of this film with hatred for Jews has missed the point not just of the film but of his/her faith. If you want to pin the blame on someone for nailing Jesus to the cross, the hammer's in your hand. Love put Jesus on the cross, sin nailed Jesus to the cross, and God raised Jesus from the grave and because he rose so can you.
There was a line omitted from the film. The line says something to the effect of let His blood be on our heads and on the heads of our children. I used that verse in a service once and someone shouted hallelujah. I never thought of it like that before, neither did the critics who fought to remove it from the film. Guys, that blood is the blood that set me free. That's the point!
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
In an article I just wrote for an arts ministry web site, I challenged my readers with Romans 12:1 Offering our bodies as living sacrifices. Our work as artists is surely included in this. The following is an excerpt from the article.
Leave it on the altar
Sacrifices, with the exception of the scapegoat, were killed and burned on
the altar. They became an aroma pleasing to God. Living sacrifices are
different. Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life says it this way: “The problem
with living sacrifices is they have the ability to get up and crawl off the
altar.” If we want to have credibility, we also have to have integrity. As
Christians in the arts, we cannot live compartmentalized lives. We have plenty to
say about a politician who claims to be a Christian and engages in corrupt
behavior. The same applies to the artist. I’m not saying that every work you
create has to be a picture of Jesus, but I am saying that you should be
comfortable enough with the content of any work you do in the sacred or secular realm,
to show it to your pastor, if not your Sunday morning service. Our lives and
our art, which, let’s face it, is a big part of our lives, must be about
glorifying God. Once your work is on the altar, leave it there.
(0) comments
Leave it on the altar
Sacrifices, with the exception of the scapegoat, were killed and burned on
the altar. They became an aroma pleasing to God. Living sacrifices are
different. Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life says it this way: “The problem
with living sacrifices is they have the ability to get up and crawl off the
altar.” If we want to have credibility, we also have to have integrity. As
Christians in the arts, we cannot live compartmentalized lives. We have plenty to
say about a politician who claims to be a Christian and engages in corrupt
behavior. The same applies to the artist. I’m not saying that every work you
create has to be a picture of Jesus, but I am saying that you should be
comfortable enough with the content of any work you do in the sacred or secular realm,
to show it to your pastor, if not your Sunday morning service. Our lives and
our art, which, let’s face it, is a big part of our lives, must be about
glorifying God. Once your work is on the altar, leave it there.
Sunday, February 22, 2004
On the road again.
It's been a few weeks since I blogged and with good reason. I am coming off four of the busiest weeks I can remember, and it's been awesome. I spent a week in Nashville with the Interlinc write group, working up ideas for new and existing ministry resources for youth workers. I finished the illustrations for an inexpensive VBS program for small churches without a lot of budget. The project was created by a member fo the A.M.O.K. list named Amber Joy Imhoff. Two weeks ago I did a lock in with about 300 kids. We used some of the A.M.O.K. projects for the kids as well as a power point game show, a demonstration of the least of these project and a message challenging the kids to go out of their way to reach out to hurting classmates with the love of Jesus. (More on this coming soon on the Radically Real blog). and then yesterday I had the privilege of teaching 16 childrens ministry teachers how to use the visual arts in their ministries. It was an awesome experience. The seminar was held at Living Word Community Church in York, PA. This church is huge with some amazing ministries. Every time I teach teachers, I am amazed with the level of commitment and the willingness to try new things that I see in them. It is always as big a blessing to me as it hopefully is for them. I really hope 2004 is the year we get A.M.O.K. off the hammock (little play on words. Like it?), Lord willing. I would love to do a lot more seminars and things this year. If you're reading this and you'd like more info or know someone who might, you can contact me at angelprty1@aol.com
(0) comments
It's been a few weeks since I blogged and with good reason. I am coming off four of the busiest weeks I can remember, and it's been awesome. I spent a week in Nashville with the Interlinc write group, working up ideas for new and existing ministry resources for youth workers. I finished the illustrations for an inexpensive VBS program for small churches without a lot of budget. The project was created by a member fo the A.M.O.K. list named Amber Joy Imhoff. Two weeks ago I did a lock in with about 300 kids. We used some of the A.M.O.K. projects for the kids as well as a power point game show, a demonstration of the least of these project and a message challenging the kids to go out of their way to reach out to hurting classmates with the love of Jesus. (More on this coming soon on the Radically Real blog). and then yesterday I had the privilege of teaching 16 childrens ministry teachers how to use the visual arts in their ministries. It was an awesome experience. The seminar was held at Living Word Community Church in York, PA. This church is huge with some amazing ministries. Every time I teach teachers, I am amazed with the level of commitment and the willingness to try new things that I see in them. It is always as big a blessing to me as it hopefully is for them. I really hope 2004 is the year we get A.M.O.K. off the hammock (little play on words. Like it?), Lord willing. I would love to do a lot more seminars and things this year. If you're reading this and you'd like more info or know someone who might, you can contact me at angelprty1@aol.com
