so i've been entertaining this idea of getting a blog to post my thoughts on art and God.

one of the things that is lacking in my life is a community of artists that are thinking about how art is crucial to the kingdom of God being present.  i know a lot of artists that are talented, but not that many of them are so interested in talking about the theology of their craft and how relevant it is to our generation.  my community of "intellectual artists" is about 3 big, and that's just not doing it for me.

i think my actual desire cannot be satisfied with a blog, for what i really want to see is a community of artists that

1. takes seriously the theology of art
2. nurtures and shares their gifts and skills unto seeing the kingdom of God come both in their own hearts and in the world.    

for me, playing music was a fun thing to do until i began to understood the place of art in the kingdom of God.  as God taught me more and more about what it means for me to be an artist called to Himself, it became clear to me that this was much more than just fun and games.  it was about me experiencing a deep sense of satisfaction in my life.  it was about people around me experiencing the joy, love and forgiveness of Jesus because of the art that comes from my life.  it was about me learning from better artists and smarter artists about what it means to be an artist.  it was about knowing YHWH Elohim, the infinite, powerful, intimate creator of the universe.

i am currently in the last moments of a youth camp put on by my mom's church.  this is my second year coming to do the music.  both years, i have had this thought beforehand of, "are they gonna think that i'm lame?"  and both years, the kids seem to have a significant experience with one of the songs that I sing.  last year, it was "you alone are God" by daryl black (urbana worship leader).  this year, it was "holiness."  the kids talked about being slaves to sin and all the things that keep them in bondage, and what it means to break out from those things and live in freedom.

the kids that always take me to the verge of tears are the boys.  i could see straight through them.  there was this one kid that really broke my heart.  i would get a look into his eyes, and they looked like sadness and hopelessness.  he seems to have eyes that have seen very violent things.  i would see him around the other boys, and he's great.  he's one of those "leader types."  people want to be liked by him.  he's also pretty good-looking, so he got a lot of attention from the girls too.  but when we would sing, i could see his eyes go to that place, that sad place.  i know that he struggles to let Jesus heal him, because he probably thinks that there's too much for Jesus to heal.  i can only pray that he will know Jesus' great love and let Him do his business.

this is what it means for me to be a musician.  who am i to be able to see what i see and participate in such redemption?  as my book says, "any capacity of the creation to reflect or witness to the Creator is graciously given by the Creator."*  it is nothing but undeserved kindness and redemption to my own soul to be able to be who i am and have it witness to the love of Jesus.

look out for the art blog.  it's coming soon...


*The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts
edited by Treier, Husbands, Lundin