“And what of the human heart’s capacity to understand God? Here we need the help of passionate visionaries such as Dostoevsky. Sacred scripture is too important to be left exclusively to biblical scholars. Theology is too vital to be consigned solely to the province of theologians. To explore the depths of the God who invites our trust, we need artists and mystics……”
“Send in the artists, mystics and clowns. Their fertile imagination pours the new wine of the gospel into fresh wineskins (Luke 5:38). With fresh language, poetic vision and striking symbols, they express God’s inexpressible Word in artistic forms that are charged with the power of God, engaging our minds and stirring our hearts as they flare and flame.”
Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust
“Send in the artists, mystics and clowns. Their fertile imagination pours the new wine of the gospel into fresh wineskins (Luke 5:38). With fresh language, poetic vision and striking symbols, they express God’s inexpressible Word in artistic forms that are charged with the power of God, engaging our minds and stirring our hearts as they flare and flame.”
Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust
I have many friends who are artists. Some act, some write, some paint, some draw, some make jewelry, some sing. I am always in awe of them. I draw ‘stick’ people. I paint walls. I make very basic jewelry that may fall apart by the end of the day. I have done some acting, some signing and some writing but I have never really considered myself an artist. Until recently.
God has given one of my friends, a vision of providing a place for regular people like you and me, to discover the artist within. She believes that we all have an artistic side. We just need encouragement and a safe place to experiment. She sees each of us as an expression of God’s creativity and we, being made in God’s image, have that same creativity inside. Hmmm….maybe I am an artist. My ‘stick’ people may just have a beauty all their own.
What is inside of you waiting for the chance to express itself? Have you tried and been discouraged by someone else's comment or even your own voice telling you that you are not an artist? I invite you to listen to what God is calling you to….and how He wants you to express it. Remember….you’re expressing what is inside of you for the audience of One.
Peace,
Deb
2 comments:
Deb,
I just have to say to you that "You are an artist!" This blogsite is a piece of art. Your writing is beautiful. You have been given such a gift in expressing yourself so that we hear God through you. If that does not qualify you as an artist, I'm not sure what does! I bet God even has your blogsite posted on His refrigerator! :}
Love ya!
Carol
Bugger. I just wrote an excited response to this blog and when I changed the visible name below I lost it =)
I just discovered this blog when I received a response email saying you're "out of the office". What a great idea! I started reading all of it from the beginning and wanted to reply when I had read everything but I can't. There's too much.
I was drawn to respond to this one because I enjoy art. So often I have these mental wars that belittle my heart's attraction to it...thoughts like 'that money could be better spent elsewhere' or that my own talents are lesser because I don't have a critical brain. At the same time I know that God created me this way and that my gifts can play their part at the right times just as well as the next guy. After all, it all comes down to how do we use what we have been given to best honor God? How do we use our hearts, minds, hands, bodies, resources, blessings...whatever...it's all for God's glory. Congratulations to you for finding this incredible way to honor God with your unique gifts!
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